Real racing in Denmark
My May SUP racing adventure started at Easter when I did a board swap with Danish SUP racer, Lonni. A good friend of mine, Anya, came along for the trip with Lonni and over a beer in the evening, we started to talk about the Danish island in the Baltic Sea called Bornholm. I had explained that getting to the Danish SUP Tour event was something that I was interested in, but the cost was a barrier; it’s about 300km of driving plus a fairly expensive ferry, and then I had to find somewhere to stay.
A week later, I got a message with a plan, and I like plans.
Fast forward to Friday 22 May, and I was driving south to meet Danish paddlers Lonni and Morten in a car park in Malmö on the first leg of my Bornholm adventure. After loading their boards onto my van, we drove to Ystad and onto the fast ferry to Ronne on Bornholm.
Racing in Denmark
The Danish SUP Tour is organised by SURF and SUP Denmark and is a series of SUP races. In 2026, there are 4 events in very different locations, and the second stop of the 2026 Tour was Bornholm for a long-distance race, followed by a tech race the next day.
With a mid-morning start on Sunday, the smart plan was to travel on Friday, stay in a campsite on Friday night and be ready for action bright and early on Saturday, and that was pretty much what we did, me joining a very friendly group of Danes around the campfire on Friday night for a carb-loading session of burgers and beer.
During the evening, I realised that I appear to have been adopted by Roskilde SUP Klub. Which is really nice of them.
The talk on Friday was all about boards. I had travelled with the do-it-all NSP Carolina Evo, but, looking at the array of boards on cars at the campsite, I came to the conclusion that I was somewhat under-width’d for the expected conditions. Lonni and Morten had both brought wider boards for the open sea, and there was a selection of more ocean-focused boards on cars.
Oh well, I had a big fin with me, just in case. And a westuit.
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| Image from the Danish SUP Tour |
However, lady luck was looking after me, and the organisers decided that the forecast necessitated a change to Plan B, and on Saturday morning, they relocated the long-distance race to the leeward side of the island. Disappointing for the Danes with DW boards, but a bit of a relief for me!
And so we drove to Tjen for the pre-race briefing and what would be nearly 12km of fun in the wind.
Saturday - Long Distance Race
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| SUP Superstar Casper Steinfath, on the left. |
SUP Races are not that easy to organise; it can be tricky to find a great location with parking, places to put boards, safety boats, toilets, etc. There is a lot to sort out, and SURF SUP Denmark did a great job with Plan B in a lovely little town on the west coast of the island. They even had a paddler there more famous than me! A very nice man called Casper, you may know of him. I can confirm that he is as nice as he appears and very patient too.
Registration done and time to get warmed up and on the water for the start, which was delayed a little, long enough for me to wonder if I was in the right place… then go!
Race Start
Boothy has told me to be more confident at the start of every race I have been to recently. I am guilty of thinking that I do not really belong at the business end of a race, despite knowing that I am quite fast. There is usually a doubt in my mind and a feeling that I should not get in the way of paddlers who are more ... enthusiastic than me.
But on Saturday morning, I decided to get in there, go hard from the start. Be more Boothy.
I lined up on the far right of the start, aiming my board at the first buoy turn, a 120° turn to the right. Figuring that getting on the inside was a smart move for one of the largest, heaviest paddlers in the field, because I am hard to shove out of the way.
Go! Go! Go!
Immediately realising that everyone else was also going hard from the start, and that 'getting in there' required a bit more speed than I had off the line!
However, with only 200m to the first turn, it wasn’t long before everyone slowed down; my logical positioning paid off, and I went around the marker just outside the top 10. Not getting in the way.
Now, with lots more open water and no need to turn for over 5km, I could start to think about paddling, no chance that I would get in the way out here.
As I write this blog post, there are very few images from the long-distance race available, but there is a short video from Outdoor Bornholm. See if you can spot me!
The leading men were already pulling away from the rest, and it was clear that the two paddlers nearest me were not going to be able to chase them, so I gradually moved to the outside, taking a slightly more offshore line in the hope that the Carolina Evo’s design would help me with some free speed from small bumps running along the shore.
That worked perfectly, and I was soon on the tail of a group of 3 other paddlers, putting me in seventh place.
Drafting is a skill, more so in bumpy conditions. Skills need to be practised to keep them sharp, but after a few silly zigs and zags, I found the sweet spot behind another NSP, allowing me a moment for a drink and a think. The thinking concluded that we were paddling in a beautiful place, and that the top three were pulling away from the group I was with. I also figured that I could pick up the pace a little.
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| Race data - I did not use an HR strap; HR is a guide only from my watch |
Which, to my surprise, I did, gradually moving up into fourth place after we passed the second marker buoy at approx. 3km. At this point, I was a very happy paddler. I had the perfect board for the conditions, I had made a much more confident start than I usually do, and I had made some good decisions. I was hydrated, taking on carbs, and I was now paddling alone in fourth place with the buoy in sight for the turn back into the wind.
Confident, I approached the turn aware that there was a safety boat there with a cameraman.
The turn was to my left, my stronger side, and I had the intention of performing a perfect step back turn, raising the Evo’s nose with the stunning cliffs of Bornholm behind me, giving the cameraman a perfect shot to illustrate the SUP Tour for the next event.
I hadn’t allowed for the huge wake left by the three powerhouses in front of me, so the image captured, if the cameraman didn’t delete it immediately, was of a red-faced old man nearly falling in as he failed to judge the water conditions, followed immediately by a look of relief as the same old man managed to stay dry and get going again.
We can all dream of great images, but nailing the shot is difficult, which is why my modelling career was very short-lived.
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| Post-race. There were several Carolina Evos on the water in the long-distance race. |
Upwind.
NSP claims the nose of the Evo works well in upwind paddling; this is 100% correct. So much so that the red-faced old man found himself catching the leaders, three much more experienced racers. No one was more surprised than I was at this turn of events.
The catch was made with around 3km to go, but drafting these three was far harder with the wake they were leaving. Eventually, I found a spot maybe 2m behind the third board where I could get a little benefit and take a drink.
The next 1500m was hard work as the trio split, taking different lines around a headland before reforming. I slotted back into place #4, wondering what to do. Could I press for a podium place?
The answer was a resounding ‘nej’.
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| My GPS course: the return closer to shore. |
The pace increased slightly as we approached the finish, and as it did, my right shoulder / upper arm decided that all this one-sided paddling was something it was no longer interested in.
I had expected this.
My shoulder injury is improving, but not yet fixed, and to have paddled over 10km pain-free in moderately tough conditions was much better than I had hoped, but it left me with no option but to slow down and try to stretch the problem out, partly relieved that the decision was made for me. Now, I had to look back to see if I was safe in fourth place.
I was not.
I wish I had an image of the very determined paddler who was chasing me, head down, strong stroke. A Viking on a charge. He's still locked in my mental memory bank, and I'm glad that I didn't look back again. Distance, however, was on my side, with only a few hundred metres to go before turning back into the harbour, putting the wind behind me. Motivation, if it were ever needed!
I crossed the finish line in fourth place, first of the Grand Masters, 90 seconds behind the winner and a minute behind third place.
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| Post-race gathering of NSPs. I think the most paddled brand at the event. |
Exhausted, happy. My first age-group race and my first age-group win. Now I need to finish work on my shoulder so I can give my all for the entire course next time.
Sunday - Tech Race
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| Image: Danish SUP Tour |
The Sunday tech race went ahead as planned, in the small harbour at Sæne on the east coast of the island. An earlier start than Saturday and a beautiful day saw the enthusiastic band of 32 SUP Racers, lined up on a small beach for one lap semi-finals and two lap finals.
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| Getting lost in a tiny harbour! |
Practise was educational, I have not competed in a tech race for over 7 years and never on a dugout board, and I was glad that Michael had set me a detailed warm-up, which I pretty much managed to follow. We won't mention getting lost on such a short course, but that is what warm-ups are for.
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| Getting to my feet in the qualifying race |
The beach start was fun, with the sand dropping to mid-thigh depth for me in 3 paces. Timing, therefore, was key; many paddlers were catching their fins, getting their board down quickly before it got too deep for them to run. Not so much of an issue for me with longer legs proving to be advantageous.
Go! Go! Go!
My sem-final went well. My start was OK, and I got to my feet in sixth place, a 100% sprint saw me in fifth place at the first of 6 turns, and gasping for breath! At the second turn, the paddler in front of me went a little wide, which allowing me to cut inside him and sprint again to the next mark. I got very lucky catching a tiny bump that helped me accelerate past him, the Evo working perfectly in the conditions. Then a slower turn, hugging the marker to make sure I gave him no room before putting all the energy I had left into getting to turn 4. With a board length now separating us, I had time to make safe turns at 5 and 6 before a quick burst to the line and qualification for the final!
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| Crossing the line in fourth place |
I do not want to use age as an excuse for the next bit, but I will. Tech racing is hard!
Lining up at the start, I felt OK and had a better idea of what to do. Not at all intimidated by the others, even the young man in a baseball cap called Casper.
Go! Go! Go!
I believed I had a better start, until I saw some photographs! The camera rarely lies.
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| Tech race final - open men. |
I was at the back struggling to stand up in the turbulent water that 7 faster men had made, the difference in speed between me and that baseball cap was staggering! I am sure I would have been more impressed if I hadn’t been struggling to stand with my heart beating so hard that I am sure spectators could hear it on shore.
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| At the back from the beach, this is not a place you want to be. Bumpy! |
Not yet at the first turn, I had to slow my pace and hope that the others had gone too hard, which would allow me to catch up.
Through turn 2 still in contact with the paddler in front of me, only to flounder at turn 3, wobbling ot the left, then right and then even more right, before taking a swim. Up quickly to see paddler #7 fall at the next turn, giving me hope, briefly. Not only was Michael faster than me in a straight line, but he was also on his feet faster than me and putting the hammer down.
There was still time to catch him, and I set off, rounding turns 4 and five in a competent manner before a half-decent turn at #6 and a burst of speed to the line, a great dismount for the run, followed by a slip putting me on my knees in front of a very kind crowd.
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| At the end of my first lap, Casper is approaching turn #2 in the distance |
Round the flag, competent remount and 100% sprint, for about half the distance to the first turn. I think Casper had finished by the time I got there, my heart beat now louder than a drum solo from a 1970s prog-rock album. The rest of my last lap can only be described as ‘steady’, and the right way up crossing the line sometime after the others, completely exhausted, with Casper waiting with a high five and a hug. He really is a very nice chap.
Tech racing is hard.
My tech race was a lesson, which I think I enjoyed. Although it is difficult to remember exactly how I felt afterwards. I did enjoy finding out that, as the only Grand Master who made it to the final, I had won my second age-group event.
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| Finished! |
Post Race Reflections
I thoroughly enjoyed my SUP adventure to Bornholm. Great people who I hope to paddle with again soon, great organisation, beautiful location and (other than the wind) fantastic weather.
My long-distance race went well, better than I had hoped, and my shoulder is improving every week, so I should be back to full fitness before I try to race again.
My tech race was a lesson in what to do, I have taken notes!
And the prizes were great too!
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| Thirst prize |
The Danish SUP race scene appears to be thriving, and if you get a chance to race in Denmark, you should Go, Go, Go!
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| Happy Danes and the fastest Irishman on Bornholm |
Investing in yourself is the BEST upgrade you can make, with no exceptions. And that is what this series of blog posts are all about, investing in this paddler with the help of World Champion Michael Booth.
You can find out more about Michael's training on his website Booth Training, from his Booth Training Instagram account and on his YouTube channel BoothTV.
You can find me running the Facebook group SUP My Race and now, occasionally, on Instagram.
You can read the previous training logs here Training Logs and you can get to individual blog posts using the labels in the sidebar.
Images with me in them are from Jeanet Gjedsted