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KING OF THE BAY: MACIEK RUTKOWSKI’S FORMULA FOR FUN

Professional windsurfer Maciek Rutkowski has spent more than two decades travelling the world competing at events. Along the way, he’s quietly been taking notes…what works, what doesn’t and what truly makes people leave with a smile on their face. The result is his own event in Poland…The King of the Bay: a rapidly growing gathering that blends racing, community, creativity and pure fun. John Carter caught up with Maciek to talk about how the idea came together, the realities of organizing a major event and why keeping people entertained…wind or no wind…matters so much. We also hear from ambassador Blanca Alabau who tells us about her first King of the Bay experience!

Photos: John Carter

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WINDSURF MAGAZINE: How did the idea for this whole event come about?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “I think after 20 years of travelling to events, my nature is to just note stuff in my head that I like and don’t like. I was always aware that little things make a difference when you’re a participant in an event. Maybe it’s having a nice chill zone, getting a few freebies, or just the overall atmosphere.

I wanted to create an event that I would personally like to attend. A place where you can race, but also have fun doing other things… testing equipment, trying new sports, taking part in fun competitions that aren’t super serious and are more about banter, creativity and enjoyment. Like the night light race this year, where we basically just told people: “Here are the lights, be creative and do whatever you want.” The penis on the sail maybe wasn’t the height of creativity, but it showed people were enjoying themselves! Luckily, my taste for what’s fun seems to match what other people enjoy too.”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: Is Rewa your home spot?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “Yeah. If there’s no traffic it’s about 25 minutes from where I live, and it’s the closest spot to the city that offers really decent conditions with the dominant west winds….although unfortunately we didn’t get those this week, which is why it wasn’t really windy.

I come here a lot, especially before flat-water events. If I’m training for somewhere like Japan, I’ll definitely spend time here.”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: So, you chose this place because it’s ideal for long-distance racing and it’s a safe bay?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “Exactly. Back in 2020 I decided I wanted to do this event, but at the same time I was still doing my Olympic campaign as well as the PWA. In 2023 we made a half-hearted first attempt and looked at different locations.

The combination of having enough space to build an event village and a spot that works in all wind directions was the key reason for choosing this place. Then in 2024, when I stopped the iQFOiL campaign, suddenly I had the time and space to really start building the event properly.”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: What have you learned from organizing your own event?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “You definitely gain a huge amount of respect for event organizers because you realize how hard it is and how long everything takes…permits, funding and logistics, all of it…There is so much that goes into it especially when it gets this big!

The first year, I think I slept maybe ten hours total over four days because there were so many little problems to solve. The portable toilets overflow, a fence breaks, the municipality promises one amount of electricity but there’s actually less, so suddenly you need to find a generator yourself. The rib breaks, race crew issues come up, somebody sails the wrong course and you need to decide whether to disqualify them.

There are just endless small issues that appear constantly, and you have to deal with them on the fly. It’s definitely a crash course in management.”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: How many people came the first year?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “Our goal was 100 people and we got 230, which already felt insane.

The second year there was a great forecast, so loads of people signed up at the last minute and we reached 420. This year, even though the forecast wasn’t amazing, we sold out at 550. So, I guess next year we’ll be making over 600 Lycra’s!

Hopefully the trend upwards keeps going. Poland already has a huge windsurfing, kiting and watersports community and more people are coming every year. This year we had more than 80 people from abroad…a guy from New Zealand showed up, a rider from Jersey and 28 Lithuanians. For people in England or France, Lithuania sounds close, but it’s still roughly 1,000 km away.

It’s really cool that people outside the Polish bubble are starting to appreciate the event.”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: What about the ambassadors? Was it always part of the idea to invite well-known athletes and personalities?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “It’s definitely a big part of the budget…they don’t come for free!

But I promised myself we’d do it because one of the best ways to promote an event is to bring influential people over and make sure they genuinely have a good time. I’m also quite patriotic and Poland has changed massively over the last 10 or 20 years. I love showing people how far we’ve come.

If someone who has travelled everywhere in the world comes here and enjoys themselves, it means everybody else will too. I know how picky I am…if I go somewhere and have a good experience, I’ll come back and tell my friends about it.

It just happens that people like Sam Esteve, Matteo Iachino, Blanca Alabau, Charles Brodel (kite jump height world record holder) or Casper Steinfath have slightly more friends than the average person, so the effect is amplified a bit!”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: How big do you want the event to become?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “I think there’s still space on the beach and in the parking areas for more people. But the village itself was pretty maxed out this year. We had 28 exhibitors and it already felt very full.

So, we’ll just play it by ear and see how it develops.”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: Were you happy with this year’s edition of King of the Bay?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “Very happy…especially with the community.

The weather really wasn’t cooperating. We only had two very light races, there was rain on and off, and honestly there are days in Sylt when I don’t even leave the house if it’s raining. But people stayed positive and appreciated that we were still trying to give them a good experience despite the conditions.

We had kite and wing pumping contests inside the tent where you could win an electric pump, we had presentations, clinics and activities going on constantly. There was one rainy day in particular that really filled me with appreciation because the village was still packed all day even though it was raining almost nonstop. That was awesome to see.”

WINDSURF MAGAZINE: At least everyone got on the water at some point.

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “Yeah, pretty much everyone got on the water, and I think around 300 people completed the races despite the conditions.

We were definitely unlucky with the wind because normally this is a good period for it. Last week I was wave sailing most of the week and in 2025 the first day we had over 40 knots which was insane! But honestly, this year was a really important test to see whether the event could survive less-than-perfect conditions.

One thing that always frustrates me at events is when there’s no wind and absolutely nothing happening. Active people don’t want to just sit around all day. So, one of our goals from the beginning was to never let that happen.

Wind or no wind, the schedule stays full. There’s always something happening and it’s always designed to be fun. We’re not trying to become Défi Wind or some hardcore survival challenge. We just want people to enjoy themselves.

That’s why I windsurf in the first place… because it’s fun. So, I built an event that I would genuinely want to attend myself, more as a participant than a competitor.

The funny thing is that now I barely get to enjoy any of it because I’m super busy organizing everything! I’d love to learn pump foiling properly, take part in the night race and do all the activities myself. The first year I thought I might compete in the foil races, but there was absolutely no chance. I was just running around taking care of organization duties. Hopefully one day I’ll finally get to join in properly on the water.”

WINDSURF: Last year you had 40 knots on the first day…how was that?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI:

Last year, the first day was insane, absolutely insane. We had gusts up to 40 knots. I remember standing next to the stage with the head judge, getting reports from the water, and the wind kind of picking up. Somebody says on the radio, “It’s averaging 32 knots.”

I’m like, “Maybe let’s do a shorter course. And do two laps for safety.” And then the radio goes: “I just got a 40-knot gust.”

I’m like, “Hmm… maybe let’s do a shorter course and one lap.”

It was pretty epic. Drones couldn’t fly, so I called up a helicopter. Everybody that did that race had great memories. It was probably 80 cm of chop, and we were on our smallest gear.

I thought I would do it on the foil to kind of save energy, but in the end it just kept crashing left, right, and centre. I finished fifth, I think. So it was really as epic as it gets.

But this time of year is generally when the spring high pressures move away and you get the first big summer lows coming in from the west.

So I think it’s possible we’re going to get that again!”

WINDSURF: Do you think your years as a pro sailor have helped you acquire the skills to be an event organizer?

MACIEK RUTKOWSKI: “I think life as a pro windsurfer prepares you for pretty much any type of situation because you have to freestyle and react to so many different things. So many stressful situations, whether it’s airport check-in, making split-second decisions on the water while racing, dealing with sponsors, negotiating. You do all this yourself as a pro windsurfer.

Whereas in other sports, like tennis, somebody books your tickets, the check-in is easy, somebody else negotiates your contracts, somebody else creates your content, etc. But as a windsurfer, you have to do it all yourself.

So an event like this really has all those elements. And more, of course. I’m learning new stuff every day. But yeah, it definitely helps!”

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BLANCA ALABAU

“The highlight was the amazing atmosphere and getting to meet the Polish windsurfing community! I also had the chance to connect with new riders from other water sports disciplines, that was really cool!

The shop visit was a complete experience! The shop is amazing…it’s like a candy store for water sports enthusiasts. We had the opportunity to meet the entire team and attend a technical presentation about the new sails. Everyone made us feel incredibly welcome and well looked after. It’s definitely a place I’d love to visit again.

Even though it was light wind in 2026, I am definitely looking forward to coming back next year! It is such a huge event and everybody was so friendly and the vibe was incredible.

I managed to sail for two days in very light wind conditions. I was using the NCX 7.6, and the sail felt amazing very light in the hands and quick to get on the plane. It delivered excellent performance even in the light winds, making the sessions really enjoyable.

The atmosphere was the best part of the event! Maciek did an outstanding job with the organization, keeping the action going both on and off the water, day and night. There were plenty of activities throughout the event, including gym sessions, brand presentations, video premieres, and autograph sessions with athletes. On the water, we enjoyed SUP competitions with professional riders, e-foil racing, freestyle tow sessions and even spectacular night exhibitions. There was always something happening, making the event an unforgettable experience!”