Fast track & legacy: Inside the 2026 Youth Pool SUP Challenge with Co-Founder Szabolcs Fodor & speed ace Filippo Mercuriali

Photo by Thomas Kovács

The Hungarian Canoe Federation (Magyar Kajak-Kenu Szövetség), together with SUP Race Hungary Club and Fodor Rafting, successfully hosted the International Youth Pool SUP Challenge in Sukoró, Hungary, from 30 January to 1 February 2026.

The event took place at the Katalin Kovács National Kayak-Canoe Academy, a modern, world-class sports complex designed for canoeing, rowing, and multi-sport training. Following Hungary’s successful hosting of the ICF 2021 World Championships and 2022 World Cup, this youth-focused format continued the country’s international paddling tradition.

Photo by Thomas Kovács

Raced on one-design inflatable boards (11’7 x 29′), the event welcomed athletes from 9 countries and attracted over 100 participants. The fast-paced, high-octane format delivered exciting racing for both competitors and spectators, setting a new benchmark for pool SUP events. The competition proved that the format is not only effective and fair, but also highly entertaining and engaging for the public – an element often noted as missing in traditional SUP events.

Csillag Kocsis | Photo by Thomas Kovács

Team Hungary topped the medal table after intense sprint and technical battles, particularly between Csillag Kocsis (ISA and ICF World SUP Champion) and Réka Slekta. Slekta claimed victory in the Women’s Open Technical race, while Kocsis dominated in Sprints. In the men’s competition, Szabolcs Fodor secured second place in the Tech race and went on to win gold in the duathlon. Filippo Mercuriali (Italy) delivered a standout performance in the distance event, setting an impressive pace and recording the fastest overall time of 29.71 seconds over 100 metres (two laps of a 50-metre pool).

The Youth Pool SUP Challenge continues to establish itself as a strong, engaging, and future-focused competition, generating significant hype over the weekend and strong interest from international athletes.

We caught up with Filippo Mercuriali (Winner of the Tech and Sprint races) and Szabolcs Fodor (Silver in Tech Race, Gold in Duathlon), Co-Funder of the event alongside fellow athlete and friend Szabolcs Nagy, both active SUP athletes leading the Hungarian SUP scene. Last year, they competed in the Abu Dhabi World Championships in the 40+ category. Formerly flat-water canoe racers, they are now fully dedicated to the sport of SUP.

Szabolcs Fodor | Photo by Thomas Kovács

Szabolcs Fodor said:

“When we first started organizing this competition series eight years ago, our goal was to create an event with strong morale and a summer-like atmosphere during the winter, when SUP friends normally cannot meet. This event gives them the chance to see each other again and compete together.

At the beginning, we started in a 20-metre swimming pool with 20 participants. The following year, we found a new venue with a 33-metre pool and more athletes. Year by year, the event grew bigger, with more participants and increased sponsorship, allowing us to improve the quality of the competition. Last year, the Hungarian State Secretariat for Sport trusted us to organize the event as an international youth challenge.

Photo by Thomas Kovács

SUP racing in a pool is more difficult than in open water, but it also has many benefits. If you fall into the water, it is not cold, and you can practice climbing back onto the board, which is an important skill. Turning is also a key challenge, as athletes must turn while dealing with waves created by other competitors.

Not many countries organise pool SUP events in these categories, which is why we are committed to continuing this competition year after year.

When I was a child, my father once asked me, “Do you know who your grandfather was?” My grandfather was the person who introduced badminton to Hungary in 1966. Since then, I have always wanted to contribute something meaningful to a sport. Today, I feel proud to be part of developing something new in SUP together with my organising partner, Szabolcs Nagy. We see it as a challenge to make the event better every year, and we hope there will always be people who support us.

From left: Co-Organisers, Szabolcs Nagy and Szabolcs Fodor | Photo by Thomas Kovács

It was also wonderful to see many friends from other countries. For example, Polona Pusljar, from whom I bought my first hard SUP board seven years ago; Miković from Serbia, with whom I competed in many rafting and SUP battles at European Cups and Championships – he is now a coach who brought more than twenty kids to the event; and Goran from Croatia, a close friend whom I meet at almost every SUP event in Europe.

I would also like to thank Filippo Mercuriali, the Italian, Romanian, Slovakian, and Spanish teams, whom I did not know before – but who are now friends and always welcome in Hungary. It was hard work, but it was worth it. See you next year!”

Filippo Mercuriali | Photo by Thomas Kovács

Filippo Mercuriali said: 

“What really attracted me to the event was its uniqueness. I had never raced in a 50-meter swimming pool before, especially on inflatable boards, so it was something completely new for me and I really wanted to try it.
The fact that all boards were provided by the organisation made everything much easier from a logistical point of view: we could travel light by car from Italy and reach the venue very comfortably.

It was extremely well organised, with precise time schedules, well-managed heats and everything running smoothly. It was a great experience from start to finish.

Seeing around 120 athletes registered for such a unique event immediately gave me the feeling that the SUP movement in Hungary and Central & Eastern Europe is growing strongly.

There were many young paddlers, but also experienced athletes, some of them clearly coming from other paddle sports such as kayaking or canoeing. For many, this was a great opportunity to test themselves in a different format and in SUP as a parallel discipline.

Based on this event, I believe the competitive level in this region has a lot of potential, and events like this could definitely help develop future top athletes in SUP.”

Photo by Thomas Kovács

International Youth Pool SUP Challenge 2026 full results

Photo by Thomas Kovács

Sprint results – Women:

Age group (8-10)

1. Ajna Németh (Hungary)
2. Dorota Balázová (Slovakia)
3. Agáta Balázová (Slovakia)

Age group (11–15)

1. Loretta Pihalevics (Hungary)
2. Pastor Ajsa (Hungary)
3. Boglárka Pihelevics (Hungary)

Age group (16–18)

1. Regina Szabó (Hungary)
2. Petra Remete (Hungary)
3. Shepherd Sirka (Hungary)

Age group (19–49)

1. Kocsis Csillag (Hungary)
2. Réka Slekta (Hungary)
3. Móni Major (Hungary)

Photo by Thomas Kovács

Age group (50+)

1. Polona Pusljar (Slovenia)
2. Stanislava Laginja (Croatia)
3. Márta Turai (Hungary)

Photo by Thomas Kovács

Sprint results – Men:

Age group (8–10)

Age group (11–15)

1. Cristian Babos Molnar (Romania)
2. Barnabás Péter Szalai (Hungary)
3. Levente Somogyi (Hungary)

Age group (16–18)

1. Barnabás Ódor (Hungary)
2. Gergő Szimán (Hungary)

Age group (19–49)

1. Filippo Mercuriali (Italy)
2. Blazkho Alexey (Hungary)
3. Mile Gacesa (Croatia)

Age group (50+)

1. Gábor Öreglaki (Hungary)
2. Daniele Cani (Italy)
3. Csaba Pihelevics (Hungary)

Technical race results – Women:

Age group (8–10)

1. Ajna Németh (Hungary)
2. Dorota Balázová (Slovakia)
3. Agáta Balázová (Slovakia)

Age group (11–15)

1. Zsófia Kolumbán (Hungary)
2. Boglárka Pihevics (Hungary)
3. Antonija Frkovic (Croatia)

Age group (16–18)

1. Regina Szabó (Hungary)
2. Pastor Szirka (Hungary)
3. Petra Remete (Hungary)

Age group (19–49)

1. Réka Slekta (Hungary)
2. Kocsis Csillag (Hungary)
3. Horn Panka (Hungary)

Age group (50+)

1. Etelka Dobi (Hungary)
2. Stanislava Laginja (Croatia)
3. Márta Turai (Hungary)

Technical race results – Men:

Age group (8–10)

1. Filip Orlovic (Serbia)
2. Cristian Stefan Dragos (Romania)
3. Balázs Pihelevics (Hungary)

Age group (11–15)

1. Cristian Babos Molnar (Romania)
2. Iván András Pelcz (Hungary)
3. Levente Somogyi (Hungary)

Photo by Thomas Kovács

Age group (16–18)

1. Barnabás Ódor (Hungary)
2. Gergő Szimán (Hungary)

Age group (19–49)

1. Filippo Mercuriali (Italy)
2. Szabolcs Fodor (Hungary)
3. Mile Gacesa (Croatia)

Photo by Thomas Kovács

Age group (50+)

1. Daniele Cani (Italy)
2. Peter Balaz (Slovakia)
3. Goran Smircic Supoljubac (Croatia)

Official result tables can be found here > 

Photo by Thomas Kovács

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