For the past four years, Falkensteiner Resorts in Zadar have been the home of the MotoSurf World Championship in Croatia. This year's event held extra significance, as it also served as a qualifier for the World Games. A total of 109 racers from 21 countries and 3 continents competed across various categories in a three-day event filled with action and excitement.
The competition featured eight different classes, including categories for men, women, juniors, and electrically powered boards. Over three days of intense racing, participants battled through qualifications, heats, and finals. The Elite Class saw a dramatic race between Matyas Novotny and Alex Lukscheider. Despite a technical issue that pushed Novotny to the back of the pack, he made a stunning comeback, closing in on Lukscheider for a head-to-head battle until the finish. Lukscheider held off Novotny to claim the victory, with Lukas Kozon finishing third.
In the Stock Class, the Korean duo of Minseong and Down Kim dominated the competition, taking first and second place, respectively. Hasan Boabbas from Kuwait rounded out the podium with a third-place finish, marking his return to top form.
In the Women’s Class, another World Games qualifier, Czech racer Eliska Matouskova showcased her skill, dominating both the heats and the finals. Aneta Stloukalova secured second place, while Emma Strculova of Slovakia earned her first podium finish in the championship, finishing third.
The Merlin Plus Stock R Class saw a fierce international battle, with Czech rider Denis Dusilek claiming victory. Fares Ramadhan of Kuwait took second, while Cypriot racer Mike Michaelides crossed the finish line in third place.
In the Masters Class, for riders aged 40 and over, Polish racer Arkadiusz Janora led for most of the race but was penalized after missing a buoy, dropping him to third place. This opened the door for Korean rider Down Kim to claim victory, with Martin Tvrz from Apex Pilot securing second.
The Junior categories, featuring the largest field of competitors, saw 24 young racers fight for championship points. In the Boys' division, Czech riders Lukas Schneider, Sebastian, and Mikulas Kostelecky swept the podium, while in the Girls' division, Slovakia’s Sara Zubora claimed victory, building on her momentum from the Italian GP. Czech racers Barbora Kolarova and Kristyna Hrbkova finished second and third, respectively.
The fully electric MotoSurf Electric Challenge was the final race of the weekend, with Lukas Zahorsky dominating the event to secure his 7th World Championship title. Matej Kozisek of the Czech Republic finished second, followed by Belgium's Yano Vankersbilck in third.
The championship will now continue in China/Macao from November 22nd to 24th, where the next round of thrilling competition awaits.
WOMEN | FINALS
1st Eliška Matoušková | CZE
2nd Aneta Stloukalová | CZE
3rd Emma Strculová | SVK
STOCK | FINALS
1st Kim Minseong | KOR
2nd Kim Down | KOR
3rd Hasan Boabbas | KUW
MASTERS | FINALS
1st Kim Down | KOR
2nd Martin Tvrz | CZE
3rd Arkadiusz Janora | POL
MERLIN+ STOCK R | FINALS
1st Denis Dusílek | CZE
2nd Fares Ranadhan | KWT
3rd Mike Michaelides | CYP
JUNIOR BOYS & JUNIOR GIRLS | FINALS
1st Lukáš Schneider | CZE
2nd Sebastian Kostelecký | CZE
3rd Mikuláš Kostelecký | CZE
1st Sára Žuborová | SVK
2nd Barbora Kolárová | CZE
3rd Kristýna Hrbková | CZE
ELECTRIC CHALLENGE | FINALS
1st Lukáš Záhorský | CZE
2nd Matej Kožíšek | CZE
3rd Yano Vankersbilck | BEL