Logbook: BCN Sup World Fest

Race weekend in the Catalan metropolis

by Paolo Marconi

The exciting weekend of May 24th and 25th has arrived! The long-awaited BCN SUP World Fest is here, and competitive paddlers from all over the world gathered in the Catalan metropolis to take part in one of the most intense events of the season.

The BCN SUP World Fest took place on the Somorrostro Beach, right in front of the Mapfre Towers, in the Barceloneta neighborhood. The schedule included two days of racing. Saturday featured the main event, a long-distance valid for the EuroTour ranking. On Sunday, a technical race was held in front of hundreds of spectators on the beach. Racing in one of the most visited European capitals doesn’t happen every day, and for this reason, many competitive paddlers added this event to their calendar, not only the top riders, who were all present, but also a large number of amateurs who didn’t want to miss the chance to be part of this great SUP celebration.

On Friday the 23rd, Susak and I went to the event to confirm our registration and do a warm-up paddle on the racecourse. This pre-race paddle at the venue is always crucial, especially in events of this level, as it allows us to familiarize ourselves with the environment where we’ll compete, trying to understand the sea conditions and movement. By also comparing this with the weather forecast, we can get a clearer idea of what kind of race it will be and make the right board choice. Beyond the technical aspect, there’s something more. Leaving the beach, turning around and seeing the skyline of the Catalan capital is breathtaking. Seeing the city from the sea is impressive, you can feel its energy and hustle. Thousands of tiny figures stroll along the promenade, the Mapfre towers stand out, various domes scattered throughout the city come into view, the W Hotel with its unique shape, and in the background, Tibidabo watches over the city from above.

After the training session on the racecourse, Susak gave a group lesson at the Club Patí Vela de Barcelona, a beautiful opportunity to share and connect with the local female paddlers from the Fem SUP Race group, who challenged themselves in windy conditions, learning to handle their boards among the waves and refining their beach starts.

Here’s a look at the two-day event from inside the race

Day 1

The first day of racing starts early, with the briefing at 8:30 a.m. and the men’s start scheduled for 9:15. The women will start right after the men’s race ends, around 10:45. I arrive at the race site well in advance and immediately head into the water to activate my body, but mainly to decide which board to use. It’s early and there’s a light breeze coming from the land. If the forecasts are correct, the wind should shift with the day’s heat and pick up slightly, but nothing too demanding. Even though there’s no real wind yet, the sea is already moving a lot. As soon as I leave the beach, I decide to use my Allwater 14x22, with boat traffic during the race and increasing wind, I’ll need stability.

The course is similar to the first edition. A beach start from Playa de Somorrostro, then a right turn after about 300 meters. From there, the route follows Playa de la Barceloneta all the way to the iconic W Hotel. After passing the hotel, there’s a short section with two buoy turns, then we follow the wall of the commercial port. At the end of the wall, a left turn around a buoy takes us into the longest open-sea stretch. After almost 2 kilometers in the open sea, there’s another left-hand buoy turn to return to Somorrostro Beach. The race consists of two 6 km laps, with a beach run transition after the first lap.

The men’s race start is extremely crowded, with at least 50 athletes paddling side by side toward the first buoy, fighting for the lead. I get a poor start and immediately get stuck in the wakes. I pull out of the pack and move to the side, trying to find my rhythm and begin my comeback. Ahead, a group of about fifteen athletes starts accelerating, stringing out the rest of the fleet. After the first left-hand buoy, I’ve almost caught the first train, but just as I settle back into my stroke, I lose balance and fall, getting passed by another group.

The race heats up and the pace in the front increases. I manage to make up some ground and catch a few guys dropping off the lead group. Then comes the beach run, one of the most thrilling parts of the race, where you can really hear the cheers from the crowd on the sand.

Shortly after the start of the second lap, I break away from the group I had managed to catch, but the lead group is now far ahead, and I remain in the so-called “No Man’s Land” for the rest of the race. Up front, the pace intensifies, Shuri Araki has created a solid gap and sails to yet another victory. The chase group sees several overtakes, wipeouts, and comebacks. Behind the strong Japanese paddler, Antonio Morillo finishes second, Arthur Arutkin third, Aaron Sanchez fourth, and the legendary Titouan Puyo fifth.

With the men’s race over, it’s time for the women to hit the water. Another spectacular start unfolds, featuring some of the world’s best along with many promising newcomers to our sport, all battling it out in the waters of Barcelona. Shortly after the start, a train of three with Alba Frey, Mariecarmen Rivera, and Duna Gordillo, breaks away and immediately opens a decent gap. Behind them, a group forms and experiences continuous overtakes and lead changes throughout the first lap.

Susak paddles hard within the top 10 for the first half of the race, but after the beach run, she slips on the board and loses a few positions, finishing 11th. The leading trio continues to battle throughout the second lap until, in the final kilometer, Mariecarmen Rivera takes the initiative, launching an attack and winning in a final sprint, with Duna Gordillo second and Alba Frey third. Esperanza Barreras finishes fourth after a strong comeback, and Anais Guyomarch rounds out the top five.

Day 2:

The second day of competition sees the athletes take to the water to compete in the Tech Race of the BCN Sup World Fest, the Sunday race of the event. Some athletes have already hit the road again, while others are taking a well-deserved day off after the grueling Eurotour long-distance race. Despite this, over a hundred competitive paddlers lined up at the start for this second day of racing.

The course, not overly technical, covers just over one kilometer with three buoy turns, and includes an in-and-out section with wind coming from the sea, making for an exciting upwind/downwind challenge. At 10:30 a.m., the elimination heats begin with the quarterfinals. In each round, the top half of the participants move on to the next stage, leading up to the A and B finals.

The level of competition is high, both in the men's and women's finals, with athletes from all over the world battling it out through crowded buoy turns and overtaking maneuvers on the downwind stretch. Among the women, the very young Italian Sveva Sabato takes the win, followed by Hawaiian–Costa Rican Jenny Kalmbach and France’s Iona Rivet. In the men’s race, Ethan Bry claims victory after overtaking Arthur Arutkin in the final stretch, with Spaniard Sergio Cantoral taking third. Susak and I finish in fifth and fourth place respectively, wrapping up a very intense and emotional first part of the season.

For the second year in a row, the BCN World Sup Fest has been a meeting point for many athletes from around the world, gathering to compete in the Catalan capital. It's an event that promises to establish itself in the global SUP racing scene in the coming years. It's not every day you get to race in one of the most visited cities in the world, paddling surrounded by the unique atmosphere that only Barcelona can offer.