From May 2 to 4, Stand-Up Paddle Returns to Melilla for Top-Level Competition in a Stunning Setting
Following the successful kickoff in Benalmádena, the European SUP League (ESL) continues its debut season with its second stop in Melilla, hosted as part of the 4th edition of the Triple S Festival, from Friday May 2 to Sunday May 4.
Supported by the Spanish Surfing Federation and the European Surfing Federation, this major event will welcome top athletes from across Europe to compete in ESL point-scoring races in the technical and sprint disciplines. In parallel, it will also host the Spanish SUP Race Championships, featuring sprint and long-distance formats.
Melilla: A Growing Hub for SUP in Europe
Melilla is rapidly establishing itself as a key destination for the development of Stand-Up Paddle in both Spain and Europe. With its ideal coastal setting, the city provides the perfect backdrop for a competition that combines elite sport with sports tourism, environmental consciousness, and social inclusion.
A Milestone for National and International SUP
The 2025 Triple ESE Surf Festival will feature four official competitions:
May 2: ESL Technical Race May 3: Spanish Sprint Championships + ESL Sprint May 4: Spanish Long Distance Championships
The ESL competitions promise a high level of international participation and attractive prize money. These events are open to athletes of all nationalities.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Championships will bring together the best paddlers in the country. Open exclusively to athletes holding a national federation license, these races will award medals and titles across multiple categories — from Under-10 to Elite.
Watch the Full Multi-Cam Livestream on TotalSUP
All the action from Melilla will be covered with a professional multi-camera livestream on the TotalSUP Facebook page, featuring dynamic drone footage, beach cams, and on-the-water coverage. Whether you’re following your favorite athlete or enjoying the spectacle from afar, this is the best way to experience the event as if you were on site.
More Than Just a Competition: A Vision for the Future
The Triple ESE Festival goes beyond racing. It aims to be a platform for promoting healthy lifestyles, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion — all key values of the European SUP League.
In addition to the competitions, the festival will include:
Educational and outreach activities
Eco-friendly infrastructure, such as recycled race jerseys and sustainable waste management, in line with ESL’s environmental policy
Inclusion programs, continuing the work started in Benalmádena, including participation by visually impaired athletes through a partnership with the ONCE Foundation.
Official Schedule
Thursday, May 1: Athlete Registration & Briefing Friday, May 2: ESL Technical Race (Qualifiers, Semifinals, Finals) Saturday, May 3: Spanish Sprint Championships + ESL Sprint Sunday, May 4: Spanish Long Distance Championships
Please note: Race formats and scheduling may be adjusted depending on weather conditions and the number of participants. Sprint and long-distance races may be swapped if necessary.
With this exciting new stop, the European SUP League continues to gather momentum in its first season — staying true to its mission of connecting Europe’s SUP community, from grassroots to elite.
Peru won the South American Championship again. They won 9 out of the 16 categories that counted toward the team ranking. Argentina finished the event in second place, and Chile came in third. The South American Surfing Championship wrapped up in Chicama, Peru with powerful performances in the SUP Race event, where Argentina and Peru […]
Will Keetley, the 20 year old standout racer from Kingsbridge, Devon (UK) repping Black Project and Infinity, has steadily grown in the GBSUP National Race Series spotlight – climbing the ranks, learning the ropes, and now showing a real appetite for high-level competition. Will’s path reflects the growing shift in the SUP world. There seems […]
Today we had the pleasure to sit down with renowned foiling athlete Gwen Tutour to discuss his impressions of the BRAND NEW Flying Fish Fly-By Foil Board. From the moment he unboxed this striking piece of equipment, Gwen was captivated by its sleek design and astonishing lightweight construction, weighing in at just 11 lbs for […]
Meet Krisztián Bártfai, the dynamic force behind the 2025 ICF SUP Worlds set to take place in Abu Dhabi, UAE. An Olympic sprint kayaking bronze medalist and multiple world champion, Krisztián has spent the past 14 years helping build a thriving paddling community in the Middle East. As the founder of PaddlersHub and a long-haul […]
One of the standout moments at this weekend’s World SUP Festival in Santa Pola, Spain, is the highly anticipated launch of NSP’s all-new 2026 Race Range, and the official comeback of SUP legend Titouan Puyo. The multiple-time World and European Champion from New Caledonia is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and respected […]
On the first weekend of May, Water festival took place in beautiful Sicily, the sunny shores of Mondello Beach set the stage for an unforgettable weekend. As one of the most anticipated stops on the Italian FISSW SUP circuit, this third edition delivered sup racing race and a vibrant atmosphere filled with music, energy, and […]
Can a paddle really improve your SUP foiling and help make your downwind foil dreams a reality? It’s a question that has the foil world buzzing – especially with the arrival of the first paddles designed specifically for foilers. As the sport and market evolve rapidly, so does the gear: brands are now developing foil-specific […]
The Belgian SUP Tour 2025 got off to a strong and dynamic start with the Paddle of the Kempen, an event that kicked off the new season in style. Thanks to the tireless efforts of its founder, Vincent Claeskens, the Tour continues to grow in strength and hype. In recent years, the Belgian SUP Tour […]
Mark your calendars for June 7-8, 2025, as the Gran Canaria PRO returns for its fifth edition and this year, it’s making waves like never before. Now officially part of both the Liga PRO SUP and the Liga Federación, the event promises two action-packed days of racing on one of the most iconic courses in […]