Juliette Duhaime is Triumphant at Viana SUP Open

VIANA DO CASTELO, Portugal - There is no doubt that through this inaugural edition of the Viana SUP Open held in this year's European Capital of Sport, Viana do Castelo has put itself on the map as a world class stand up Ppdle destination. From the flat water and scenic paddling in the river, to downwind paddling that takes advantage of the region's 'Nortada' (North wind that blows daily during the summer time) and the great waves that are on offer through out this world surf city, Viana do Castelo has it all and proved to be a consummate host for the APP World Tour.

Juliette Duhaime has been getting stronger, faster and even more well rounded these past few years to where she is without doubt a real World Title Contender. In Viana do Castelo, she once again showed her sprint prowess with an impressive win and solid 4th place in the downwind distance race to secure the overall event title and rankings lead after stop #2.

Starting with her strongest suit, sprint racing, Duhaime maintained her composure through the elimination and peaked at the right time to take victory on day number one of the Viana SUP Open. With a 3rd place in Alicante followed by a 1st place at this event, she is off to a solid start in terms of strong finishes in the 2023 season.

The question was, how would she fare in the open ocean conditions for day number two of the Viana SUP Open? The answer was resounding, as she put on another strong performance to secure a 4th place finish, enough to give her the overall event title and the overall rankings lead coming into the next stop in Busan, South Korea.

Her victory was especially impressive given the caliber of competitors she faced at the Viana SUP Open, in particular the rising star Duna Gordillo who proved to be on stellar form over the weekend and Esperanza Barreras, currently one of the most dominant Ladies in the sport who is doing incredibly well on the Euro Tour. Also worth a strong mention was Mariecarmen Rivera, who put in another solid performance with a 2nd place finish in the sprints and a 3rd place in the distance placing her in 4th place overall for the event.

Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

The young phenom from the island of Mallorca in Southern Spain continues to rise in the World of Stand Up Paddling and here in the European Capital of Sport, Viana do Castelo, she made a clear statement of what she is capable of.

While she narrowly missed out on a berth in the Sprint Finals (finishing in 5th place after a win in the Consolation Finals), after making it out through the pumping surf in Afife and around the first turn buoy, she never looked back on Day 2 as she stormed to victory in the downwind race. Her advanced ocean knowledge and skills that are perhaps honed from being brought up on an island, but her competitive savvy and drive was on full show this weekend as she clearly established herself as a major force to be reckoned with here on the APP World Tour.

After seeing the wealth of young talent emerging from Spain, it is clear that the country is establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with on the global stage, as we anticipate some big things from these young talents rising up through the ranks over the coming years. Once again, it is abundantly clear that not only is the future bright, but it is in good hands.

Espe Barreras all smiles during the race. | Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

Esperanza Barreras was in her happy place here in Viana do Castelo, just over the border from where she grew up and able to compete in her favored discipline of downwind racing. While she wasn't able to take victory in the downwind race, a close second battling with one of the most prominent up and coming talents and fellow Spaniard, Duna Gordillo was enough to keep a smile on her face.

This strong finish in the distance coupled with a 3rd place finish in the sprints was enough to secure her 3rd place overall for the event and move her up to 2nd overall on the World Tour Rankings following stop #2 of the 2023 APP World Tour. There is no sign of Barreras slowing down and if anything, she just seems to be getting better, faster and smarter as a competitor, as she is without doubt one of the major contenders for the World Title in 2023. We are excited to see how the remainder of the season unfolds as the competition on Tour is only getting more intense as we look ahead to the Busan SUP Open in October.

Duhaime, stoked on her win. | Photo courtesy: APP World Tour

Check out highlights, broadcast replays, photos and full results and rankings at www.appworldtour.com and @appworldtour and join us in the beautiful town of Busan, South Korea for stop #3 of the 2023 APP World Tour taking place from the 7th - 9th October.

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