The finale of the 2022 Racing Tour saw Connor and April claim the World Titles while Shuri ‘Shrimpy’ Araki and Melanie Lafenetre get their first win on the APP World Tour to close the season.
The Alicante SUP Open saw the world’s top athletes assemble in Spain for the final stop of the 2022 APP Racing Tour. Yesterday saw Connor Baxter once again clinch the Sprint win ending the 2022 season undefeated. For the women, Spain’s Alba Frey took the victory in her first ever APP competition.
Today our pros embarked upon an 11km, incredibly technical distance race at Playa Del Postiguet. Connor needed to get in the top 11 to secure the World Title and in a stacked field of the world’s best paddlers, the stakes were high. In the end, It was 16-year-old Shuri Araki who claimed his first, and long overdue win on Tour and France’s Melanie Lanfentre who took the women’s title in what was a tight battle until the very end with both Juliette DuHaime and Alba Frey.
Baxter managed to finish exactly where he needed to, 11th place, to secure his 4th APP World Tour Title. Zilg had already secured the World Title coming into the weekend after an impressively dominant season that made Alicante somewhat of a victory lap here in Alicante.
It was a day to remember on the water at Playa Postiguet today: with both World and Event Champions crowned and spectacular performances across the board, from Pros right through to the U10s, it all amounted to a thrilling close to the season here in Alicante. Join us next year, when we do it all over again.
Photo Credits: APP World Tour / Waterman League
