The ISA SUP World Championships Long Distance race took place in one of the most picturesque locations imaginable—Copenhagen, with its stunning canals providing the perfect backdrop for a long-distance SUP race. Well, almost perfect, but more on that later.
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In the women’s race, it was clear that Esperanza Barreras and Mariecarmen Rivera were in a league of their own. From the very start, both athletes took the lead, creating a significant gap between themselves and the rest of the field. Duna Gordillo secured third place, finishing over two minutes behind the leaders.
Top 20
| Rank | Name | Time | Difference |
| 1 | ESP Esperanza BARRERAS | 1:15:27.61 | – |
| 2 | PUR Mariecarmen RIVERA | 1:15:29.59 | +1.98 |
| 3 | ESP Duna GORDILLO | 1:17:42.24 | +2:14.63 |
| 4 | JPN Rika OKUAKI | 1:17:44.50 | +2:16.89 |
| 5 | USA Sey CHELLE | 1:17:44.79 | +2:17.18 |
| 6 | HUN Csillag-Virag KOCSIS | 1:18:22.95 | +2:55.34 |
| 7 | FRA Iona RIVET | 1:18:39.31 | +3:11.70 |
| 8 | FRA Anais GUYOMARCH | 1:19:02.24 | +3:34.63 |
| 9 | ITA Laura NITTI | 1:19:06.53 | +3:38.92 |
| 10 | USA Soryn PRESTON | 1:20:01.25 | +4:33.64 |
| 11 | BRA Lena RIBEIRO | 1:20:05.89 | +4:38.28 |
| 12 | GER Tanja ECKER | 1:20:07.18 | +4:39.57 |
| 13 | JPN Kanae SHIBAHARA | 1:20:11.81 | +4:44.20 |
| 14 | NED Petronella VAN MALSEN | 1:20:40.72 | +5:13.11 |
| 15 | ARG Alma COLETA SPADA | 1:21:06.55 | +5:38.94 |
| 16 | ITA Velia PISANELLI | 1:21:12.08 | +5:44.47 |
| 17 | BRA Jessika MATOS | 1:21:12.39 | +5:44.78 |
| 18 | ENG Annabel PAGE | 1:21:17.03 | +5:49.42 |
| 19 | LAT Julija DOMA | 1:21:25.86 | +5:58.25 |
| 20 | ENG Holly PYE | 1:23:35.25 | +8:07.64 |
The men’s race brought some unexpected surprises. A Japanese-French podium like this was not what anyone had anticipated. We knew Rai Taguchi had his sights set on winning gold at the ISA, and he delivered. He beat Clément Colmas by just 6 seconds, with his teammate Kotaro Miyahira finishing 8 seconds behind. Clément and Kotaro were not the names we had our money on—we had expected a podium battle between Rai, Michael Booth (Boothy), and Donato Freens.
From what we’ve learned, Boothy fell off his board in the race and had to fight his way back to the front. Considering the time difference of over a minute between Blue Ewer and Boothy, it’s clear how much effort it took for him to claw his way back into the top ten.
Donato Freens faced his own challenges. Being as tall as he is, he struggled with the low bridges, which put him at a disadvantage throughout the race.
Top 20
| Rank | Name | Time | Penalty | Penalty |
| 1 | JPN Rai TAGUCHI | 1:09:08.13 | – | |
| 2 | FRA Clément COLMAS | 1:09:14.20 | +6.07 | |
| 3 | JPN Kotaro MIYAHIRA | 1:09:16.45 | +8.32 | |
| 4 | FRA Ethan BRY | 1:09:19.52 | +11.39 | |
| 5 | NED Donato FREENS | 1:09:27.46 | +19.33 | |
| 6 | ESP Aaron SANCHEZ | 1:09:28.33 | +20.20 | |
| 7 | ENG Blue EWER | 1:09:34.78 | +26.65 | |
| 8 | AUS Michael BOOTH | 1:10:47.45 | +1:39.32 | |
| 9 | ESP Antonio MORILLO | 1:11:15.41 | +2:07.28 +1:00 | |
| 10 | BRA Eri TENORIO | 1:11:15.41 | +2:07.28 | |
| 11 | GRE Tsouris ANASTASIOS | 1:11:15.47 | +2:07.34 | |
| 12 | ARG Santino BASALDELA | 1:11:21.16 | +2:13.03 | |
| 13 | ITA Davide ALPINO | 1:11:25.97 | +2:17.84 | |
| 14 | PER Itzel Delgado NARANJO | 1:11:31.07 | +2:22.94 | |
| 15 | BEL Kjell DE BRUYN | 1:11:35.18 | +2:27.05 | |
| 16 | GER Bastian GRIMM | 1:11:38.18 | +2:30.05 | |
| 17 | GRE Vasileios SAMNIOTIS | 1:11:39.55 | +2:31.42 | |
| 18 | ITA Filippo MERCURIALI | 1:11:42.26 | +2:34.13 | |
| 19 | PUR Ricardo AVÍLA-HERRERA | 1:11:43.42 | +2:35.29 | |
| 20 | USA Bodie VON ALLMEN | 1:11:48.24 | +2:40.11 | |
The Bridges
Web cast 3:14:55 commentator: “This bridge really benefits the shorter paddlers.” – laughter – “I am just kidding.”
Maybe he wasn’t joking at all but quickly realized he had pointed out something that could stir controversy. From a tall paddler’s perspective, this is incredibly frustrating. Whether they’re in a draft train or going head-to-head with a shorter paddler, the taller competitor has to alter their course and slow down. At the very least, the organizers should have blocked off the lower part of the bridge to ensure that everyone could pass underneath without an issue.
While it didn’t seem like a big deal to most, it does matter in the context of a serious race that determines a world champion. Small details like this can’t be overlooked. They could be the difference between winning a title, prize money, or even Olympic qualification. Imagine a marathon or road bike race having a turn under a low-arched bridge—definitely not something you’d see.