Get to know - Olivia Jenkins

The English born OLIVIA JENKINS is heading off to be one of the female hot shots in wing foiling. We took the chance for an interview to learn more about Olivia’s background during a two-week photo shooting with the Duotone & Fanatic Wing Foiling Team on Mauritius. She is revealing some childhood stories and talking about fear, her new passion, and the excitement of riding big waves. Read and watch what drives Olivia to always push her limits further!

Olivia was born in Plymouth, UK, but moved to the United States at the age of 8. After taking kitesurfing lessons on Hawaii at 16 years-old she got addicted and soon made kitesurfing her profession. Living on Maui she has become one of the most established water-women and is focusing to progress in big waves. It was just a matter of time until she got totally hooked with wing foiling.

Olivia, you have a lot of experience on all kinds of board sports on the water. We would like you to tell us a bit about your watersport’s history.

I have been a professional kite surfer for many years. To maximize my time spent in the water I aim to be proficient in a wide variety of water sports. Actually, I am doing about every water sport you can think of like kitesurfing, wing foiling, surfing with shortboard, longboard, prone surf foiling, kite foiling, freediving, and swimming. Well, you could say I am professional water-women.

When and how have you discovered water & wind sports for the first time?

I sailed a lot when I was a kid, every single holiday, we would go on these big sailing trips. From these vacations I really got an introduction and love of the water. And I also really learned how to read the wind and utilize it.

What got you into Wing foiling?

Few years ago, I learned how to prone foil on the surfboard - and I really enjoyed that. I was having a lot of fun with it. Because I had that knowledge of kite foiling and prone foiling I felt like, I have to try this wing foiling thing.

Now, what do you love about Winging?

One of the most fun things for me to do in winging is just to try and jump as high as I can. So nice, strong wind that can get my 25-liter board up and going is definitely my favorite. I love winging in the waves when the waves are really blown out. Even when there is not really a very good wave, it's really cool to go out and wing foil because you can still have such a blast and have a lot of fun.

You hold the record for biggest wave kitesurfed by a female. What is your fascination about riding in big waves and how do you handle fear?

I kind of thrive in the uncomfortable and like putting myself into uncomfortable positions to see how I fend for myself out there. Every session that I have in big waves, I'm definitely scared, but I can almost thrive on that. I think that was part of the reason why I really want to do what I do, because I love fear. I love that feeling! I search for that, I guess. And that's why I think I'm always trying to go out in bigger and bigger waves, because I like that feeling.

You are also pushing yourself into back flips. Please tell us about that.

I have crashed a lot of times, but I'm going to get it. I feel like I have the commitment, but I still need to learn how to make my body real small and bring my knees in... and generate the pop. I know it's in my future here soon.

How do you see the girls’ scene in winging?
Of course, I would like it to be bigger. But if you compare all the wind sports, I think, you see a lot more females getting into winging. Because it is such a new sport, there are all the different age groups and the differ genders entering the sport. Actually, I see a lot of women deciding to learn wing foiling and taking some lessons. There is quite a community of female wingers – not so much on Maui, but back in England. Which is great!

Can you describe your experience on this trip to Mauritius with your Duotone and Fanatic Teammates?
Everybody is so stoked about wing foiling! It was so much fun! What is really cool is to go winging with a group of people that usually go riding in all these different conditions. They usually go out in really light winds – not like me on Maui always 30 knots ;-) – with big boards and do all these awesome tricks and freestyle maneuvers. For me they push a whole different side of riding, where I do not have a lot of experience. Being in Mauritius in general has been so amazing. The wave conditions have been absolutely perfect, especially the long, slopy wave of Manawa, which is not closing out so much, is the perfect wave for winging.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Energetic, hardworking and determent!

OLIVIA JENKINS | Team Rider Video

We have asked Olivia’s Duotone & Fanatic Teammates at the shooting, what they say about her riding.

“Olivia is charging quite some waves. She was really impressing - especially Henning and myself. She was really showing us how it is done in the waves!”
Stefan Spiessberger

“She's just shredding. She goes surfing in One Eye (Mauritius). She took a massive wipe out on the reef and she's happy.”
Clement Roseyro

“She actually challenged us to go for a back flip! You know, she got quite close. She showed us a couple of attempts. They were kind of impressive.”
Henning Nockel