It’s been an intense finish to the SUP racing season, with athletes heading straight from the Planet Worldwide SUP Championships in Italy to SUP Cup Kemer 2026: ICF World Ranking & Festival Race that took place from 28 – 31 October in Türkiye. The excitement surrounding SUP Cup Kemer continues to ripple through the SUP community following an event that brought a strong international field of athletes to Kemer, Antalya – including freshly crowned Long Distance World SUP Champions Csillag Kocsis (Hungary) and Shuri Araki (Japan).
Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
While this year marked a new milestone for Türkiye’s biggest SUP event, with its inclusion in the official ICF SUP World Ranking circuit, the spirit of the competition remains rooted in something that has always set it apart: the stand-up paddleboarding community. That sense of community lies at the heart of the SUP Kemer Festival, driven by a grassroots approach to growing and developing the sport in Türkiye.
Orkun Küçükemiroğlu, Founder and Race Director of SUP Cup Kemer said: “This year’s SUP Cup Kemer was not just another successful event for us; it was an important milestone in a vision we have been working towards for years.
Becoming part of the Paddle Worldwide SUP World Ranking calendar in our fourth year further strengthened both the international identity and competitive level of our event. Welcoming some of the world’s best athletes to Kemer and watching them compete on the same course was an incredibly valuable experience, not only for our organization but also for the entire SUP community in Türkiye.
Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
One of the most significant steps we took this year was placing hardboard racing at the heart of our competition. In Türkiye, SUP has largely developed around inflatable boards. However, I strongly believe that if we want our athletes to reach the international competitive level, they need opportunities to experience professional racing equipment, train with it, and measure themselves against the best athletes in the world.
Our goal is not simply to bring the world’s best paddlers to Türkiye, but also to contribute to developing Turkish athletes who will one day be able to compete at the same level.
However, one of the things that truly sets SUP Cup Kemer apart is our approach to the sport itself. We don’t want athletes to come to Kemer just to race. We want them to enjoy an experience where they can escape the pressure of competition, have fun, enjoy a holiday, and build genuine friendships with athletes from different countries.
Welcome parties, after-parties, concerts, boat tours, and the festival atmosphere around the race venue are not simply side activities for us. They are all essential parts of the complete SUP Cup Kemer experience. Seeing athletes compete fiercely against the world’s best in the morning and then enjoy music, laughter, and celebrations together in the evening perfectly reflects the spirit of this sport. To me, that’s one of the most beautiful things about SUP: Competitors on the water, friends on the shore.”
Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
The setting makes it all the more special. With the Mediterranean stretching out in front and the pine-covered Taurus Mountains rising dramatically behind, Moonlight Beach offers a spectacular backdrop. Its wide shoreline and crystal-clear waters provide the perfect setting for an event that brings together both the recreational and competitive sides of stand-up paddleboarding.
To capture what makes the experience unique, we caught up with riders who were testing the waters in Kemer for the first time to hear their impressions and get their perspective on the event, its atmosphere and the destination.
Csillag Kocsis | Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
I genuinely believe this event has great potential to grow in the coming years. The location is fantastic and offers excellent conditions for different SUP disciplines, including long distance, technical racing and hopefully sprint racing in the future. The venue is very practical and comfortable for athletes, and the long-distance race, alongside the shore, was also well organised.
What made the experience even more special was the local SUP community. Their enthusiasm, openness and genuine eagerness to learn and improve were truly inspiring to see.
I also think that if the event keeps its current place in the calendar, it could become a perfect end-of-season race. Coming shortly after the PW World Championships, the atmosphere was much more relaxed, allowing everyone to enjoy racing without the usual pressure.
It is a great opportunity for professional athletes to keep competing while also giving amateur paddlers the chance to challenge themselves and gain experience in a welcoming, positive community.
Shuri Araki | Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
The distance race took place surrounded by majestic oceans and mountains. With the crisp, clear air, it was the ultimate open ocean race with a lot of water moving, and with the many small bumps and swells to catch, ride, and still a big 14km long paddle.
The technical race also featured a dynamic course set up right in front of a large crowd of spectators, making it a fantastic event that was enjoyable for both the racers and the spectators. There was beautiful venue set up by the organizer, and many supporters.
What also left a lasting impression on me was that this wasn’t just a world ranking professional race – many weekend paddlers, and junior, families were participating as well, and I felt it was a truly wonderful community event that I think how SUP event should be.
This was my first visit to Turkey, and the people welcomed me warmly. I was able to spend a wonderful time surrounded by rich natural beauty and food―it was an event marked by exceptional hospitality. We will come back next year for sure!
Christian Andersen | Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
The SUP Cup Kemer was a really cool event! The race location was absolutely stunning, with beautiful scenery and crystal clear water. One of my highlights was paddling to a cave that you can actually paddle underneath, which makes this race venue pretty unique.
The organizers did a great job putting everything together, and there was a really nice atmosphere throughout the event. It’s definitely a race I would recommend to anyone looking to combine good racing with an amazing location! I will be back next year!
Marin Hoeboer | Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
This was my first time at Sup Cup Kemer and I had a really great time! Nice people, organization and amazing vibes. Beautiful place for this race too. I would definitely recommend it!
Natalya Novitskaia | Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
Initially, I saw the competitions in Kemer as a great way to end the season! The atmosphere is fantastic, and the location is beautiful. I knew that the competition organizers, especially Orkun, had been creating a real celebration for everyone attending his events for several years in a row!
I consider Turkey to be one of the best locations! It’s logistically convenient for many athletes, with direct flights from most European countries and Russia. This makes travelling so much easier!
This year, there were around 45 participants from Russia at the competitions! A significant milestone for the event was seeing top athletes such as Csillag Kocsis and Hanna Kaminska, as well as more men, joining the competition. If you come with your supporters, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy an interesting time together. There are many excursions and beautiful places to visit.
This event definitely deserves to be supported and I hope it will continue to grow! I encourage all athletes to take part in next year’s SUP Cup Kemer competitions and become part of this celebration!
Benyam Bossack | Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
Thank you so much! It was a great experience competing in Kemer, despite of the rain we had. The courses where original and I especially liked the 14 km long distance along the coastline. I had a lot of fun throughout the event and am stoked to have finished 3rd in both races, sharing the podium with Shuri and Christian. I enjoyed the positive and enthusiastic atmosphere a lot and it was great meeting the Turkish (and Russian) supcommunity.
Overall the whole organization was spot on, and I really felt like a special guest.
Let’s hope I have the opportunity to visit Kemer again next year! Definitely worth a trip for everybody who likes a more ‘festival-like’ race weekend, with DJ’s closing every raceday.
Hanna Kamińska | Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
SUP Cup Kemer was such a refreshing experience! After two intense months of competing at major events, including the Paddle Worldwide and European Championships it was so nice to be part of such an enjoyable and stress free competition.
Kemer is a place with such beautiful views that it even got me (a sprinter) to enjoy a 14km long distance. People here are incredibly welcoming and kind, it was a pleasure to be here and finish the season on such a positive note!
Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
Image source: SUP Cup Kemer
*Images courtesy of SUP Cup Kemer
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