On Easter morning, Sunday, April 20th, about a hundred athletes gathered early on the beach to prepare for the Long Distance. This race would determine both the winners of the championship stage—based on combined results with the sprint—and the overall champions of the 2025 Etrusca SUP Race. The day started with rain and a lighter wind than the previous day, but still enough to give us some waves to surf. At 10:30 AM, when the race began, the rain had stopped, but the sea remained choppy thanks to the continuing southeasterly wind. The Etrusca course has always been one of the most captivating and complete on the national scene. The race starts from the beach in front of Spot One, turns left around the first buoy, and heads toward the reef that marks the entrance to the Cecina River. Entering the river is always technical, marked by currents and waves—especially with the wind pushing from the sea. After about 3 kilometers, you pass under a bridge that marks the start of the calmer portion of the race. From there, it's about 1 kilometer of flatwater paddling before turning a buoy on the left and retracing the course. However, the river section isn’t easy—you must pay attention to the current, your trajectory, and the shallow water that often forces you to adjust your stroke to avoid hitting the bottom with your paddle. Once out of the river, it’s back into open sea for just over 2 kilometers, heading full speed toward the beach finish after rounding the final buoy on the right. The course has remained the same year after year—athletes know it well, but it always holds surprises depending on wind direction and river conditions. Some years, the race is completely flat with no wind or current; other years, the river is flooding and there are big waves in the open sea. This year’s conditions weren’t extreme—the sea section had an upwind on the way out and a slightly side-downwind on the return with about ten knots of wind coming from the south-east; the river section was very calm, with shallow water being the only challenge.
The start was, as always, explosive, with about ten athletes fighting for the lead at the first buoy. I had a good start, focusing on stroke rate and moving into second position behind the incredibly fast Filippo Mercuriali, who was first around the buoy. As we entered the upwind section, I moved alongside Filippo to share the race lead and respond to various attacks from the younger athletes behind us. We worked together and tried to make a break until we entered the river, where I attempted an attack by staying very close to the reef to surf the backwash. The attack worked, and as we passed under the bridge, only three of us remained: Filippo Mercuriali, Riccardo Rossi, and me. We had broken away from the rest, and it was clear to all of us that it would be difficult for anyone to escape in the river section. We all knew the race would be decided once we returned to the sea, and so began a mental game of conserving energy and waiting for the next move. We rounded the buoy at the end of the river without issues and began heading back. This part of the race is always exciting because you cross paths with other athletes and friends paddling the opposite direction, exchanging cheers and good vibes. Once we passed the bridge again, the return to the sea was near and the race was heating up. I moved toward the reef as soon as I could to avoid the wind and surf the waves bouncing off the rocks. After exiting the river mouth, I created a small gap on the other two athletes by catching some side waves, and then back in the open sea, I realized I might actually win. I focused solely on surfing and connecting as many waves as possible over the last 2 kilometers to the final buoy. My trajectory and strategy were working—about a kilometer from the finish, I was in the lead with nearly a minute’s advantage. I was fully concentrated and also having a blast, riding the speed and glide of my Sunova Allwater 14X22. As I reached the last buoy, I began to hear the voice of Elia Rossetti—event organizer, race announcer, and longtime friend—commenting on the race and hyping up the crowd. That was probably the most emotional moment of the entire race. I relaxed and enjoyed the final few hundred meters, surfing and fueled by Elia’s words and the cheering spectators. One final glide brought me to shore, where I ran to the finish and rang the bell that marked the end of the Etrusca SUP Race. Filippo Mercuriali finished second, also taking the combined win in the FISSW national championship standings, and Riccardo Rossi completed the podium in third. Among the women, multiple Italian and world champion Cecilia Pampinella confirmed her form by winning the Etrusca for the second consecutive year.
The 2025 Etrusca SUP Race was truly special for me—not just because of the result. I felt so many emotions: the satisfaction of paddling strong again after a tough injury, the joy of winning a race the way I had visualized it, the gratitude for the cheers from the crowd, and the pleasure of spending the weekend with old and new friends. It all gave me an incredible boost for the upcoming international season, but more importantly, a deep sense of energy and motivation to never stop paddling and to appreciate the well-being that comes from sports—especially after being forced to take a break that kept me away from the sea.
