Team Rider
Ville Viitanen
Welcome Ville Viitanen: Our Newest Team Rider!
We’re excited to introduce Ville Viitanen, our latest team rider at Leijasurffaus.fi! Ville, a 32-year-old from East Helsinki, brings his passion for kiteboarding and a wealth of experiences to our team.
Starting in 2019 with vintage gear and a YouTube education, Ville’s love for kiteboarding lies in the pure joy of being present in the moment, away from everyday life. He enjoys the physical challenge and the unique perspective on the water, along with the camaraderie of fellow kiteboarders.
With memorable experiences and goals achieved, Ville’s advice for newcomers is to start with lessons from a kitesurfing school, not relying solely on YouTube as he did. Master the basics first, stay consistent with practice, and use online resources for learning when the time is right for that.
Joining our team, Ville looks forward to enhancing his passion for the sport and collaborating with like-minded individuals dedicated to advancing kiteboarding in Finland.
In the future, Ville aims to continue improving his skills and adding new tricks to his repertoire, possibly creating kiteboarding content also. Welcome to the team, Ville!
Best,
Joonas & Jusa
Leijasurffaus.fi
Age: A cool 32
Years shredding the waves: 4 and still riding high!
Stoke specialties: Ville’s got big air, freeride, and foil game on lock. And you know what, he’s also a Waterstart connoisseur LOL!!!.
Favorite tricks: Apart from nailing the elusive Waterstart!, Ville throws down slick slides like a boss—beach slide, darkslide, and the backroll to toeside is also one of his favorite tricks. Talk about style points 😉
Top kite spots: Ville’s gotta give mad props to the Estonian spots—where the wind talks in Estonian!
In Finland, it’s a toss-up between the wild card Kalsu (when the wind plays nice – read “the right wind direction”) and the breezy Laru for second place. And rounding off the podium is Veda in Hanko.
Riding the wind: Ville gets his kicks at Kalsu and Laru, but every now and then, he throws caution to the wind and hits up the Hanko spots.
Go-to kiteboard: “Ehjä!,” which means “intact” in Finnish. Because, let’s be real, Ville knows his board is the true MVP. He’s keeping things monogamous in the board department—for now.
Preferred kite: Ville’s all about those 3-strut allround kites. He’s keeping it loyal to one kite at a time, no kite drama here!
Editors note: “Currently riding Naish, but that´s about to change :P”
Off the water: When he’s not catching air or hanging ten, Ville’s all about mountain biking (MTB), shredding the slopes on a snowboard, and soaking up anything related to watersports. Oh, and he’s toying with the idea of adding lace making to his bag of tricks. Because why not keep life interesting?
Jammin’ tunes: Rock is Ville’s jam, especially classic rock like Led Zeppelin. He knows that in kiteboarding, as in life, it’s all about finding the right rhythm!
Movie time: Ville’s a fan of action, and his go-to flick is “Kungfu Panda!” Who wouldn’t be inspired by a panda mastering kung fu while they shred the waves, right? 🤙
