Surfing Destination - Poland
Although surfing is mainly associated with warm countries located by oceans and seas with high waves, this exciting sport is becoming increasingly popular in Poland with the community of Polish surfers growing stronger every year.
The Polish coast and the waves of the Baltic Sea, although not very high, attract more and more surfing enthusiasts. Vast space, no reefs, sandy seabed, low water salinity and relatively weak sea currents are the definite advantages of the Polish sea.
There are also many places with shallow water where the waves are not very strong but allow for long rides, for example on the Hel Peninsula, with Wladyslawowo considered the Polish mecca of surfing. Optimal waves for surfing appear on the Baltic Sea in the autumn-winter season, during the biggest storms.
The Polish Surfing Federation (PZS) has been operating in Poland for a few years now, being an active member of the International Surfing Association (ISA), the Polish Olympic Committee PKOL and the European Surfing Federation.
Jan Sadowski, surfer and president of PZS, at a recent press conference in Warsaw spoke about different types of surfing, :that is riding or rather sliding on the top of a seawave using a special board," including longboard, SUPSurfing and shortboard. The latter made its debut at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020 as a new discipline.
According to Sadowski, the surfing scene in Poland is experiencing a real boom with a fast growing number of surfers and places to practice this sport. PZS estimates show that in Poland there are as many as 200,000 to 300,000 people practicing surfing.
Poland holds several surfing events every year. The most important is the official Polish Surfing Championships in Wladyslawowo in late summer, which also attract participants from outside the country. Since 2022 it has been organised by PZS but the idea comes from the Polish Surfing Challenge competition, held in the years 2007–2021.
Cold Waves by Porsche, the largest Polish cold water surfing competition held at the turn of February and March, is another cyclical event.
Polish surfers can already boast international successes. In the ISA World Surf Games 2024, the last qualification stage for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Poland had a full six-member team, which took an outstanding 30th place in the world and 9th among European countries. Polish competitor Max Michalewski achieved a historic result, placing 31st.
Sadowski says that an even stronger Polish representation can be expected on the international surfing scene in the future as this sport gains more interest among Polish youth. PZSurf's plans for this year include establishing the Polish Junior National Team and organising the Polish Junior Championships.
The PZS's 2024 agenda also includes the third official Polish Championships, participation in the European Championships and development of surfing activities on land. Recently, on May 18, the first Carver Surfskate Open competition took place at the iconic 'Mala Kaska' spot, right next to the Vistula River in the centre of Warsaw.
Surfing in Poland is not just a temporary trend, Sadowski argues, but beyond the pursuit of the perfect wave, there is also a whole culture growing around this sport, integrating the Polish surfing community and attracting new enthusiasts.
"What counts in the world of surfing," he adds, "is not only skill, but above all attitude and principles such as friendship, fair competition, respect for the sea, nature and care for the environment." It is also a specific lifestyle that manifests itself in the surf dresscode and aesthetic choices.
The Polish surfing scene is vibrant not only on the water. Many surfers engage in artistic creation. The best example of this is Aleksander Lange, who combines his passion for surfing and for art. It was him who designed several quivers of boards for a three-time world champion from Brazil Gabriel Medina. These include the quiver with each board showcasing the planets in the solar system and the moon phase quiver with a different lunar phase on each board.
Lange's designs also won recognition from the renowned Australian surfwear brand Rip Curl. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of a limited collection of Solar System t-shirts. (PAP)
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