From Brazil to the World: How VIBE Is Becoming an International Classic

The 9th edition of VIBE – Volta de Ilhabela once again confirmed the event’s unique place on the paddling calendar. Held every year on the first weekend of December, VIBE is a 90-kilometer relay race open to all seated paddle crafts, while remaining especially popular with OC6 and V6 teams. This year marked record participation, with 51 teams and more than 550 athletes taking on the challenge of circumnavigating Ilhabela. With clear ambitions to become a truly international event and make logistics easier for overseas teams, the future looks bright—especially with a 10th edition already promised to be the biggest ever. TotalPaddler was fortunate to be on site and part of the action, racing in two separate OC6 teams. In this interview, co-organizer Gustavo Nogueira looks back on a landmark edition and shares his vision for what comes next.

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Hello Gustavo! Could you start by telling us about your personal background and your role within the organization of VIBE – Volta de Ilhabela?

Hi Mathieu! For almost 20 years, I have been at the head of Indice Sports Mkt, a company specialized in organizing outdoor sports events. Over the years, I have gained recognition by delivering some of the most successful trail running and paddling events in Brazil. In paddling, in addition to KOPA – The King of Paddle and VIBE – Volta de Ilhabela, I have also had the opportunity to organize the Brazilian VA’A Championships four times, all of them on the north coast of São Paulo state. In 2026, once again, I was chosen to organize the national championships, which will take place in São Sebastião, São Paulo.

I joined VIBE as a partner in 2018, when I was invited by Marcos Moller, owner of Paddle Club Ilhabela and creator of the event, to help grow VIBE. My role in the event includes overall direction, communication, production, and ensuring that VIBE remains one of the most respected paddling events in Brazil. And why not internationally? (laughs) In fact, that is our main goal: to make VIBE an international event, so that paddlers from all over the world can experience circumnavigating the most beautiful island in Brazil!

For those who don’t know the event yet, how would you describe the concept behind VIBE – Volta de Ilhabela, and what makes it unique in the paddling world?

VIBE – Volta de Ilhabela is, in essence, a big celebration of paddling. It always takes place on the first weekend of December and serves as a major gathering for paddlers and clubs from all over Brazil. It marks the end of the season, and there is nothing better than a relay race that brings together athletes from across the country to challenge themselves on one of the most demanding courses in Brazil — 90 km, the longest paddling course in the country — and also one of the most beautiful.

Beyond the beauty of the island (which is literally called “Ilhabela,” meaning “Beautiful Island”), the VIBE course offers everything: sheltered waters, open ocean, flat water, wind, downwind, upwind… In the channel, it’s one kind of race; outside, it’s a completely different one.

In addition to the race itself, the event takes place inside Marina Porto Ilhabela, a marina with an incredible infrastructure and home to Paddle Club Ilhabela. Every year, they quite literally open their own home to welcome athletes from all over the world, and that feeling is shared by everyone. The VIBE vibe is different! (laughs)

After the awards ceremony, we always host a big beachside party with a live band, excellent facilities, and a very relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. I believe that all of this is why VIBE is such a desired event and why it continues to grow year after year.

Looking back at this 9th edition, are you satisfied with how everything unfolded—from logistics to the competition level and the overall athlete experience?

Yes. Overall, despite being a challenging edition, I believe it was one of the best editions of the event. Everything was very well planned and organized, we managed to take care of many details to make life easier for all the teams, and I feel we are on the right path.

Of course, as someone who is always self-critical, there is always room for improvement. And without a doubt, in 2026, our 10th edition, we want to do something historic for Brazilian paddling and deliver an event worthy of celebrating 10 years of one of the country’s most traditional races.

From your perspective as co-organizer, what were the most striking performances or storylines of this year’s race? What stood out to you the most?

This year, we had sea conditions with swell and wind that were stronger than forecast. That made the race even more challenging, although all athletes already know that circumnavigating Ilhabela is a race that includes all types of sea conditions and can get very rough offshore.

Because of this, we had many medical interventions, which meant that the on-water teams—especially the medical crew—had to work twice as hard. If there were an award for best performance, it would definitely go to this year’s medical team! (laughs)

As for the protagonists—the teams themselves—on such a demanding day, we had a team with athletes over 60 years old who completed the race in an OC1 within the official time limits, which absolutely deserves special recognition.

That said, I want to congratulate all participating teams, even those who did not finish the race. VIBE is a very challenging event, and regardless of results, everyone deserves our applause.

Many athletes mentioned that the conditions were stronger than in previous years. How would you describe the weather, currents, and overall race conditions this year?

The forecast indicated an easterly wind, which was confirmed during the race. We knew athletes would be paddling into a headwind for a large portion of the course. However, what really complicated things was the swell on the outside of the island.

In addition to making paddling much harder, many athletes experienced nausea and stomach issues, which forced other teammates to double up on legs during exchanges, making the race even more demanding. The current inside the channel helped teams both at the start and at the finish, which increased the pace toward the end of the race.

For future editions, we will consider the possibility of running the circumnavigation in either direction (clockwise or counterclockwise), depending on sea conditions on race day.

Some slower teams felt frustrated about being stopped before the cut-off time. How do you approach this sensitive topic, and how do you balance safety with athletes’ desire to complete the course?

I place a very high priority on athlete safety. I have personally experienced critical situations in other events I’ve organized, and perhaps because of that, I am especially careful when it comes to this issue. That said, I understand the frustration of those teams, and if it were today, I would have handled the cut-off times differently.

As I mentioned, VIBE is a very challenging race, and not all teams will always be able to finish. However, I believe we can take certain measures in future editions to make it easier—rather than harder—for teams to succeed, as long as it does not compromise safety. We still have some margin to work with, and we will definitely use this year’s experiences as lessons to make VIBE an even better event.

This year, a surfski K2 won the mixed crown—but it was also the only surfski on the start line. Doesn’t that highlight a huge opportunity for the race to attract and develop more surfski participation in the future?

Absolutely! I am a surfski paddler myself, and I have always believed that VIBE has all the characteristics needed for surfski to play a prominent role in the race. This is already the second time a surfski has won a crown—back in 2022, a surfski won the Pink Ribbon, awarded to the first women’s team to cross the finish line.

There is no reason why a surfski couldn’t also win the Blue Ribbon, awarded to the overall first team. So here’s the challenge: let the surfski paddlers come and go head-to-head with the OC6 crews, who until now have always taken the crown!

Next year will mark the 10th edition—a major milestone. What can you already reveal or hint at for this special anniversary? Anything new, bigger, or different planned?

We are already working to ensure that the 2026 edition—our 10th edition—will be the biggest and best VIBE ever. Our goal is to make the entire event more impressive, while preserving the essence and soul of VIBE, which has made it one of the most beloved paddling events in Brazil.

Expanding the program is one of our ideas, with talks and workshops that add even more value and knowledge for the athletes. We want to bring together the best paddlers in the world and attract international teams, who can use the race as a great excuse to discover the beauty of Brazil—especially Ilhabela.

Finally, for athletes and teams wanting to join—especially those coming from abroad—could you clarify how registration works, whether canoes or surfskis can be rented, and what options exist for boat support during the race?

As mentioned earlier, our goal is increasingly to make VIBE an international event that welcomes teams from all corners of the world. This year, we had athletes from five different countries, but we want many more.

That’s why, starting in 2026, we plan to create special conditions to make it easier for international teams to attend, including transportation, accommodation, sightseeing options, canoe rentals, support boats, and more. We will likely open registration in April, shortly after the Brazilian OC6 Championships, but we will begin promoting the event early in the year so teams can start planning well in advance.

For more information on VIBE:
Instagram @Vibeilhabela
Youtube @vibe90km
Facebook: www.facebook.com/vibeilhabela