Name
Sky Solbach

Occupation
Teamrider/Board shaper

Profile
Sky has been an ION teamrider from the very beginning. He influenced the brand and it’s products with his personality and exceptional riding skills. Recently he discovered his passion for shaping boards. Time to give you a little insight on his life.

About

So, how’s life right now?
Life is pretty good at the moment. Busy, but good. I can’t complain!

What are you up to at the moment?
Lately I’ve been riding a lot and trying to push my level as much as possible with a kite in the surf. Just riding strapless in all conditions and trying to make it look and feel good and trying to throw some progressive moves in the mix. I’m really inspired by surfing, so that’s what I’m trying to do with a kite. I’ve also been really immersed in designing surfboards and race boards for North and testing lots of
different kites as well. I’m also busy with some photo and video projects.

You‘re 28 years old – what’s your focus the next few years?
I will continue to ride at the highest level I can, whether in competition or freeriding. I am working with some other riders to create a kitesurf world tour that we hope will bring kitesurf competitions into a whole new realm. I also want to keep putting a lot of energy into design and development of all kinds of boards because that’s really an area of huge interest for me.

What’s most important for you in life?
The most important things for me as a person are to stand up for my beliefs and to be good to the people who are close to me and to follow my passion and be happy. I am really happy when I’m creating things.

Any family plans?
No family plans yet at this point, but I’m not against the idea. All my friends are popping out babies left and right, but I hope I’m not in for any surprises just yet!

Sky, you’ve been with ION from the very beginning. How did you get such a strong relationship to the brand?
Well I actually just happened to be there when the brand was first started at the beginning of 2005. At that time ION was just a dream and a vision for the future. Now, 6 years later, the brand is really successful and it’s cool to look back and see how far it has come and to think that I got to see it grow from the very beginning. Even now that ION is a leading brand in the industry, I still feel quite proud when I see complete strangers wearing a pair of ION boardies or a wetsuit!

What changes have you seen over the years with ION?
ION has evolved a lot since those early days, both the image and the products. The products are much more diverse these days and have gotten better and better each year and have always maintained their unique sense of style and functionality. But at the core of ION are still those same passionate
people who are the driving force behind the company, which is what makes ION such a cool brand to ride for and why I feel connected to the brand.

What do you associate with ION as a brand?
For me ION represents a lifestyle and a sense of individuality. In my opinion ION is the first company of its kind to create a cool brand based mostly around wind sports. Most wind sports brands try to play heavily off of the surf image for example, and although ION crosses over into the surf and wake market, it’s core image is still focused mainly on wind sports. It has made kite surfers proud to wear kite-specific clothing and accessories.

You are team rider, tester and shaper – what’s the best/worst thing at your job?
The best part is obviously being able to make a living by riding and being in the water everyday, which pretty much outweighs all the negative parts. I’m not gonna complain that I have to live out of a suitcase or that traveling is difficult, because if you have ever done an honest day’s work in your life, you know that’s load of s#!t!

Will you push competitions or focus more on development in the future?
I’ll continue to do both. The constant development we do pushes the performance of the kites and boards to the maximum, which in turn helps me to push my own riding level. And I think it’s natural when you push yourself to ride better and better all the time that you also want to have a platform to showcase your riding, so I think competition is a great stage for that.

What was your most dangerous situation in your life as pro kiter?
I haven’t gotten myself into anything too dangerous so far. I’ve had some broken bones and other injuries but nothing life threatening. This past season we did some race testing way offshore of the south coast of Western Australia, which is notorious for really big great white sharks. Luckily we didn’t see any of those, but Ken Winner did hit a hammerhead at full speed right next to me and spent about a minute swimming to recover his board.

How many days a year do you stay at home in Australia and see your friends and family?
I get to be home in Australia for about 4 months out of the year and I am in Oregon for about 2 months on and off where I get to see my family. It’s really nice to be able to stay in one place for a while, but I also love traveling for the rest of the year.

You’ve started to shape boards professionally. How did you get into shaping and when did you start?
I started making boards about two and a half years ago. I just started making a few random boards for myself and experimented with some different ideas. A few boards quickly became a few dozen boards and before I knew it I was making boards all the time.

Is there something like an own signature in your shapes?
My boards definitely have my own personal touch. I am constantly refining my boards and exploring new concepts so the main criteria is always a board’s performance, but there are also certain aesthetic qualities that I am very meticulous about. I’m very picky when it comes to those small details.

You shaped a special board for ION to visualize the claim “real life is out there”. Wh at was your inspiration/idea behind it?
The idea behind shaping a board for ION was to visualize that by following your passion and being creative that you can find “real life” in the process.

What is your interpretation of the claim ”real life is out there…“?
To me the claim basically means that life is what you choose make of it. There are a lot of amazing things out there in the world to experience and if you have a dream then you should start living it RIGHT NOW!

For more info about Sky Solbach, check out his website: http://www.skysolbach.com/