Sensation on Lake Faaker: SUP elite inspires over 1,000 fans!

Sensation on Lake Faaker: SUP elite inspires over 1,000 fans!

Faaker See, Österreich - Am Faaker See took place the crowning end of the SUP festival, which was the center of the international stand-up paddle elite for four days. The Tech Race held on Sunday attracted over 200 participants, who took on an exciting 1,000 -meter -long course with a beach start, portage and finish line of the challenge. Donato Freens from the Netherlands was able to win the victory both in the technical race and in the long -distance race. The Hungarian Csillag Virág Kocsis prevailed in the women, followed by Esperanza Barreas from Spain and Kyriakí Logothetis from Greece.

With over 1,000 athletes from 27 nations, the festival was not only a sporty highlight, but also a tourist success. Michael Spanring-Sternig from the Villach tourism association described the event as a complete success and is already looking forward to the next edition in 2026. This is also reflected in the diverse competitions that took place during the event, including the premiere of the Austrian SUP state championships.

versatile competitions and high number of participants

As reported, the event played a central role in the international SUP calendar. The festival is now considered one of the largest “flatwater” events worldwide and has been awarded five stars in the SUP World Ranking. In a similar event that took place on May 12, 2024, over 500 athletes from 24 nations were represented, which were able to test their skills in six different competitions. Leading athletes like Andrey Kraytor from Bulgaria and Sabine Fischer from Switzerland were able to celebrate impressive victories.

At the men's Tech Race, Filippo Mercuriali from Italy won, while the Argentine participant Juliette Duhaime won the women's competition. In the speed competition, Esperanza Barreras, also from Spain, proved their skills and won the victory, while in the long -distance race they were at the top of the staircase in the long -distance race.

growth and popularity of SUP sports

stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) has been increasingly popular in recent years. Figures indicate that the market for SUP could grow to a value of $ 2.5 billion worldwide by 2028. In Germany there are over 15,000 lakes that offer ideal conditions for SUP. A study shows that the tourism sector is about 20% of SUP sales, which underlines the importance of such events such as the festival on Lake Faaker.

The successes and the high number of participants of the last events show the positive development of the SUP racing, which is to grow from 2021 to 2028 with an annual rate of 11.5%. These numbers reflect the increasing popularity of both sports and the associated festivals that attract athletes from all over the world and make an important contribution to tourism in the region.

The SUP Festival on See was an unforgettable experience for everyone involved, and organizers and participants look at future competitions with great anticipation that will be linked to these successes.

Further information is in the reports of Klick Kärnten , Surf Magazin and Sup100 to be found.