Zuborova claims Elite Women victory in Turkey! Novotny dominates Elite Men as Kolar marks premiere victory in Stock

Çeşme, Türkiye – The 2026 UIM MotoSurf World Championship got underway this weekend in the challenging waters of Çeşme, Türkiye, where 93 riders from 19 countries gathered for the opening round of the season. Strong winds and demanding sea conditions tested competitors across all categories, delivering thrilling racing and dramatic battles for victory.

In the Women’s category, Czech rider Eliška Matoušková started the final from pole position and looked set to challenge for the win. However, a crash in the difficult conditions cost her valuable time and allowed Slovakia’s Sára Žuborová to build a commanding lead. Žuborová maintained her advantage throughout the race to secure victory in the opening event of the championship.

The Elite Men class witnessed a dominant performance from reigning World Champion Matyáš Novotný. The Czech star left nothing to chance, controlling the race from the start and taking a convincing victory to begin his title defense in the best possible way.

The battle in the Stock category remained undecided until the final moments. Adam Janošek, Down Kim, Adam Kolář, Hasan Boabbas, Jan Trávníček, and Alexander Lanner were all in contention for the win. Janošek crossed the finish line first but was later penalized for failing to complete the required number of long laps. The penalty handed victory to Adam Kolář, who celebrated his first-ever MotoSurf World Championship win. Hasan Boabbas finished second, while Sweden’s Alexander Lanner completed the podium in third place.

The Masters Men race provided plenty of drama and position changes. Down Kim took the lead early and was closely pursued by Mark Andrews, the Pozdník brothers, and Petr Faltejsek. Kim successfully defended his position until the checkered flag to secure victory. A post-race penalty dropped Andrews to seventh place, promoting Petr Faltejsek to second and Jiří Renner to third.

In Masters Women, Korean rider Eunjin Lee delivered a flawless performance to dominate the category and take a well-deserved victory. Germany’s Jennifer Beckmann claimed second place, while Ekaterina Vengerová finished third.

The Junior Boys category saw Czech rider Stanislav Kohout rise to the challenge of the demanding Turkish sea conditions and secure victory. Fellow Czech Maxmilián Hruška finished second, while Austria’s Leo Kratochvilcompleted the podium in third place.

Among the Junior Girls, Ellen Burdová proved unbeatable, leading home an all-Czech podium. She was joined by Nela Pozdníková in second place and Bibiana Bubníková in third.

The opening round in Çeşme delivered spectacular racing and set the stage for another exciting MotoSurf World Championship season. With valuable championship points already on the line and fierce competition across all categories, the battle for the 2026 world titles is well underway.