Boardriding since 81

We are fanatic

Founded in 1981, our brand represents over three decades of history and an ongoing promise to you: to deliver quality, innovation and service. Our reputation as one of the world’s leading watersports brands has been built upon a resolute passion for the products we produce. Only the very best will do. 

what we stand for

Fanatic is driven by our unwavering desire to create dream boards. That vision may sound simple, but achieving it is not. We stand for everything that makes it possible: quality, innovation, knowledge, experience, consistency, integrity, Ocean Minded spirit and above all else, passion.

Behind the brand

Meet the Team

CRAIG GERTENBACH / Brand Manager

As Brand Manager for Fanatic, Craig divides his time between testing, sales, team management and boardbag packer at photoshoots. South African born and bred he took up Windsurfing back in 1982, joining Fanatic as a rider and World Tour competitor in 1995.

 

KARIN GERTENBACH / Head of Marketing

Karin is the Head of Marketing for Fanatic. Having joined the brand back in 1999, she has evolved and worked hard to grow its image as much as she can. Married to Brand Manager Craig, and with two kids who love to SUP too, she lives the job 24/7 and is  truly ‘Addicted to Ride!

 

SEBASTIAN STEINBERG / Head of Sales

Sebastian is a passionate wingfoiler and windsurfer and turned his hobby into his profession early on. After various stations with well-known manufacturers in the water sports and tourism industry, we are glad that he is now part of the Fanatic family.

 

DANIEL AEBERLI / Product Manager

Dani has been ‘Addicted to Ride’ since he was 7 years old. As Fanatic Product Manager, Daniel pursued his love of watersports by getting involved in the R&D and technical development of Windsurfing with Fanatic. Now, Stand Up Paddling and the creation of new products have become another passion of his, absorbed into his work and lifestyle.

 

VASIN SIRITO / Product Engineer

Vasin Siritho is a passionate waterman with years of experience in the composite industry. He is the key link between our R&D / Product Management teams and our suppliers, making sure the great products we test year round, end up in the hands of our customers! 

 

Matthäus Merkle / Marketing Manager

Matthäus has been windsurfing since 1997 and worked as a Windsurf Instructor at the North Sea for several years during his media-/sports and event management studies in Hamburg. He came to Munich to work in digital advertising, eventually joined Boards & More GmbH as a Marketing Manager for ION in 2018 and started working in the Fanatic Marketing Team in April 2021.

 

Natalie Grote-Beverborg / Jr. Marketing Manager

Natalie grew up in a windsurf family and started windsurfing at the age of 6, since then she is an enthusiastic windsurfer. Natalie joined the Fanatic Marketing Team in 2016 during her Design studies, which is - together with her artisic eye – a big advantage for her work as a creative.

 

SKY SOLBACH / Shaper

Sky joined the Boards & More family in 2004 as a team rider and enjoyed a successful competitive career that spanned over 15 years. During that time, Sky became deeply involved in building and developing surfboards, kites, hydrofoils and SUPs – Some of the best sold kites and boards in the market over the past ten years are a direct result of his work in R&D. Sky attributes his ability to test gear at the highest performance levels together with other world-class riders as the key to his success as a designer and thus continues to push his riding level across a wide range of water sports. Sky develops boards and hydrofoils on his custom-built CNC machine just a stone’s throw away from the world-class testing grounds of Maui’s north shore.

Addicted to ride