Rider: Paula Sonnenberg
Location: Sebastian, Florida
We couldn’t be more excited to see Paula on the beach time after time, and always with a smile! From Florida to Baja Mexico we have seen Paula’s strapless game skyrocket! Her favorite gear includes the Bandit 9th edition Kite, Mitu Pro Surfboard, and Manawa Series SUP’s! Want to learn a little more about our Ambassador Paula? Check out the full biography below. Keep shredding Paula!
Where to start? I guess from the beginning. From the time I was walking I was swimming, “like a fish” my uncle used to say. Always outdoors, at the beach, fishing or playing sports with my friends. I never stayed inside or cared for watching TV or playing with dolls like my father would have like to see in his little girl. I grew up with 3 brothers and 1 sister and was a “Tomboy” in the most traditional way. When it rained in Florida for days on end, instead of taking shelter inside or going to the movies, I would get out and skim board the puddles sometimes being pulled behind a bike or a car. Those were the good old days growing up on the west side of Ft Lauderdale.
I took up windsurfing when I was 17, right out of high school. In 1985, I went to work on private yachts as a deckhand. Being one of the only females working on deck was a challenge in those days. Trying to stow windsurfing gear on board was even harder. So in 1999 when I saw kite boarding for the first time I did not hesitate to give it a go. The initial lure for me was the size of the gear. Seeing a Robby Naish VHS video of him riding a surf board in the waves and then carrying the kite, board and bar under one are when leaving the beach was all I needed to assure me this was my next addiction. However, trying to find someone to teach back then, especially while stationed in France proved to be very difficult. There was no internet in those days. Working on yachts traveling around the globe, moving from port to port, had its disadvantages. Blowing out my ACL wakeboarding in Monaco was an even bigger dilemma. Albeit, during my rehab I found a trainer kite and flew it every chance I had. Six months later while cruising the US west coast, my first lesson was found while we were laid up in San Fran for some yard work. I contacted Berkeley Boardsports and booked my first lesson in Alameda. After only two hours I was up and riding much to my instructor’s surprise. He didn’t want to give me a board at first as the wind was picking up and I think he wanted to get out there himself (rather than chase around a newbe, wannabe kiter) but I persuaded him to hand over the board and off I went smiling.
So here I am now, 16 years later, after having endured the beginning stages with all the kite companies out there. Years of changes in safety and efficiency, style and designs, materials and techniques. I went from learning how to kite on a two line Slingshot kite and riding the Naish Sky Pirate directional board (which was considered a beginners board at the time) to riding the highly acclaimed Delta Shape F-One Bandit and the Mitu Pro strapless surfboard. With 7 years of riding on the F-One gear, from twin tips to surf style, I couldn’t imagine what was left to improve on. Until recently, when I had the unforgettable pleasure of taking a test ride on the F-One 5’1” foil board and a 10m Diablo Foil kite. The combo was like cruising in a diesel powered Cadillac. A smooth ride with a consistently powerful pull from the kite and super comfy feel right from the get go. I didn’t think I would be into the foiling too much, but now I can’t wait to get myself on this setup again. It’s no surprise that all the top foil racers are using the F-One Diablo’s. What a machine!!!
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