“Hitting the ocean is defiantly therapeutic. When you are on the water you have the freedom to do your thing, and that is something that the daily grind lacks. With kiting, you only need to rely on yourself, there’s no hustle in the line-up like in surfing, no queue at the cable or other people in your space.”
Meet Sophie. 31, based on the Isle of Wight and originally from London.
(Above: Sophie wearing our League Collective Hoodie, Fuertaventura, Canary Islands)
When Sophie left school, instead of following the well trodden path of gap year trail through Thailand, Australia etc. She pursued a passion she’d been cultivating over her summer holidays: Windsurfing. She began refining her windsurfing skills and well, “the rest is history.”
Learning to kite-surf was a reluctant transition as at the time for Sophie, as she was a die hard windsurfer. But, living in Tarifa, Spain for 7 years, there were plenty of mediocre days where it was too windy to surf but not windy enough for windsurfing. So she gave it a go and immediately loved it.
Although Sophie doesn’t compete on a professional level, she knows where the passion lies, and is highly competitive with herself. “Knowing your competition really helps when coming up against certain challenges.”
(Above: Sophie wearing our League Collective One-piece, Fuertaventura, Canary Islands)
Whether that be in sport or life, having that focus on yourself on a competitive level can be the best way to push through challenges that life throw at you.
We met with Sophie a few months back and found out a little more about her ‘Laptop Lifestyle’, before she headed to Fuertaventura where she tested our sportswear to the max with her action packed week – and how awesome it is! See video below.
(Above: Video shot by Tom Court – Sophie wearing our League Collective one-piece, leggings, Fuertaventura, Canary Islands)
Whilst Sophie is off the coast of the best kiting conditioned seas the world has to offer, she also works as a freelance copywriter, delivering authentic content for brand development, comprehensive marketing strategies and social media management.
(Above: Sophie wearing our League Collective One-piece, Fuertaventura, Canary Islands)
Sophie also set up her own body busting ‘BeBeachFit’ workout program, which puts any fads you might find to shame. From one video to the next on How to: “Core (Lower back, abs, obliques)”, “Complete Lower Body” ,“Legs & Bum” – you only have to jump to her Instagram story or take one glance at her athletic physique to see how strong and focused she is on getting it right. We have never seen someone so determined in the gym…
(Above: Sophie wearing our League Collective Hoodie, Fuertaventura, Canary Islands)
She travels the globe to some spectacular places, mainly with her boyfriend, Tom Court, or @Courtintheact – a pro-Kiteboarder among many other talents… He also put together this epic video.
Together this power couple unite to create the most incredible content, immersing themselves into every aspect of the process – from modelling, sportsmanship, filming, photography, editing, writing, distributing this well thought out yet spontaneous content… It’s an exciting way to work and they have genuinely nailed the ‘laptop lifestyle’ – a balance of work and play so fine, yet when perfected, is probably your dream job ten times over.
(Above: Sophie wearing our League Collective One-piece, Fuertaventura, Canary Islands)
Although this is a pretty dreamy lifestyle, it ain’t always smooth surfing. We ask Sophie for a few tips on how she to keeps on pushing through, with or without a board beneath her feet:
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When you’re having a bad day, where does your mind go? how do you carry on? what pushes you through?
“Taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture helps in so many ways. If you’re having a bad day, sometimes all you need is a change of perspective to move forwards. It’s not always as complicated as it looks.”
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Do you find you work better under pressure? and what induces that?
“I certainly work better under a bit of pressure, which is a good thing as I often have many things on the go. The key is to make sure the amount of pressure has a positive effect and doesn’t become too much.”
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Any tips for anyone who’s unsure about starting kiting ?
“Kiteboarding is an incredibly accessible sport-for-all. The developments in the gear over the years not only means there are many ways to ride, but that it’s also safe. If you’re keen to get started I would choose a destination like Egypt, where the water is flat and the wind perfect for learning. A good learning experience will get you hooked on the sport.”
(Above: Sophie wearing our League Collective Hoodie, Fuertaventura, Canary Islands)
To find out more about Sophie, or read about her epic adventures across the globe, head to any of these links below!
https://www.instagram.com/_sophiemathews/
We hope you enjoyed this post! For more information on League Collective or get in touch via our email: [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you!
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