Photo by Michał Kozłowski
The beach in Kołobrzeg transformed into one of the hottest SUP hubs of the season as it hosted the 7th edition of the Planet Baltic SUP Race, Poland’s longest-running ocean race. The event has firmly established itself as a key stop on the international SUP racing circuit, welcoming over 80 athletes from 11 countries this year, including first-time participants like Belgium, Germany, and Slovakia, to name a few. The Junior Division shone brightly, showcasing the emerging talent and growth potential of our sport.
With a generous prize pool of 3,000 euros, goodie bags, custom-made medals, and an abundance of rewards, the organizers made sure the event was memorable and that the races, from Sprints, Tech to Long Distances, were well worth the fight.
This year, Planet Baltic also took on a new role as a stop on the Czech SUP Cup, thanks to its partnership with Czech Federation ČFSAS.
Marcin Koc with Linus Karlsson | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
The 7th edition of the Planet Baltic SUP Race™ goes down in history. Nine months of hard work have culminated in a sense of satisfaction, sporting excitement, and the joy of shared moments. For the first time, the Most Valuable Paddler (MVP) title goes to an international competitor – Linus Karlsson, who shares the podium with three-time MVP Winner Marta Apanasewicz. Incredible excitement in every age category and every race. This time, the water was (almost) as smooth as glass, giving inland paddlers, who prefer flatter waters, a better chance to shine.
Representatives from Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia (for the first time), Belgium (for the first time), and Germany (for the first time) participated. We implemented electronic timing and new start rules, and most importantly, we continue to listen to the athletes. We strive to address all suggestions, comments, and feedback almost immediately, and if not, we take them into account for the next edition.
Marta Apanasewicz | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
What I like about this event is that Planet Baltic SUP Race Team is listening to us, paddlers. If we don’t like something, they change it. If we don’t agree with something, they do it differently. We are tired, they do everything to make us strong. I really love these happy and friendly vibes there. Beach, sand, Sun and a lot of seagulls. Everyone is nice and kind to each other. People around the world are in the same place in the same time on the same Baltic Sea (unfortunately this year was flat haha).
I’m glad that every year there is more and more people from abroad, strong and on the racing level, so winning tastes better and better. There are rules in place and everyone adhere to them. If somebody did something wrong you can protest it easily. Big thanks to Marcin and Maciej Koc, and Marek Bracuru. This year the Sun was shining and waves were somewhere else, but the Most Valuable Paddler (MVP) title went to me and Linus! In addition Linus and I had exactly the same amount of points. Gold in Sprint and Technical and 4th place in Long Distance.
Linus Karlsson | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
Planet Baltic SUP race, the three day event started out with Sprint races followed up by Technical and Long Distance. The whole event was well organized and the new race format that was tried out, was exiting and perfectly fair for every participants! Both for Sprint & Technical athletes did qualifying prologues where it was possible to go multiple times to get your best time.
I managed to go straight into A-final in both Sprint and Tech with top three times. The Sprint was a classic beach sprint, beach start 100m out and back. I didn’t do the best start but managed go get back to the top and challenge for the win where I became the lucky one to win after a last push!
Technical was just under 1000m at a fun course including a beach run. At this race I did a great start and got away in the lead right away which I conserved to win the final!
Martyna Drobny (centre) | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
Hi, it’s a pleasure to connect! The Planet Baltic competition was an incredible experience from my perspective. The atmosphere was filled with excitement and adrenaline right from the start. The races themselves were conducted in a unique way—pushing to complete the course in the best possible time, feeling the wind on my face, and the rhythmic strokes of the paddle. It was a challenge that truly tested my skills and endurance.
Beyond the races, the technical events were fascinating—showcasing skills, agility in maneuvering the board in various conditions, which only highlighted the beauty of this sport. Meeting people with similar interests, exchanging experiences, and sharing the joy of every achieved goal made Planet Baltic not just a competition, but also an unforgettable event that I will definitely return to every year. The whole experience in Kołobrzeg was not only a sporting challenge but also an opportunity to deepen my passion for water activities.
Kjell De Bruyn | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
The Planet Baltic SUP Race was an amazing experience to be part of. The organisation made sure all athletes were welcomed to their beautiful race site with lots of enthusiasm. You could feel they were looking forward to opening the stage for us athletes to perform and show what we can do. With the Sprints and technical races the organisation immediately showed their professionalism.
They made the decision to go with a timed prologue where every athlete had a time chip to get accurate time measurement for seeding A,B,C…finals. This made sure everyone could compete at their own level. It was a great opportunity to measure myself with some of Europe’s best paddlers after the past training block. This way I can see where I’m at in the run up to the Belgian Championships and the ISA Worlds.
The concept of MVP really made me go for every discipline, scoring 4th in the sprints, 2nd in the technical and first place in the Long Distance. I will make sure to be back next year to contest the MVP title again since I missed it by one point. Overall the great people that organised the event raised the bar for every stand up paddle event to look up to. I’ll be back for more.
Mikołaj Majdan | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
Planet Baltic, as always, did not disappoint. I’m very pleased with the level of organization at the event. New and interesting features, such as individual time trials, and the format and schedule of the competition were clearly presented. Races started on time, and results were published in an easily accessible system, allowing athletes to focus solely on racing 🙂 Interest in the event is growing year by year, with more and more top athletes from our region of Europe participating. The event’s connection with the Czech Cup resulted in a very high turnout of Czech competitors.
This was my 6th time at the PBSR, and every time I leave Kołobrzeg, I’m very satisfied with both the sporting level of the event and the excellent atmosphere. This year, despite good preparation, the results I achieved—2nd in the sprint, 3rd in the long distance, and 6th in the technical race—didn’t meet my expectations. I made mistakes at the starts and turns, so I know what I need to work on. However, I am very pleased with the equipment I chose: the NSP Ninja 14×20 and QB T2 85 performed excellently. Next year, I’ll gladly return to the Planet Baltic SUP Race to fight for my third MVP title.
Hanna Kaminska | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
Planet Baltic SUP race last year made my expectations for this year pretty high, as always the organizers didn’t let me down and made sure everything was top notch. Racing scene in Kołobrzeg is getting more intense every year, the competition is fiercer and medals become more valuable. As a junior I’m impressed how many Under 18 (U18) athletes showed up because usually there’s not much of us in one event. The whole experience was really interesting in how different this competition is from the others in terms of qualifying, event plan and overall atmosphere. You could feel the amount of effort and time the organizers put into these few days. The whole weekend was very memorable and it left me hungry for more. I can’t wait to come back next year!
Joep Van Bakel | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
What an amazing experience this years Planet Baltic SUP Race. Absolutely overwhelmed by the professionalism of the organising team, their dedication, their helpfulness, the way they ask for and deal with feedback from the riders and use this to get even better. And besides all of this you could see how much pleasure they had in doing so.
Mylo Van Bakel | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
We had three full days of racing in a packed field of paddlers. There was a good competition spread over all age groups. Besides winning all 40+ events I was stoked to take Silver Overall in the Long Distance with only my Belgium buddy Kjell de Bruyn passing that line first. For my boys Mylo (11) and Tije (8) on their SUNOVA boards it was great to have such a big and strong field of U15 paddlers to battle with. As a dad I’m beyond words proud of them and feel so blessed to share this passion as a family. It’s amazing to see that the organisation took the junior races just as serious as the other competitions Taking the time for them and giving them their deserved podiums. That’s how we build a future for our beloved sport!
Tije Van Bakel | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
In 2023 I came with my family for the first time to this event. We had a great time then and for that reason we came back this year. Really amazing to see the Planet Baltic SUP Race growing. I believe they should organise a Europeans or even world championship event in upcoming years. Already looking forward to the 2025 edition. Now on our way to Skrea Strand Paddlerace for new adventures!
Kateřina Trdlová | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
We went for the first time last year and we were really impressed, this year the impression is even bigger (maybe due to the great weather). The competition was great, I would recommend.
The place is nice, there is quite a lot to do in the evening as well. Despite the fact that the town of Kolobrzeg in Poland is situated in the North, the sea is not as cold as you would expect. There are no species of animals to bite you, eat you …. in the water, moreover it is not too salty. The temperature is amiable for active sport (not too hot, not too cold). The beach is also nice and sandy with shallow water.
The organizers did their best to deliver quality competition and great experience to the participants. The riders had a great opportunity to enjoy their lunch (warm meals) each day of the race on the beach which you can order as a part of your registration. It is also possible to leave your board on the beach during the competition as the place is guarded at night for the duration of the race.
Matej Šmída | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
I found out about Planet Baltic sup race at Czech Cup races. I race mostly in Czechia because we do not have much happening in Slovakia and guys from Czech organizing team told me about this big international event in Poland. At first I was a bit hesitant because of the distance (900 km from my hometown), but I thought that it is a great opportunity to race on the sea and gave it a try. I was not disappointed.
Since the first contact with Marcin until the departure everything was smooth. Marcin and the whole Planet Baltic team is friendly and helpful, but also very organized and every race start was on time and according to schedule. I got the opportunity to race with best paddlers from 11 European countries on a beautiful venue. I would recommend this event to everyone who is bored of inland flat water races and wants to try the race on the sea with high level of international competition and great organization. There is also a nice amount of prize money you can win and cherry on top for me was that the whole event is dog friendly! I will definitely keep the Planet Baltic Sup Race in my calendar for 2025 season and try to compete for the MVP title.
Maja Bauerek | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
This was my third time participating in the Planet Baltic SUP Race, and once again, I am impressed by the excellent organization and the wonderful approach of the organizers, who created an unforgettable atmosphere. It was a pleasure to be there with all of you. Additionally, it was a thrill for me to paddle in different conditions than I’m used to and to race against athletes from many different countries. I’m glad I took part in this competition. Thank you to all athletes for the great competition, and to the organizers for the warm welcome. Congratulations! See you next time!
Maui Sach | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
The organizers are very passionate and professional. They are very open to feedback even during the event and create a family like atmosphere. Marcin Koc is definitely the heart of the event. I competed in both Sprint and Technical Race, the format with the time trials was new but worked very well into the schedule. Regarding improvements for the future a shuttle for the boards from the harbour (where many riders camp) to the event site would help a lot. Because paddling the waterway through the harbour is not received well by the boats and by foot is very long.
Mikołaj Miczek | Photo by Michał Kozłowski
In my opinion, Planet Baltic is an excellent event that deserves to be considered a must-attend, just like the Polish Championships. The organization was great, and it was fantastic that they collaborated with the Czech Federation. Marcin and his team are doing a great job. I don’t want to nitpick or point out what could have been improved because it was truly an outstanding event. I’ve noticed a trend in Poland where people focus more on building local brands and commercial aspects rather than on racing and developing the SUP scene in Poland. For me, the most important thing is that we can compete with top juniors from Europe.
It’s great to see that Czech youth are finally rising to the occasion – this is the most exciting part. As for evaluating my athletes, we were very tired, as it was the end of our lead-up to the Championships, and the fatigue was noticeable. We’re counting on peak performance during the Polish Championships, with the next goal being the ISA World SUP Championships in Copenhagen. Looking at it, half of the competitors, if not the majority, were juniors. It’s worth asking ourselves – shouldn’t we be heading in that direction?
Long OPEN Women 9km
1. Martyna Drobny (Poland)
2. Małgorzata Cieplinska (Poland)
3. Hanna Kamińska (Poland)
Long OPEN Men
1. Kjell De Bruyn (Belgium)
2. Joep Van Bakel (The Netherlands)
3. Mikołaj Majdan (Poland)
U18 Women
1. Martyna Drobny (Poland)
2. Hanna Kamińska (Poland)
3. Layla Joice Daskiran (Germany)
U18 Men
1. Marlon Cem Daskiran (Germany)
2. Anton Birkicht (Germany)
3. Kuba Petrzilek (Czech Republic)
M40 Women
1. Katrina Trdlova (Czech Republic)
2. Tereza Hulsvit- Sazavska (Czech Republic)
3. Petra Syrovatkova (Czech Republic)
M40 Men
1. Joep van Bakel (The Netherlands)
2. Tytus Smoliński (Poland)
3. Adam Szed (Poland)
MINI LONG Women 4km
1. Pavlina Kankova (Czech Republic)
2. Maja Bauerek (Poland)
3. Ema Gorukova (Czech Republic)
Mini LONG Men 4km
1. Mikołaj Miczek (Poland)
2. Antonin Sazavski (Czech Republic)
3.David Veis (Czech Republic)
Men Open Sprints – Top 5
1. Linus Karlsson (Sweden)
2. Mikołaj Majdan (Poland)
3. Matej Smida (Slovakia)
4. Kjell De Bruyn (Belgium)
5. Maui Sach (Germany)
Women Open Sprints – Top 5
1.Marta Apanasewicz (Poland)
2.Pavlina Kankova U15 (Czech Republic)
3.Hanna Kamińska U18 (Poland)
4.Linda Syrovatkova U18 (Czech Republic)
5.Martyna Drobny U18 (Poland)
Men Technical – Top 5
1. Linus Karlsson (Sweden)
2. Kjell De Bruyn (Belgium)
3.Matej Smida (Slovakia)
4. Jakub PETRZILEK U18 (Czech Republic)
5. Anton Birkicht U18 (Germany)
Women Technical – Top 5
1.Marta Apanasewicz (Poland)
2. Martyna Drobny U15 (Poland)
3.Laila Joyce Daskiran U15 (Germany)
4.Linda Syrovatkova U18 (Czech Republic)
5. Małgorzata Cieplinska (Poland)
*Images courtesy of Planet Baltic SUP Race; Photography by Michał Kozłowski
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