Dialling in for the ICF Worlds: Unax Etxeberria on training and the new Starboard All Star

We’ve been following 19-year-old Unax Etxeberria through his coastal training sessions and drills, where his technique and ability to read the ocean look completely dialled in – making it all seem effortless. From Donostia in the Basque Country, the young racer has built a reputation for an explosive style, sharp control and an uncompromising approach to training.

Training under his own direction with Kairoscore, his goal for the season is simple: “I want to finish by leaving everything out on the water.”

That competitive drive was already on show at the 2024 ICF SUP World Championships, where Unax claimed Bronze in the Junior Men’s 100 m Sprint, finishing behind Matei Barbu and Nikolaos Malekakis in a time of 25.68 seconds.

Now, with the 2026 ICF SUP World Championships on the horizon, Unax has stepped onto the new Starboard All Star. We caught up with him to get his first impressions of the board, look at how he is approaching his Worlds preparation, and explore what it takes to turn explosive speed into race-day performance.

Hi Unax, welcome to TotalSUP! What first pulled you into racing and when did you realise you wanted to take it seriously?

Hi! I started paddling from a very young age. My cousins, Jurgi and Ane Zulaika, were both already doing SUP at a very high level, and they were definitely the ones who introduced me to the sport. At first, it was simply about getting on a board and enjoying it, just going for a paddle with my sister and them.

As they kept competing, I began going to some of their races and getting more interested in competition myself. I started training more but I didn’t take SUP very seriously until a few years ago. Until around four years ago, I was still mainly focused on swimming, so SUP was more of a summer sport and something I did for fun.

It was only a few years ago that I decided to really commit to SUP and start taking it seriously. That’s when I began training more consistently and seeing how far I could actually go in the sport.

In terms of training, what are you working on most at the moment as you prepare for the next level of competition?

At the moment, I’m mainly focusing on sprint and technical racing. I feel these are the disciplines that suit me best because I consider myself quite an explosive athlete, and I think I have a lot of potential in these types of races.

That’s where I’m putting most of my focus in training at the moment, working on my speed, explosiveness and technical skills to keep improving and reach the next level.

You’ve been riding the new 2026 Starboard All Star Hybrid Dugout. What was your first impression when you got on the board?

My first impression was that it was completely red! After several years of the All Star being blue, it was definitely a big change visually.

But beyond the colour, I could immediately see that Starboard had made more changes to the board than you might expect at first glance. Some are smaller details, while others are much more noticeable. I was already expecting a very good and complete board, but honestly, it exceeded my expectations.

One of the first things I noticed was that I didn’t find it immediately easy to ride. I’ve used this type of board for most of my time, but over the last two or three years I had been mainly using a flatwater board, so going back to a more technical and dynamic board was a big change for me. It took some time to get used to how it moves. But once you understand how to ride it and find the right balance, you start to realise how much potential it has.

Image source: Starboard SUP

What surprised you most about the board once you started racing it rather than simply testing it?

The first thing I noticed is that in waves and especially through turns, it feels very controlled and gives me a lot of confidence. Even when the conditions get more challenging, I feel that I can trust on the board.

Another thing that really stands out is how quickly it accelerates. Once you get used to the stability and find your balance, the board feels very fast, even on completely flat water. But when there are small bumps or little waves, it becomes even more impressive. It picks up those small waves so easily that sometimes it feels like you barely have to paddle to accelerate.

I’ve also been impresed by a small but important detail, by the way it drains water. When water does get onto the board, the two drainage holes work extremely well. The design around the rails helps guide the water towards the openings, so it clears the deck much faster than I expected.

Compared with other boards you’ve raced, where do you feel the biggest difference – stability, acceleration, glide, handling or manoeuvrability?

Compared with the other boards I’ve used, the biggest differences I’ve noticed are definitely in the acceleration and the way the board can be manoeuvred. The acceleration is one of the things that stands out the most, but I’m also really impressed by how easy it is to manoeuvre, especially through turns. It’s very easy to make the board change direction and to control it by leaning it onto its rail, even without moving all the way to the back of the board.

What I find particularly interesting is that, at first, the board feels slightly unstable when you’re paddling, but from the very beginning it feels surprisingly stable when you’re turning. That combination is something I really like about it, because once you get used to the feeling when paddling, you can really take advantage of how easy and controlled it is to manoeuvre.

How does it behave in different conditions – flat water, bumps, side chop and turns?

In any kind of bumps whenever they are coming from the side, from the front or from behind this is a board that handles extremely well. It is especially good in bumps because it is so easy to catch and surf the bumps and to change direction on them. Whether the bumps are big or small, the board makes it very easy to move around and adapt to the conditions.

The tail is also a big part of this. Starboard has combined this tail design with elements from a flat-water board, which makes the board very stable while still allowing you to change direction very easily. This is something I have already mentioned when talking about turning: it is a board that feels very easy and responsive when you want to change direction.

When it comes to side chop, the board does take a little bit of time to find its stability. However, once you get used to it and find your balance on the board, you can really play with the side bumps very easily, and it becomes a lot of fun.

And finally, in flat water, this is probably what has impressed me the most. We already know that All Stars are usually very good in bumps and small waves, but flat water has traditionally been where they have had a little more room for improvement.

With this board, I think Starboard has created one of the best All Stars for flat water as well. The tail design makes a big difference, and the board glides really well in flat conditions. It is also a great board if you want to draft behind another paddler, as it feels very fast and efficient in all conditions.

Is there a particular part of the board that you think gives you an advantage during a race?

I think that nowadays, most boards have their own strengths and weaknesses, so it is not easy for one board to stand out massively from the others. But if I had to highlight one area where I think this board can give you an advantage, it would probably be technical racing.

The acceleration, both off the start and coming out of the buoy turns, is a big advantage. At the same time, the board is very easy to turn around the buoys, so you can carry a lot of speed through the turns and accelerate quickly afterwards.

Another thing that I think can make a real difference is when you are overtaking another paddler, or when someone overtakes you. The board makes it very easy to handle the bumps and wash created by the other paddler as they pass alongside you. You can even use those bumps to surf and gain extra speed while drafting.

So overall, I would say that the biggest advantage this board can give you in a race is in technical races, especially because of its acceleration, manoeuvrability and ability to take advantage of the bumps created by other paddlers.

Image source: Starboard SUP

Who do you think this board is designed for? Is it purely for elite racers, or could the hybrid concept work for a much wider range of paddlers?

I think it really depends on the individual paddler and, especially, on their level of stability and experience. As I mentioned before, this is a board that can take some time to get used to and control, so I would say it is mainly aimed at paddlers who are focused on racing and already have a good level of experience.

That being said, I think the same concept could work for a much wider range of paddlers if the board were slightly wider, as that would make it more stable and accessible.

All Stars like this one can definitely be used by a wide range of paddlers, but I think the width of the board and the experience of the paddler are the two key factors. The narrower the board, the more important your balance and experience become.

If you had to describe the All Star in three words, what would they be?

Fun, explosive and versatile.

With the ICF World Championships in Italy coming up, what does the next few weeks of preparation look like for you?

My preparation for the World Championships is focused heavily on developing speed and explosiveness. Over the next few weeks, I’m putting a lot of emphasis on simulating different race situations and working on the specific demands that I will face during the competition.

I’m also focusing on strength work in the gym to improve my power and make sure I can maintain a high level of performance throughout the races. The goal is to arrive at the World Championships feeling fast, explosive and prepared for different race scenarios.

You are the 2024 ICF Junior Men’s 100 m Sprint bronze medallist. Going into this year’s World Championships, do you have specific expectations or goals for yourself? Has that previous podium changed what you believe is possible?

My main expectations and goals for this year’s World Championships are to improve on the time I achieved that year, so I can really see how much I have improved as an athlete and finish the competition feeling satisfied with my performance. The preparation I have had this year has been much better than it was back then, so I expect to be able to improve that time and hopefully do it quite comfortably.

Another clear goal is to perform well in the technical race and then give absolutely everything I have in the long-distance race. Since it is the final day of the World Championships, I want to finish by leaving everything out on the water. I feel that if I give everything I have, I can improve a lot on my previous results.

As for whether that previous podium changed what I believe is possible, definitely. The level in the Junior category has been extremely high in recent years, and I think it was even higher that year. So, for me, it is not only about the fact that I managed to make the podium.

What gives me even more confidence is that the time I achieved to win that bronze medal would actually have been fast enough to qualify for the Open Men’s final that year. Knowing that gives me a lot of confidence that I can compete at a very high level and that those results are possible for me again.

Thank you for your time and insight – we can’t wait to see you on the water in Sabaudia!

Find out more about Starboard 2026 range at sup.star-board.com

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Find out more and REGISTER for the 2026 ICF Stand-Up Paddling World Championships in Sabaudia, Italy here