Logbook: Crete

4 Days of Racing, 2 ICF World Cup Events

by Paolo Marconi

This year, the international calendar gave us a great gift, taking us to Crete for four consecutive days of racing within two ICF World Cup events.
We first visited Crete in 2017 when the Eurotour brought World SUP to the largest of the Greek islands, specifically to Agios Nikolaos. Since then, we've returned to race in Crete three more times, always fascinated by its special atmosphere and the technical, often windy, Mediterranean-style race conditions. So, when we saw the opportunity to return to the island at the beginning of the season, we didn’t hesitate—especially since this year the fun would be doubled. In fact, alongside the classic event in Agios Nikolaos, a new competition in Sitia was added: two international events in the same week, on the same island, just an hour apart—a real treat for us race SUPers.

The two events were organized in close collaboration by the clubs of Agios Nikolaos and Sitia, from May 1st to 4th, both serving as ICF World Cup stops. The Sitia competitions included a Technical Race on Thursday and a Sprint on Friday. In Agios Nikolaos, the program offered a Technical Race on Saturday and the classic Long Distance race on Sunday. Four days of high-level racing on one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean—an unmissable opportunity for those of us who love competing and also exploring special places.After more than a decade of international competitions, we’ve come to understand that the passion for SUP racing goes hand in hand with the passion for travel and discovering the world. We’re always open to new experiences—of travel, sport, and life—and we can’t wait for our boards and paddles to give us our next opportunity to hit the road.

This year, our stay in Crete was longer than in previous visits. We arrived on the island Monday afternoon, giving us plenty of time to settle in and explore the new setting of Sitia. Every time we visit Crete, we're always struck by its atmosphere—the classic Mediterranean beauty of the landscapes, the authenticity felt in every aspect of daily life, from the food to the people, and above all, the strong presence of nature, the sea, and the mountains towering over the villages. Sitia perfectly embodies all this: the sea is ever-present, and in the town perched on the mountain, there's a magical feeling where time seems to stand still. Once again, SUP has brought us to discover a magical new place that we’ll carry in our hearts for a long time.
The first days were spent acclimating, training on the new race courses, and exploring Sitia and its wonders. On Wednesday, the day before the races began, we had the honor of holding a workshop at the Nautical Club, where we shared our experience with about a dozen participants, most of them young competitive SUP athletes. Time flies when you're having a good time, and in the blink of an eye, the long-awaited moment arrives: time to hit the water and compete in the Technical Race, the opening event of this intense week of races in Crete.

DAY 1
The first of the two Technical Races in this week of competitions in Crete kicked things off on a rainy May 1st. The first heats were held early in the morning to accommodate the packed race schedule. In addition to the Open Men’s and Women’s categories—featuring Elite athletes from all over the world—there were all the age group categories set by the ICF. There was an impressive turnout in the youth divisions, especially with participants from across the island. We were pleased to discover that Crete is a true breeding ground for young competitive SUP athletes—most Greek SUP racers come from here, and the island’s clubs produce young talent year after year. It’s clear that the sea runs in the veins of the people of Crete. Once again, we were struck by the strong participation in the youth categories, proof that our sport is growing and putting down strong roots for a bright future. The Technical Race course was 1 km long with no less than seven buoy turns. From the very first heats, the races were tough. In both the quarterfinals and semifinals, a strong side wind made the course more physical than technical. Both Susak and I qualified for the finals, which took place in the afternoon. Just before hitting the water, the wind died down due to heavy rain, and we ended up racing under a downpour in flat water conditions. My final started with a decent launch that put me in the top 5 at the first buoy. However, a few hesitations in the wakes and a small mistake three buoys before the finish cost me the fight for the podium, and I finished in 7th place. Of course, there’s always room for improvement, but the satisfaction of reaching another World Cup final and racing alongside some of the world’s best riders outweighs the disappointment of missing the podium. The level of performance on the water was incredible. Shuri Araki dominated the race in every heat, taking the top spot on the podium, followed by Donato Freens, who claimed second place with an impressive comeback, and the powerful Brazilian Eri Tenorio in third. Solid performances also came from Filippo Mercuriali, who finished in a strong 5th place, showing he belongs among the best in every discipline, and Tommaso Pampinella, who secured a top-10 finish. But the performance of the day goes to Susak, who, after a less-than-perfect start, fought back with great experience through the buoys to claim third place with grit and heart—back on the World Cup podium and proving once again that hard work and passion always pay off. Ahead of her were rising star Csillag Kocsis in second place and Puerto Rican champion Mariecarmen Rivera, who won with a dominant performance.

DAY 2
The second day of racing saw athletes compete in a 150-meter Sprint inside the Sitia marina. May 2nd also started early for all participants, allowing enough time for the many heats across all categories, given the large number of athletes. Each heat featured eight competitors, each in their own lane to ensure fairness in the race. Right from the qualifiers, we saw some impressive performances—even from relatively unknown athletes or newcomers to competitive SUP. Sprint races in straight lines tend to attract many former canoeists or young athletes coming from the world of sprint canoeing, who are used to this style of racing and performance. Traditional athletes who regularly follow the international SUP circuits are, for the most part, not accustomed to this kind of race, which often makes sprint results more uncertain and surprising. For this World Cup stop, I decided not to take part in the sprints. It’s a decision I’ve been considering for a few years now, and I believe it will be final for future events as well. Straight-line sprints simply aren't for me—they don’t suit my body type, my training style, or my vision of SUP, which is much more connected to skill, reading the conditions, and adapting, rather than pure performance in as neutral an environment as possible. For me to enjoy a sprint, it needs at least a beach start and a buoy turn—and if I’m not asking too much, maybe even some waves. That said, I deeply respect and admire sprinters and their raw display of power on the water—watching them in action is truly impressive. The specialists in this discipline can get their boards planing from a in just a few seconds after a standing start, holding incredible rhythm and power for nearly a full minute. So, to witness those performances and to support Susak—who enjoys challenging herself over short distances—I headed down to the race site early in the morning. Right away, the difference was clear between athletes with a canoeing background and pure SUP racers. Susak was eliminated in the semifinals, along with other high-level international athletes who struggled from the early rounds. In the men’s race, Andrey Kraitor, a former Olympic canoeist, took the win—continuing to assert his dominance in this discipline. Second place went to the young Romanian athlete Matei Barbu, already a Sprint world champion, and rounding out the podium was Phaedon Doukas, a traditional SUP athlete who is increasingly shifting his focus to sprint racing. Among the women, the winner was American Katniss Paris, followed by Mariecarmen Rivera in second and Hannah Kaminska, another young sprint specialist, in third. After observing this straight-line Sprint day from the sidelines, I reflected a lot on the future of our sport and came to the conclusion that we’re getting very close to full specialization among athletes. When I started racing in SUP, everyone did everything, and the best could achieve top results across all disciplines. But today, the level is so high that training increasingly demands specialization. I’m certain that very soon (and in some cases, it's already happening), we’ll see more and more athletes focusing on just one, maybe two, disciplines. This will be especially true for sprinting, which differs the most in terms of performance model and training approach. I also believe that eventually we’ll see events dedicated solely to sprinters, and others solely to Tech Races or Long Distances. All of this is further proof that our sport is still in its early stages and is gradually finding its identity—just like the athletes who practice it.

DAY 3
The third day also marked the opening of the second event of this week of international racing. Athletes moved from Sitia to Agios Nikolaos, a charming town nestled between the Cretan hills and the blue sea. The Agios Nikolaos event kicked off with a Technical Race held at Almyros Beach, on a sunny but windy day. The course was about 1.5 km long with two laps, totaling 16 buoy turns and two beach run sections. A strong side wind and some waves challenged all the participants while delivering a spectacular show for spectators—a race format that was as beautiful to watch as it was to paddle. This kind of race can be described as a Beach Race, thanks to the presence of waves, beach runs, and other elements that highlight not only paddling strength and technique but also ocean skills and the ability to read the water. Racing in this format and under these conditions is what excites me the most—anything can happen, and full concentration is required at all times. The distance between buoys is very short, the leg muscles are constantly under stress, coordination and balance have to be flawless, and your heart rate stays above threshold for the entire race. For me, this is one of the most beautiful disciplines in our sport. My enthusiasm for this race led me to a very satisfying fifth place, behind England’s Blue Ewer, Brazil’s Eri Tenorio, the Netherlands’ Donato Freens, and the flying young Japanese athlete Shuri Araki. In the women’s race, Susak claimed 4th place in a tough, tightly packed race with heavy buoy traffic. The win went once again to Puerto Rico’s Mariecarmen Rivera, followed by the young stars Csillag Kocsis and Kyriaki Logotheti. The day ended at sunset with an award ceremony on the beach, fully embracing the spirit of our sport—one with salt and sand in its DNA. It had been a long time since I’d raced in such a fun and technical Beach Race, and despite the physical toll, my motivation to race more events like this has never been stronger.

DAY 4
The final day of racing in this double ICF World Cup event saw athletes take on the Long Distance race— the classic Agios Nikolaos event now in its 10th edition. The 13.5 km point-to-point course runs along the coast and delivers different and always challenging conditions every year. This year, men and women raced at different times of the day. The men's race started at 10 a.m., while the women hit the water at 1 p.m. The changing weather created two very different races: the men had to face a slight upwind for more than half the course, followed by a flat-water section leading to the finish. The women, on the other hand, experienced a bit of everything—downwind for much of the first half, stretches of upwind, and some truly demanding sidewind sections. For me, it was a hard-fought and challenging race, both physically and mentally. I tried to play my cards right by drafting in the pack, but found myself alone with 4 km to go, and had to dig deep to find the energy to secure fifth place, after a great long-distance duel with my national teammate, Filippo Mercuriali. Ahead of me were Brazil’s Eri Tenorio, young Greek talent Tasos Tsouris, Donato Freens, and the unbeatable Shuri Araki. In the women’s race, Susak closed out the event with a beautiful open water performance that earned her second place—behind the incredibly strong Puerto Rican Mariecarmen Rivera and ahead of young Greek athlete Kyriaki Logotheti.

And so we wrap up this long week of racing in Crete with tired bodies but hearts full of amazing moments shared with the international SUP community. Crete remains one of our favorite places to paddle and race at a high level. This year, we discovered emerging new scenes, lots of young talent, and an ever-rising standard that will help our sport grow more solidly and rapidly in the near future.