International Field Heads to Koper

More than 100 SUP racers are expected in Koper, Slovenia, this weekend for the Adria SUP Challenge 2026. Taking place September 5–6 at the Žusterna Water Sports Centre, the event combines international racing, the SUP Alps Trophy and the Slovenian National Championship.

The Adria SUP Challenge has developed into Slovenia’s largest SUP race and holds a unique position on the SUP Alps Trophy calendar. It is the only stop in the series held on the sea, bringing the racing from the Alpine lakes to the Adriatic coast.

And judging by the registration list, Koper will have a genuinely international field this year.

More Than 100 Racers Head to Slovenia

The organizers announced competitors from 11 countries in their press release, but the latest registration list supplied to Stand Up Magazin shows an even broader international turnout.

Our count of the current registrations shows more than 100 entries representing at least 13 countries, with particularly strong contingents coming from Slovenia, Croatia and Hungary.

Slovenia and Croatia currently have the largest groups with 24 registrations each, followed by Hungary with 22. Italy, Germany and Austria are also well represented.

The field includes paddlers from:

Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Austria, Serbia, Cyprus, Ukraine, Spain, Slovakia, Great Britain and Denmark.

That makes the Adria SUP Challenge one of the more internationally diverse races in the region this season.

Saturday: 10 km Long Distance and Slovenian Championship

Racing starts on Saturday with the 10-kilometer Long Distance race in the Bay of Koper.

For the Slovenian paddlers there is more at stake than an Adria SUP Challenge result. The race will simultaneously serve as the Slovenian National Championship in Long Distance, putting the national titles on the line against the backdrop of a large international field.

For everyone else, valuable SUP Alps Trophy results and the Adria SUP Challenge podium will be the target.

The main race will be followed by a Kids Race, FUN Race and an inflatable SUP race, giving recreational paddlers and younger athletes their own opportunity to get onto the race course.

Technical Racing Takes Over on Sunday

Sunday switches from distance racing to the Technical Race.

The format moves through qualifiers, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals. Instead of settling into the rhythm of a 10-kilometer race, paddlers will have to deal with short heats, buoy turns, positioning and direct battles with the other athletes in their heat.

Technical racing should also make Sunday particularly interesting for spectators. The Žusterna venue allows much of the racing to be followed directly from shore, with the buoy course keeping the action concentrated close to the beach.

A Different Kind of SUP Alps Trophy Race

The location is one of the things that separates the Adria SUP Challenge from the other races on the SUP Alps Trophy calendar.

Koper sits directly on Slovenia’s short Adriatic coastline, and the Žusterna Water Sports Centre provides a race venue very different from the lakes normally associated with the series.

That also introduces another variable for the racers. Conditions on the sea can change the character of both the Long Distance and Technical races considerably, particularly if wind and chop enter the equation.

With a large field coming from across Central and Southern Europe, a Slovenian Championship on Saturday and Technical racing on Sunday, Koper is set for a busy weekend of SUP racing.