Claudio Nika was born in Italy and was introduced to surfing at just 6 years old by brother and fellow SUP star, Leonard Nika. Claudio was competing in surfing for a few years before he caught the SUP bug at 14 years old when he dedicated his life to advancing and succeeding in the sport. As well as being a racer not to be reckoned with on the APP World Tour, Claudio has succeeded across the world’s SUP circuit becoming World Champion for the 200-metre sprint in the 2019 ISAs.

Whilst competing around the world, Claudio and his brother Leonard run their own Paddlesurf school in Portugal, teaching the next generation of world champions. Outside of racing and surfing, Claudio practices skateboarding, wakeboarding and parkour.