This weekend, the coastal city of Poreč and nearby Lanterna welcomed the 4th edition of the SUPer Surfers Challenge. This international stand-up paddle race is a part of the CRO SUP Tour and is a qualifying race for the ever-more popular, SUP World Championships in Denmark.
On Saturday, 13th May, the official 14km Elite race route set off from the island of Sveti Nikola; competitors paddled ferociously along the Poreč waterfront, before finishing at the Valamar Club Tamaris in Lanterna.
Visitors of all ages and all abilities were encouraged to get involved and an amateur 2km race was also held on Saturday afternoon along Lanterna front. The action followed right through into Sunday with SUP Yoga, SUP Polo, SUP race of eights, Kids races and SUP basic courses.
Custom-made, mini-SUP trophies were crafted from three different types of wood; mahogany, birch and teak and handed out to the winning athletes at the Saturday-night, prize-giving ceremony. Cash prizes were awarded on top of some great, water-sports-related loot; 500 Euros went to the Amateur 2km Race winner and a hefty 4,500 Euros went to the Elite Race champ, Leonard Nika.
Nika achieved a finish time of 1:24:38. A great result! However, just 4 minutes shy of breaking the current race record.
More info on the CRO SUP Tour can be found here.
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