Sparviero SUP Challenge – Memorial Sara D’Apolito

Italian SUP Race & Paddleboard Championships Final (FIWS) – Round 6

Punta Ala (GR) – October 4–5, 2025

Over 90 athletes expected for the final round of the Italian Championships

Punta Ala closes its season of sporting events with the last appointment. On Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 October, the beach at PuntAla Camp & Resort hosts the final round of the Italian SUP Race & Paddleboard Championships: the Sparviero SUP Challenge – Memorial Sara D’Apolito, now in its third edition. Over 90 athletes from all over Italy are expected, with a significant presence also in the Paddleboard discipline; national category titles are on the line.

The programme unfolds over two days. Saturday is dedicated to the Technical Race on a six-buoy course, with staggered starts by category: a test of pace, manoeuvres and precision, clearly visible from the resort’s beach. Sunday features the Distance Race: the 10 km course will run along the coast towards Cala Martina, an endurance test and course reading (wind and current) that often proves decisive for the final standings.

PuntAla Camp & Resort, co-organiser and logistical base, brings everything within a few steps: direct access to the race area, welcome areas for teams and supporters, beachfront services and integrated hospitality. For athletes this means less downtime and smoother race operations; for spectators, the chance to follow starts, buoy roundings and finishes right from the shoreline.

After each race, technical partners will provide equipment for free test sessions: spectators and campground guests, with support from the beach staff, will be able to try boards and paddles. It’s a simple way to get closer to SUP/Paddleboard and to test different gear in real conditions.

“Bringing the final to Punta Ala with these numbers is a sign of growth for the entire movement,” says Maria Luisa Cionini, head of the PuntAla SUP Experience project. “Involving so many athletes from across Italy—together with families, coaches and supporters—makes us proud. Our location is ideal: racecourse, hospitality and services are all just a few steps apart. Remembering Sara isn’t a label; it means keeping her energy and passion alive, taking care of details—safety, hospitality, respect for the rules—and turning this final into an inclusive, shared celebration of sport.”

The Sparviero SUP Challenge keeps its dedication to Sara D’Apolito, athlete and instructor at Centro Velico Punta Ala, who passed away in 2021. It’s the reference point that guides the event: fair competition on the water, community on shore, and attention to the new generations approaching SUP and Paddleboard. Here, racing also means sharing quality time with family, friends and a community of enthusiasts.

Off the water, PuntAla Camp & Resort completes the experience with services that allow athletes and supporters to live the final with everything close at hand: restaurants and beach bars right on the sand for quick meals between heats; internal paths that connect accommodation, start area and finish zone in just a few minutes; shaded spaces in the pine grove to prepare equipment or wait for your call. Logistics are short and straightforward: you move on foot or by bike, cut down transfers, and gain time to recover and be together.

And when racing is over, two nearby wonders—Cala Violina and Cala Civette—await: a natural extension of the event, perfect for those accompanying the athletes and for anyone who wants to turn the final weekend into a mix of sea, sport and outdoor life.