Salivoli: The Capital of SUP Race

The beach where it all began

By Paolo Marconi

It was a midsummer day in 2009 when, for the first time, a Stand Up Paddleboard touched the waters of Salivoli.
I had just started paddling during the days when there was no wind to glide on my windsurf board, and I decided to buy my first SUP board with savings I earned from a small role in a film by Paolo Virzì. The rest is history, and if you want to know more, you can read Figli di uno sport minore ("Children of a Lesser Sport").

Over 15 years have passed since the first SUP arrived in Salivoli, and a lot of water has passed under the boards and paddles. SUP Race has become one of the fastest-growing sports internationally, and SUP boards of every type and size can be found on beaches worldwide. In this exponential growth, Salivoli (the main beach of Piombino) has played its part. In fact, since the early 2010s, our beach has seen the rise of the movement and has hosted several local and national competitions, starting with the pioneering BOT events and culminating in the last FISURF Championship stage in 2017.

Salivoli has thus made a name for itself in the world of SUP, with not only the majority of Italian race paddlers but also great international athletes paddling in its waters, visiting our home spot. Additionally, a strong local community of athletes of all ages and levels has developed, including our SUP school, SALIVOLI, two clubs focused on youth competitive events, and we are also proud to have three members of the Italian national team FISSW (Riccardo Rossi, Federico Esposito, and myself).

To celebrate the bond between Salivoli and its residents with SUP and the sea in general, on Sunday, December 1st, the beach once again hosted an official SUP Race competition, the second stage of the FISSW regional championship.
Young Salivoli athlete Filippo Alberti, along with volunteers from the Lega Navale Italiana and federal judge Elia Rossetti, organized an event that attracted not only locals but also athletes from all over Italy, drawn by the opportunity to paddle in Salivoli. The starting line saw paddlers from Lake Iseo, Naples, Lake Trasimeno, along with many from Tuscany.
The day was perfect for paddling, and the course was designed to make the race exciting. The north wind created both flat-water zones where maximum power could be expressed and more technical open-sea areas during the round around the Falcone rock.
The competition was of a high level, with a fierce battle for the podium between four members of the Italian national team (coach Federico Esposito, Riccardo Rossi, bronze medalist at the latest ISA World Championships, the very strong Filippo Mercuriali who traveled from Igea Marina, and me, who ultimately triumphed thanks to my deep knowledge of the area). Behind them were many young athletes who are steadily climbing the rankings, as well as several amateurs making their first race experience. The grand finale was the Technical Race for the youngest competitors, held in the gulf under the eyes of the many spectators on the beach.
The day was made special by all the Salivoli residents who gathered to celebrate this day of sport, helping to create an event where I hope the strong sense of community that defines us was felt. On the beach, we were guests of the legendary Bagnetti Salivoli, who welcomed athletes and their supporters, making them feel at home and sharing the affection they have for Salivoli Beach.

Events like this really make us reflect on the importance of local competitions, on how vital it is for a sport to start from the ground up, involving the grassroots, and creating social situations where sea competition goes hand in hand with sharing on land.
As a Salivoli native and an athlete, I hope the Salivoli SUP Race becomes a fixed appointment, where more and more people come to spend a wonderful day of SUP and sea at our beautiful Salivoli.