OUR HEROES
MEET OUR TEAMRIDERS
YOURI ZOON
Discipline:
Freestyle - Kitesurf
Home spot:
Brouwersdam, the Netherlands
Titles:
2 x world champion / 2 x vice world champion
Brunotti Legend for 17 years and still going strong!
Youri developed a love for extreme sports at a young age. Fearless as he was, he rode his BMX, did motorcross, skateboarding and windsurfing. But at the age of 13, he decided to fully focus on kiteboarding and soon became a part of the top of the world.
One year later, at only 14 years of age, he was noticed by Jinne Sietsma. One of worlds best boardshapers. Together they crafted a board dedicated for freestyle. This is how the Brunotti board Youri Pro came about.
The years that followed, Youri traveled the world to train, give demo’s, develop products and WIN competitions. In 2011 he became 2 time freestyle world champion and in 2012 vice world champion.
Nowadays, Youri is one of our most important riders to help us develop products for our RDP line (rider developed product) and a huge asset to the Brunotti Tribe.
Good to have you on board!
JOSHUA EMANUEL
Discipline:
Big Air - Kitesurf
Home spot:
Durban
Titles:
Redbull Megaloop Winner
Inventor of the superloop
February 25, 1994 Joshua was born in Port Elizabeth in South Africa. He moved to Durban shortly after he was born.
As a water born person, Josh was fortunate enough to grow up with the ocean on his doorstep. His main passion in life is kitesurfing. Other things he really loves to do is surfing, skating and being outdoors.
As soon as Josh finished university, he spent all his spare time on the water, really pushing the limits in Big Air Kiteboarding. With a significant mega loop he soon entered the big air competitions. In 2017, he grabbed the Redbull Megaloop Challenge title.
Josh is known for looping his kite so low to the sea, that you can literally hear the water splashing of the tips of his kite. An insane signature move that makes the crowd crazy!
ELLIE DIMITROVA
Discipline:
Kitesurf
Homespot:
Zanzibar
ISLAND GIRL
In 2015, this water woman started her kitesurfing journey. Now, 7 years later, she is a professional kitesurfer, organizer of kitesurfing trips, traveling the world following her big passion, which is kitesurfing!
Ellie spends most of the year in Zanzibar. Exploring the most tropical kite beaches and shooting beautiful content.
When she was younger, her dream was to live on an island and build a tropical life.
We love working with passionate and dream driven people. So please continue the big dreams and take us along with you!
RICARDO CAMPELLO
Discipline:
Wave – Freestyle – Big Wave windsurfing
Home spot:
Maui, Hawaii
Titles:
3X World Champion Freestyle
Windsurf Legend
Ricardo Campello is one of the most exciting and talented windsurfers in the world. Huge jumps, even bigger wipeouts, a smooth wavesailing style and let’s not forget a few freestyle world championships make him a people and fellow professional’s favourite.
Funny enough this water man first had a passion for karting. It was the speed and adrenaline that got him hooked to the sport. But when one of his friends started surfing, the passion flipped from land to sea. Luckily, his house was right in front of the beach in Rio de Janeiro.
After a few years, Ricardo’s family had to move to Venezuela. With windsurfing being the main sport, he soon made ocean friends and the love for the sport grew on daily bases.
Looking up to older windsurfers, Ricardo had one thing in mind: I want to be able to do that!
After lots of hours in the water, crashes, landings and sessions, Ricardo was ready for his first PWA contest. Even though there wasn’ t enough wind, he entertained the crowed and got noticed by lots of professionals. It gave him the chance to follow his passion. Leaving everything behind and taking the bold move, Ricardo did make his dream come true – becoming a world champion.
But the dream is not over yet! Ricardo is still training hard for his next goal – becoming wave world champion! He has been close, and he still is getting closer. Soon amigo, the World Wave Title is yours!
SARAH QUITA OFFRINGA
Discipline:
Freestyle, Slalom, Wave - Windsurf
Home spot:
Aruba
Titles:
20X World Champion
Queen of Windsurf
Sarah-Quita! Almost no further introduction needed, but in case you have forgotten.
Born and raised in the Caribbean, on the Dutch island Aruba. As a kid, she was sports oriented and participated in swimming, tennis and windsurfing. As the wind blows nearly all day long in Aruba, Sarah-Quita spends most of her life in and on the water.
And this is noticeable when you look at her titles.
Never in the history of windsurfing has there ever been a woman who has won 20 (!!!) world titles. But Sarah-Quita made the impossible, possible. Not only does she hold the record of the woman with most world titles, she is also number one in every single discipline. Including waves, slalom ánd freestyle. Sarah-Quita is without a doubt the Queen of Windsurf.
With her love for the sport, she is the definition of a true water women. But also off duty, this woman is a great addition to the (windsurfing) world. With her big smile and infectious positive energy, she is the best example any young rider could have.
We are honored and proud to have Sarah-Quita in our team, on to number 21 😉
AMADO VRIESWIJK
Discipline:
Freestyle – Slalom – IQ Foil – Windsurf
Home spot:
Bonaire
Titles:
1 x world champion, 3 x vice world champion
For Amado, the passion for windsurfing started when he was 7 years old and saw the 2002 King of the Caribbean-event on Bonaire. His home-island has the perfect location at Sorobon to learn slalom- and freestyle-windsurfing fast.
His parents saw the stoke in his eyes and decided to rent him board. Ever since, Amado enjoys every single minute on the water wherever on the globe that is. After competing in IFCA slalom and PROkid freestyle, Amado is a competitor in de PWA since 2011.
Ten years later, at the age of 25, Amado won his first world title. Nowadays he can still call himself the best freestyle windsurfer of the world! Let’s keep the gold coming!
TATY FRANS
ELTON EVERT FRANS – nickname TATY
Discipline:
Freestyle, Slalom, Foil – Windsurf
Home spot:
Frans Paradise, Bonaire
Titles:
Indoor speed world champion,
2x freestyle vice world champion
Everybody needs a bit of Taty in their life 😉
Taty was 11 years old when the love for windsurfing begun. Together with his brother Tonky they were the first from the island to enter the PWA PRO tour at the age of only 17. After becoming world champion in freestyle, Taty now has a dedication in all discipline including wave sailing, freestyle, foil and slalom.
Taty is a windsurfer by heart and knows how to motivate himself to grow and get better. His secret? His smile. With his positivity, laughs and motivational chats this Island Man knows how to share the stoke for the sport!
Pushing all limits to reach dreams, is nothing new to Taty. It is not a surprise that he now has his own windsurf & wing foil centre called The Frans Paradise in Bonaire.
LILIAN DE GEUS
Discipline:
Windsurf
Home spot:
Scheveningen
Titles:
3 x world champion
Windsurf Star
At the age of 12, Lilian got told by her brother how to windsurf together with her twin sister at Lake Garda. And as for most Olympians, the passion was undeniable. The sport was stuck in her head and without a doubt, gear needed to be bought! Lilian started saving money and bought her first slalom set in her home country Holland.
In 2010, Lilian was selected for the talent academy at the Watersportverbond. Soon after that, she started competing in the RS:X Olympic class.
Lilian became RS:X World champion. But not just once. This powerhouse holds the title of 3 x world champion!
Besides, Lilian came 5th and 4th at the Olympics. We all know what comes next. We will see you at the podium Lilian!
SANNE MEIJER
Discipline:
Boat and Cable - Wakeboarding
Home spot:
Cable Force Wakepark, Germany
Titles:4X World Champion, 3 x European title
Wakeboard Star
Sanne started wakeboarding at the age of 10. It didn’t take long to get addicted. In her own words: ‘It’s really crazy how much my life has changed the past few years. I went from a horse-riding girl to a pro-wakeboarder’.
After 5 years of wakeboarding, Sanne won her very first European title in 2011 in the Girls division. One year later in 2012 she won her first World title. There was no doubt that Sanne had the talent, passion and dedication of a world champ!
In 2014 at an age of 17 and as the youngest rider in the Pro-women category, she took home gold at the World Championships in Norway. Talking about dreams coming true!
But this wasn’t enough. Sanne also took the 2015 World Title as well as the 2017, 2018 and 2019 European titles after also winning the European title in 2011, 2012 and 2014.
Insane performance by this powerful rider!
ISABELLE HANSSEN
Discipline:
Freestyle Skiing
Home spot:
LAAX, Switzerland
Titles:
2x European Cup Champion
Hard work pays off
Passionate and driven, that’s probably the best way to describe Isabelle Hanssen. In 2009 this mountaineer started her freestyle career. This was a life changer. With a full-on addiction, Isabelle was on snow 24/7. It all started as a passion for the playful, creative and progressive side of the sport but soon the competitiveness took over.
For a half halfpipe competitor, the feeling of successfully landing a run is indescribable. Her passion for skiing and competing pushes her to always aim for the best, to strive for full potential.
Isabelle knows what she wants and is willing to work hard for it. For years she has been traveling all over the world to compete in high level halfpipe contests.
In her own words; ‘I do not ski because I love the feeling of skiing, I ski because it makes me love the feeling of living’.
GLENN DE BLOIS
OLYMPIC SNOWBOARD
Tekst schrijven
GLENN DE BLOIS
Discipline:
SB:X Snowboarding
Home spot: Zillertal, Austria
Titles:
Winner of the 2021 World Cup
Olympic Athlete
Glenn was 17 years old when he decided to move to Austria to follow his dream to became a professional snowboarder. The definition of a dream chaser.
He soon trained along with the British selection and in 2015 he became 6th at World Cup snowboardcross in Veysonnaz. The years after, Glenn has been part of the German and Canadian team.
Nowadays, Glenn trains with the Swiss National Snowboardcross Team led by Simone Malusa. In 2021 he claimed his Olympic ticket by winning the World Cup in Veysonnaz, Italy and became a solid number 10. Let’s see what the next Olympics have in store for him.
Bring it on champ!
JASON VAN DER SPUY
Discipline:
Big Air Kitesurfing
Home spot:
Cape Town
Megaloop Magnet and Shortline Specialist
Raised by the Cape Doctor, Jason van der Spuy got his adrenalin shots at only 4 years of age. This “kwaai” rider does not fear gravity and shows his ground breaking short line skills in the South Atlantic Ocean. At only 21 years of age, Jason is now ranked 5th in the world, and we’re sure this is only the beginning!
ALESSA MENSCH
Discipline:
Big Air Kitesurfing
Home spot:
Büsum, Germany
BRUNOTTI MENSCH
Say hello to Alessa Sophia Mensch. This German Fahrerin only started kitesurfing 5 years ago. Her passion for the sport grew quickly and brought her to spots all over the world. Soon, she entered the Big Air scene with determination and is now ready for the next step!
With her infectious smile and passion for all kinds of boardsports, we believe that Alessa definitely got the Brunotti spirit!