Adria SUP Challenge Returns with SUP Alps Trophy Stop and Slovenian National Championship

The Bay of Koper is getting ready for another weekend of racing, rivalries and seaside SUP action as the Adria SUP Challenge returns to Žusterna on September 5–6.

More than 100 paddlers from 11 countries are expected on the start line, making Koper one of the key SUP meeting points in the region this weekend. The event is also set to carry extra weight for Slovenian athletes, with Saturday’s 10-kilometre long-distance race doubling as the Slovenian National Championship.

Now established as Slovenia’s biggest SUP competition, the Adria SUP Challenge is also the country’s only stop on the SUP Alps Trophy circuit held on the sea. That combination gives the event a distinctive character: international racing, national titles and a coastal setting all packed into one weekend.

Eleven Nations, One Starting Line

The international field reflects the growing reach of the event. Slovenian paddlers will line up alongside competitors from Italy, Hungary, Croatia, Germany, Serbia, Austria, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Great Britain.

With more than 100 competitors across the weekend’s different categories and disciplines, Žusterna will become a regional SUP hub, bringing together elite racers, recreational paddlers and young athletes.

For the Slovenian contingent, however, Saturday’s long-distance race will have an added significance: national championship medals will be on the line.

Saturday: Long Distance, National Titles and Racing for Everyone

The weekend gets underway on Saturday with the 10 km long-distance race, which will serve simultaneously as the international Adria SUP Challenge race, a SUP Alps Trophy event and the Slovenian National Championship in the discipline.

That means Slovenian athletes will be racing for the national title, while international competitors will be looking to secure their own place at the sharp end of the results.

Once the long-distance racers are off the water, the focus will broaden with a kids’ race, FUN race and inflatable SUP race.

It is a program designed to make the day about more than elite competition, giving younger paddlers, recreational participants and inflatable-board racers their own opportunity to get on the water.

Sunday Brings the Fastest Action

Sunday switches the focus to the technical discipline, where the racing becomes shorter, faster and more tactical.

Competitors will progress through qualifiers, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, with tight buoy turns and head-to-head racing putting both board skills and race tactics to the test.

For spectators, the format also delivers some of the best viewing of the weekend. With the action taking place close to the coastline, the racing can be followed from shore as paddlers battle through the technical course.

More Than Just a Race

While competition is at the heart of the Adria SUP Challenge, the organizers are aiming to create a full weekend around the sport.

The Žusterna Water Sports Centre will combine racing with music, social activities and a relaxed seaside atmosphere, bringing together competitors and visitors away from the start line as well.

Environmental awareness is another part of the event’s identity. The competition is organized by the Naredi Nekaj za Naravo (NNN) sports association, whose mission includes developing SUP while promoting the protection of the natural environment and water surfaces.

That message fits naturally with an event whose race course is the sea itself.

Koper’s Place on the SUP Map

The Adria SUP Challenge continues to underline Koper’s potential as a destination for paddle sports and active tourism.

Few SUP races combine an international field, a national championship, a SUP Alps Trophy stop and an open program for recreational and junior paddlers in the same weekend. With the Bay of Koper providing the backdrop, the event offers both racers and spectators a distinctly coastal race experience.

Adria SUP Challenge 2026

Dates: September 5–6, 2026
Location: Žusterna Water Sports Centre, Koper, Slovenia
Organizer: Sports Association Naredi nekaj za Naravo (NNN)
More information and full schedule: adriasupchallenge.com