Happy International Women´s Day!

To celebrate International Womens Day, we would like to take the chance to feature all our Fanatic Boardriding women for Windsurfing, Stand Up Paddling and now also Wing Foiling! Most of them dedicate their whole life and professional career to our sports and for sure their performances are worth as much as the ones from their male team colleagues. We also have some younger rippers, some up and coming talents – watch them grow! And we have many more national talents - actually too many to show them all in this feature:-) A professional career in water sports is not just reserved for men – our female team rider are the best proof!

Meet María Andrés

Since when are you Windsurfing? I am Windsurfing since I am 8 years old.

Competing in: Windsurf, Waves discipline.

Biggest passion: Making turns on a clean wave, with my feet on a windsurf or a SUP board, I love both!

Other watersports: I love all disciplines of Windsurfing and Surfing, so Slalom, Freeride, Freestyle, Waves, SUP, Longboard Surfing… And now I am discovering the world of Foiling with Windsurf, Wing and SUP, and I am loving it!

Best results: 1^stIWT Waves Overall 2019, 2^nd IFCA Slalom Worlds 2015, 4^th PWA Slalom Overall 2014

Favourite board: I love the Ultra Grip Mosquito Edition 75l.

What I love about Windsurfing: That powerful and fulfilling feeling of gratitude and connection with nature when going full speed, making turns on a wave or just sitting on the board and looking around. This joy is so unique.

Meet Julia Pasquale

Since when are you Windsurfing? I windsurf since I was 10 years old.

Biggest passion: Sports, healthy habits and simple life.

Other watersports: I enjoy surfing and SUP when the conditions allows to. Also I like swimming and scuba diving admiring the bottom of the sea.

Best results: 2019 Wave World Champion u17, 2020 Slalom World Champion u20

Anything else? I train and compete in orienteering since I was 12 years old. It’s amazing because you disconnect from the world and enjoy nature.

Favourite board: Fanatic Ultra Grip XS 60l, I just ove it!

What do love about Windsurfing? The adrenaline in your veins when out on the water. it makes you feel so good. I am most happy when I am training with friends or trying new things.

MEET Marion Mortefon

Since when are you Windsurfing? Since I'm 10 years old - so 18 years already ;-)

Biggest passion: Windsurfing for sure!

Other watersports: Kitesurfing, Surfing, Stand Up Paddling, Wing Foiling

Best results: PWA Slalom Vice-World Champion, Winner of the 2019 Final in Nouméa

Anything else? Happy to live the dream and live my passion to the max!

Favourite board: Falcon 107 for the slalom part, but the Grip TE 76 for my wave sessions!

What do love about Windsurfing? Being on the water, under the sun with the wind blowing is the best best feeling. Also I love the speed you can take, battling in super hard conditions, and Foiling is my new hobby :-)

MEET LISA WERMEISTER
Since when are you windsurfing? I started windsurfing at the age of 7 in Kourou in French Guiana, the city where I was born.
What do love about it? The freedom to do what I want on the wave and the adrenaline it gives me when the wind goes up and the waves get bigger!
Other watersports: Surfing, Skateboarding and now also Wing Foiling

Biggest passion: Waves for sure!
Best results:
- 1st U15 at the 2019 French Extreme Slalom Slide Championships
- 1st U17 at the 2020 French Extreme Slalom Slide Championships
- 2d U15 at the PWA Youth Wave Champs in Tenerife
- 1st U17 Guadeloupe Champs in Wave and Slalom 2019
- 1st U15 Guadeloupe Championship in Slalom 2017 and 2018
Favourite board: Ultra Grip Mosquito Edition 75
Anything else? Windsurfing is a family affair, everyone sails! My parents share my wave sessions and my grandparents shoot slalom edges with me, it's very cool! Although having a German name, I'm actually French!

Meet Leysa Perotti

Since when are you windsurfing? I been windsurfing since I was in my mothers womb

What do love about it? I love the straight contact with the ocean

Other watersports: Wing Foiling, Longboarding, Stand Up Paddling

Biggest passion: Waveriding

Best results: 3rd Wave Games La Torche 2020, 1st GWA Superfoil Brazil Fortaleza 2020 (Wing Foiling)

Favourite board: Ultra Grip Mosquito Edition 68

Anything else? Enjoy your day!

MEET Maria Behrens

Since when are you windsurfing? I am sailing since 2014.

What do you love about it? The best thing is the adrenaline you feel while watching the wave conditions and catching waves at the “big playground’’

Other watersports? Wing Foiling, Surf, SUPing

Biggest passion? Windsurfing

Best results: 3rd PWA Tenerife U20 Girls 2019; 1st Women Wave Danish Open Overall 2019; 1st Women Wave Danish Open 2020; 3rd PWA Youth Cold Hawaii 2020

Favourite board: Ultra Grip Mosquito Edition XS

Anything else: Staying Addicted to Ride: -)

Meet Arrianne Aukes

Since when are you windsurfing? I’m windsurfing for as long as I can remember. My parents are both keen windsurfers and they put me on a board when I was very young.

What do love about it? Too much to name! The feeling of freedom it gives me, that not one session is the same, to be surrounded by the elements, how you can always push yourself.

Other watersports: SUPsurfing, Surfing

Biggest passion: Windsurfing and Yoga and to inspire other women to always believe in themselves.

Best results: 2nd overall in PWA freestyle, 2nd IWT wave Tour, Dutch championship.

Favourite board: Ultra Skate Boa Edition

MEET ALEXIA KIEFER

Since when are you windsurfing? I started windsurfing when i was 10 years old, six years ago, on a lake in Gran Canaria with my father.
Biggest passion: Windsurfing, but SUPing in waves I also love a lot!
Other watersports: Besides Windsurfing and SUPing I really like Surfing.
Best results: My best ever result was at the PWA Pozo 2019, when I finished 5th in the main fleet and as Windsurfing World Champion in the category under 15.
Anything else? Though Pozo is a known spot for strong wind, in winter there is usually really light or no wind, so there are also other sports that I like, such as scooter freestyle, trampolin gymnastics, biking...
Favourite board: The 68l Fanatic Ultra Grip TE 2021 is my favorite Windsurfing board.
What do love about windsurfing? The feeling and adrenaline when you go down a wave with the sup or when you go fast towards a wave to jump in windsurfing, thats what fascinates me, also being able to share these moments with friends is what I like the most.

MEET SHAWNA CROPAS

Since when are you windsurfing? It fels like forever, I already started when I was very young

What do love about it? Windsurfing is a release from all worldly contrived pressures. It feels like bliss and most say it’s the ultimate freedom. A way to literally walk off the earth - with all its straight lines and rules - and simply set sail. Away. Alone. Chilled. Relaxed in full immersion with nature. A landscape that is void of roads and signs.

Other watersports: Wing Foiling, Surfing, Stand Up Paddling

Biggest passion: Waveriding

Favourite board: Ultra Grip Mosquito Edition 68