Behind the Clip: Tern Sandbar

Rybitwia Mielizna (or Mewia Rewa) is a chain of tiny sandbanks that connect Poland’s highly popular kite destination, the Hel Peninsula, with the mainland. It is a secret paradise for all water sports enthusiasts, with flat water and wind that you can kite in any direction making it a kiting wonderland worthy of being called the European Los Roques.

On a typical summer’s day the entire Hel area is packed with tourists and water sports fanatics. It is the most sought-after summer destination for a wide range of people from families all the way to party fanatics and kiteboarding professionals. Expect ultra-flat water and shallow bays perfect for beginners, with plenty of different locations and conditions to choose from. Long downwinders are possible on the windward seaside where you’ll often get some kickers perfect for boosting off. Then there is the option of stunning foil expeditions where you can cruise around the entire bay visiting friends at different neighboring camps. For us Polish people it is a typical paradise summer spot where annually you can meet all your friends gathered in one place.

Even though it is quite a large area, with the peninsula itself having a length of 34 kilometers, and surrounding areas creating an insanely large playground, it still often gets crowded and you have to know where to find the best location to enjoy your session by yourself.

We came up with the idea of doing a video and photoshoot on the sandbanks and planned a day out there hoping to be completely on our own. We’re proud to support two local female stars, Kasia and Karolina. Both born and raised in villages in the area, they now make their living out of kitesurfing by running their own separate kite schools. Kasia started her kite career back in the early days of kiting, scoring plenty of Polish and international titles, as well as being a Nobile face and main rider for many years. Karolina, on the other hand, is a relatively new kitesurfing enthusiast, but she’s a quick learner and a very dedicated team member. Both spend as much time as possible on the water, immersed in the world of kiting, which makes them a perfect part of the family that represents our brand.

Since both Karolina and Kasia were born and raised in the area, it wasn’t hard to convince a local fisherman to take a day off from fishing and give us a ride to one of the largest sandbanks in the whole chain. We scored perfect conditions with no one else around, had sick flat water for freestyle on the offshore side, and even got some great shots while gapping the whole peninsula. For the shoot, we took The One, our one-strut kite, which performed great in the lightwind conditions. It still delivered great hangtime and allowed the girls to enjoy their hooked-in maneuvers. A whole range of 2024 boards allowed us to enjoy the entire day on the water, from choppy Big Air transfers through flatwater popped freestyle tricks, all the way to lightwind freeriding and foiling by the end of the day as the sun went down.

We all got back on the boat to head home with big smiles on our faces. Thanks to the whole crew – fisherman, riders, videographers and photographers – for such an intense and amazing day out on the Tern Sandbar.