Since dedicating his life to kiteboarding, Roderick Pijls has kited inside a volcano, between icebergs, and on toxic lakes, all with the mission of raising environmental awareness. International athlete, adventurer, model, and public speaker, Roderick Pijls is a man with many facets! Find out more about his life, passions, and purpose in this exclusive interview!

Roderick, thank you for joining us for The Interview! With so much to talk about, let's start simple and go back to the beginning... Tell us about your childhood and what kept you busy before kiting became part of your life.

Thanks for having me! I used to play field hockey in the national selection, which was my life and focus back then. I trained 5 to 6 times a week, and on weekends, we competed. I was waking up around 6 am, taking the bus for 1.5 hours to high school, doing some training on track after, and then taking the bus back home to get in bed at around 11 pm, only to do it all over again the next day.

You had a bit of a late start in kitesurfing compared to some of the other pro riders making headlines these days; how old were you when you first got into kiteboarding, and what inspired you to take up the sport?

I was about 15 or 16 years old when I discovered kitesurfing. I was usually off from field hockey on Sundays, so we would spend the day at the beach. One day, I saw dozens of people flying through the air with a kite and asked my parents if I could also give it a go. They promised to give my brother and me a lesson if we passed our year at high school. Luckily, we did!!

What do you remember about your first lessons? Did you take to the kite quickly, or was it a bit of a struggle?

I remember that we had so much fun from the start. Our teacher, Koen Molkenboer, was an absolute legend, and he taught us to kite and, more importantly, to enjoy the journey of learning. I remember it was pretty windy, but as a beginner, I completely trusted Koen. He reassured us and gave us the confidence to try. On the second day, he gave us a board, and, probably by pure luck, I managed to get up on my first try and get my first 100m ride in. After that, I got a couple more runs in, and by then, I already knew I needed to feel more of that rush! That feeling of freedom and adrenaline while working with the elements still drives me to this day. 

When you were younger, did you ever think kiteboarding would become such a big part of your life? 

Never. I never imagined becoming a pro. I was still playing field hockey and had my Olympic dream there, so I always kept kitesurfing to the weekends if I had time off. However, after accomplishing my goals with field hockey on the Dutch National Team, I decided to leave that chapter behind and spend more time on the water. 

Nowadays, everything I know, do, possess, or decide is based on kitesurfing and everything around that. I could never have imagined this, and I must admit that I am grateful every single day that I can still do what I do.

You've just joined the FLYSURFER international team - congrats! What drew you to FLYSURFER? Do you share common values?

It's fascinating to see how much knowledge is in that company. From creating a fantastic wave kite that drifts like a maniac and steers super fast, but still feels light on the bar to having the fastest and most developed race kite on the market; FLYSURFER is varied and diverse, which makes it an amazing brand to work with.

Now that you've had a bit of time to familiarise yourself with their gear, what kites make up your quiver?

I am mainly riding the STOKE for wave-riding and freestyle. They just released a magical new version of it, and it's my favourite kite in their lineup! For the racing discipline, I ride the VMG and the MOJO wing.

You are still riding LIEUWE boards; How long have you been with the LIEUWE team, and what made you decide to stick with them?

I've been with LIEUWE for 5 or 6 years, and there are numerous reasons why I still ride their boards. As an athlete, you are always searching for that perfect setup, and, to be honest, their range of boards is just magic to me. The Shotgun and Oceana are, for me, such a great combo. I am riding the Oceana for freeride and freestyle and using the Shotgun for Big Air.

I love their motivation to keep searching and developing their product range. We've been experimenting with carbon and carbon stringers that resulted in the Teijin reinforcement. When it comes to their designs, they're incredibly creative with their artwork and release a new limited edition design every Friday, giving every board owner something unique. I love it!

Living in the Netherlands, what are your favourite kite spots close to home, and why?

We have some amazing spots in the Netherlands, all reasonably close together! There's Ouddorp, a sandbar that pops up when it's low-tide, and with a big storm and southwesterly winds, there are some long peeling waves. Nothing big, but fun and long. Just a couple of kilometres further, we've got Brouwersdam. With northerly winds and high tide, there's a harbour jetty with a little pond behind it with just perfect butter flat waters. A further 30 minutes drive is Maasvlakte, with approximately five lagoons that offer flat waters that work in many wind directions.

But, the main reason why I like the Netherlands is that I can kite with my old friends. I truly love kiting in the best conditions in the world, in places like Mauritius, Cape Town, Brazil, Namibia, etc. But, sometimes it's also the freedom to have pure fun with friends that's really special... not feeling the need to push yourself - for once! - and just shredding the gnar with some mates!

You would think that big air would be in your blood as a Dutchman, but that's not the case! You're an all-around rider and perform at a high level in waves, freestyle, big air, and even foiling. Why the decision to diversify and ride well in all disciplines rather than focus on just one? 

In the Netherlands, we get different conditions, and thanks to that diversity, I can spend 80% more time on the water. Before, I only focused on freestyle or waves, but I noticed that 50% of my sessions were pretty crap. Often, the waves were sloppy, the flat water was choppy, or I was just waiting on the beach for the wind to pick up. 

Now, I can race in 6 knots, shred waves if there's swell, or throw double swaps if there's flat water. That motivates me and pushes me to perform my utmost in all conditions. I am convinced that all the knowledge I possess from all disciplines helps me perform even better in each one. 

In your professional career, you have chosen to concentrate on exploring epic places and telling incredible stories through movies and photography. So what was the latest big adventure you tackled?

My most recent trip was to Hood River, Oregon, where I joined the FLYSURFER team to shoot an exciting new product. On that trip, I combined my curiosity for kiting and equipment technology with my love for sharing the stoke and the sport with the youth. 

Before that, I was in Palma de Mallorca, where we had the European Championship for kitefoiling. It's a new discipline which will be featured in the Olympics in 2024, and together with the Dutch Federation and a couple of other lads from the Netherlands, we are trying to give it a go. 

But, my latest big adventure was in Iceland, where I kited inside a volcano, on top of a glacier, on a waterfall and in between icebergs. It was a project for The Last Line to continue our previous adventures in Tanzania and Norway.

The Last Line might be one of the most epic expeditions in kitesurfing history. How did this project come about, and what was your end goal?

Hahaha, thanks, that is such a big compliment! I've said it before, but kitesurfing has given me everything I know. The joy, life lessons, positivism, all the cultures I've experienced… everything! And I get to spend almost every day in the water, training, playing and working with the elements from Mother Nature. 

I see climate change happening and wanted to help, but I didn't want to only send money to a charity and think that I've done my part; I wanted to help and work on something tangible. So together with Rein Rijke, a photographer and good friend, we sat down, brainstormed and came up with this project. First, we had to get people's attention so that more people were aware of our project, so we decided that I would kite on a toxic and 70°C boiling hot lake. This got picked up by the National Media and was featured on TV, in newspapers, and on the radio. After that, we went to Norway and Iceland to do and capture extreme and 'never-been-done' action, but in an insanely aesthetic way to get people thinking and inspired to make more conscious decisions and motivate them to do their part. 

What was your most memorable moment from that journey?

We went to Norway intending to capture me kitesurfing under the Northern Lights. We wanted to get to the Arctic Circle in a CO2-neutral way, so we sailed for more than three days, took an electric train, and then continued our journey by electric car. Unfortunately, once we arrived, we didn't see any Northern Lights for more than ten days; we even stayed up all night trying to capture them, but we were unlucky. 

On the last night, when we had packed everything for our journey back, we went out for a goodbye drink in town, looked up, and saw that the entire sky was on fire! The lights were finally showing themselves! We were screaming like little kids, running around and making sure to get the shots, but being sure to find a moment of silence to enjoy the experience. That was when I realised that we, as humans, can do our utmost to attempt to control Earth and think that we possess her, but only she can decide what will happen (or not). 

Besides bringing awareness to environmental issues through your video projects, how do you live a sustainable lifestyle?

I try to make conscious decisions in every aspect of my life. In my career, I try to partner with brands that share the same values. Personally, I've decided to drive an electric car, stop using single-use plastics, take 95% of meat and fish out of my diet, and many other small but easy changes. So, I'm trying to incorporate this mindset into my daily life as best as possible. I don't want to be that person who points fingers at others and tells them not to do this or that, but I would like to help open their eyes and inspire them to make their own conscious decisions. 

You also do some modelling and public speaking! Tell us a bit more about that... and is kitesurfing your side hustle or your main hustle?! 

Kitesurfing is my main hustle! It's my passion and where everything started, and it will stay like that for many more years. During a kitesurfing competition, I got scouted to become a model, and now, several years later, I've done many TV commercials, campaigns for great brands, and loads of photoshoots. My main focus is kitesurfing, but whenever I feel I've got a gap for a job, I'll take it. But, if I have to choose between a shoot or a session, the session is number one!

As an athlete, you must make many decisions in critical moments, like during a competition or race, and even in how you live your life. I noticed that kitesurfing had taught me many life lessons, like knowing how to choose which direction to go or how to deal with failure and disappointment. When I was approached some years ago to give a motivational talk at a conference in Paris, I saw after the talk that everybody was inspired and motivated by what I had said and shared with them. I decided that I'd like to continue to share my lessons, motivation and perspective on life with many people, and I am passionate about public speaking.

What are your other hobbies or favourite things to do outside work and off the water?

As I spend so much time away from home (even in the Netherlands, I am always on the road for something), I love to be at my house, recharge and spend time with my family, friends and loved ones. In addition, I really enjoy cooking and trying new recipes; I find it helps me feel calm and relaxed, and I enjoy the time it takes to focus on creating food. I also love to do CrossFit! It keeps me insanely fit off the water, and I like the culture. It feels like a second sport for me, and the group always gives me a warm welcome when I am back training with them.  

Another thing I quite enjoy is going to the beach to get a coffee and watching people do their thing... does that sound weird?! I can happily sit somewhere with a coffee and observe people for hours. 

What are you most excited about for the future? Are there any big trips or projects coming up?

We decided to make The Last Line a bigger, even more professional project. On that project, it looks like there are some seriously big trips coming this year and over the next couple of years, and that makes my heart beat twice as fast!

I am also excited to get the jersey back on and compete in wave events and racing. I would love to be back on tour in competition locations like Mauritius or Brazil; those locations are prime for waves, and I cannot wait to share some heats with friends again. 

Next to that, I really hope that my Oasis VR project will keep growing and expanding to several other hospitals to motivate kids to chase their dreams.

Videos

RODERICK X FLYSURFER
STOKE - IGNITE YOUR FIRE
I went KITESURFING inside a VOLCANO
OASIS VR
By Crystal Veness
Editor at IKSURFMAG, Crystal Veness hails from Canada but is based in South Africa. When she isn't busy kitesurfing or reporting on the latest industry news for the mag, she is kicking back somewhere at a windy kite beach or working on creative media projects.

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