Dioneia isn’t your typical kite pro, hailing from Brazil she has overcome lots of obstacles on her way to success, to come from not a lot and achieve so much is truly inspiring!

Dioneia grew up in Brazil and competes on the world tour, the consistent winds and flat waters of Cumbuco helped to shape her into one of the best female riders out there…

Can you tell us a bit about your family and your childhood growing up in Brazil?

I have a pretty simple family and a simple life. Growing up with so little made me fight to succeed and also helped me realise that I don’t need much to be happy or to become someone in life. I’ve been through a lot, but it all just makes me feel strong and feel hungry to go for more. I feel rich for having beautiful friends and family and for living in such a paradise like Cumbuco.

Can you share any local tips for first-time visitors to Brazil?

Be kind to the locals and respect the lagoon rules, then you can make a bunch of friends here. This is going to make you feel comfortable and safe. At least in Cumbuco, it’s hard not to make friends because it’s a small fishing village.

Northern Brazil attracts many international kiters each winter; do you get excited about welcoming so many riders to your home, or do the crowded lagoons make you frustrated?

I love welcoming people to my home spot, but of course, I also miss having some space for us locals to train. The lagoon is always full, and many people that come to kite at the lagoon are beginners, and they don’t know how the system works. It’s just a matter of respecting each other’s time on the water. Besides that, I love meeting new people. I think the combination of respect and communication can be the keys to bringing back many tourists every year.

Living somewhere that's windy nearly every day, how do you keep from becoming burned out?

To be honest, I never get tired of kiteboarding. The fact that we have big names at the lagoon training with us, like Bruna Kajiya, motivates me to train even more than I usually do. All kiteboarders understand how hard it is not to kite. I am glad I live in this windy place and thankful that I’m able to train every day.

Where is your favourite place to ride and why?

My favourite place to ride is Cauipe lagoon, as many people may know. The place is magical, with perfect conditions and good wind. The fact that it’s my home makes me feel comfortable. Every sunset session makes me fall in love again!

You've had a lot of competitive success. Which results are you most proud of?

Travelling the world to compete and to do what I love already makes me feel proud because it’s hard to find a sponsor here in Brazil. Looking back and seeing where I am today gives me a great feeling. I remember watching Bruna, Gisela and all those great riders competing even before I learned how to kite. When kiting came into my life I thought, “Am I ever going to be part of that?” In 2012 I became Brazilian champion for the first time; that made me super proud and gave me more strength to follow my passion.

As various governing bodies and the Kiteboarding Riders United (KRU) work through the challenges of organising a professional freestyle tour, how involved have you been in both organising and attending recent events?

I haven’t been as involved since the beginning of this year when Danny Galiart, together with Youri Zoon, Bruna Kajiya, Liam Whaley and Alex Pastor, decided to create a new riders association because we didn’t have full support from the previous one. Now, I see things changing for the better, and since the KRU was founded, all the riders joining the tour are 100% involved in it. All the decisions are made by the riders, for the riders.

Before any agreement, the board members of the World Kiteboarding League (WKL) contact all riders through email and our private Facebook group. I feel like this is the time to change our sport and to take it to the next level. Thanks to Danny, the board members and all riders for sticking together and working to make this happen.

Dioneia, you recently joined the Nobile team, congratulations! What kites and boards are you riding, and what do you like most about your new gear?

Yes! I can’t describe how stoked I am to have joined this incredible team. This has been a goal achieved for me, just one of many. As my focus is all on freestyle, I chose the beautiful 50Fifty kite and 50Fifty women’s board. The combination of them both is fascinating. The kite is powerful but feels smooth through the bar.

It has a fast relaunch, and it’s super stable. The 50Fifty women’s board, other than looking fancy, has huge pop that helps me stabilise during tricks and it has huge upwind capabilities. I could sit here the whole day just to tell you how in love I am with my gear.

How important do you think women's specific gear is for lady kiters?

I think women’s specific gear is crucial, especially now that every year we see more and more girl’s kiteboarding. Having a collection for girls is something all brands should have in the future. Girls love to have things matching, and having a collection for them will make them feel special and even more important.

The top ladies have been riding harder than ever and learning tricks that in the past had only been performed by the guys. Which moves are you working on, and what's your favourite trick?

It’s so sick to see how the female level is increasing. Right now, I’m working on a Hinterberger Mobe 5; a stretched out backroll with a frontside 540 degrees handle pass, so in total two and a half spins. It’s a pretty hard trick, but with some technique it will come out well. I can’t wait to land it properly and to show it to everyone. My favourite trick is a Back Mobe. I can’t get enough of it!

If you could change one thing about kiteboarding, what would you change?

I think that kiteboarding should be a sport for all social classes, like surfing and skating. In my opinion, only people with medium and high social classes are capable of buying a good set of gear. This is why the sport is still so small because not everyone has the money to buy what they need to get started. Look at football for example. Football is so popular, and players don’t need much to take part and be involved. What would I change? I would make it suitable for everyone.

Where do you draw inspiration from, and are there any philosophies that guide the way you live your life?

I’m willing to try to be better at what I do every time. Watching Bruna and Karolina kiting is also a big inspiration for me. They rock! Life is too short to take serious, so enjoying every day like it’s the last is ideal.

What are your goals for the upcoming year, both within kiteboarding and outside kiting?

My goal is to train hard. Last year, I had a bad year competing. For next year, I want to work on my mistakes and try to achieve my goal to be in top 5 again, at least. It’s hard to make plans outside of kiteboarding because I’m travelling all year to compete. For now, I haven’t planned anything other than competing. I still haven’t found anything that can be a substitute for kiteboarding.

What's your dream trip - where would you go, and who would you go with?

Spending days with my boyfriend on a desert island where we can only kite and swim with dolphins would be a dream trip!

Obrigada Dioneia!

By Lindsay McClure
Lindsay is a pro rider from Hood River in the USA, she works for IKSURFMAG as our Features Editor and is an integral part of the team. Lindsay is really into wakestyle riding and can be found in the Hood River Slider Park during the summer months, she also travels all over the world with the World Class Academy helping younger riders develop through kiteboarding!

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