SUPER Festival – Round Up

Whilst the ICF SUP World Cup brought together some of the world’s best athletes, the SUPER Festival reminded us what stand-up paddleboarding is all about; community, inclusion and having the confidence to challenge yourself, whatever your age or experience. 

Running alongside the World Cup, the SUPER Festival welcomed paddlers of all abilities to experience the same race venue, the same atmosphere and the same excitement as the elite athletes. Whether you were racing for a podium place, aiming for a personal best or simply crossing a finish line you never thought possible, everyone was made to feel part of something special. 

One of the things I loved most over the weekend was seeing complete beginners launching from the same beach as international champions. There were juniors taking on their first major event, experienced Masters paddlers showing that age really is just a number, families racing together and friends cheering one another on. There really was something for everyone. 

The festival featured Sprint, Technical, and Distance racing, giving paddlers the opportunity to experience every aspect of SUP racing. For some, it was their first taste of competition, whilst others had travelled from across the UK to test themselves against friends. 

Saturday’s Sprint racing was off the beach to a buoy turn and back again. Every race was met with cheers, and it was wonderful to see paddlers encouraging each other before and after every heat. 

There were some incredibly close races throughout the age categories, proving that friendly competition can still be fiercely competitive. From Juniors to Masters, every category produced performances worth celebrating. 

Saturday also brought the technical race for the SUPER Festival paddlers and, in my opinion, this is where SUP racing really comes alive for spectators. The course included multiple buoy turns, beach starts and beach finishes, giving everyone watching from the promenade and shoreline plenty of opportunities to cheer competitors. The conditions were challenging and therefore made the results incredibly rewarding. 

Sunday’s Distance race rounded off the weekend with a 4km course towards Paignton Pier before returning to Torre Abbey Sands. The wind made the outward leg hard work but rewarded paddlers with a faster run home before the sprint to the finish. 

Every single paddler received exactly the same encouragement as they crossed the beach, regardless of whether they arrived first or last. Seeing paddlers competing well into their sixties demonstrates that stand-up paddleboarding really is a sport for life. 

The results themselves reflected the strength of the field, with familiar names appearing across all three disciplines. Some competitors enjoyed multiple podium finishes over the weekend, whilst others achieved something even more important to them by completing races they had never imagined entering a few years ago. 

As someone fortunate enough to spend the weekend commentating on the racing alongside Simon from the SUPfm Podcast, I had one of the best seats in the house. Watching so many people enjoying themselves, encouraging one another and celebrating everyone’s achievements reminded me why I fell in love with this sport in the first place. 

The volunteers also deserve enormous credit. From registration and beach marshalling to timing, safety cover, medal ceremonies and all the unseen jobs that keep an event running smoothly, they worked tirelessly from first light until the last competitor left the beach. Events like this simply could not happen without them. 

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the vision of Brendon Prince and the incredible team behind the event. Creating a festival that sits comfortably alongside an ICF World Cup while remaining welcoming to newcomers is no small achievement. It takes months of planning, an army of volunteers, and a huge amount of passion. 

The result was a weekend that showcased exactly what British paddleboarding is capable of. If the World Cup demonstrated the highest level of our sport, then the SUPER Festival demonstrated its ‘community’. 

To every paddler who entered, whether you came home with three gold medals, a personal best or simply a huge smile on your face, congratulations. You were all part of making this edition of the SUPER Festival such a memorable success. We can’t wait to see what next year brings. 

Here are the top 3 finishers in every category and discipline. Once again, congratulations. Full results can be found at the bottom of this blog. 

Sprint 

Category	🥇 Gold	🥈 Silver	🥉 Bronze
Junior Women	Matilda Cadby	Carmella Brotherton-Lynn	—
Open Women	Alicia Goodchild	Helen Ambler	—
Women 40+	Leonora Hawgood	Helga Gonda	Claire Arnold
Women 50+	Amanda Baker	Emma Adams	Daisy Best
Women 60+	Anni Ridsdill Smith	Carole Main	Monika Fedou
Junior Men	Ben Brookes	Noah Fisher	Daniel Brookes
Men 40+	Martin Bruce	Peter Aston	Chris James
Men 50+	Neil Whittemore	David Barber	Daniel Dumbarton
Men 60+	Kevin Last	Arno Dörfler	Patrick Wadsworth

Technical Race 

Category	🥇 Gold	🥈 Silver	🥉 Bronze
Junior Women	Matilda Cadby	Carmella Brotherton-Lynn	–
Open Women	Alicia Goodchild	Helen Ambler	–
Women 40+	Kate Bruce	Leonora Hawgood	Helga Gonda
Women 50+	Fabienne Paul	Amanda Baker	Jacky Fenton
Women 60+	Anni Ridsdill Smith	Elaine Williams	Monika Fedou
Junior Men	Daniel Brookes	Ben Brookes	Noah Fisher
Men 40+	Martin Bruce	Peter Aston	Chris James
Men 50+	Neil Whittemore	David Barber	Skip Scott Innes
Men 60+	Simon Levy	Kevin Last	Arno Dörfler

Distance Race 

Category	🥇 Gold	🥈 Silver	🥉 Bronze
Junior Women	Carmella Brotherton-Lynn	–	–
Open Women	Helen Ambler	Lindsay Roberts	–
Women 40+	Kate Bruce	Kerry Ridgway	Alison Hyett
Women 50+	Fabienne Paul	Helen Smith	Andrea Simons
Women 60+	Cathy Regan	Elaine Williams	Monika Fedou
Junior Men	Noah Fisher	Blake Sitton	–
Men 40+	Crispin Jones	Ronan Conlon	Martin Bruce
Men 50+	Graham Harding	Ed Robinson	David Barber
Men 60+	Simon Levy	Kevin Last	Arno Dörfler

SUPER Festival SPRINTS FULL RESULTS 

SUPER Festival TECH FULL RESULTS 

SUPER Festival DISTANCE FULL RESULTS 

CATCH UP ON ALL THE COVERAGE HERE (YouTube)