How
Gabi became "Kitegabi"
- Austrian Gabi Steindl (29) has a
very unusual background for a "kite-pro-chick", as she calls it. With a "bachelor of arts" university degree (Glasgow, Scotland) in her
pocket she had originally decided to set foot on the stage of international business.
After working three years in London and two years in Hong Kong she finally ended up as
global marketing & sales manager of the prestigious international adventure travel
& extreme sports magazine "Action Asia". Gabi was only 25 then. But these successful years and an impressive career came to an end when a
love at first sight changed her life forever: kiteboarding! It was the birth of a new person, a
kiteboarding "windgirl" nicknamed "Kitegabi".
Gabi: "During a
business trip to Bali, Indonesia, I got completely hooked on kiteboarding. Shortly
thereafter I decided to dedicate my life entirely to this sport with the aim to become a
professional athlete. Fully determinded I quit my job in Hong Kong, left Asia and started
to live my dream. After a few weeks training in Morocco, I moved to Margarita Island,
Venezuela, where I built my basis for my participation in the PKRA (Professional Kite
Riders Association) World Cup 2003. Months of rigorous focused training paid off and my
results can be seen. Since then I have been travelling the globe all year, promoting the
sport and my sponsors (North Kites, Fanatic Boards, KIA Motors, Dark Dog Energy Drink,
CULT Clothing, ION), competing in the PKRA World Cup and other events and engaging in many
other kitesurf-projects, in short living my dreams right after my motto life´s not a
rehearsal."
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