Starting with last week and weekend’s European Marathon Canoe Championships in Ponte de Lima, Portugal, Billy and Betsy review the best of the racing. They answer the questions:
→ Which races were the most competitive?
→ Which races were the best to watch?
→ Who out-performed their expectations?
→ Which athletes should you be watching for podium potential going into the World Games and World Championships?
New European champions were crowned, new rivalries developed, and new stars began to rise.
After diving deep into analysis of the marathon canoe and kayak racing, Billy and Betsy move onto last weekend’s wildwater racing. The two biggest stand-outs in Mazzana, Italy were Cecilia Panato and Simon Oven. Conditions were hugely challenging and technical particularly for Team GB paddlers who train on very different waters.
After 5-6 weekends of back-to-back major international races, most pro SUP racers headed back home to smaller events including national championships and qualifying races. Betsy was in Falmouth Bay to report on the Great Britain National Champs for stand up paddleboarding that also doubled as team trials. Betsy and Billy review the most exciting action, race results, and what’s next for these paddlers, and answer the questions:
→ Who will go to the world championships later this year? How are the paddlers thinking about ICF Worlds in Abu Dhabi versus ISA Worlds (TBA)?
→ Who came out on top in the long distance, sprint, and technical races? And which paddlers were missing from the racing?
→ Which races were the closest, and what were the strengths of the two closest competitors?
→ Which paddlers are on the rise, and potential future champions to keep your eye on?
The Eliminator is a brand new race format from the diabolical American Greg Wingo and the high-energy Brit Cassie Salter. Similar to Greg’s notorious “Last Paddler Standing” backyard ultra, The Eliminator is a “loops ‘til you drop” style format. But with a few major twists. Instead of racing solo, you race in a team of two with each paddler alternating one lap every 30 minutes. And partway through the 12 hour time-capped event, the last team on the water at the end of each lap will be eliminated. Whoever wins the 24th lap, wins the race. Follow the first ever edition of this innovative race format via SUP Racer on Instagram, Facebook, and supracer.com.
00:01:18 European Marathon Canoe Championships Recap
00:28:51 European Wildwater Championships Recap
00:33:31 GB SUP National Championships / Falmouth Bay Open Recap
00:47:22 The Eliminator
00:51:13 Loire 725
00:52:08 Round Britain Record Attempt
#standuppaddleboarding #supracer #icfmarathon #marathoncanoe #marathonkayak #worldchampionships #racerecap #wildwaterracing #surfskikayak #guinnessrecordattempt #kayakingaroundbritain #gbsup
If you enjoyed the episode, please subscribe to Paddlecast and leave a review. If Paddlecast isn’t enough paddling chat for you, you can also follow:
http://instagram.com/billylikeskayaking
https://www.instagram.com/supracer
Useful Links:
Canoe Europe YouTube page with all the marathon canoe European championship races: https://www.youtube.com/@CanoeEurope
Tanja Ecker’s video of the Loire 725: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB7fFmcwJQE&t=2s
Follow Sebastian Szubski’s Kayak Around Britain Record Attempt: https://www.instagram.com/sebasz81/
