The Road to Sabaudia: Matyáš Soukup – The Czech Champion among SUP’s ones to watch

The 2026 ICF SUP World Championships (14-18 October) are shaping up to be record-breaking – not only in terms of participation, but also in the depth of competition. Nowhere is that more evident than in the junior ranks, where a new generation of talent is beginning to make the transition into the Open division.

The inaugural ICF SUP Junior International Cup in Romania offered a glimpse of what’s to come, showcasing an exceptionally strong field of paddlers across the U14 to U18 categories. These young athletes aren’t just gaining experience – they’re arriving with confidence and ambition to challenge for the sport’s biggest titles.

Among them is 18-year-old Matyáš Soukup from the Hudy SUP Team. Based in České Budějovice, Matyáš is coached by his father, Jaroslav Soukup, who has built one of the Czech Republic’s most successful SUP programmes, also coaching Czech National Champion Linda Syrovátková and national runner-up Valerie Soukupová, Matyáš’ younger sister.

NSP rider and two-time Czech National Champion (2025, 2026), Matyáš also finished 8th and 9th at the 2025 ICF SUP World Championships before claiming bronze in the U18 technical race at the inaugural ICF SUP Junior International Cup in Romania.

With the 2026 World Championships fast approaching, we caught up with Matyáš to discuss growing up in one of the Czech Republic’s leading SUP families, training under his father and his ambitions as he prepares to step once again onto the world stage.

Photo by Martin Hladík

Hi Matyáš, welcome to TotalSUP! Congratulations on becoming 2026 Czech National Champion! What does that title mean to you personally?

Hi, thank you very much! This title means a lot to me. I managed to win the title last year as well, but from a different position. Last year, I went into the races as someone who could only surprise, but this year I went into the race as one of the favourites, and I’m glad I was able to handle the pressure well and defend my Czech Republic championship title.

Photo by Martin Hladík

You also just won bronze at the U18 ICF Junior International Cup in Romania – what was that experience like? How different is the international SUP scene compared with racing at home in Czechia?

Yes, I really enjoyed the races in Romania. It was brilliant to compete against so many talented juniors from all over the world. It was definitely a great experience and I’m glad someone came up with the idea of giving us juniors a chance like this.

We have several great races in the Czech Republic, which are also attended by lots of foreign riders, so it’s possible to get a comparison here too, but if I want to compete with the world’s best, I have to go to races abroad.

For people outside Czechia, what is the SUP scene like there at the moment?

At the moment, we have a number of Czech Cup races, in which we regularly have many participants, and I’m happy that it’s working well in the Czech Republic and that we can compete here.

Lots of Czech competitors also represent the Czech Republic at international events such as the World or European Championships, including both ICF and ISA events.

Photo by Martin Hladík

Who are you training with at the moment? Do you have a dedicated coach or training group?

I train with the Hudy SUP Team, a club located in České Budějovice and led by my dad, Jaroslav, who has also been my coach ever since I started. We try to go on training camps abroad multiple times a year, most often to Italy.

We’ll also be organising our first race with the club this year on 29 August. We’d love to see you there.

Photo by Martin Hladík

What NSP board are you currently racing, and why does it suit your style?

I’m competing on the new Ninja 14×21. I really like this board, mainly because of its good acceleration off the start, and especially because the tail suits my style of turns perfectly – which is my strongest discipline.

Photo by Martin Hladík

What would help more young athletes get involved in SUP racing?

I think that much more media coverage could attract a lot of young athletes, as I feel that our sport is still given very little coverage to a wider audience.

I also think that if paddleboarding were to become an Olympic sport one day – which is my dream – it would certainly be a huge source of motivation for many young athletes.

What is the next major milestone you want to achieve?

I want to win a medal at this year’s World Championships; it’s a bold claim, but I think I’m very motivated and focused on doing everything I can to achieve it this year, and you’ve got to believe in yourself.

At the same time, I’d like to achieve a good result in the upcoming Planet Baltic SUP Race, as well as at the European Championships and at the home races in České Budějovice in front of a home crowd.

Photo by Martin Hladík

You’ve set your sights on a medal at this year’s ICF World Championships. What has changed in your preparation to give you that confidence?

I think that, together with my coach, we’ve managed to identify which training methods suit me and which don’t, as a result, our training sessions make more sense and I’m training better, most importantly, I’m enjoying it.

I’ve put a lot of time into my training this year and so far it looks like everything’s heading in the right direction. I think I have a healthy level of self-confidence and that’s helping me achieve good results.

Image source: Planet Canoe / Paddle Worldwide

What areas of your racing have you worked hardest on this season and where do you feel you’ve made the biggest gains?

I think I’ve definitely made the most progress in the sprint, it wasn’t really my strong area before, but this year I feel much better in sprints, and I’m also still working on improving my standing starts.

As you build towards the ICF World Championships, how do you measure success at these events (Planet Baltic; European Championships) beyond finishing positions – whether that’s improving times, gaining experience or reaching new milestones? 

I’d like to achieve a good result at the races mentioned, it’s more about feeling good and reassuring myself that things are progressing in the right direction. I achieved several good results at Planet Baltic last year and I really like it there. I’d like to repeat that this year.

However, all my preparation is focused on the World Championships, but I see these races as a very good test run before that.

Photo by Martin Hladík

Find out more and REGISTER for the 2026 ICF Stand-Up Paddling World Championships in Sabaudia, Italy here 

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