User:SashaBWS/sandbox

Benjamin Wilson

Known for: Kitesurfing largest wave

Born: 1977 (age 35)

From: Merimbula

Lives: Sunshine Coast, Australia

Ambassador Roles: Jeep, Dakine, Reef, FCS, Brookfarm, Rawson,

Partners: CrankIt Fitness, Life’s a Gym, The Perfect Wave

Australian surfer and kitesurfer Ben Wilson is most notable for holding the record for kitesurfing the largest wave ever captured on film. Under sponsorship from Jeep, Ben was able to successfully kite Cloudbreak’s 35-foot monster in 2011. At time of writing, the YouTube clip had been viewed over 130,000 times and is used in Jeep advertising campaigns.

Ben grew up in Merimbula on Australia’s Far South Coast and was educated at Eden High School. He first learnt to kiteboard on Namotu Island, Fiji where he worked as a surf coach. It was there he began kiting on a surfboard instead of the traditional wake board or twin-tip. This foray into the sport lead to over 10 years as a Slingshot Team Rider before developing his own brand and company with designer Dano See in 2009. Their passion for surfing drives the company’s focus of bridging the gap between kiting and surfing using the kite as an extension of surfing. Ben claims this allows surfers to, “maximise time in the ocean, even during blown-out and onshore conditions”. The company, BWSurf (formerly Ben Wilson Surf) is known for its promotion of the unstrapped, unhooked style, directed towards surfers looking for the next challenge or means to surf in a broader range of conditions. BWSurf Team Riders include Ian Alldredge, Ryland Blakeney, Sean Woolnough, Brodie Adlington, Ryan Oates, Josh Mulcoy, Ben Bourgeois and Matt Keenan.

Ben directs his company from the Sunshine Coast, Australia where he lives with his wife and children. BWSurf products are exported around the globe including but not limited to the USA, Brazil, Italy, Poland, UK, Germany and New Zealand.