International appeal: Czechia and the 2024 Czech SUP Race Championships

As summer begins, so does the excitement for the upcoming Czech National SUP Race Championships, set to take place on July 12-14, 2024. This highly anticipated event will bring together the best paddleboarders from across the nation and beyond, converging on the picturesque Bezdrev Lake in South Bohemia. The SUP race scene in the Czech Republic is rapidly growing and maturing, making this event a significant milestone in its development. Open to international competitors, the championships promise to be a vibrant and competitive gathering. To delve deeper into what participants and spectators can expect, we sat down with Lucie Raab, the Secretary of the Czech Surf and SUP Federation. With a decade of experience in the sport and a pivotal role in shaping the Czech SUP scene, Lucie offers valuable insights into the championships, the evolution of SUP racing in the Czech Republic, and the vibrant community that supports it. Join us as we explore the details of this thrilling event and the future of SUP racing in Czechia through Lucie’s expert perspective.

Hello Lucie, to start with, there has been some discussion in recent years about whether to refer to your country as Czechia or the Czech Republic. What is the current preferred term, especially in the context of international sports and competitions?

Hi Mathieu! Yes, this is a very debated issue in our sport environment. The correct word is Czechia, it’s an old-new term that all Czech national teams should use by law. Czech Republic is still the name of our country.

Can you tell us about your background and your role as the Secretary of the Czech Surf and SUP Federation? How did you get involved in the SUP world?

I guess I can say it’s a long story! I joined the paddleboarders in my hometown ten years ago, when paddleboarding in the Czech Republic was in its infancy on 10’6” inflatable allrounders. Then I met David Raab, who taught me how to paddle properly and took me to international competitions. You could say the highlight was my start at the APP Tour in London, where I enjoyed sprinting with the top female racers. And also my photo in the NSP riders catalogue 😀
I became General Secretary in connection with the upcoming ISA Championships, which took place in Denmark in 2017. David decided to send the first Czech team to it and I offered to help him. We got in touch with the then president of the Czech ISA, Stano Hubacek, and together the three of us gave the rules to Czech SUP and started to function as a sports association. I have a degree in public administration and I have always enjoyed administration and planning and implementing projects. The Czech SURF and SUP Federation is quite a challenge and I would say we have come a long way in the 8 active years. In addition to hosting the Czech SUP Cup, we have grown to include paddleboard and surf clubs and continue to work on professionalizing our organization. We still have a lot ahead of us!

The SUP race scene in the Czech Republic seems to be growing fast. Can you describe the typical conditions for SUP racing here, the different formats of races, the difference between the Czech Championships and the Czech SUP Cups? and the level of athletes involved?

Yes, I would say that the Czech SUP scene is maturing and we are growing up juniors, whom we have been pimping for a few years now.

We don’t have a sea in the Czech Republic. We have lakes and reservoirs on rivers.

The difference between cup races and championships (or finals) is the number of days, size of the race, international participation and for Czech riders ranking points. Larger races are located in locations with facilities and preferably a large beach. Czech champs + Finals take place over three days with one discipline per day. Other Czech Cups are either two days (three disciplines) or one day (two disciplines).

We have three classic events and we include a relay and sometimes a dragon SUP race.
Sprint – depending on the venue either 200m with beach start and one buoy or 200m straight from the start boxes standing up. We run sprints using a 3 heat system and a final.
Long distance – we run a distance of 9-12km on smooth water, usually a standing start from the water.
And then we have the technical race (heats and finals). For us, the most fun discipline that will test every competitor. We start with a beach start followed by a series of 6-7 buoys over 600m. It’s a lot of twisting right and left.
Our goal is for everyone to get enough racing in and be tired and happy.

The level of top Czech riders is competitive even for foreign racers. Our racers are around 20th place in big international races and in races of neighbouring countries – Austria, Poland, Germany they can score podium finishes. You must have already heard about Czech riders! Iva Dundova, Tomas Grosup, Ondra Petrak and more – it’s a for another article 🙂

What can participants and spectators expect from the 2024 Czech SUP Race Championships, scheduled for July 12 to 14? Could you share some details about the location and why it was chosen?

The Czech SUP & PARASUP championship is a three-day event. Bezdrev is a small lake in South Bohemia next to the beautiful town of Hluboká nad Vltavou, which has a castle that is a replica of Windsor Castle. The surrounding area also features a large zoo, an art gallery, and stunning nature. This is our second time at this location. There is excellent camping infrastructure here, including a restaurant.

We start on the afternoon of July 12, when everyone arrives for the long-distance race.  And in the evening, we’ll watch a movie on the beach.

On Saturday, July 13, sprints are scheduled. Most likely, these will be straight sprints from starting boxes, just like last year. This championship also includes the Czech Republic Championship in Para Paddleboarding, where competitors with disabilities race on SUP boards with seats.

After the sprints, there will be a Dragon SUP sprint race. You just need to form a team of four riders with at least one woman or child. We will provide the Dragon board. In the evening, there will be a festive beach party linked with the rebranding of our federation.
On Sunday 14th, the racers will compete in heats of the technical race. After that, the overall Czech champions will be announced.
The announcement for each discipline is made at the end of the race day. And from behalf of the organiser’s team – please register online through our website 🙂

How appealing is the Czech SUP racing circuit to international paddlers? Are the upcoming championships open to foreign participants, and if so, what kind of turnout do you expect?

Yes, all Czech races are more than open to foreign riders. We enjoy making friends with them and measuring our strengths against theirs. Foreign competitors elevate the level of the domestic field, and we mutually gain diverse racing experiences. Competitors from neighboring countries regularly participate in our races – most often Germans, led by the young and promising rider Skadi Langbein. In the past, we have also hosted the Prague Paddle Fest twice, which was part of the Euro Tour series and featured the international elite. Racers can expect high-quality organization and plenty of racing at Czech events.

At the Czech SUP Championship, we announce results for each discipline, including foreign competitors. Only for overall Czech titles you need a Czech passport. Riders from Germany, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary are already registered. We are expecting 130 competitors.

SUP Racing in Czechia:

Mácháč 2024, Praha, Česká republika (Foto Martin Hladik)

Can you outline the process for selecting the Czech team for the ISA World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark in September? What are the criteria and steps involved in making it to the national team?

This upcoming national SUP Championship is a qualifying race for the ISA in Denmark. The top 5 finishers in each discipline will qualify.  If the first two do not want to participate, the next competitors up to the 5th place can accept the spots. It’s just a pity that there aren’t more spots and disciplines for juniors at the ISA Championship.

Finally, what are your hopes and goals for the future of SUP racing in the Czech Republic? How do you see the sport evolving here over the next few years, and what initiatives is the Federation planning to support this growth?

We would like to further develop clubs that nurture young original SUP riders with paddleboarding as their main sport. We aim to establish international relationships with foreign federations and clubs. We’ve already started in Poland and Spain. Our goal is to create a European network of collaborating clubs, where Czech juniors can go for sea training camps. Also we want to motivate Czech racers to travel abroad more to gain race experience.

And of course, we also wish for foreign riders to look forward to our Czech races because here you’ll find the perfect aloha spirit!

Join the Czech National SUP & ParaSUP Championships, July 12-14 2024!
https://cfsup.cz/mcr-v-paddleboardingu/