The Planet Baltic SUP Race™ has become one of Europe’s standout SUP events, known for its dynamic courses, well-structured rules, and competitive yet fair racing atmosphere. Behind the scenes, Marcin Koc, a seasoned sailor and event organizer, has played a crucial role in shaping the event’s unique identity.
In this interview, Marcin shares insights into his sailing background, the similarities between sailing and SUP race courses, and the meticulous work that goes into crafting a rulebook that ensures fair and safe racing. We also dive into the challenges of organizing a major SUP event, his views on ICF’s Junior One Design Class and long-distance races, and what’s in store for the upcoming 2025 edition of the Planet Baltic SUP Race™.
From buoy turn battles to race format innovations, Marcin gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run a top-tier SUP competition. Let’s dive in!
Aloha Marcin, thank you for your time. We see a great interest in SUP race rules, and you are the organizer of a well-known event in Europe, the Planet Baltic SUP Race™. Can you introduce yourself real quick? What is your background, and how did you get into SUP?
Hi Mike, real quick—I’m a pro sailor, an Optimist class coach, a SUP enthusiast, and a “must-do-something” kind of guy. SUP came into my life during the “no wind season” in 2016. That’s when I first thought about organizing a SUP event. We had 15(!) competitors waiting in line with all-around boards, ready to race. Everyone has their own story, but looking back, that was a truly great moment.
📸 Marcin Koc (left) und Joep van Bakel (right)
Interesting that you come from the world of sailing. When it comes to race courses, what similarities do you see between paddle race courses and sailing race courses?
Yes, as I mentioned before, I see the board as both a hull and a kind of yacht. In surfing or kayaking, there was never anything like an upwind buoy—until SUP brought it into technical racing. Watching all the buoy collisions, I always hope not to see a truly dangerous situation—not to mention damage to boards or paddles. When organizing a seagoing SUP event, safety is my number one priority.
One time, during one of the thousands of conversations with my team, I said: “How is it possible that my 10-year-old kids can manage a fair fight at the buoy, but adult SUP racers can’t?” And believe me, kids sometimes reach crazy speeds on their sailboats when approaching the first upwind mark. One answer we found was: because no one ever taught them how to do it properly…
We see that buoy turns are involved. Can you elaborate on buoy rules in sailing compared to SUP?
I am Quoting our regulations:
6. GIVING MARK-ROOM
Mark-room refers to the space a board needs to round or pass a mark.
- Protection zone: The area around a mark within a distance of one hull length of the nearest board. A board is considered inside the zone when any part of its hull is within it.
- Overlapping: When the tip of an overtaking board reaches the hip height of the overtaken paddler (or closer) at the moment the overtaken board enters the zone.
- Ramming at the mark: Hitting another board or paddler’s body during the turn, causing the victim to lose time, is a serious violation of fair play.
- When the first of two boards reaches the zone:
- a) If the boards are overlapped, the outside board must give the inside board mark-room.
- b) If they are not overlapped, the inside board must give the outside board mark-room.
- The nose of the inside board giving mark-room must stay behind the legs of the paddler rounding the mark on their proper course.
A board required to give mark-room must continue to do so as long as the rule applies, even if later an overlap is broken. If there is reasonable doubt that a board obtained overlap in time, it shall be presumed that it did not.
When three or more boards meet at the zone, rules 1a, 3, and 5 apply.
This all comes from sailing in its purest form. A board is a hull, and a hull is a “yacht.” It’s all written in our NoR Addendum No. 2 for 2025. And believe me, emotions run high at the buoy turn! “Giving mark-room” doesn’t mean waiting for someone to finish their turn—it means knowing your rights and responsibilities.
For the full details, you can check out the sailing rules here: Racing Rules of Sailing.
Organizing a big SUP race is a huge task, and you’ve had to come up with a rulebook. Can you tell us about the work behind creating an entire rulebook for your event?
Our rulebook (Notice of Race) was built from our sailing experience. Elements like beach starts, beach finishes, and beach turns came from SUP racing. After a few editions, Marek Rowinski, our chief judge, gathered all the ideas, and last year we finalized most of the work.
I should point out that Marek also wrote the kitesurfing right-of-way rules—so if you see those posters on beaches worldwide, that’s his work!
However, our rulebook is never truly finished. After every event (or even during it), we talk with athletes, collect feedback, discuss it, and make adjustments for the next edition. In this way, our paddlers actively help us shape the PBSR™ Rulebook, making the event better, safer, and more user-friendly for everyone. Simple, right?
Back in the day, beach races and buoy turns in the waves were wild, and a phrase emerged: “Racing is rubbing!”—meaning it’s not a proper race if there’s no contact. What’s your take on this?
As I said before, I don’t want to see dangerous situations at the buoy turn. Fair play and safety first—always!
Some people think putting their board between another paddler’s legs and pushing them into the water is “racing.” But is it fair? No. I’ve seen the emotional toll these situations take—like at the ICF Worlds in Gdynia, where I worked as an on-site MC.
I get it—some people want aggression, but as an organizer, I want fair, safe, and hard competition on the water.
In a prior conversation, we talked about the ICF and ISA. The ICF recently announced the Junior One Design Class and long-distance races ranging from 5K to 35K. As a race organizer, what’s your take on this?
We discussed this in our team months ago. The big question: what should be the proper board length for juniors—12’6″ or 14’0″? It’s complicated, so we decided to leave it up to the coaches. Kids vary greatly in height and weight, so a “one-size-fits-all” approach doesn’t work.
As for One Design—I know this concept from sailing. My concern is: who will manufacture the OD boards, and who will pay for the builder’s license? It feels contradictory—on one hand, we want to get kids into the sport, but on the other, we make it more expensive. For now, I’m happy to stay out of the ICF OD debate.
Long Distance: 5K to 35K:
At the Planet Baltic SUP Race™, we do ~5K for juniors and ~10K for adults. These distances test skill and strategy while still being engaging for teams, fans, and viewers.
35K? Even for non-competing team members, that’s boring.
I always say:
There are 10 Commandments in the Bible, but remember the 11th: “Don’t over complicate things that already work.”
For ultra-long distances (35, 50, 100K), I ask: Who will organize such a race? How will you sell it to sponsors?
That’s why in May, we’re organizing the 42K Parseta River Trophy for the second time. A one-day long-distance event—end of story! (Check it out here)
Lastly, tell us about the upcoming Planet Baltic SUP Race—what do you have planned?
Every year, we aim to surprise our paddlers. We listen first, then make improvements.
I deeply respect the athletes who travel over 1,000 km just to compete at our event. Last year, we introduced sprint and technical race prologues. For 2025, we already have ideas to make the Planet Baltic SUP Race™ even more exciting.
One thing is certain—we’ll end Saturday night with a dress code party at our homeport, Marina Solna, Kołobrzeg.
Thank you for the interview, Mike!
Thank you for your time!
It was a pleasure, thank you for your insight.