Meet The Team

This is Hodei!! 

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Hodei is an awesome surfer, fierce competitor, and great personality to have on the team! From winning his first junior world title in 2017 we have enjoyed watching him on his journey to becoming one of the best surfers in the world! 

 

We can't wait to see him unleash his full potential now he has kayaks that are as capable as he is!! 
 

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-Where are you from?

Donostia, Amara

 

-Favourite place to surf?

Choosing a favorite place is difficult, but Figueira da Foz in Portugal is one of my favorite places to surf.

 

-Achievements

2017 world champion in junior HP

2017 vice world champion in junior IC

2021 3rd place in the European Championship in open Hp and IC

2022 3rd place in world championship in Open IC

2022 world champion in New Age IC

Meet Aiur, the 17 year old surf freak who loves to be in the water! Aiur surfs like no other junior in the world, with a super aggressive and critical surfing style, he easily takes to the air in both HP + IC kayaks! 

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Where are you from?

Lezo, Basque Country.

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Favourite place to surf?

Long strong waves with different sections are my favourite waves. Mundaka or Pantin are my favourite places but my local beach Zurriola also is good.

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Achievements

2022 World Champion in Junior HP

2022 World Champion in Junior IC

Open HP 4th place at the world championships 2022

2021 European Junior IC champion

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Tell us something people don't know about you?

I play the Alboka, a Basque traditional music instrument; and the saxophone.

 I want to improve the level of kayak surfing and share what we can do in a kayak!

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Where are you from?

San Sebastian

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Favourite place to surf?

Anywhere not crowded with friends and some big glassy waves. 
I love Confital point and some secret spots around the Basque Country

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For people who don't know, what is your role in the Basque Team? 

 Orchestra Man!! I help the team and try to help everyone on the team to surf better. We train together, do video analysis, and bring lots of new people into the sport of surf kayaking. 

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Tell us something people don't know about you?

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I have had many experiences throughout my kayaking journey! It all began at the age of 10 and I have never stopped since. For over 10 years, I was a member of the Spanish Slalom National team and have been creek boating in various countries such as Chile, Nepal, New Zealand, Uganda, Zimbabwe, USA, and Costa Rica. 

 

I even completed a sea kayak circumnavigation of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) for over 3 months. I have competed in five freestyle world championships, with my first one dating back to 1993. I also participated in several waveski world championships and finished second in the Masters category in my last one, only behind 11-time world champion, Rees Duncan.

 

In 2005, I started my first kayak surf worlds in Costa Rica and have been fortunate enough to win multiple world titles. However, the best part of it all is getting to know and connect with people from all over the world who share the same love and passion for kayaking as I do. I am incredibly grateful for these experiences!

Where do we start with Odei?

 

This guy loves to surf; whether it's in a kayak, waveski, board or sup. This mixed with multi discipline kayaking - freestyle, slalom, whitewater + canoe, makes Odei a true waterman!! 

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Odei has consistently been at the top of his game, from winning junior world titles, to recently winning the open IC division at the 2019 world championships. 

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His precise and explosive surfing style is like no other, so whether its throwing HUGE aerials, or getting deep in the barrel, this guy does it all! 

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Whilst he may be quiet on the beach, his surfing certainly speaks volumes, and we are super proud to have him on the Hobson Kayaks Team! 

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Where are you from?

Donostia, Basque Country

 

Favourite place to surf?

Cobblestones (Sumbawa)

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Achievements

2022 Hp world champion

2022 Ic vice world champion

2019 Ic world champion

2019 Hp vice world champion

2019 santa cruz paddlesfest winner

Chris has been at the forefront of both kayak surfing and kayak design from 2009. His knowledge and experience in everything related to the manufacturing of championship winning kayaks, to winning world titles in some of the best conditions in the world. 

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Where are you from?

Northern Ireland, but now living in Swansea.

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Favourite place to surf? 

West coast of Ireland

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Achievements

​3 x world titles

Multiple British and European titles.

This is Megan!

 

Megan is an up and coming star from Northern Ireland, who has already had a few years proving herself across the competition scene. With World Titles under her belt, and still a junior, the future looks bright for her!

 

We are super proud to have such a talented and kind team member!  

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Where are you from? 

Co. Derry Northern Ireland

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Achievements? 

Junior Women’s World Champion 2019

4th Junior HP World Championships 2019

Junior Women’s British Champion 2019

Junior Irish Champion 2018

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Favourite place to surf?

Ballyliffin, Co. Donegal or Easkey, Co. Sligo

Big wave shredder and all round great guy!

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Zack has been quietly making his mark on surf kayaking at a competitive level for around 5 years now, and he has certainly made an impression! Based near Santa Cruz in California, he is constantly pushing the boundaries of what's possible in big waves, surfing breaks like Ocean Beach, Steamer Lane, and Moss Landing! This paired with his enthusiasm for the sport, and great personality made him the perfect match for the Hobson Kayaks Team! 

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Where are you from?

California born and raised, I grew up in the Sacramento River Delta, went to school in Santa Barbara and now live around the Santa Cruz area.

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Achievements

World Championships of Surf Kayaking 2019 – 4th in HP

World Championships of Surf Kayaking 2017 – 4th in IC

Santa Cruz Paddlefest 2018 & 2019 – 1st in IC

Ventura Paddle Surfing Championships 2016 & 2018 – 1st in Kayak

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Favourite place to surf?

All over the Santa Cruz area, anything too specific might get me in trouble

Mathew is certainly one to watch, a strong competitor who never fails to impress! 

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He works hard, trains hard, and is a great example of hard work paying off!!

Watch out! 

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Where are you from?

Dungannon, Northern Ireland

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Favourite place to surf?

Tullan strand or Easkey left

 

Achievements

1st Open HP British open 2018

1st Open HP British open 2019

9th in the 2019 World Championships

Meet Marc! 

 

Having first paddled a kayak well into his 30s, surf kayaking has taken Marc all over the world. Marc is now based out of Bude where he is co-organizing the next World Championships in 2022 but often pops up in Santa Cruz in Northern California. Marc is an enthusiastic ambassador for the sport, and is stoked to be joining some of his best buddies on the Hobson Kayaks Team. 

 

Where are you from?

Originally East London where I didn’t really get much surf. When I moved to Brighton on the English Channel in 2001 I started messing around in kayaks in salty water for the first time. I found myself heading west (both UK and US) more frequently for waves and finally moved to Bude in Cornwall in 2014. In between I’ve spent several years of my life living in Santa Cruz where I was lucky enough to surf almost every day with Zach Boyd and Tree. 

 

 

Achievements

4 times British Master HP Champion

Current World number 3 in Masters HP

2nd place in world championships more times than I can count with team England

Finalist in Open HP at Santa Cruz Paddlefest twice

 

Favourite place to surf?

I like steep, heavy, rampy beachbreaks. Moss Landing and Waddell Creek in the Santa Cruz area are 2 very special places to me, absolutely world class beachbreaks on their day.  My home beach, Crooklets in Bude can get every bit as fun as heavy as those Norcal spots and is home to many of the best surfers of all types in UK.

Grom!​

Meet Sam, the oldest Grom around! Full time frother, proud dad, world class white water boater, and all round positive influence, Sam enthusiasm is infectious! 

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When he isn't charging heavy slabs in search of deep barrels, you'll find Sam throwing down on some of the best rivers in the world! 

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Top rider, humble, and fun to be around... Perfect for the Hobson Kayaks Team!! 

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Where are you from?

York, NE England

Jack is one of the good guys, he takes his training seriously and spends a lot of time giving back to the sport.

He has a powerful and explosive surfing style that is unparalleled.

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Jack likes his kayaks offensively bright, so there is no way you will miss this guy surfing his Hobson kayaks around the Cornish coast. 

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Not only is jack a previous world champion  and one of the best in the sport, he is also one of the nicest guys in the world, and we are really proud to have him as a member of our team! 

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Where are you from?

Living in Bude, Cornwall, UK

 

Favourite place to surf?

It has got to be some beautiful Western Irish reefs we found a few years ago. A lot of fun was had!

 

Best results?

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3rd place open hp in the world championships 2022

 

I won the 2015 World Championships in IC class.

Meet Dessie!

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To a lot of you this guy needs no introduction, but for those of you who don't know, let me fill you in!

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Surfing to Dessie, dad of 3 boys is more than competition, it's a way of life! Whilst competition was a big part of his early kayaking career, consistently finishing in top 5 on the world stage, the retirement from contests in 2009 opened the door to focusing on family life and searching for the perfect wave.

 

From his first kayaking experience in the ocean, the surf has always called him back to search for that big wave and the perfect barrel with friends. "Some of my best memories and friendships have happened because of kayak surfing. I am still trying to bag that perfect barrel. That's the beauty of surfing, no matter how good your last wave might have been, nothing beats the buzz of hunting out that next great wave."

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Fun Fact:

Once shared waves in Ireland with Tom Curran.

 

Where are you from?

Castlederg Co Tyrone.

 

Favourite place to surf?

Sligo and Donegal but always looking for that new spot

 

Achievements?

16 Irish titles

3 European titles

1 British title

Joe is the first of our Lifestyle Brand Ambassadors. Paddling purely for the Stoke, he spends his days hunting for that glassy river wave, or perfect surf; and travelling is all part of the journey in search of perfection.

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Joe is a super established whitewater kayaker, with first descents and general whitewater boat riding in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Venezuela, India, Nepal, Norway, as well as exploring and writing Meghalaya Rivers guidebook.

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Currently an Ambassador for Radical Rider, River Legacy and Palm Equipment.

 

He is also head of kayaking videos at Ekstremsportveko in Voss, Norway, and we can't wait to see footage of him shredding in his Apex around the world!