Paddlecast

It might be the most iconic marathon race in the world. The Sella Descent starts with hundreds of boats on the beach while paddles, held by paddlers, are locked into a cage not dissimilar to the starting gate at a horse race. As soon as hundreds of thousands of spectators finish singing the Asturian anthem, the gates open, and racers break loose.Easily the biggest event of the year for Asturians and many Spanish paddlers, the race also attracts top level international paddlers from many countries including the UK, South Africa, and even Australia. But with incomparably accurate knowledge of Ribadesella, and the advantage of being one of the strongest marathon kayak countries in the world, it was Spanish teams who dominated the podiums in 2025.Walter Bouzan and Alberto Llera combined experience with youth to not only lead the four-boat front pack for the final 9 minutes of the race but then win an incredibly fast sprint finish against equally strong crews. Hungarian legends Adrian Boros / Tamas Erdelyi took silver, while Spaniards Javier Lopez / Pedro Vazquez took bronze. The top team of Llorens / Plaza made some seriously fast attempts to break into the front three, but just couldn’t quite make it round for a podium spot.Billy asked Walter Bouzan about how his race went, what it was like to train with his new partner Alberto Llera, and what his secrets are to becoming a now 12-time Sella winner.South African Matthew Fenn also joins this episode of Paddlecast to give an international perspective, and compare the shallow Sella to the high-volume South African rivers and how that affects race tactics.In the women’s race, longtime Spanish international marathon paddlers Tania Fernandez Garcia and Tania Alvarez Yates finished first, an impressive 1.5 minutes ahead of the next fastest team. They were joined on the podium by fellow Spaniards Amaia Osaba / Llara Tuset, and Irati Osa / Arantza Toledo. Hungarians Panna Csepe / Panna Sinko just missed out on the podium.This was the second win for “the two Tanias” as a team after their K2 win in 2023, and each of them also has a previous win separately. Because the women’s teams’ start positions are far back in the field, Tania and Tania had to overcome a huge amount of boat traffic to win their race – they started #303 and finished 61st overall.Tania Alvarez joins this episode of Paddlecast to talk about how their race went, her 7 year partnership with Tania Fernandez, what it takes to win the race, and how she’d like to see the race evolve in the future.The Thames 200 Ultra is coming up very soon on 23rd August, and entries are still open! This 200km endurance event offers both straight-through and relay race options, and promises to draw some of the fastest endurance paddlers in the country this year. Stay tuned for the upcoming Paddlecast preview episode!In the last few pieces of news, Billy and Betsy recap two recent UK surfski selection races: Hayling Island and the Moray Firth (Scottish National Championships). The news finishes with a brief recap of the Avon Descent which had its first female SUP finisher this year, and a bit of news in the warm down about a failed expedition that’s worth reading about for the lessons learned.01:10 Sella Descent - The Men’s Race02:35 Walter Bouzan, in his own words10:03 Matthew Fenn, in his own words14:44 Sella Descent - The Women’s Race15:51 Tania Alvarez, in her own words24:06 Brits on the podium at the Sella26:12 Thames 200 Ultra preview30:19 Hayling Island and Moray Firth race recaps36:27 Avon Descent40:51 The Warm DownRelevant links:Thames 200 Ultra sign up and information: https://www.thames200ultra.com/race-entry Tashka Goswell’s account of her Avon Descent: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509865939182902 (search “Tashka Goswell”)Tim Haines’ story about his failed expedition: www.facebook.com/whishik.samak/posts/pfbid02fxQWKYRnMFVQPXUCUVkyW3sta8EePXc8SFw2nsWUJzNUsQygEMXWH7H49QiFFw28l

In the Paddlecast preview episode last week, Billy and Betsy predicted epic battles at the World Games marathon kayak racing in Chengdu, China. The event, considered the Olympics of non-Olympic sports, delivered. And even better, some of the champions themselves join this episode to reveal the pivotal moments in their own races.Both the men’s and women’s races quickly went from large packs to simple head-to-head races between the top two athletes: Melina Andersson (Sweden) versus Vanda Kiszli (Hungary), and Mads Brandt Pedersen (Denmark) versus Hamish Lovemore (South Africa).And behind the top two were fierce fights for bronze medals, sprint finishes for top five placements, unexpected incidents that took a podium contender’s rudder out of commission and put another podium contender in the medical tent… And a cross-wind with big waves on Sunday that forced top athletes to change tactics mid-race.In the women’s race, Melina Andersson looked strong out of the gate in both the short course and marathon events. But Vanda Kiszli was determined to challenge for the win, and stuck with Melina successfully until Melina’s superior portaging skills gave her an unbeatable lead.Melina spoke with Paddlecast about how the race played out, when she knew she was going to win, and how she’s feeling about the competition in Gyor, Hungary where she’ll race at the world championships in a few weeks.The action was hot in the chase group with Pernille Hostrup, Susanna Cicali, Maria Rei, Saskia Hockly, Eva Barrios, Rebecca Mann, and others. Several young athletes put down really impressive performances in the face of challenges, and the final sprint for bronze came down to Pernille Hostrup of Denmark versus Maria Rei of Portugal. The young Hostrup took the medal in the end.Kitty Schiphorst from the Netherlands, who spoke with Paddlecast in the preview episode, also returned to talk about how the racing went for her. In her first international marathon race ever, she managed to make the top 10! Kitty thinks her surf lifesaving background where she’s used to paddling in difficult ocean conditions gave her an edge in Sunday’s conditions, where she had a blast. Watch out for Kitty in more marathons, maybe…In the men’s race, sprinter Hamish Lovemore went into the short course on Saturday aiming to beat Mads Brandt Pedersen in a sprint finish, but the world champion marathoner beat him across the line! On Sunday, Mads did it again, with a few extra seconds of margin despite Hamish’s best efforts.Hamish joined Paddlecast to speak about his race and whether there’s any way he could have taken that gold medal from Mads. He also talks about his upcoming goals for the Sprint World Championships in Milan, and how the bigger field at the Marathon World Championships in Gyor could affect the results in a few weeks.The men’s chase pack was tight too, and featured major names in the sport including Jose Ramalho, Jeremy Candy, James Russell, Jon Amund Vold, Ivan Alonso… But it was the Hungarian Noe Balint and German Nico Paufler who managed to stay with the two leaders for much of the race in a pack of four, until they too were burnt out by Mads’ and Hamish’s speedy pace. The men gave it their all in exciting sprint finishes for 3rd and 5th place, where Jose Ramalho (Portugal) edged out Jeremy Candy (France) for bronze, and Noe Balint managed to just barely hold off James Russell (Great Britain) for 5th.Stay tuned and hit ‘subscribe’ to make sure you don’t miss the next episode recapping the legendary Sella Descent, where the race’s winners share what it takes to win!01:42 The Women’s Race11:54 Melina Andersson in her own words25:11 Kitty Schiphorst in her own words29:04 The Men’s Race31:13 Hamish Lovemore in his own words49:20 Looking ahead to World Champs in Gyor50:41 The Warm Down: Future of dragon boat?

Once every four years, twenty countries send their fastest marathon kayaker to battle for the World Games title. Quirky yet prestigious, the World Games offers an Olympics-style event for non-Olympic sports. In the Canoe category, the World Games will also feature Canoe Polo and Dragonboat.Chengdu 2025 in China is only the second time that marathon canoe has featured as a full event (rather than invitational) at the World Games, with the first one being in Birmingham Alabama in 2022. And the competition this time around is looking fiercer than ever.Almost all of the world’s best marathon kayakers are in China this weekend to face off for World Games titles that offer a four year reign.In the men’s race, the field is so competitive that leading podium contenders Hamish Lovemore (South Africa) and James “Jimbo” Russell (Great Britain) both listed almost half the athletes as their biggest competition. Nico Paufler (Germany), Ivan Alonso (Spain), and Jose Ramalho (Portugal) are returning to defend their podium spots from 2022. Jon Amund Vold (Denmark) who just took bronze at European Championships will be fighting for a podium spot. And the reigning World Champion, with numerous World Championship titles, Mads Brandt Pederson will be in China to defend his 2022 gold.The women’s race will feature the long-awaited showdown between Vanda Kiszli (Hungary) and Melina Andersson (Sweden). Kiszli has been near undefeated in marathon for the last 5-10 years, and Andersson is one of the few who have been able to beat her… most notably in a shock sprint finish at last year’s World Championships. It’s likely to be these two fighting it out at the front, but the battle for bronze could be very fierce with top contenders including Pernille Hostrup (Denmark), Rebecca Mann (Australia), Susanna Cicali (Italy), Maria Rei (Portugal), 2022 World Games bronze and silver medalist Eva Barrios (Spain), and Saskia Hockley (South Africa) with an outside chance for Kitty Schiphorst (Netherlands). The Dutch dark horse is known for her power in sprint, but only started marathon training six weeks prior to the World Games when her federation asked her to fill the spot at the last minute.But with an unusually short long distance course of 20km with a high frequency of portages (8 portages), will the marathon play out differently than a typical World Championships or European Championships race? Billy and Betsy analyse the results and strengths of the top competitors, including with input from Hamish, Jimbo, and Kitty, to predict who will be in the top three and who has the best chance of taking the win.You can watch the World Games live at https://live.theworldgames.orgSaturday August 9thK1 Women Short Course Heat 1 - 9:20am local, 2:20am London, 9:20pm New YorkK1 Women Short Course Heat 2 - 9:50am local, 2:50am London, 9:50pm New YorkK1 Men Short Course Heat 1 - 10:50am local, 3:50am London, 10:50pm New YorkK1 Men Short Course Heat 2 - 11:50am local, 4:50am London, 11:50pm New YorkK1 Women Short Course Final - 5:00pm local, 10:00am London, 5:00am New YorkK1 Men Short Course Final - 5:40pm local, 10:40am London, 5:40am New YorkSunday August 10thK1 Women Marathon Final - 3:15pm local, 8:15am London, 3:15am New  YorkK1 Men Marathon Final - 5:15pm local, 10:15am London, 5:15am New York#marathoncanoe #marathonkayaking #worldgames #worldgamescanoe #planetcanoe #chengdu #worldgames2025

It’s official! Sebastian Szubski completed his circumnavigation of Britain in a record-breaking 37 days. Betsy talks about what she learned from Sebastian and his crew at his finish in Scotland, and Billy contextualises Sebastian’s record in the bigger history of Round Britain records. They consider where the record should go from here.At the Gorge, it was an epic showdown between 2024 defending champion Austin Kieffer, 2025’s Molokai record breaking champion Pat Dolan, Mackenzie Hynard of “The Paddlers Pod”, and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Jackson Collins. Ana Swetish won the women’s race by miles, finishing shortly behind those top 4. The racing was tight, and perhaps the results give a picture into what to expect from World Champs in Durban later this year…New (and repeat) world champions were crowned at the Junior & U23 Sprint Canoe World Championships in Portugal. This season’s young stand-outs from earlier competitions in Europe took medals and top results, and the Americas and Australia showed up with some exceptional results. Is Jonas Ecker’s double double the tipping point for a new era in American sprint paddling?Billy and Betsy both attended the UK Marathon National Championships in Norwich, where Billy took the over 34 titles in K1 and K2 and Betsy reported live on almost all the races. They cover the racing highlights, drama, and which paddling family’s Sunday Roast they’d want to join after last weekend. Plus, Norwegian Syver Borge Saksvik joins the episode to talk about why he decided to fly over to the UK to race at UK marathon nationals, and how the UK scene compares to the marathon scene in Norway.Coming up on 9th August is the Sella descent, one of the most iconic marathon races in the world. And the 2025 Sella is looking like one of the most competitive races of the year despite several top names missing due to the conflict with the World Games in China. Undoubtedly there will be some excellent action and close racing in Spain next weekend.Come back again soon for a full preview of the World Games, which some of the best marathon racers in the world have been preparing for relentlessly all year.00:01:05 Sebastian Szubski’s WORLD RECORD circ of Britain00:16:58 The Gorge: Race Recap00:23:33 Recap of the Junior & U23 World Championships in Montemor-o-Velho Portugal00:36:39 UK Marathon National ChampionshipsIn their own words: Syver Borge Saksvik00:53:20 Sella Descent Preview00:56:50 The Warm Down: Avon Descent, Peter Cole, Ivan Lawler’s commentary, and pedals in sprint kayaks*CORRECTION: Sean Morley’s circumnavigation of GB + Ireland was 169 days, not 156. But it was in the 156-180 day range. Morley’s was definitely an adventure as he added in the Shetland Islands too! Read more on Performance Sea Kayak, linked below.#gbcircumnavigation #guinnessworldrecord #seakayaking #surfskikayak #bipolardisorder #marathonkayak #marathoncanoe #worldgames #selladescent #thegorgedownwindchampionships Links:Fiona Whitehead’s 140 day record around Britain + Ireland: https://performanceseakayak.co.uk/Pages/Multiday2a/multidayGBCircIreland2a_notes.phphttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/3602668.stm Peter Cole obituary: https://paddledaily.com/2025/07/29/orka-squad-coach-peter-cole-a-giant-of-the-sport-gone-too-soon/UK Marathon National Championship highlights: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18087811336703664/

This week's news episode of Paddlecast aired LIVE on YouTube and Facebook.Sebastian Szubski is in the final few days of his circumnavigation of Britain, and he could either beat the 40 day record by several days or it could come down to the wire. It all depends on the next 48 hours. Billy and Betsy give their analysis and predictions on when he'll finish. And you can make your own prediction to enter for prizes.Paddlers are just finishing the Yukon 1000 in the wilderness of Canada and Alaska. And more...*This episode aired live last week (16th July) but was late being published due to delays from the editor (Betsy) going to Scotland to see Sebastian Szubski set a new world record.

As Sebastian Szubski rounded Land’s End this week, Billy finally became convinced that the 40 day record was going to fall. It’s been as tight as anything between Sebastian’s progress and Dougal’s 40 day record up to this point, but there shouldn’t be much left that can stop Sebastian now.The biggest moment of Sebastian’s progress last week was his 100km+ crossing of Lyme Bay. Billy and Betsy were dot-watching (along with many others) when Sebastian went out of GPS range moving only 2mph. Thankfully, he came back online a short while later, but with a mysterious zig-zag to his track… Betsy shares Sebastian’s personal account of exactly what happened during the crossing, and the context for why.The action was tight at the Berg River Marathon, with legend Hank McGregor winning his 14th title, but Hank wasn’t the only legend on the course… And in the women’s race, an unfortunate spill early on Day 2 turned into a shock 8 minute lead – this lucky mistake seems to have determined the outcome of 1st and 2nd between Jenna Nisbett / Nix Birkett at the epic 4 day ultra marathon race in South Africa.In Romania, it was Hungary who came away with the most medals. No surprise there. But there were a few surprising results. Young GB athletes Freddie Heard / Ollie Mazur talk about the event and their K4 race in their own words on Paddlecast.The winner of the Korea APP SUP race was no surprise (the reigning king himself, Shuri “Shrimpy” Araki) but the course had some unusual twists that gave this speed demon more of a challenge.In Spain, more than thirty K4s from local clubs and top European national teams gathered to race amongst beautiful scenery. And a particularly strong GB men’s crew made it onto the podium in Valladolid. Joe Petersen, from that podium crew, shares more about the event and his team’s racing in his own words.This week, the only race to make the Yukon River Quest look short has just started: The Yukon 1000. A hybrid between classic ultra paddling racing and ‘do you know how to bear-bag and staunch a wound in the wilderness’ type adventure race, the event has attracted a wide variety of entrants this year including a pro MMA fighter, a surfer, a rower, a mountaineer, a paracanoe athlete, and more.This episode includes visuals, but is audio-first unlike previous episodes which have included full video – love it? Hate it? Neutral? Leave a comment or send a message with your thoughts.1:20 Sebastian Szubski’s Round Britain Record Attempt17:57 Berg River Marathon Recap23:59 Junior & U23 European Sprint Championships RecapIn their own words: Freddie Heard / Ollie Mazur on their K4 5th place race34:15 Korea APP SUP Race Recap37:08 K4 Marathon Racing in Valladolid & Sanabria: RecapIn his own words: Joe Petersen, 3rd place in Valladolid42:37 Yukon 1000 Preview*Correction – Craig and Scott completed this race on SUP in 2023, not 202447:57 The Warm Down: Sebastian Brendel’s retirement, and Avon Descent (Australia) river levelsUseful links:Sebastian’s tracker: https://eur-share.explore.garmin.com/sebakayak Sebastian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sebasz81/ Berg River Canoe Marathon: https://www.facebook.com/BergRiverCanoeMarathonYukon 1000 documentary film: https://www.yukon1000documentary.com/ Yukon 1000 race tracker: https://www.yukon1000.org/2025-race-tracker/ Sebastian Brendel / Isaquias Queiroz tribute post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLv0-xcNiQr/

Sebastian Szubski has passed the halfway mark on his circumnavigation of Britain, and he’s neck and neck with Dougal Glaisher’s 2023 record of 40 days. He’s ticking off the kilometres like he eats them for breakfast. For any day where he faces a slowdown due to weather, he makes up for it with two 100km+ days. 12-14 hour days in the boat are standard fare for Sebastian these days, with his longest day so far clocking in at 16 hours 33 minutes on the water.Betsy managed to see Sebastian in person when he stopped in Brighton on Monday night, and he said he’s feeling strong both physically and mentally. His biggest challenge (aside from weather) has been getting enough calories. With an impressive amount of muscle mass and so many hours on the water each day, he has to eat a lot to keep on top of his energy levels, which isn’t always easy.Despite having only 9 months of experience in the surfski, Sebastian has been completing major open ocean crossings with no issues. He’s making 80-100km+ crossings look like any other day out paddling. In SUP, the rising stars from Namur’s EuroTour event were the Dutch junior racers who were mixing it up with the seniors for the 11km distance race. Benyam Bossack, Selwyn Pritchard, and Mylo van Bakel finished impressively close to the overall men’s race winner and 2025 seasonal stand-out, Donato Freens, also from the Netherlands. These boys are only 12 - 16 years old, and definitely young paddlers to watch. In the women’s race, the 14 year old Marin Hoeber had even more success in her senior race. Earning another gold for the Netherlands, the young Hoeber won the women’s race ahead of several speedy senior women. Another one to watch.Shoreham hosted a successful UK Surfski Nationals which also included outrigger canoes (OC6’s). It was the most competitive surfski race in the UK this season, with top talent in both the men’s and women’s field. In the para race, Jon White may have been the only entry but he was closing in on some quick marathon paddlers – could he be paving the way for more surfski paracanoe racing? Rosie Edwards won the women’s race by 5 minutes, despite facing a strong competitor in 2nd place, Brynde Kreft. Rosie spoke with Paddlecast about how her race went, and her upcoming plans in the lead-up to Durban Worlds.The 440 mile (700+ km) Yukon River Quest ended early due to wildfires, but racers were pleased to still be able to race 300km to Carmacks. Green Machine, in the voyageur class (C6), won the overall race but with the elite C2 crew of Mike Schlimmer / Steve Landick very close behind. Thor Harley from Team “Green Machine” told Paddlecast about how their team came together and how the race played out in his own words.In Pitesti, Romania, racing is underway for the Junior & U23 European Sprint Championships where several GB paddlers may have good chances to medal. Look out for familiar names from the recent European marathon championships (junior / U23 / senior) and European sprint championships (senior).00:51 Sebastian Szubski’s record attempt for fastest GB circumnavigation by kayak13:07 SUP race recaps for Namur (Euro Tour), Graz River Days (SUP Alps Trophy), and O2Y (Okinawa to Yoron)20:35 UK Surfski Nationals (Spiritfilled Coastal Cup Challenge in Shoreham)31:28 In her own words: women’s winner Rosie Edwards’ race recap34:13 Yukon River Quest race recap36:48 In his own words: Thor Harley from the overall winners in C6 (Voyageur), “Green Machine”48:29 Race Preview: European Junior Sprint Championships53:34 Race Preview: Under 23 European Championships in Solkan, Slovenia54:27 The Warm Down - DW opens to SUPs and surfskis; Walter Bouzan (ESP) is defying ageing; crazy waves at the Danish National Marathon Championships*Note - there are several moments in this episode where Betsy’s video goes blurry due to technical issues. This episode almost didn’t make it to air after some major technical issues, so thank you for your patience!

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/

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

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

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/

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

The attendance may have been low at this year’s surfski Molokai (Kaiwi Channel Crossing), but the speeds were high. Danielle Mackenzie Richards of New Zealand broke the women’s record, and local paddler Pat Dolan fought an incredibly close race with four-time Molokai winner Cory Hill (AUS) to break the men’s race record.At the Canoe Sprint World Cup in Poznan, several athletes who’ve previously focussed more on crew boats have found a chance to shine, including women’s kayakers Anna Pulawska (POL) and Natalia Drobot (AUS) as well as men’s canoeist Gabriele Casadei (ITA).Excellent as expected performances included Aimee Fisher (NZL), Zsoka Csikos (HUN), Nan Wang (CHN), Balint Kopasz (HUN), Josef Dostal (CZE), Jakob Thordsen (GER), and Agustin Vernice (ARG).In women’s canoe, Katie Vincent (CAN) redeemed her fourth place 200m finish in Szeged when she won gold medals in both the 500m and 200m races. Ukrainian paddler Liudmyla Luzan hadn’t raced in Szeged, but showed that she’s still on top with a silver medal in the 500m. It was Luzan’s teammate Iryna Fedoriv (UKR) who took the silver medal in the 200m race, in dramatic style.Looking at the 5km races, Billy fanboys over men’s race winner Mads Brandt Pedersen (DEN). Hungarian Zsoka Csikos continued her season of stunners with a win in the 5km women’s race. Team GB outperformed themselves with silver and bronze medals for C1 paddler Beth Gill and K1 paddler Emma Russell, respectively. As exciting as these races to watch, many of the top names seem to have started to avoid them, and experienced paddlers are left wondering whether the portages have been added to sprint races just for Planet Canoe to get viral video views. The 5km at the end of a tough weekend of racing used to feel like a treat for athletes, but now it seems like they’re more of a punishment.Paracanoe athletes, including many 2024 Olympians, faced off for the first time since Paris. After a quick review of paracanoe technology (K versus V, and L1/L2/L3), Betsy and Billy dive into the results where Team GB once again led the medal count. Some Olympic results were flipped around, including in the men’s VL2 and women’s VL3 races, SUP is just wrapping up 6 weekends of back-to-back racing. In Barcelona, Mariecarmen Rivera from Puerto Rico finally beat Esperanza Barreras of Spain in a long distance race, but it wasn’t how anyone expected it to happen. Highlights of the racing also included Alba Frey’s strategic risks with lines, and the dogfight behind Shuri Araki “Shrimpy” in the men’s field, as well as the technical race win on Sunday from up-and-comer 15 year old Sveva Sabato of Italy.Looking ahead to next weekend, the big event is the Lake Rocks Festival in Austria. On the men’s side, it could be a race between Donato Freens (NED) and Michael Booth “Boothy” (AUS) with some particularly strong racing in the men’s age categories (Peter Weidert, Joep van Bakel, and Gabor Szabo are top contenders), and hopefully a tight distance race between Csillag Kocsis (HUN) and Espe Barreras (ESP).00:27 Molokai Results & Records06:22 Sprint Canoe World Cup #2 in Poznan, Poland14:07 Poznan’s 5km Races20:36 Paracanoe Races in Poznan25:47 Marathon kayak races from South Africa, the Eastern and Western Cape marathon champs27:21 Barcelona World SUP Fest35:54 Lake Rocks Festival Austria preview#standuppaddleboard #supracer #barcelona #sprintcanoe #sprintkayak #poznanworldcup2025 #molokaisurfski #planetcanoe #paddlesouthafrica #paddleuk #teamgb #paracanoe #paralympicsIf 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

Kira Bester is on fire. After winning the Surfski World Championships in Madeira in 2024, she’s gone on to win every major race of 2025 so far: South African national championships, Freedom Paddle, and Eurochallenge. And she’s only 23.On Paddlecast, Kira shares exactly what it’s like to train at a world champion level, her current goals (including a potential Olympic campaign!), which of her paddling disciplines is her favourite (you could probably guess this), and candid perspectives on sprint paddling, coaching, and her biggest competitors.Kira may already have her first world title, but from how things are going for her, it’s unlikely to be her last… Just how ambitiously can this young paddler set her goals and keep achieving them? Kira is determined to find out.02:30 Kira’s journey into paddling06:10 How Kira balances surfski kayaking with sprint kayak, marathon kayak, descent racing; her goals for each, and which sport is her favourite13:50 Tips for swapping between K1 and surfski15:13 Kira’s Olympic plans (and the importance of big biceps)21:10 What makes the South African surfski scene so good? Kira talks Orka Squad and what it’s like to train all the time with so many world champions including Kenny Rice and Nicky Notten26:37 Who are Kira’s idols?28:47 Kira’s biggest competition in her mission to retain her world champion title in 2025: Danielle Mckenzie Richards, Jemma Smith, Michelle Burn, Ana Swetish, and up-and-coming junior paddlers (previewing world championships 2025 in Durban)31:44 Maintaining form over the winter (southern hemisphere winter), and the risk of not having another big race before world championships in October33:51 Kira’s coaching clinics & the coaching culture in surfski (or lack thereof)36:17 Thanks, and a surprise meeting of Kira’s coach Pete38:13 Billy and Betsy debrief#surfskikayak #surfski #sprintkayak #worldchampion #la2028 #kirabesterIf 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:instagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracer https://supracer.comhttp://instagram.com/billylikeskayaking 

Sprint paddling content creator and influencer Philip Bryde joins Paddlecast to talk about his viral video calling out the ICF for paywalling their live streams. Last weekend, paddling fans from around the world searched for how to watch the first Sprint Canoe World Cup of the year live and found that they’d have to pay £9.99 for a channel membership on YouTube. This has been a hot issue in the paddling community for several years since the ICF first introduced paywalls with “Recast”, a sports broadcasting platform that eventually went bankrupt at which point Planet Canoe moved to paid YouTube memberships.Billy and Betsy share their own perspectives on the paywall, consider the pros and cons with Philip, and offer a few specific ideas for how the ICF could improve their approach. With the paddling season ramping up, this hot topic is reaching ever higher temperatures. Even multi time Olympians and medalists Fernando Pimenta and Marcus Cooper Waltz have expressed their views in Philip’s comments section…How do you feel about the live stream paywall? Let’s continue the conversation, leave your thoughts in the comments below.00:20 Introduction to Philip and the issue at hand02:21 Billy's perspective06:39 The ICF has been posting race videos for free after the fact, but how much of a difference does it make to watch live?07:48 How does the paywall affect the ability to reach new fans?11:44 Possible alternatives to a paywall, and input from Fernando Pimenta and Marcus Cooper Waltz15:52 How much is the ICF making off these memberships, and where is the money going?17:04 What about prize money? The SUP athletes earn prize money from ICF events, but not the canoe and kayak athletes which only amplifies frustration with the paywall.18:56 Wrapping it up, and Philip’s one highlight from the Szeged World Cup #1If 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:instagram.com/paddledailyhttps://paddledaily.comhttps://www.instagram.com/supracer https://supracer.comhttp://instagram.com/billylikeskayaking And here’s a few links we referenced in the show…Philip's Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/philipbryde1The viral video: https://www.instagram.com/p/DJwgaZssLkiSUP Racer write-up from when the ICF introduced “Recast”: https://supracer.com/apparently-the-icf-wants-even-fewer-people-watching-paddle-racing-live-streams http://youtube.com/@planetcanoe