April 10, 2023

by Christopher Parker (@wheresbossman)

SUP for
Debate: Is Spain the
new France?

above: Duna Gordillo leads Espe Barreras to a Spanish gold-silver finish @ ISA 2022 (photo: Sean Evans)

 
They have more events, more athletes and more podiums. And most importantly: more kids. After a decade of being bridesmaid to the unstoppable French powerhouse, Team Spain may now have the upper hand. Or at the very least, they’re closer than ever to being #1 in Europe (and by extension, many would argue, the world).

Led by Espe and Duna, Spain is probably already number one in women’s racing. The Spaniards still lack a guy like Titou to claim true clout, but overall I’d say it’s a pretty even contest right now. And considering how many juniors Spain has coming through the ranks I think it’s inevitable they’ll be the #1 nation in the next half decade.

We saw Team Spain claim the overall silver behind the mighty French at last year’s ISA Worlds, and given the decline of Team Australia I bet we’ll see similar results in the coming years.

So I guess the next topic for debate might have to be: What the hell happened to the once invincible Aussies?