Spain Repeats as Team Champions at 2025 ISA Worlds

Surf City El Salvador – An exciting afternoon of SUP Sprint racing crowned the final champions and decided a tight team race to close the 2025 ISA World SUP and Paddleboard Championship (WSUPPC). Surf City El Salvador set the stage for Spain to successfully defend their inaugural WSUPPC team gold medal won in 2024, while decisive victories from Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR) and Christian Andersen (DEN) saw the pair win long-awaited gold medals.

A silver medal finish for defending women’s SUP Sprint Race champion Alba Frey (ESP), along with bronze in the men’s for Sergio Cantoral (ESP) aided Spain in maintaining their lead over their closest rival, France, who won the silver medal. The winning team earned a total of 11 medals overall, three of which came from Frey, who also took bronze in the SUP Distance Race and copper in the SUP Technical Race. Duna Gordillo (ESP) and Judit Vergés (ESP) had the best placings for the team, each winning gold. Japan took the bronze medal, Brazil the copper.

Mariecarmen Rivera, Team Puerto Rico. | Photo: ISA / Pablo Jimenez

Having taken home a medal in every race she has competed in at the ISA, bar one, Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR) at long last earned the one color she was missing, gold. This week’s runner-up in both the SUP Technical and Distance Races, Rivera made a huge comeback from a stumble in the SUP Sprint Semifinals to take a definitive win in the Final.

“I’m feeling great, it’s been a long week, a lot of races,” Rivera said. “I got second in the Tech and in the Long Distance, and finally in the Sprint I got the gold medal, so I’m very, very happy. My first ISA gold medal. I really wanted it. I have a mindset that the race never ends until you cross the finish line, so I always give my best and I will give my 100%. I was thinking, okay, clear mind, don’t get too emotional. I always try when I compete to not get emotions involved, to be like a machine, and I was like that until I touched the sand, then I was more relaxed. It was like, it’s done. It’s done. It’s mine.”

The Final saw Rivera and Cecilia Pampinella (ITA) break early with a clean, strong start. Rivera quickly powered ahead, crossing the entire pack from the far left to round the right buoy in front of Pampinella, Alba Frey (ESP), and Rosali Krepel (BRA). From there, the Puerto Rican held a clean line all the way to a perfect dismount and a long-awaited victory. Frey’s use of a wave proved decisive, pushing her ahead of Pampinella, who took bronze, with Krepel earning copper.

Christian Andersen, Team Denmark. | Photo: ISA / Pablo Franco

An 18-year-old Christian Andersen (DEN) first made his mark on the international stage with a win in the Junior Boys SUP Technical Race in Surf City El Salvador in 2019. Today, at 24, Andersen claimed his first men’s World Title in the division where he has twice previously reached the Final, including last year at home in Denmark. Andersen follows in the footsteps of his former teammate and mentor, Casper Steinfath (DEN) who won the inaugural two editions of SUP Sprint Race in 2016 and 2017. Also winning the silver medal in the SUP Technical Race, Andersen truly found his form in 2025.

“Wow, I don’t even know what to say, I’m speechless right now,” Andersen said. “I’ve sacrificed so much to get here, and so much of my life has gone into the sport. I just believed in it today, and I knew I could do it. It’s a very emotional moment for me, coming here six years ago and winning a gold medal as a junior, and then coming back six years later as a grown man and taking the gold again. I think mentally I’ve grown so much, and I feel way more mentally strong these days. I’ve had the skill and I’ve had the level for a while, but there’s just something missing where I was always so happy to be in the Final, almost too happy. And if you’re happy to be there, you’re not really searching for that win in the same way as I am now. So yeah, it’s very special.”

Andersen and Sergio Cantoral (ESP) opened the Final neck-and-neck, rounding separate buoys almost in sync before a stumble from Cantoral allowed Andersen to break away from the pack. Cantoral recovered quickly, but not before Ethan Bry (FRA) slipped into second. A helpful bump pushed Bry and Cantoral forward while Andersen and Nicolò Ricco (ITA) were slowed by a current, keeping the chasers in lock-step but still unable to reel in the Dane. Bry’s clean dismount secured him the silver medal, with Cantoral taking bronze and Ricco earning copper.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre said:

“What an incredible event and an amazing return to El Salvador. Some of you will remember that in 2019 we held our first ISA event here. With only 60 days to prepare, they made this event happen. They know how to do things — well, fast, and with heart.

“I want to thank the government, the people, the sponsors, the organizers, and all the volunteers of El Salvador. And, of course, congratulations to all the teams and medalists. What a country, what a week, and what an incredible addition to the world of surfing destinations. Muchas gracias, El Salvador.”

Men's SUP Sprint final. | Photo: ISA / Sean Evans

RESULTS

Teams
Gold – Spain
Silver – France
Bronze – Japan
Copper – Brazil

Women’s SUP Sprint Race
Gold – Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR)
Silver – Alba Frey (ESP)
Bronze – Cecilia Pampinella (ITA)
Copper – Roseli Krepel (BRA)

Men’s SUP Sprint Race
Gold – Christian Andersen (DEN)
Silver – Ethan Bry (FRA)
Bronze – Sergio Cantoral (ESP)
Copper – Nicolò Ricco (ITA)

Women’s Prone Distance Race
Gold – Judit Verges (ESP)
Silver – Yurika Horibe (JPN)
Bronze – Thais Delrieux (FRA)
Copper – Lizette Perez (PUR)

Women’s SUP Distance Race
Gold – Duna Gordillo (ESP)
Silver – Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR)
Bronze – Alba Frey (ESP)
Copper – Csillag Virág-Kocsis (HUN)

Men’s Prone Distance Race
Gold – Mael Tissier (FRA)
Silver – So Nomura (JPN)
Bronze – David Buil (ESP)
Copper – Andrea Rossi (ITA)

Men’s SUP Distance Race
Gold – Shuri Araki (JPN)
Silver – Ethan Bry (FRA)
Bronze – Nicolò Ricco (ITA)
Copper – Itzel Delgado (PER)

Men’s SUP Surfing
Gold – Luiz Diniz (BRA)
Silver – Max Torres (PUR)
Bronze – Kapono Fukuda (JPN)
Copper – Tamil Martino (PER)

Women’s SUP Surfing
Gold – Vania Torres (PER)
Silver – Lucia Cosoleto (ARG)
Bronze – Aline Adisaka (BRA)
Copper – Gabriela Sztamfater (BRA)

Boy’s Junior SUP Technical Race
Gold – Eliott Bry (FRA)
Silver – Ruben Cantoral (ESP)
Bronze – Nagito Hirata (JPN)
Copper – Giulio Lazzarini (ITA)

Girl’s Junior SUP Technical Race
Gold – Csillag Virág Kocsis (HUN)
Silver – Ines Blin (FRA)
Bronze – Soryn Preston (USA)
Copper – Otono Hirata (JPN)

Men’s Prone Technical Race
Gold – Mael Tissier (FRA)
Silver – Lukas Pohlman (USA)
Bronze – Carlos Alonso (ESP)
Copper – So Nomura (JPN)

Women’s Prone Technical Race
Gold – Yurika Horibe (JPN)
Silver – Judit Verges (ESP)
Bronze – Thais Delrieux (FRA)
Copper – Flaminia Monti (ITA)

Men’s SUP Technical Race
Gold – Shuri Araki (JPN)
Silver – Christian Andersen (DEN)
Bronze – Guilherme Reis (BRA)
Copper – Nicolò Ricco (ITA)

Women’s SUP Technical Race
Gold – Juliette Duhaime (ARG)
Silver – Mariecarmen Rivera (PUR)
Bronze – Duna Gordillo (ESP)
Copper – Alba Frey (ESP)

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