SUP Foiling History made at the 2026 SUP World Championships

SUP Foiling is finding its place on the international SUP racing stage. It was historic moment as the ICF adobts SUP Flatwater Foiling at the 2026 Paddle Worldwide SUP World Championships in Sabaudia, Italy. It was Shrimpy one of the worlds most successful SUP Paddler who can call him self now the first ever SUP Flatwater Foil Worldchamp. With the world’s foil elite gathering at the Crozon Foil Festival in France at the same time, one question becomes increasingly interesting: Are we witnessing the beginning of a cross over era of competitive foiling?

From Thailand to Italy: SUP Foiling Takes Another Step Forward

It is not the first time the International Canoe Federation (ICF), now operating under the Paddle Worldwide identity, has introduced SUP Foiling at its World Championships. A few years ago, a demo race in Thailand offered an early glimpse of what foil racing could look like within an international SUP competition.

Now, in Sabaudia, things have become more official, with a dedicated 100-meter foil sprint and published race results.

And who better to make history than one of the fastest paddlers in the world?

Japan’s Shuri “Shrimpy” Araki dominated the men’s competition with an impressive time of 17.36 seconds. His fellow Japanese competitor Rai Taguchi finished second in 19.78 seconds, followed by Spain’s Sergio Cantoral in 19.86 seconds.

Araki’s winning margin of more than two seconds over his closest competitor was substantial for such a short race.

While Shrimpy has already established himself as one of the fastest SUP racers on the planet, this performance demonstrates how traditional SUP racing talent can transfer into the emerging discipline of flatwater foil racing.

SUP and Foiling: Two Sports Coming Together?

The development is particularly interesting when looking at the history of Stand Up Paddling.

SUP racing has its roots in the ocean, with athletes racing downwind, catching bumps and navigating challenging open-water conditions. Over time, the sport expanded into flatwater racing, attracting athletes with backgrounds in canoeing, kayaking and other endurance disciplines.

Foiling appears to be following a similar path, although with a different technological foundation.

What started primarily in waves and open-ocean downwind conditions is increasingly finding its way onto flat water. Improvements in foil efficiency, board design and pumping techniques are opening possibilities that would have seemed unrealistic just a few years ago.

At the same time, the international foil community is gathering at the Crozon Foil Festival in France, where some of the world’s leading foil athletes are showcasing the progression of the sport.

Could these two worlds eventually come closer together?

The participation of established SUP athletes and foil pioneers in Sabaudia suggests that the crossover is already happening.

SUP Foil Sprint Results – Sabaudia 2026

The men’s competition attracted 17 athletes, including familiar names from international SUP racing. Rai Taguchi and Sergio Cantoral joined Araki on the podium, while Greek paddler Phaedon Doukas finished fourth.

Among the competitors were also SUP racing veterans, junior athletes and paddlers exploring the possibilities of foil racing.

Men – 100m SUP Foil Sprint

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Shuri Araki	JPN	17.36
2	Rai Taguchi	JPN	19.78
3	Sergio Cantoral	ESP	19.86
4	Phaedon Doukas	GRE	19.98
5	Raffaelefrancesco Barile	ITA	20.40
6	Paolo Marconi	ITA	22.01
7	Francesco Iacobelli	ITA	22.75
8	Mylo van Bakel	NED	23.22
9	Joep van Bakel	NED	23.59
10	Ivan Frutos	ESP	24.13
11	Giordanobruno Capparella	ITA	24.45
12	Tommaso Pampinella	ITA	24.61
13	Enzo Manobianco	ITA	24.67
14	Martin Teichmann	GER	27.07
15	Marlon Daskiran	GER	28.06
16	Luka Vettorazzi	SLO	30.34
17	Ricardo Haverschmidt	NED	54.11

Women’s Foil Sprint: Familiar Faces Taking on a New Challenge

Only two women competed in the foil sprint, but both are well-known names in watersports.

Spain’s Iballa Moreno, widely recognized for her achievements in windsurfing and SUP surfing, won the women’s competition in 27.72 seconds.

Second place went to Susak Molinero, another familiar face who has been involved in competitive Stand Up Paddling for more than a decade.

Their participation is particularly encouraging. Experienced athletes from different watersports backgrounds are bringing their skills into this developing racing discipline.

Women – 100m SUP Foil Sprint

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Time
1	Iballa Moreno	ESP	27.72
2	Susak Molinero	ESP	44.23

What Comes Next for Competitive SUP Foiling?

At the Stand Up Magazin, we are excited to see where this development is heading.

While Sabaudia introduced a short, explosive 100-meter sprint, the Crozon Foil Festival is demonstrating just how diverse competitive foiling has already become.

The French event, taking place from October 13–18, features Downwind SUP Foiling, Surf Foiling and Pump Foiling. According to the organizers and the city of Crozon, around 150 athletes from 16 nations are participating.

The contrast between the two events is fascinating. One is bringing foiling into the established SUP racing environment, while the other is building a competitive platform around foiling itself.

As foils become increasingly efficient and athletes continue pushing the limits of equipment and technique, could we eventually see technical foil races around buoy courses? Could longer flatwater distance races become part of the international racing calendar?

There are still challenges, particularly when it comes to starts, pumping efficiency, equipment regulations and creating fair racing conditions.

But the potential is certainly there.

SUP racing has already demonstrated how a sport can evolve from its ocean roots into a globally recognized flatwater discipline. Perhaps SUP Foiling is now beginning a similar journey.

Whether these two worlds eventually merge more closely or continue developing their own racing formats remains to be seen.

For now, Shuri Araki’s performance in Sabaudia marks another interesting milestone in the evolution of competitive foiling.

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