Fernando Perez Serra completes a fairy tale 1st day of the Busan SUP Open with victory in the sprints.

Fernando Perez Serra from Cadiz, Spain has long been regarded as a promising up and coming young talent and has posted some impressive results over the past few years. However, it seems that in 2023, he has stepped it up a gear, coming into stop number 3 of the APP World Tour ranked 4th.

It was today however that he made a clear statement that he has evolved into a real contender, showing not only speed and skill around the buoys, but tactical savvy way beyond his years. Building momentum throughout the rounds, his starts were strong, and in the final he was able to keep up with the fastest sprinters in the world (Connor Baxter and Rai Taguchi).

In a scrappy, but incredibly exciting final that saw multiple hurdles for all involved, it was the young Spaniard who was able to identify a gap, accelerate at the right time and take the lead coming out of the 2nd buoy turn. From there, he maintained, and was able to secure an impressive victory in this star studded final.

It was a day for the new generation in all respects, as young gun Kotaro Miyahira from Okinawa in Japan took the lead through the middle section of the course and like Fernando, showed both skill and poise when it mattered to take 2nd place ahead of current ratings leader and 4x World Champion Connor Baxter. In 4th, was Rai Taguchi who fell victim to some of the scrappy moments of the heat, but nonetheless showed great form through the day.

Stay tuned to www.appworldtour.com and @appworldtour for highlights, the sprint broadcast replay as well as the live broadcast from tomorrow's distance race starting at from 9:20am on Sunday local time here in Korea / 2:20am CET / Saturday 5:20pm PST) 

JULIETTE DUHAIME CONTINUES DOMINANT STREAK IN 2023 WITH ANOTHER SPRINT VICTORY

2023 has been a banner year for the Argentinian so far, with a string of strong results putting her in the ratings lead coming into Stop #3 here in Busan, South Korea. The weekend has started well for Juliette, with another dominant performance in the sprints to secure victory on Day 1.

After 50 hours of traveling to get here from Brazil, Juliette has been able to shrug off the travel fatigue and find her rhythm back here in Busan, convincingly taking victory ahead of the local girl Jiwon Choi and Chloe Walkerdene. While the conditions created plenty of obstacles with a mixture of backwash chop and some pulses of swell, Juliette was able to navigate through and come out on top. 

The battle for 2nd ended up being hard fought, with a tie breaker to determine 2nd and 3rd position closing proceedings for the Women, with the local girl Jiwon Choi coming out on top, much to the delight of the home crowd.

Stay tuned to www.appworldtour.com and @appworldtour for highlights, the sprint broadcast replay as well as the live broadcast from tomorrow's distance race starting at 9:20am on Sunday local time here in Korea / 2:20am CET / Saturday 5:20pm PST)

The Busan SUP Open has once again delivered: with an opening ceremony that will be talked about for years to come and an unparalleled level of execution, entertainment and inclusive activities for all ages and abilities, it truly encapsulates the APP's vision for the sport's growth and development.

Perhaps the most exciting part of the whole event has been the fifty U14 kids stepping up to do battle and cheering on their heroes once the Pros hit the water. It is a clear testament of the incredible work that KAPP has done to lay solid foundations for the sport in the region to provide opportunities and encourage participation, growth and excitement around the sport of Stand Up Paddling here in Korea.

Much more to come still with this year';s Busan SUP Open as we will kick off the distance race for Pros, Amateurs and youth (U18 and U14) from 9:20am tomorrow morning at Gwangalli Beach. Join us live for all the action at www.appworldtour.com and follow us @appworldtour as we gear up for another great day of action.