Paddlecast

• Weekly News: Sprint Euros in Review, Round Britain update, Euro Tour SUP, Crossing for CF, Berg River Marathon & Yukon

  Last weekend, new European champions were crowned at the Sprint Canoe & Paracanoe European Championships in Racice. Conditions were hot and flat, and many paddlers were rewarded with new European Best Times.Some results were to be expected (Dorota Borowska of Poland successfully defended her C1 200m title from 2024; Gabriele Casadei / Carlo Tacchini of Italy won the men’s C2 500m; Anna Pulawska / Martyna Klatt of Poland won the women’s K2 500m) while others were unexpected…Unexpected stand outs from Racice included the Portuguese men’s K4 (Gustavo Goncalves / Joao Ribeiro / Messias Baptista / Pedro Casinha), Martin Nathell(SWE), Zsoka Csikos (HUN), and the young rising stars of Alex Graneri (ESP), Lucrezia Zironi (ITA), and Viktoriia Yarchevska (ESP).Fernando Pimenta made an incredible comeback just two weeks after winning two gold medals at European Marathon Championships in Ponte de Lima, Portugal, and after a couple of off-the-podium finishes at the Olympics and Szeged World Cup. He’s on such a career high right now that he even earned a comparison to Dutch runner Sifan Hassan…After wrapping up the Sprint Euros review with some joyous celebration at the return of “normal” 5kms and the excitement of the less traditional mixed C4 race, Betsy and Billy move onto share updates on how Sebastian Szubski is progressing on his attempt to break the record for fastest circumnavigation of Britain by kayak.12 days in, Sebastian’s numbers are more easily comparable with Dougal’s (Dougal Glaisher, current holder of the record at 40 days) and it’s looking increasingly likely that Sebastian could break the record.There’s two SUPdates this week on the last couple EuroTour events in Germany and Belgium (Nordhausen & Namur), as well as the largest paddling fundraiser in the world: Crossing for CF.A preview of the top contenders at Berg River Marathon in South Africa, where the women’s field is looking exceptionally open and competitive while Hank McGregor aims for his 14th win in the men’s field.Looking at the legendary Yukon River Quest that starts on the day of publication.And lastly, a quick “warm down” on a few extra tidbits including a discussion on optimal blade size, the new “Apex” marathon kayak, and Erika Jaand’s accomplishment of becoming the first woman to solo kayak the Rhine River.If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a comment and subscribe for more.01:12 Sprint Canoe European Championships race recap28:49 Sebastian Szubski’s circumnavigation of Britain37:05 Nordhausen SUP Race recap & Namur preview (Euro Tour SUP)42:57 Crossing for CF (Cystic Fibrosis) race recap45:38 Berg River Marathon (SA) race preview49:19 Yukon River Quest preview52:34 “The Warm Down” other tidbits of news#racerecap #paddlingpodcast #fernandopimenta #sprintkayak #sprintcanoe #olympics #la2028 #yukonriverrace #standuppaddleboarding #supracer #surfskikayak #guinnessrecordattempt #kayakingaroundbritain #ultrapaddling #ultrapaddleracing #sebakayak #eurotoursup 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/billylikeskayakinginstagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracer https://supracer.comUseful Links:Watch the Sprint Euros on the Olympics Channel: https://www.olympics.com/en/sport-events/2025-eca-canoe-sprint-paracanoe-european-championships-racice/replays Sebastian Szubski’s GPS tracker: https://eur-share.explore.garmin.com/sebakayakYukon River Quest GPS tracker: https://www.yukonriverquest.com/yrq-race-tracker-2025/ Craig Sawyer’s Yukon 1000 documentary: https://www.yukon1000documentary.com/

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• Paolo Marconi, SUP ultra racer, on “Racing the Quit Monkey”, motivation & mental strength

  Paolo Marconi is one of the “original” stand up paddleboard racers. The first year he raced internationally, 2011, was the year that SUP Racer was founded. That’s fourteen years of top level SUP racing. So when it comes to talking about what it means to be a stand up paddleboard racer, there’s not many who can compete with Paolo.But in “Racing the Quit Monkey”, Paolo shares a journey that has been about much more than racing.In his new book, Paolo details his childhood growing up on the sea and exploring the Italian coast, how he found stand up paddleboarding and eventually racing, meeting the love of his life Susak Molinero (also a SUP racer), becoming an elite racer, discovering ultra running and ultra paddling… And how his “quit monkey” has followed him throughout this journey.Paolo joins Paddlecast to talk about why he wrote “Racing the Quit Monkey”, how his relationship with the “quit monkey” has changed, how he approaches motivation during hard training sessions versus elite races, his 2025 season so far, and what’s next.In this conversation on Paddlecast, Paolo offers up insights about his own life that double as practical tips for paddlers of all stripes (and even non-paddlers) on mental fortitude.Please enjoy the discussion.02:07 Why Paolo decided to write the book & why writing is so important to him08:39 What is the “Quit Monkey” and where does it come from?15:50 Strategies to manage the “quit monkey”17:52 Motivation during hard training sessions21:08 Motivation during races23:22 Why Salivoli?29:36 Paolo’s 2025 season so far33:43 Upcoming plans35:26 What athletes and books inspire Paolo?#standuppaddleboarding #supracer #ultrapaddling #ultrapaddleracing #eurotoursup #motivation #ultrarunning #racingthequitmonkey #mondaymotivation #weekendwarrior #davidgogginsIf 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 instagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracer https://supracer.comUseful Links:Preview “Racing the Quit Monkey”: https://supracer.com/racing-the-quit-monkey-paolo-marconis/ Paolo’s website & SUP Salivoli newsletter: https://ing.supsalivoli.com/racing-the-quit-monkeyBuy the book: https://store.youcanprint.it/racing-the-quit-monkey/b/711cfe1e-2d96-5ce3-a9a0-7016f508443b Amazon: https://www.amazon.com.au/Racing-Quit-Monkey-endurance-journey/dp/B0F4TC5QJX/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0eBay: https://www.ebay.ca/itm/396584251840 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/racing-the-quit-monkey-paolo-marconi/1147350260

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• Weekly News: Sebastian Szubski round Britain record attempt & interview, SA marathon, Ultras (TWS, Loire 725, Eliminator), USA SUP, Nordhausen, & Sprint Euros Preview

  This week’s news starts with an update on how Sebastian Szubski is doing 5 days into his attempt to break the record for fastest circumnavigation of Britain by kayak. As Betsy and Billy were recording, Sebastian was out on the water for a 105 kilometre crossing of the Moray Firth from Wick to Fraserburgh.Not only does this crossing give him a huge boost in time and distance on the circumnavigation, it is, on its own, the longest known open water crossing by surfski without an escort boat.Sebastian’s approach is informed by the experiences of those who’ve come before him, including significant advice from Mike Lambert who completed his circumnavigation in 58 days last year. His mileage so far is incredibly ambitious and impressive, but precisely where it needs to be to beat the current record of 40 days as set by Dougal Glaisher in 2023. Sebastian was able to film a video for Paddlecast and Paddle Daily on his rest day, and talk about how the paddling compares to his expectations, the hardest part so far, and his goals.On the race calendar, last weekend was marathon national championships in South Africa featuring some of the best names in the world including Hamish Lovemore, Andy Birkett, Hank Mcgregor, Uli Hart, Nick Notten, Jade Wilson, and more. The video version of this episode features footage from a couple of the races, including an incredibly tight sprint finish in the men’s K2 race where Hank Mcgregor looks like he’s got his strategy hat on…There were three different major ultra paddling races last weekend including the Texas Water Safari (USA), Loire 725 (France), and Eliminator (UK). Annette Baum and Linda Tetsmann join Paddlecast briefly to talk about their experience on the Loire 725, what made it different from the many other ultra races they’ve done, why they did it in a canoe instead of a kayak, and what’s next for them (spoiler: it’s the Yukon 2000).Betsy and Billy wrap things up with quick previews of the next stop on the EuroTour, the Nordhausen SUP race, and the European Championships for Sprint Canoe/Kayak in Racice this week/weekend.01:19 Sebastian Szubski’s Round Britain Circumnavigation Record Attempt12:53 Interview with Sebastian23:34 South African Marathon National Championships Recap27:56 Ultra Paddling Recaps: Texas Water Safari33:38 Ultra Paddling Recaps: Loire 72537:19 Interview with Team Tetsmann-Baum about Loire 72543:35 Ultra Paddling Recaps: The Eliminator46:17 USA SUP & Surf National Championships Recap50:04 Nordhausen EuroTour SUP Preview25:01 European Sprint Canoe Championships in Racice Czechia#standuppaddleboarding #supracer #icfmarathon #marathoncanoe #marathonkayak #worldchampionships #racerecap  #surfskikayak #guinnessrecordattempt #kayakingaroundbritain #gbsup #theeliminator #ultrapaddling #ultrapaddleracing #sebakayak #texaswatersafari #loire725 #teamtetsmannbaum #usasup #eurotoursup #sprintkayak #sprintcanoeIf 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 instagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracer https://supracer.com*Since apologies for the audio issues in this episode.Useful Links:Sebastian Szubski’s GPS tracker: https://eur-share.explore.garmin.com/sebakayakSebastian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebasz81/USA SUP Nationals footage / Soryn’s broken board: https://www.instagram.com/p/DK5tdQrv4AY/?img_index=1

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• Weekly News: Recapping European Marathon Champs, Wildwater Euros, GB SUP Nationals, previewing new “Eliminator” format and a major record attempt

  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 Recap00:28:51 European Wildwater Championships Recap00:33:31 GB SUP National Championships / Falmouth Bay Open Recap00:47:22 The Eliminator00:51:13 Loire 72500:52:08 Round Britain Record Attempt#standuppaddleboarding #supracer #icfmarathon #marathoncanoe #marathonkayak #worldchampionships #racerecap #wildwaterracing #surfskikayak #guinnessrecordattempt #kayakingaroundbritain #gbsupIf 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 instagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracer https://supracer.comUseful 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=2sFollow Sebastian Szubski’s Kayak Around Britain Record Attempt: https://www.instagram.com/sebasz81/

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• Weekly News: Preview of European marathon champs & wildwater racing this weekend, plus recap of Lake Rocks paddleboard racing

  This weekend is stacked with two European paddling championships: Marathon Canoe Racing in Ponte de Lima Portugal, and Wildwater Canoe Racing in Mazzana Italy. So there’s a lot to talk about.The level of competition at the European marathon champs will rival that of the upcoming World Games later this year, and will feature some of the biggest names and rivalries in the sport. Several of the podium athletes from the recent sprint world cups will be racing including Jon Vold and Joakim Lindberg. The Portuguese legend Fernando Pimenta, on home turf, will race in K2 with one of his greatest partners and rivals Jose Ramalho, as well as in the K1 for only the short course race.In women’s K1, are we seeing the era of Hungarian Vanda Kiszli being turned into the era of Swede Melina Andersson? At last year’s marathon world championships, the two kayakers broke away from a very competitive pack to fight each other for the win. Kiszli had the better position with Andersson pushed into the bank, but in the last minute of the race Andersson found new strength to push past Kiszli for a clear win. Andersson has been on a streak with short course wins, but whether she’ll be able to beat out Kiszli in the long course again will be one of the biggest questions of the weekend.At Lake Rocks, Dutchman Donato Freens extended his impressive spring season to win both the long distance and technical races. Boothy wasn’t able to challenge him in long distance the way he did in 2024, but it was the dark horse Normen Weber from Germany who stuck with Donato almost until the end when Donato put on the afterburners and left Weber behind. 16 year old Benyam Bossack was another stand-out of the weekend, as the young paddler from Germany and the Netherlands managed to stay with the chase pack during the long distance race and earn prize money with his 3rd place finish in the senior men’s technical race.The Queen of Long Distance Esperanza Barreras came in as the favourite and was looking to retain her title from 2024, but faced impressively fierce competition from Csillag Kocsis. The 18 year old Hungarian is coming off a nasty bout of pneumonia that kept her away from the biggest races in Spain, and seems to have made a shockingly smooth transition from junior to senior racing where she is already challenging the best in the world. Csillag stuck with Espe stroke for stroke throughout the entire long distance race until the very end, where she tried to make a move only for Espe to make a better move and take the win. In the technical race the next day though, Csillag managed to take the win where Espe came second. Keep your eye on Csillag later this year as she could be a seriously disruptive force in the senior women’s racing!In Mazzana, the athletes are watching water levels closely since they started rising over the last couple of days to reach monstrous heights. Keep your eye on GB athlete Kerry Christie, who’s already agreed to talk to Paddlecast after her racing this weekend…01:31 Race preview: European Marathon Canoe Racing Championships including men’s and women’s racing, K1s and K2s, canoes, and paracanoe20:07 Race recap: Lake Rocks SUP Festival by Paddelstadt stand up paddleboard racing36:12 Race preview: 2025 ECA Wildwater Canoeing European Championships41:19 Kurt Adams Roozentals ‘I’m being forced to choose between Olympics and OnlyFans’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 instagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracer https://supracer.comLinksLake Rocks by the Numbers: https://standupmagazin.com/en/2025/06/the-lake-rocks-by-the-numbers/ Kurt Adams Roozentals “'I'm being forced to choose between Olympics and OnlyFans'” on BBC Sport https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rowing/articles/c0715154kmeo

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