This month we go directly to Fuerteventura to meet our distributor from the Canary Islands. Davide Zilli, not only an exclusive Point-7 distributor in the windsurfing world, but is active in many and different aspects of the sport. Let’s find out more!
Davide, you live in Fuerteventura, but originally your are from Italy. Tell us a bit how you decided to move to the Canaries, and how you got into windsurfing as a sport?
Yes I was born in Italy and I decided to change my life when i was 19 years old.At first I was traveling around the world and working in a company teaching sailing and windsurfing.Everything changed in 2000, when I start windsurfing in Tunisie, from that moment I really understud what my future was.
After few years my working company called me in Mexico to ask if I was happy to go to Greece Island to work and my reply was no, I will only accepted Fuerteventura!!!I was so focus in Fuerte because I was watching many videos and everybody was telling me that Fuerte is one of the windiest and waviest places in the world, so time for me to move !This was a key decision in my life, there I meet my awesome wife and I meet the general manager of an important windsurfing school and few months later I finished my old job to start full day teaching windsurfing at high level, like this I had the chance to grow up fast with my skills and start to wake up everyday only thinking about manoeuvres or windy or waves.
How did you decide to start the distribution of Point-7?
In Fuerte like everyone knows since many years all the riders are coming to test and train, and after few years I decided to build my windsurfing company and of course I was enough prepare to choose the right one.
After talking with Andrea I decided to go black because we have the same goals and passion, growing the sport and the young guys to have a better future ,and in same time give to the public the best gear possible .As soon as I realised the product is on the top I asked to Andrea to give me the chance to be a Dealer in Canaries, from where I started 3 years ago.
You are also running your own rental place together with your business partner Matteo. How did you to meet and why you opted for this kind of different idea of rental for windsurfing?
Yes I´m running a windsurfing /school shop in Sotavento with my business partner Matteo.We were working for same company in the beginning of my staying in Fuerte and we were neighbours as well ,one day he came up with the idea of doing something together, and I reply straight sure!!!That was 2 years before the dream come true because was impossible to found a right place to do it in Costa Calma where we are living.
But 2 years later talking with other friend he also said he would like to make a surf shop school, my reply directly was…perfect! This guy is called Richard and he is running a surf shop since 1992 in Fuerte, that was the key because he let Matteo and me be part of the shop and start selling products and promote our concept the RENT & GO!So now you knows we are not 2 partners but 3, and for Richard is like a double satisfaction because his young soon Robyn Van Linden is competing for the black team.No one in south of Fuerte was really worried about this concept because the windsurfing school in the south are so big to do not care about what the people needs but to only take care about numbers!!!So here we start to teach people anywhere they want at the time they wanted, having the flexibility to choose beach and time to do the class.Fuerte is very famous for all his different spots, flat, wavy ,strong wind or lighter, so why restrict the people to only one.
Rent & Go offer to our clients a complete rig with two sails, and of course the client have the opportunity to change board or sails as much as they want during the rental.
We offer theme almost every tipe of board, Freestyle ,Wave ,Freestyle /wave, free ride and also we have some Slalom,and that topped with the best sails in the market.All our costumers are very happy with us because they come as a customer and they leave as Windsurfer friends.
I also want to add in case is no wind we give them a sup boards or surf for free including in the rentals, and transport the gear its quite easy because in all the rentals we give them the roof rack universal for all of kind of cars.
You are also PWA and EFTP judge. How do you like this role? PWA or EFTP? Freestyle, Wave or Slalom ?
Yes Im a international Judge,I love this role because Im able to travel and stay all the day talking about windsurf.I started working with Dunkerbeck like a Judge 4 years ago ,and I have the opportunity to work with the slalom race director and after few days he asked me if I was interested to judge Slalom also, and you can imagine my answer.
Just 1 month later I was engage as well to judge for the EFPT in Lanzarote, and there the same story, the race director asked me if I want to judge the next competition, and same answer. Right now for 3 years I have judged almost all the events around the world for PWA Slalom and Freestyle and the European tour, plus some random events. Being in contact with the professional riders make me happy because the show they giving to me is incredible.
You are on the road quite a lot and you just became Daddy less than a year ago. How do you manage all this multitasking activities? Do you get time to windsurf yourself?
Well the secret is my wife and my business partner Matteo, one is working hard with the baby and also at the work ,and the other is running alone the business when I m travelling .
Only like this I m able to do all the things.Sure I have time,I mean not like before, but during the day me and my wife go to the beach with our van and one stay in the van with the baby and the other go in the water and then we switch.
Did you ever compete yourself in windsurfing?
No, I never compete myself,I always have to work and no time to train properly.
Canaries could be seen as the European Hawaii. How is it to push a brand in this market, especially Point-7?
Well thats the hard part, it s a very particular place because in our island the tax are lower than most places in the world and the customer think to go back to his country with a used or new gear, but is not like this because yes we have less tax but the price of the stuff is the same like everywhere else and we pay more for the shipment.
Regarding sell the material in other island is also hard because wherever tis a school on the Canaries its normally an awesome spot,and the owner pretend to have the material almost for free because he is promoting the brand, and like all the people knows this is impossible.
I m very focus on the schools now because I guess we will have the best future if we will be able to reach a new windsurfing clubs because is the fastest way to be more visible.
I m promoting Point7 a lot and im always looking for new ideas because if you are always doing something, you are active and productive.
Next projects?
In the end of June from the 27 to the 30, we will organise for first time in the history the EFPT in Costa Calma in the spot of Matas Blanca, where my friend Victor is running a new windsurf center, of course with black sails. Point 7 will be one of the sponsor of the event and honestly without his help probably the event was not possible.
And the other goals trying to have part of the islands black!!! I also have a” secret project” coming up soon but I hope to talk about it soon, with a report and test because it will be super important for all the windsurfers!!!
What is Point-7 for you?
Point 7 for me is the second family and the second skin,I don t have to add any other word because if you are reading the journal probably you have the same feeling I have!
