MANUELA JUNGO

Top 3 kitesurfing spots?

• Sardinia, Porto Botte - An amazing flat-water spot with a lot of space, nice people and good food
• Diani Beach, Kenya – A great spot that I have just discovered for myself recently. Wind every day and surrounded by breathtaking nature.
• Iceland – A beautiful island with many empty spots to discover

Favourite gear setup?

I use the Dice with the Click Bar. It’s a very stable and direct kite that allows me to generate pop and the necessary slack to perform freestyle tricks and gives me a great constant pull on obstacles. The Team Series 135 is my choice for freestyle. It is the perfect size for me and generates pop and gives me the control that I need to improve. The Gambler 139 travels with me too. It has a durable construction and the extra rocker and grind base are perfect to hit obstacles in the kite park.

The biggest achievements in your kiteboarding career

Nr 5. of the World in the PKRA World Tour for 3 years.

Your hobbies aside kiteboarding?

I like to do all sorts of sports. I almost can’t be without one day of kitesurfing, running, hiking, mountain biking, skiing and many other activities.

What do you do on a day without wind?

I like to be in nature. If there is no wind I like to explore the place that I am visiting on foot or with the mountain bike.

What style of music are you interested in?

I like to listen to all kind of music.

How and why did you start kiteboarding?

I started kiteboarding in 2006 in Cabarete.

Why are you riding for Duotone?

Duotone gives me the best gear to express myself on the water in different disciplines. Duotone is not only a Sponsor/Brand for me it is a group of amazing group of people that I am able to spend good times with on and off the water.

What is your main goal for the future?

My goal is to keep on exploring new kite spots and to share my adventures with my community.

What training do you do to stay fit?

I like to run and mountain bike to improve my endurance. I go to the Gym Bfit2 and train with my trainer when I am at home. They have amazing functional training devices like SensoPro and Fieldpower. I bring my TRX to do my strengthening or coordination training and my yoga mat for stretching exercises and to practice yoga to keep my body in balance when I am on the road.

What would have been your job if you wouldn´t be a pro kiteboarder?

I started my career as professional kiteboarder very late. I studied economics and my last job was brand manager for a watch company in Switzerland before I started to travel. The plan was only to take a break for 1-2 years but that was 8 years ago. I guess if I hadn’t decided to explore the world I would still work for a brand in the marketing department.

What´s your favourite food?

I am vegetarian and food is very important in my life to perform well.  I like to cook myself and experiment with new recipes. Raw food and Superfood are an important part of my diet. I always like good Italian food.

What did you always want to say?

My goal is to show how important it is to have a passion and to believe in yourself. I also hope that I can inspire people on my trips and via my social media channels to work hard and live their dreams.