Episode #76 - Fabian Muhmenthaler

[00:00:00] Hey everyone, welcome back to the show. This week we have a special one for you. We have Fabian

[00:00:05] Muhmenthaler joining us. He is a pro athlete, industrial design and product development

[00:00:11] engineer for water sports from Tarifa Spain. He just finished up his internship with North

[00:00:17] Foils and now he's over at Mystic. So we had a great time getting to know him. On this episode

[00:00:24] we talked about his journey with North Foils and Mystic, what growing up on Tarifa was like,

[00:00:29] his life as a pro athlete and much more. So we really do hope that you enjoy this episode.

[00:00:35] It's available not only in audio but also on video format on our YouTube channel. Last week

[00:00:42] we had the 8th episode of the Wing Foil World Tour show with Tom Hartman. We recapped the last

[00:00:48] Wave Tour spot of the season. We want to give a huge congratulations to Mr. Cash and Ms.

[00:00:54] Elena for their big world titles. Enjoy that. I hope you guys are putting on festivities,

[00:01:00] maybe a float through the city like they do in hockey up here at Great North. It's a great episode so I do

[00:01:06] hope that you enjoy it and make sure to check out the YouTube version of this podcast as well. Now I

[00:01:12] want to take this opportunity to thank our team for making the show a reality. We have Frank that helps

[00:01:18] set on media and consulting, Matthias on guest relations and Stefan on audio mastering. A big

[00:01:23] thank you guys. There's a lot of work goes behind the scenes to make these episodes possible. Next,

[00:01:30] I'd like to give a big thank you to our sponsors. So we would ask you to go to winglifepodcast.com,

[00:01:36] click on sponsors to see who is behind the scenes on the corporate end. One company that we want to

[00:01:41] give a big showcase to is our first sponsor, North Foils. You guys have been incredibly supportive of

[00:01:48] our entire team and our project and what we're doing here, our connection to the community. So

[00:01:52] thank you very much for supporting us and we look forward to working with you in the future. Lastly,

[00:01:58] winter is coming and if you haven't decided where to go yet, I would say you can come out to La

[00:02:04] Ventana. If you want in Baja Mexico, we've had some pretty epic sessions so far, or you can hop over

[00:02:12] to winglifepodcast.com and click on trips. We just started advertising our new trip in May in Bonaire.

[00:02:20] So you can come learn how to wing foil with us on LAC Bay in Bonaire surrounded by all those pros,

[00:02:27] which I think would be an amazing experience. So hop over to winglifepodcast.com, click on trips and

[00:02:33] scroll down. It's our second one there on that page. And if you want to know any information about

[00:02:37] that, just let us know. And we're looking forward to seeing you there. So now I hope you enjoy this

[00:02:44] show with Fabi. Welcome to the Wing Life Podcast, where we talk about wing foiling and the lifestyles

[00:02:58] of those who enjoy this great sport. Well, Fabi, thanks for coming on the show, my friend.

[00:03:03] Looking forward to chatting with you. Hello, thank you very much. Thanks for having me.

[00:03:08] Has anybody ever referred to you as Fabio because of the hair and the same, that famous model? You

[00:03:15] have that same kind of look and feel. Not really, not really. That's more like a recent look of mine

[00:03:23] with the long hair. I've had like many haircuts through the years. And now it's like since one year,

[00:03:30] yeah, a bit of the Jesus Christ look. Fair enough. Is it helping you on the water?

[00:03:37] I think it gives a bit more style to the tricks and the turns. Definitely. You know, it can seem like

[00:03:44] like you throw more spray, you know, you throw a nice turn, then it looks more impressive because of

[00:03:52] the hair. That's true. All right. And also extra strength, I guess it was that story of King Solomon,

[00:03:57] right? I think something like that. Yeah, yeah, extra strength. All right. So we're going to be

[00:04:05] chatting about a bunch of different stuff today, but I see you wearing a mystic shirt and you're

[00:04:11] riding with North. North obviously was our first sponsor that came on. They're an amazing team and

[00:04:17] we're just very happy with working with them. They're so supportive. So let's dive into it. Like,

[00:04:24] how do you find working with North and Mystic? Very, very well, to be honest with you. I've been

[00:04:31] already three years working with them. And recently I just signed my contract for next year. So it looks

[00:04:38] like we are extending our relationship and I'm very happy. It's been a great family and they're treating

[00:04:44] me very well. I have a very good relationship with Alex, the athlete manager, with the Mystic team,

[00:04:52] with the North team in New Zealand. And yeah, nice people, very passionate, very driven,

[00:04:57] and they really want to make sure they have the best products in the market. And yeah,

[00:05:02] we are working hard together as a team and yeah, overstoked to be part of the family. Definitely.

[00:05:12] Good. Yeah. Nice to hear. I just started riding their SF range. I know we can talk a bit about gear

[00:05:19] finally, but, um, so I, before previous to this, I'd been riding the same foil for three years.

[00:05:26] And so I, I know I'd been riding the same gear. So then I picked up a, their SF range. So I have the

[00:05:34] 830 and the 1230, two tails, um, and then also hopping on their standard carbon mast, but the low

[00:05:42] end, like low end is great for an 830. I was surprised with it. And, um, so overall I'm pretty

[00:05:49] impressed with how it rides. And I did a little pump test in Laventana last week and obviously gear

[00:05:55] has progressed a ton, but can we go a little bit into foil development? Cause what role are you playing?

[00:06:01] Let's say in the R and D, um, at North, cause I know you're pretty passionate about that.

[00:06:07] Yeah. Well, so when I started as a team rider, I was at university, um, doing my, my degree at

[00:06:15] engineering and industrial design and product development. And I just finished that last year.

[00:06:21] I finished all my exams and this year I finished my final degree project, which was a foil design

[00:06:27] actually. So I'm officially an engineer now. And I shifted my, my role at North a little bit at the

[00:06:35] beginning. I was more like a regular team rider going to events, competitions, creating content and

[00:06:42] all of that. And now this last year it has shifted a bit more into being with the development team,

[00:06:49] with the product development team, both at North and mystic. So yeah, I spent two months earlier this

[00:06:57] year in New Zealand, working with the guys at the office in Auckland. They gave me the huge chance to,

[00:07:04] yeah, they offered me to be there for an internship, which was an amazing experience. And

[00:07:12] currently I just started the more or less the same thing with mystic. The only thing is that I'm doing

[00:07:19] it online. And when I did it with North, I was there at the office for two and a half months.

[00:07:24] And yeah, I think it's the natural process that I really feel like following, like changing step by

[00:07:33] step and slowly from like a pure team rider and competition focus to more of a developer. And

[00:07:40] hopefully in the future, be a full on engineer dedicated to developing the best toys in the market for

[00:07:48] you and me, you know, and everyone. Yeah, absolutely. How did you like find wind for the first time? Did you

[00:07:56] just start super young? Like what was your story until all this? Well, so I grew up here in Tarifa and my dad

[00:08:03] came from Switzerland here because of the wind. He was a windsurfer and he was looking for a windy place

[00:08:11] close to the ocean and he came here. My mom's from Madrid. She also came here because of work reasons. They

[00:08:18] met, they fell in love. And yeah, I got the miracle, like the amazing, incredible once in a lifetime chance to

[00:08:26] grow up in Tarifa, which is a mecca of wind and water sports, especially in Europe. And I've been always very, you

[00:08:35] know, related to the ocean. I started body surfing at the age of, I don't know, like six or eight,

[00:08:41] something like that. Then I took on surfing age 12. I started windsurfing by then. Then I started

[00:08:48] kiting by age 16. And then it was in 2019 when I really got to see wing falling for the first time.

[00:08:56] And I just tried once like very quickly. And I already thought like, wow, this could be something.

[00:09:03] And then in 2020, I got some gear. So I really got into it like full on. And then, you know,

[00:09:12] because of COVID, we had in Spain like a huge quarantine of three months, like a huge lockdown.

[00:09:18] We couldn't go out or any of that. And during those three months, I was like, I want to foil.

[00:09:24] I want to foil like a bit of, you know, psycho mode. Yeah. And then that summer for me,

[00:09:31] it was very clear that I really wanted to do that. And I started focusing in winging.

[00:09:35] And that's how I changed from being mainly a strapless kiteboarder, because that was what

[00:09:41] I was at that time. I was mainly a strapless rider. I shifted into the wing foiler. And yeah,

[00:09:49] I'm very happy how everything went. And yeah, I'm just enjoying the process.

[00:09:54] Hmm. That's pretty cool. When did your sponsorship come around with with North? Like,

[00:10:01] how did that come?

[00:10:03] That was late 2021. I think the guys at North were looking for some foilers. And yeah,

[00:10:13] I think thanks to Camille, Camille Delanois, actually, we knew each other already for some

[00:10:18] years. And I think he told Alex, like, yo, I know this guy from Tarifa, maybe check him out.

[00:10:25] So they reached out to me and I immediately had like a very good connection with Alex. I have to

[00:10:31] recognize it. It was like we really understood each other very well. And then we took it from there

[00:10:38] and eventually made it happen. And then since 2022, I am working with NAG, with North Action Sports

[00:10:46] Group. And yeah, like I've said before, really happy. It's been a very, I've been following a

[00:10:52] very natural progression throughout these three years and super happy to be with them.

[00:10:59] Beautiful. So you got called up to the big leagues.

[00:11:03] Yeah, exactly.

[00:11:05] Congratulations.

[00:11:07] Thank you.

[00:11:09] So you're just finishing up your engineering degree. How was that? How was that schooling?

[00:11:17] Well, that was, to be honest with you, it was like a long time thing, which was planned. Like at age 12,

[00:11:24] I came to my mom and I said like, look, I want to be a surfboard shaper. And she told me like,

[00:11:32] fine, but you're going to study, you're going to go to university. And I was like, no, come on. Like,

[00:11:37] there's no need for it. And she was like, look, Fabi, I don't care. You're going to go to

[00:11:40] university because I was very good at school, have to say. So yeah, during my high school years,

[00:11:47] I was doing very well. And then when the moment came, I was like, okay, then let's do engineering

[00:11:52] in industrial design because it's like the closest thing to, you know, that it's going to give me

[00:11:59] knowledge to be what I want to be in the future, which was a gear designer, a water sports gear

[00:12:05] designer. And that's why everything happened. And I studied here in Cadiz, which is the main city

[00:12:11] close to Tarifa. It's just one hour from Tarifa by car. And it's like the main city in this province

[00:12:19] of Andalusia, the region of Spain where I live. So yeah, I did my studies there and it was a bit tricky

[00:12:25] to combine like the studies with, you know, writing because I started traveling by 2020,

[00:12:35] like going to Brazil to the first ever GWA event. And then I took it from there and I started

[00:12:40] traveling a lot. So at some moments it was like, whoa, whoa, should I just focus on finishing

[00:12:47] university or should I just focus on writing and trying to be the best? But somehow I managed to

[00:12:52] do both at the same time. And yeah, I am very happy to finally finish it because it took me quite some

[00:13:00] effort, to be honest with you. But and I'm very happy that I have this in my backpack forever. And

[00:13:06] I think it was also very important that I did, you know, this this kind of studies and it can really

[00:13:12] give me the chance to be where I want to be in the future.

[00:13:16] Well, yeah, now you're going to be able to connect all the the 20 some years of writing

[00:13:22] writing with the math and the technicals to then bring that forward, because I met Uli and Hugh at

[00:13:29] AWSI and just looking and picking their brains as to how things go together and how things get made

[00:13:35] and why this material was used was fascinating. So that I think that's going to be such a fun

[00:13:40] journey for you to kind of delve so much deeper into like a deeper layer of everything.

[00:13:46] Definitely, definitely. And for example, Hugh and Uli are very good examples of guys that are

[00:13:53] passionate about the ocean, water sports, like a healthy lifestyle, but they are also engineers.

[00:14:00] So yeah, they definitely are guys that inspire me. And when I was in New Zealand, these two and a half

[00:14:06] months, I really got the chance to be more with them, spend more time with them. And it was amazing.

[00:14:13] I actually went to visit Hugh twice to Raglan. He invited me, you know, to spend some days at his

[00:14:21] place. And it was amazing to be with with Hugh. Really, you can see how passionate he is about

[00:14:29] just getting all the gear, even if it's like these small things to always crank it up a level and get

[00:14:37] the best of the best. And then you see him riding and he's like sending it on the kite, on the foil,

[00:14:43] surfing, palm foiling as well. Like we went palm foiling and I, I've never done that before,

[00:14:50] just because we don't have dogs here or, or things like that. And man, I was like, I'm gonna get this

[00:14:57] quite easy. And then I was like falling each time. And the guy was like pumping for like ages. And I was

[00:15:05] like, you come on. What's what's like, you're doing it so, so good. So yeah, definitely really cool people.

[00:15:15] Hugh and Oli good guys, super focused on the job and on getting the work done. But also, you know,

[00:15:23] when it's time to be at the ocean and enjoy conditions, they also love it.

[00:15:28] Yeah, that was the thing. Cause when I met Hugh, they were doing, cause they're launching their new

[00:15:32] dock starter. And so we had that set up in hood river at the dock and stuff. And I did 10 tries

[00:15:39] and at about 10 face plants, I think I got on for a second, but then Marley, like little Marley was on

[00:15:44] the side and he was just doing his like step on dock start. So Hugh worked at it and worked at it and

[00:15:51] worked at it and had it that day. But I don't know how many, he worked at it for a couple hours and you

[00:15:57] see that determination to get it. And finally, I think that was the one video we put on an Instagram

[00:16:02] of him, but, um, we just happened to record the time that he made it off the dock and went around.

[00:16:08] So it's definitely something that's super cool, but Holy man, is it challenging. Um, yeah, not easy.

[00:16:15] Definitely not easy. And Marley, for example, he's like such a talented writer. So yeah,

[00:16:22] pump foiling, it's something that takes a bit of time, but yeah, this guy,

[00:16:26] you can give him anything, surfboard, foil, skateboard, he's going to rip on it. Definitely.

[00:16:33] So involvement in the R and D, can we talk a little bit about what you do there?

[00:16:40] Yeah, sure. Sure. So basically I, what I try to have is a very close connection with the designers,

[00:16:48] which are, you know, wing designer, board designer and with Uli and Q and for sure with Mike.

[00:16:56] That's, that's obviously. And yeah, we basically, we talk a lot about the upcoming products,

[00:17:01] about what we could do better from the ones we already have, what we want to have in the future,

[00:17:08] what direction is the sport going to have. And yeah, when I was in New Zealand, for example,

[00:17:15] I spent like tons of hours testing prototypes and, and sharing feedback with the designers and

[00:17:23] engineers. And also they've like, for example, they have also sent me wings to Tarifa that I can test,

[00:17:30] give feedback to them. So I try to be in touch with them in a, you know, weekly basis and just

[00:17:38] share feedback constantly. That's how we, we do it for the North Foils brand. And then with Mystic is

[00:17:45] more or less the same. We just speak about which kind of accessories we're going to need for the

[00:17:51] future as foiling is like a huge thing coming up. So yeah, just speaking with the soft goods

[00:17:57] developer with, with the accessories engineer, with just working about all the, you know,

[00:18:03] protection accessories, the impact vest, the helmets, the leashes, everything wing related,

[00:18:11] like even from the smallest thing, like a leash until like a board bag passing through a helmet,

[00:18:18] everything. We, we just try to, you know, have a fluent communication, speak, understand each other.

[00:18:24] That's a good thing between engineers. We can really understand each other and I can transmit

[00:18:29] what I feel in the water in a way they will know what I'm speaking about. So yeah, that's,

[00:18:36] that's what we try to do in the work we, we have on a weekly basis.

[00:18:41] Hmm. Do you think now, because we have like, even on the GWA, we're having their wave discipline,

[00:18:47] they're kind of like surf freestyle, they're big air. Like, do you think we're going to get

[00:18:52] wings that are technical, like let's say windsurf sails or kites specifically, because kite, you can

[00:18:58] have all these different range and ones are better for big air, ones are better for this.

[00:19:02] Do you think eventually it's going to go that route with different materials and different

[00:19:06] kind of ways the wings are shaped and produced?

[00:19:09] Well, I, I think it's already happening a bit. Like for example, if you look at our range,

[00:19:14] we have the mode ultra, which is like super high performance race oriented. Then you have the mode pro,

[00:19:22] which is more like a high performance, high speed free ride. Then you have the Nova pro,

[00:19:27] which is more like high performance, free ride, freestyle wave than the normal Nova. So yeah,

[00:19:36] I really think this is going to happen for sure. There are always going to be some products which are

[00:19:42] going to make one guy happy for several disciplines. Like, okay, I use the Nova pro for example, and I like it

[00:19:51] for freestyle. I like it for waves. If I go for a downwind, then I will use that one as well because

[00:19:59] it's the main product I have. But yeah, then maybe if I'm going to do like a bit of a race thing,

[00:20:06] one with a friend on the weekend or something, then I might take that one as well because it's the one

[00:20:12] I have. And, you know, at some point, some products can be like overlapping with each other,

[00:20:17] but for sure, for sure development, it's going to be happening in a way that each segment,

[00:20:25] each discipline is going to be covered by a specific product. So yes, I truly believe there's

[00:20:32] going to be wave specific wings, freestyle specific wings, race specific wings, and then the free ride,

[00:20:40] beginner, user-friendly, that's it all. Yeah, especially in the boards and foils. That's for sure

[00:20:49] happening more and more each time. Well, because here in Mexico, our neighbor is just getting his 12

[00:20:54] and 13 year old kids into the sport and just looking to try to find gear that would be user

[00:21:00] friendly, that they could grow with, that could last them a little bit of while. But then, so you're

[00:21:06] looking at foils, you're looking at board choices, but then there's so many different kinds of wings,

[00:21:12] some wings that sit more stable, some wings that turn more, some wings like, so allowing them,

[00:21:18] giving them a wider range, I think within each company is kind of nice.

[00:21:21] Um, I know some companies are coming out with specific, specific learning stuff,

[00:21:26] but I don't know how long you would keep it or use it. It's nice to be able to grow with your kit.

[00:21:33] Yeah, there, there is some beginner specific, uh, stuff, which is really good for the early phase

[00:21:42] and the next month's year, depending on how often you go and what kind of learning curve you're

[00:21:50] experiencing. But yeah, and there are some products which could be good for the beginner phase, but then

[00:21:59] they don't really do the work after. But I think it's more of a matter of where you live,

[00:22:06] how often you go and how talented you are, because it really makes a huge difference.

[00:22:12] But for example, North, we at North, we're gonna come with some dedicated beginner products,

[00:22:20] which are good to, you know, get the people on board, make their entry journey as easy as possible

[00:22:28] to get the people like feel comfortable at the sport and like with the sport at the early phase,

[00:22:35] which is like the more critical one, because if you don't feel good at the beginning, then

[00:22:40] it's not getting really. Yeah, exactly. So we're trying to make the people feel comfortable at the

[00:22:47] beginning, but then also, you know, have some gear to follow up afterwards and then

[00:22:53] keep it for some time and like, oh, I just bought a Nova. I'm a beginner. I want to freestyle.

[00:23:01] No, you can still do it with that product for sure. Maybe the Nova Pro is going to give you

[00:23:06] a bit of extra help. But if you've got the classic, because after you, you do the kite,

[00:23:13] the wing foil course, you bought that one, you can still get into your early freestyle or wave game

[00:23:20] with that same product. Yeah, that's one thing good to mention is that the gear now has progressed

[00:23:26] so far, and it is overall really good stuff that you can keep things and even like you can look

[00:23:35] forward to buying more specific gear, but you are able to enjoy and learn. Yeah, a lot of that way.

[00:23:41] And talking about Tarifa, you got so many crazy rippers over there. Like how jumping back to you,

[00:23:47] like how was that? Cause it is kind of cool to get to know, which was so, which was so much fun

[00:23:54] to meet Uli and Hugh just to find out their passion behind the gear that you're riding.

[00:24:01] You know what I mean? Like making that connection from passion to sport, I think is always one for us

[00:24:06] who ride is always super fun. So like you got Zavi there, you got so many other frigging Nias from

[00:24:13] there. Like how did all of these kind of growing up with all these kids go?

[00:24:19] Well, I think Tarifa is a super windy place. Like we've got wind, you could say nearly every day.

[00:24:27] Maybe you don't have Levante, but then you have Poniente and it's not like every day it's new,

[00:24:34] you know, 40 knots. You've got a huge variety of conditions, but you definitely get lots of wind.

[00:24:40] And you get many people that came here to live because of the wind, like my, like my dad, for example.

[00:24:46] So then we like the next generations, we are here. We get that passion from our parents.

[00:24:53] We live in this beautiful and windy place. I think it's just a natural thing that we follow up

[00:24:58] and also play that same game of, of water sports. And yeah, it was like, for example, Nia,

[00:25:05] I remember when, when she started, I was teaching at a local kite school here in Tarifa and she came,

[00:25:13] she, I already knew her because she was a very good windsurfer and, you know, like teaching her the

[00:25:19] first lessons and seeing like how she evolved so quickly back then. I think that was by 2021 or so.

[00:25:26] And then afterwards becoming a world champion and everything, it's just mind blowing. And then also

[00:25:32] you have Xavi Cor, which we used to do strapless together. And then he came and took the, on the wing

[00:25:38] and also like, what a amazing rider in the freestyle. Then also Jerome, like Jerome has been a very good

[00:25:47] friend of mine since a long time. And I remember perfectly in summer of 2020, you know, I was going

[00:25:54] to wing and then he was like, Fabi, what are you doing with this weird thing? Like go, go back to kite.

[00:26:00] And I was like, no, bro, like you have to, you know, give it an opportunity. It's very fun. I'm not sure.

[00:26:07] I'm not sure. And then now years after you see him like inventing tricks such as the Palau or the

[00:26:14] back mob. So yeah, I think it has also like a special energy Tarifa. And if you like it here and you

[00:26:24] enjoy conditions here, you feel like very, you know, bonded to the, to nature, to the ocean and

[00:26:32] the wind. So I think that's like the magic ingredient in why so many legends or so many

[00:26:39] good riders come out of this place.

[00:26:41] Cause it's on my list to go to like, I'm in Mexico this winter, but I think my brother's

[00:26:47] girlfriend was talking about wanting to go to Spain, South of Spain and my brother kiteboards.

[00:26:51] And I grew up like we, I windsurf and he kiteboards. So it was this fun little rivalry, but we were

[00:26:56] looking at Tarifa to go and check that place out. So, um, it's good to learn a little bit more about

[00:27:02] it. And, um, I think it'd be definitely a fun place to spend a winter. What is it conditions vary

[00:27:09] year round? Um, like what's the best time to go if somebody was going to want to go there for a couple

[00:27:14] months or something? Okay. So unlike some other places like Baja California, Canary Islands, Brazil,

[00:27:24] which have like a seasonal wind, we could say Tarifa, it's not seasonal at all. Like you cannot

[00:27:32] really predict conditions here. The normal tendency is that during the summer, spring, summer,

[00:27:39] you get more of the Levante wind, which is the strong Eastern wind. And then in the winter,

[00:27:45] you get more of the storms, which have the Poniente, the Western, uh, onshore wind, but you,

[00:27:52] you cannot really predict it. So whatever time you come here, it's going to be a good time.

[00:27:58] The only thing is if you come in summer, there's normally no waves. So it's a bit more flat,

[00:28:04] a bit more easy going, but it's really crowded and there's lots of things going on. Many people,

[00:28:11] many tourists. So what I recommend to the people is if you want to come to Tarifa,

[00:28:16] come maybe between April and June or between September and December. Those are like the best

[00:28:24] months to be around July and August. It's just super crowded, like unreal. So I, I don't recommend

[00:28:32] it that much. And then December, January, February, March, it's a bit, you know, it can be rainy and

[00:28:40] bad weather, but during those special months, you know, like spring, autumn, you really have a

[00:28:47] beautiful light, perfect temperature. It's not cold at all. You've got wind, you've got waves,

[00:28:53] not many people around. So yeah, you have to come here next year.

[00:28:59] Good point. All right. I'm going to keep that open for next fall.

[00:29:03] Bring, bring some gear down and do some ripping. So did you, have you gotten to go on any kind of

[00:29:08] photo shoots, any trips with North? Like how, how is that life as like a pro athlete with them?

[00:29:16] Yeah. It's a very, it's a very sick life and it feels a bit like a dream life, to be honest with you,

[00:29:23] especially like for me, I was always dreaming to, you know, like become a pro. So when I finally did

[00:29:32] it, I was like, wow, oh, so, so stoked and happy. And I've indeed, I've done some, some trips with the

[00:29:38] North team. We've been to Sardinia and Corsica. We've been to Philippines, Patagonia,

[00:29:46] some very beautiful locations. And that photo shooting trips are really nice because you get to

[00:29:52] be with all the team. You get to ride all the new toys. Everyone is really happy, very stoked.

[00:29:59] And yeah, it's, it's kind of a crazy life when you tell your friends that, well,

[00:30:03] I'm going now to the Philippines to work, you know, for a photo shooting. It's like,

[00:30:12] damn, what a life you live. And then so, yeah, I, we, I really enjoy it. And, and I

[00:30:20] enjoy these moments and take it as unique opportunities because you don't really know

[00:30:24] how long it's going to last. So I try to make the most out of it and yeah, enjoy,

[00:30:31] enjoy it as much as I can.

[00:30:32] Is there a favorite place of all the places you've been to with them that stand out?

[00:30:38] Well, definitely this year we went to the Philippines to the North and that was quite

[00:30:47] unreal. I mean, we, we got very good wind and waves and the location was just beautiful. So

[00:30:54] that wasn't a super nice one. And then also last year, yeah, exactly one year ago,

[00:31:02] we went to Patagonia, which is in Argentina, a bit more in the South. We went there to the

[00:31:10] mountains, you know, to wing in the lakes and also kite because we also had the kite team with,

[00:31:16] with us. And that was definitely beautiful. I mean, it's not the place you're going to go.

[00:31:22] If you want to seek for the best conditions ever, but we actually scored perfect conditions

[00:31:29] and the, the scenario, you know, the landscape was just unreal. I mean, you had, it looked like

[00:31:36] Switzerland on steroids, you know, like super big, super wide and huge and beautiful with the snow

[00:31:44] on the mountains, everything green, winging in a fresh, fresh water lake, pretty unreal. And for

[00:31:52] sure the Argentinian people, you know, with their hospitality, delicious food. Yeah. That's,

[00:31:59] that's one for the books.

[00:32:00] Yeah. Pat, well, yeah. Patagonia is so infamous. Um, when did you start into dabbling into content,

[00:32:08] like producing content? Cause I know your Mars 13 YouTube video just came out and that thing is sick.

[00:32:13] And I love how you presented that, especially given that more youth and everybody is spending like 90%

[00:32:22] of their time online rather than taking time outside and reconnecting with nature. Like,

[00:32:27] how did you guys sculpt that little video? Um, cause it was pretty cool.

[00:32:33] Thank you. Thank you very much. Well, I think I started creating content already, like

[00:32:38] quite a long time ago, even before being like good at kiting or winging or any of that. I've always liked

[00:32:46] that. Uh, the people I had around my friends and yeah, they, they were also doing it. And Leo,

[00:32:54] the videographer and editor of the Mars 13 project, it's a very, very good friend of mine. His brother

[00:33:00] is one of my best friends since we are like kids, like literally babies. So yeah, it was like a natural

[00:33:09] evolution of, of our different skills. And with Leo, I always had such a good relationship. We started

[00:33:17] doing some little videos back in the day. And then for sure, once all the wing foil thing started,

[00:33:24] we took it way more seriously and we've been doing that for some years now. And then basically we,

[00:33:31] this year we wanted to do something a bit different, a bit more, you know, like cinematic in a way.

[00:33:39] And as you say, many people, especially young people, they're spending like so much time

[00:33:45] online, which is like good, but in a way, it's also like, you should be out there and do something

[00:33:51] like in nature and spend the, like experience the real world. So that's why we decided to not do

[00:33:59] like many short reels or things like that, and rather do like one bit of a longer edit so that

[00:34:08] in a way you disconnect from Instagram for a while. You take your time whenever you feel like it's your

[00:34:15] right moment, you go to YouTube and then you connect with this little film. We are presenting

[00:34:21] in you to, yeah, make you disconnect from your, you know, your scrolling and your phone and your

[00:34:27] like instant dopamine. And then you go to YouTube, you enjoy a bit of a longer video, take your time.

[00:34:36] And yeah, we wanted basically to communicate with the people and express ourselves in that way.

[00:34:43] And I'm very happy with the result for sure. I love creating content and writing a story behind

[00:34:51] the project and then linking up with the videographer, sharing ideas and making it happen.

[00:34:57] For sure. It's, it's what I like the most. Definitely.

[00:35:01] So did you like, how did you script it? Like, cause the shots are kind of cinematic and that cave scene,

[00:35:08] can we talk a little bit about that? Like what that means and where your thought came from?

[00:35:14] Well, basically, Gran Canaria is an island I really like, and I've been there already like

[00:35:20] three or four times. And I was thinking, okay, how could we do something different? So the idea was,

[00:35:28] okay, because it looks a bit like Mars because it's so dry, arid, red, and you have this contrast of

[00:35:37] rocks and huge mountains and everything. The idea was like, because Tarifa in summer is so crowded

[00:35:44] and there's so much going on, just escape to a different planet, find like a supernatural object,

[00:35:52] which would be the all new swell. And then I, I just find it in a cave, like, wow, what is this?

[00:35:59] This is like something from the gods, something from the universe. Like, how is this here? And

[00:36:04] what am I supposed to do in such a vast planet with such tough conditions with these magic objects?

[00:36:13] So enjoy what the, what nature offers you or the wind and waves are giving you with this special item,

[00:36:21] which is the board, the all new swell. And that was a little bit like the story behind.

[00:36:27] And then I like to do a script, take ideas from different places, write everything down, do a storyboard,

[00:36:34] sit down with Leo, speak about everything. You know, I share my ideas with him. He tells me, yeah,

[00:36:40] I see this point. Maybe we can change this. What about this? Lots of communication. It's very important.

[00:36:46] And then also selecting the proper songs and the proper, you know, audio for the, for the video.

[00:36:54] And then just creating, we spend there 13 days. That's why it's March 13, because we, we been 13 days

[00:37:02] together in Gran Canaria filming the whole day from morning to the afternoon. And yet the outcome is

[00:37:12] pretty nice from my point of view. Well, it reminded me of like space odyssey or something.

[00:37:18] Like there's an, I can't remember the actual name right now. I'm looking it up, but there was this video

[00:37:24] or like a movie filmed a long time ago when there's all these monkeys and there's this like

[00:37:29] thing that kind of comes down from the sky. So can you, why, so what was the four or five versions of

[00:37:36] like people? So it's like yourself, right? But then there's four or five. Can we talk about that?

[00:37:40] Like, what is that? Cause I want to learn. I have my own thoughts, but.

[00:37:46] Well, basically we found this cave and direct, like instantly it was like, okay, this is the place

[00:37:54] to do the revelation of the board and everything. And then it was like, but just me approaching the

[00:38:04] board. Yeah, it's cool. But what if we, you know, get a bit crazier and then we come with to this idea.

[00:38:13] Like, what if we film it five times? Like, you know, but like first I come from one angle,

[00:38:20] then from another one, from another one, like five times, and then we put everything together

[00:38:26] and it, it looks like it's five Favis at the same time approaching the board. So yeah, it was like a

[00:38:33] bit of a crazy idea, but honestly, that's also how we are and how I am. Like, I like those kind of

[00:38:40] like trippy things and, and yeah, it just makes sense. And I don't know. It's also like from an

[00:38:48] other planet, other galaxy. And it was a fun thing to do. Definitely. It took us quite,

[00:38:56] quite some time to film everything. Like I think we spent more than three hours at that cave spot,

[00:39:03] filming everything. And yeah, it was a bit of a challenge with the super strong wind blowing

[00:39:08] against us. Like, but yeah, when you see the outcome, it's, it's, it does like the cinematic

[00:39:16] things which you cannot really show in a Instagram reel. And it has to be on a YouTube edit. You know,

[00:39:25] if you want to do like things like that, I, I truly believe you have to put it on a YouTube edit and

[00:39:31] that's how people are going to appreciate it. If you put it on Instagram, you're just gonna see it.

[00:39:38] And you don't remember anymore. At least if, if you put it on an edit, although it's a bit of an

[00:39:45] old school thing to do nowadays, but that's how you make sure it stays there forever.

[00:39:51] Well, I was even talking to a couple of brands kind of behind the scenes and they had hired

[00:39:55] a consultant to find out how many people are actually buying gear from social media versus

[00:40:01] going to Google versus going at alternative sources. And they were saying that it was like a very,

[00:40:06] very small percentage, like less than 5% of people were buying gear because of the content

[00:40:10] they saw on socials. They all the time went for longer form content on YouTube or forums, or then

[00:40:16] so YouTube videos, because you can take that video so many different ways based on how you see it and how

[00:40:23] you grew up. But it's kind of cool to be able to connect, um, a bit more of a storyboard rather than just

[00:40:29] a quick, like you're saying just quick 10 seconds, eight seconds, and then you're gone.

[00:40:35] Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's also being very honest with you. That's also the way to differentiate

[00:40:43] myself with all the writers. Like, I mean, if we speak about putting one,

[00:40:47] one minute edit or one minute reel of just throwing tricks and tricks and tricks

[00:40:53] first, I think that's boring. And second, there are way better writers that can do that. So

[00:40:59] I don't really see the, like, what's the point for me to do that? Like, uh, I don't really want to do

[00:41:04] those things. I always like to take everything, like look everything from a more artistic perspective

[00:41:11] and, and just say, okay, how can I do this a bit different with my touch, with my essence?

[00:41:17] And you know, like the Fabi signature that you see it and you say, okay, this, this is Fabi and Leo's

[00:41:23] work. You, you can really see it. And, and you know, okay, this is like these guys thing, you know,

[00:41:30] like we like to do this kind of, of reels and edits and videos. So yeah, that's why I, I'm a big

[00:41:37] advocate of pushing the longer projects, the longer edits. Although nowadays people want to

[00:41:45] focus on the quick reels and things like that. I I'm still going to push for the longer videos

[00:41:52] because I think that's, that's, you know, the way to go at this. Well, if you think about it one way,

[00:42:00] like the longer, the short videos might elicit more of a, an addictive response from the consumer

[00:42:06] rather than slowing down, appreciating the art behind it, then going to create their own art

[00:42:11] outside on the water. So like, if you look at it that way, like it's almost like feeding a kid sugar

[00:42:15] or feeding them apple and kicking them inside. So it's kind of that sort of thing, but how does it

[00:42:21] feel to be part of the industry so early on, right? The birth of something brand new, and then being

[00:42:28] able to have your hands in developing testing, like all these different aspects that you get to do,

[00:42:35] like, where do you think wingfoil is going and, and how, how does it feel to be part of the birth

[00:42:41] of something brand new? Well, it feels like I've said before, it feels like a dream come true,

[00:42:47] to be honest. Like I remember exactly the first day I was able to ride on a wingfoil with small gear

[00:42:57] and proper strong wind. I was with a very good friend of mine, Jaime Reis, kiteboarding legend. I mean,

[00:43:05] everybody knows him. We were together in Playa Chica, which is like one of the main spots I go here.

[00:43:12] And you know, like being able to feel that like, wow, this is new. Not many people in the world are

[00:43:18] doing this right now because we're speaking about early 2020, like probably January or even December

[00:43:24] 2019. And it was like, wow, this is something. And to be honest, I instantly felt like this is going to

[00:43:32] be a thing. It's going to work and it's not coming here like a brief trend and then boom,

[00:43:41] disappeared. Like, no, no, I don't know why, but I was very sure foiling came here to stay. So that's

[00:43:49] why I was so motivated. Like I want to wing foil. I want to learn surf foil and everything.

[00:43:56] And it felt magic back in that year, in 2020. It felt truly magic and doing tricks for the first

[00:44:04] time, like first back loops, then first 360s. Then I'm going to try a forward like in windsurfing and

[00:44:12] whoa, what was that? Like, whoa, it's even possible. Yeah.

[00:44:19] It was crazy. That year 2020 was, was really crazy. So being there at that time,

[00:44:26] it's something magic, I would say, and being now involved in the development of, of the gear

[00:44:34] and all of that also feels really good and feels like I'm walking the path I always wanted to walk.

[00:44:42] I mean, truly, I always, I always focused all my energy and effort, not only in the sports,

[00:44:52] but also in the education and being where I am right now. And my vision for the future is

[00:44:59] quite like I, in a long term, you know, like I don't see myself as a rider that passes by and then

[00:45:07] disappears and by no, no, no, no, I really want to give in to the industry and, and show my capabilities

[00:45:16] and really push to develop gear and keep growing the sport and evolving everything. So honestly,

[00:45:26] I'm very happy to be where I am right now. And I hope I can keep doing this for many years to come

[00:45:33] because it's my passion and it's what, what drives me and, and what motivates me. And I don't know,

[00:45:39] I've put so much time and effort into this that it's, I can imagine. I cannot back off, you know,

[00:45:45] this is what I want to do. That's right. What do you think's coming up next? Like,

[00:45:49] I know we can't talk about too many things because most brands are two, three years ahead and they had

[00:45:53] all these little cool toys waiting for us, which I'm finding out more and more, right? So I get to go

[00:45:58] to events now and watch and then you'll get some sneak peeks, but obviously we can't talk about it.

[00:46:04] But in relation to downwind foiling or even winging this new pair of wing thing is kind of cool. And I

[00:46:10] know there's going to be a lot of revisions because there's some, obviously V1 had some positives and

[00:46:17] some negatives, which is normal. Um, is there anything that you can mention, talk about, um,

[00:46:25] relating to where you think it's going to go? Like what could happen after a pair wing? Like, I don't

[00:46:31] like what else is there, there must be something else there out there.

[00:46:35] Well, I, what I'm sure is the downwind in with a foil, it's already a huge thing and it's going to

[00:46:43] be even bigger and bigger in the future. And what I believe is that the, the para wing, the tow kite,

[00:46:51] however you want to call it, this little mini kite that helps you get up on foil. I think that's

[00:46:58] going to be like the perfect tool to get people into downwind foiling because SUP downwind foil,

[00:47:07] it's quite hard, technical, and you also need proper bumps and open ocean swell to, you know,

[00:47:22] maybe they don't have the skill, the conditions or, you know, some, some, something's missing. So I

[00:47:29] truly believe the para wing, it's going to help the people get into the downwind thing. Same as

[00:47:37] foil assisted tools, such as the foil drive, for example, I also think that's going to be

[00:47:43] a huge thing in the future for downwind foiling and prone foiling. So what I think is that

[00:47:54] we're just seeing like the little tools that are opening the gates for what's going to come in the

[00:48:01] future. I don't know exactly what is going to be the all new crazy tool because even the para wing,

[00:48:10] the tow kite, it's something so new right now that we don't really know yet how is it going to be

[00:48:16] myself. I haven't tried a tow kite yet. I didn't get the chance. I can't wait.

[00:48:22] But I think that's going to be a big thing. And many people are going to do it. I'm really, I'm

[00:48:30] waiting. I cannot wait to get one in my hands and start doing it. And then with this, a whole new

[00:48:40] development of boards and foils, it's coming as well, because if you want to do at the end of the day,

[00:48:47] let's be honest, everyone wants to be a surfer. Everyone wants to get that surf feeling. Yeah.

[00:48:56] And foiling has already opened many doors for that. But then downwind foiling is like the next thing.

[00:49:04] It's like surfing the endless wave. So I think a huge part of the development in the next years,

[00:49:13] at least it's going to be focused in how to make us surf and downwind with the foil in a better way,

[00:49:22] with more dedicated boards for that foils, mast, stabs, everything. And then let's see,

[00:49:31] let's see where the para wing, the tow kite brings us. We don't know yet, but that's a bit how I see the

[00:49:39] thing going on. I guess, did you want to go into kind of some of your favorite products at North?

[00:49:45] Yeah. So the gear I use, the, my favorite products, it, it's different regarding like

[00:49:52] which discipline I'm going to go in and do that day. If I go freestyle, I'm for sure going to be

[00:49:57] on the 58 liter sick. That's my go-to. Like it's the perfect board for freestyling and for flat water.

[00:50:06] If, if there's like some waves, then I would use the swell. Normally I go on the 55 liter. I am one

[00:50:14] meter 85 and like 82 kilos. So the 55, it's just perfect for me. It is really, if it is really strong,

[00:50:22] I can always jump on the 45, but normally the 55 swell, it's my go-to. And then I'm really liking

[00:50:30] the new high modulus 80 centimeter carbon mast, sorry, high modulus carbon mast 80 centimeter.

[00:50:38] I'm really liking that product at the beginning. I was just using it for prone foiling and winging in

[00:50:45] waves. But to be honest with you, I'm just loving it. And lately I've been even using it for freestyle.

[00:50:51] And then for my freestyle sessions, I'm using the MA front wings. The 600 V2 is my go-to is the one I use

[00:51:03] pretty much always. If it's super strong, then I may jump on the 500. And if it's like a bit lighter,

[00:51:11] I may go to the 700. And then if I go surf in wave, like wing in waves, I also like that one a lot, the MA 500, 600.

[00:51:23] But the all new SF 530 is a great tool for winging in waves. It's amazing how that foil works. And actually today I was using it.

[00:51:36] I had a session here in Canyos de Meca, one hour from Tarifa and we got some pretty decent size swell,

[00:51:45] like two meter, something like that. And the SF 530, it's just perfect for those conditions.

[00:51:52] I always like to go with the shortest fuselage I can go. So the 600 is my go-to. And then for the MA's,

[00:52:01] I use the 178 stabilizer. And if I go with the SF 530, I normally go with the 142 tail,

[00:52:11] which feels like a bit more surfy and snappy. And then for prone foiling, my go-to is the SF 680

[00:52:23] or the SF 830 if the waves are not that, you know, that strong. And I love the Vert 30 liter for me. It's perfect.

[00:52:33] Don't need the smaller one. But yeah, that's pretty much it. Ah, and for sure wings, the Nova Pro.

[00:52:42] That's my product. That's the one I like. I also like the regular Nova, the Nova Classic quite a lot.

[00:52:50] It's a very easy to use, intuitive product. And I use it sometimes for downwinding or winging in waves.

[00:52:58] But normally the Nova Pro with the boom, it's my weapon of choice. It's just, it's so easy,

[00:53:07] you know, and I'm so used to it as well. I just feel connected with that product.

[00:53:13] Okay. All right. Well, hey, thanks for sharing all of that with us and introducing yourself and

[00:53:20] talking about kind of this cool journey that you've, that you've got to experience and continue to

[00:53:25] experience. I hope this internship at Mystic is, it works out and goes in as fun for you. Let us know

[00:53:31] how it goes because we will kind of want some updates and, uh, any trips, any contests coming up that you

[00:53:38] would want to share? Well, thank, first of all, thank you very much for your kind words and for

[00:53:44] sure we'll, we'll be in touch and I'll, I'll keep you posted about everything. Um, yeah, actually there

[00:53:50] are quite some things planned. I'm going next week on Saturday by boat from Spain to Canary Islands.

[00:54:00] It's like a 30 hour journey, something like that. Yeah. It's, it's quite a long, long trip,

[00:54:09] but I'm taking my car with me with all the toys and just going to be spending there one month in

[00:54:15] Lanzarote. Good waves, some nice wind as well, but especially it's just waves every day. So good

[00:54:24] training for the prone foil and the winging in waves. And then after that in January, I'll be

[00:54:31] heading to Cape Town for some weeks. I've never been to. So that's apparently a six, six, but

[00:54:40] I'm very excited. It's like Cape Town is one of these locations, which I really always wanted to go.

[00:54:47] Always like, even before hiding, when I was doing windsurfing, I was like, Oh, I want to go to Cape

[00:54:55] Town. So I'm really, really excited about, about that trip. And yeah, let's, let's see how it goes.

[00:55:01] Let's see how it turns out. Okay, my friend, thanks for taking the time and, uh, looking forward to

[00:55:07] following your journey. I think it's been pretty cool. Thanks to you, Luke. Thank you very much. You've

[00:55:12] been super nice and I think we could do an exchange. You come a few weeks here to Tarifa. I go visit

[00:55:19] you in La Ventana. There we go. Could be a nice plan, eh? Let's do it. Well, we got to invite

[00:55:27] Hugh and Uli and Mike though. We can't leave them behind. Ah, nice. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bring them on,

[00:55:33] for sure. All right, boys. All right, boys, we're going. All right, everybody. Thanks for joining

[00:55:38] us on this one and, uh, looking forward to the next one.