Bohinj SUP Challenge in Slovenia

August 15, 2025 – Slovenia – At exactly noon on Saturday, the SUP racing scene came alive as 135 contenders from 11 countries took on the challenge in one of the most dynamic stand up paddle events of the summer.

International Field With Newcomers

For the first time, the competition welcomed racers from Poland and Greece, expanding the international reach of the Slovenian event. Nearly 20 young paddlers also took part in the U12 and U14 categories, tackling a fast-paced 500 m sprint that showcased the sport’s growing youth movement.

Challenging Conditions and Record Performances

The weather brought its own drama. Racers first faced hot and humid conditions, but the super-fast water allowed many paddlers to achieve personal bests on the course. Shortly after the races, a summer storm swept in, pushing the award ceremony under tents and umbrellas. Still, the rain couldn’t dampen the spirits – participants praised the organization, the challenging course, and the strong sense of community.

Part of a Multi-Sport Festival

This SUP event was staged alongside the Slovenian National Kayak Marathon, creating a vibrant joint festival atmosphere. Racing began with the Fun category, which started alongside the Elite on a 2 km course featuring two buoy turns and a technical chicane at the finish.

Main Race Format and Distances

The Elite, Masters, Kahuna, U16, and Inflatable (Race) divisions took on a 7 km challenge. The course combined a long round, a small round, and a technical finish chicane, demanding both endurance and precision.

Elite Men’s Results

From the very start, Hungarian star Szabolcs Fodor took control, leading the men’s Elite race wire to wire. Despite a strong push from Austria’s Michael Hackl, Fodor held his ground to secure the win.

🥇 Szabolcs Fodor (Hungary)
🥈 Michael Hackl (Austria)
🥉 Luka Kožar (Slovenia)
4th: Maj Jokhadar (Slovenia)
5th: Gal Gros (Slovenia)

Elite Women’s Results

In the women’s Elite division, Dora Ebenspanger proved unbeatable, paddling to a commanding victory. Vira Lemekha and Blanka Tubel rounded out the podium, while Slovenian paddler Polona Pušljar and Poland’s Katarzyna Fraczek followed close behind.

🥇 Dora Ebenspanger
🥈 Vira Lemekha
🥉 Blanka Tubel
4th: Polona Pušljar
5th: Katarzyna Fraczek

A Community Spirit That Withstood the Storm

Even as the storm rolled in, the atmosphere remained electric, proving that nothing can wash away the passion of the SUP community. With record performances, international debuts, and strong youth participation, the event once again highlighted Slovenia as a key stop on the European SUP racing calendar.

Full Results Women

Place	Name	Country:	category	Time
1	Dóra Ebenspanger	HUN	ELITE	0:45:25.7
2	Vira Lemekha	ITA	ELITE	0:46:46.2
3	Blanka Tubel	HUN	ELITE	0:49:42.3
4	Natalija Fon Boštjančič	SLO	MASTER	0:51:17.1
5	Zsófia Anikó Druskó	HUN	MASTER	0:52:26.0
6	Polona Pušljar	SLO	ELITE	0:53:01.3
7	Katarzyna Frączek	POL	ELITE	0:53:25.4
8	Etelka Dobi	HUN	MASTER	0:53:28.0
9	Stanislava Laginja	CRO	RACE	0:53:34.5
10	Vesna Pajić	SLO	RACE	0:54:35.2
11	Malwina Grochowska	POL	ELITE	0:54:50.6
12	Priscilla de Boer	NED	ELITE	0:55:05.0
13	Tünde Moravcsik	HUN	RACE	0:55:35.4
14	Betti Pászti	HUN	ELITE	0:55:51.0
15	Špela Zemljič	SLO	ELITE	0:56:05.0
16	Sara Grandys	POL	ELITE	0:56:13.9
17	Tamara Sparožić	CRO	ELITE	0:56:47.9
18	Karolina Kaminska	POL	ELITE	0:57:24.2
19	Giancarla Sgaggio	ITA	MASTER	0:57:44.4
20	Melinda Déri	HUN	RACE	0:57:45.5
21	Ilona Hejduk	HUN	MASTER	0:57:48.2
22	Hajnalka Péter	HUN	RACE	0:59:36.5
23	Loretta Pihelevics	HUN	U16	0:59:43.8
24	Judit Kolopi	HUN	MASTER	0:59:56.0
25	Marku Anett	HUN	ELITE	1:00:25.9
26	Nikolett Ferenczi	HUN	RACE	1:01:36.0
27	Zsófia Kolumbán	HUN	U16	1:02:26.2
28	Anita Czuprák-Pihelevics, dr.	HUN	RACE	1:04:06.8
29	Ewelina Adamczyk	POL	RACE	1:07:06.1

Full Results Men

1	Szabolcs Fodor	HUN	ELITE	0:42:13.1
2	Viktor Zöllner	HUN	KAHUNA	0:42:17.9
3	Michael Hackl	AUT	ELITE	0:43:08.4
4	Luka Kožar	SLO	ELITE	0:43:16.5
5	Maj Jokhadar	SLO	ELITE	0:43:46.3
6	Balazs Dori	HUN	KAHUNA	0:43:46.8
7	Balazs Csopaki	HUN	KAHUNA	0:43:53.6
8	Gal Gros	SLO	ELITE	0:43:55.3
9	Csaba Pihelevics	HUN	KAHUNA	0:44:16.7
10	Attila Hubik	HUN	ELITE	0:44:19.6
11	Bojan Bernard	SLO	KAHUNA	0:44:21.2
12	Gábor Kovács	HUN	ELITE	0:44:24.7
13	Simone Tugnoli Peron	ITA	ELITE	0:44:28.1
14	Cristian Bottausci	ITA	KAHUNA	0:44:59.8
15	Elefetherios Maroulakis	GRE	KAHUNA	0:45:23.5
16	Szabolcs Zakar	HUN	ELITE	0:45:34.7
17	Luka Vettorazzi	SLO	ELITE	0:46:15.2
18	Maicol Tagliatti	ITA	ELITE	0:46:50.3
19	Łukasz Chochorowski	POL	ELITE	0:47:09.6
20	Alexey Blazhko	HUN	ELITE	0:47:16.6
21	Michał Gawor	POL	ELITE	0:47:17.1
22	Nenad Miković	SRB	ELITE	0:47:21.9
23	Alberto Sammarco	ITA	ELITE	0:47:26.3
24	Gábor Szerdahelyi	HUN	KAHUNA	0:47:29.8
25	Zoltán Dr. Németh	HUN	ELITE	0:48:02.8
26	Luca Di Silvestre	ITA	RACE	0:48:13.4
27	Balázs Szili	HUN	RACE	0:48:56.9
28	Viktor Szabó	HUN	RACE	0:48:57.4
29	Branislav Barašević	SRB	RACE	0:49:04.5
30	Michał Wojciechowski	POL	U16	0:49:08.5
31	Ireneusz Adamczyk	POL	ELITE	0:49:12.7
32	Csaba Dr Grózli	HUN	KAHUNA	0:50:59.1
33	Denis Matjaz	Slo	KAHUNA	0:51:12.7
34	Laszlo Vigh	HUN	RACE	0:51:25.9
35	Aljoša Žnidaršič	SLO	ELITE	0:51:32.8
36	Riccardo Mazzini	ITA	U16	0:51:35.1
37	Mattia Tugnoli Peron	ITA	U16	0:51:37.0
38	Maciek Solarz	POL	ELITE	0:51:57.7
39	Rudy Van Haven	AUT	RACE	0:52:04.1
40	Adam Przybyłek	POL	ELITE	0:52:35.1
41	Goran Smirčić SUPoljubac	CRO	RACE	0:52:55.5
42	Semir Koljić	CRO	RACE	0:53:11.8
43	Gorazd Cerinšek	SLO	RACE	0:53:50.1
44	Peter Muka	HUN	KAHUNA	0:54:15.8
45	Csanád Németh	HUN	U16	0:54:31.1
46	Mikołaj Figiel	POL	ELITE	0:55:24.0
47	Andrzej Maliszewski	POL	ELITE	0:55:37.0
48	Miloš Banić	SLO	RACE	0:57:16.9
49	Boštjan Rudolf	SLO	RACE	0:57:20.7
50	Marko Borišev	SRB	RACE	0:58:31.8
51	Dario Mazzini	ITA	ELITE	1:07:04.1
52	Jaroslav Larionov	UKR	RACE	1:07:21.0