Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Marinkovic.
Hi Paula, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
There are two defining moments in my life, the first one was when my parents decided to leave our country in South America for a better life in the US and the second when met my now husband, Kent who luckily also introduced to the sport of kitesurfing.
Even as a child growing up in Brasil, I remembered dreaming of adventures and the opportunity to experience something unique. Our world at the time was much smaller. My hometown offered very little to do and our culture was very traditional. Girls grew up to be mothers and take care of their house, they didn’t pursue unrealistic dreams or practiced extreme sports.
I really struggled with the idea of conforming to society.
As soon as we moved to Miami I met a group of guys in school who surfed. We became great friends and was instantly hooked. I started working in a surf shop and then one day, I heard of a new sport called kitesurfing and a guy named Kent who was a great kiter.
I remember when Kent first introduced me to kiting. The early years of the sport were quite difficult as the information wasn’t as readily available and technology had not yet reached its peak. Only a hand full of people were able to proficiently practice kitesurfing and almost none were women.
I spent many frustrating hours at the beach wondering if I would ever get past the beginner stages. Eventually, I did overcome obstacles and learned to love the sport that seemed so unachievable to me.
Fast forward a few years, with a little encouragement from a girlfriend, I worked up the courage to leave my office job and to pursue a Kitesurfing teaching certification with PASA.
That was a life-changing event and I have not looked back since.
Finally after years of teaching led into opening my own school which focuses specifically in teaching foiling disciplines. I love what I do today more than when I officially started.
In addition to running EfoilUSA, I’m lucky enough to be involved with a few organizations which thankfully allowed me to share my passion for the sports in ways that matter.
Special Olympics Florida – Paddle Boarding Chapter
Wow – Women on the Water – All Watersports
New Found Freedom – Kitesurfing and other watersports for vets / and people with disabilities
U.M. Kite Club – Kitesurfing Club for students and faculty for the University of Miami
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Owning a small niche business in a predominantly male-driven industry can be challenging.
There’s a constant struggle of having to work harder, to be equally proficient at sports and yet to not come across as too strong or “off putting”.
I’ve had guys refuse my help out on the water because they were too proud to accept help from a woman in front of their friends.
A lot of times, when I show up to service the electric boards at a yacht, the crew looks confused and ask if the technician wasn’t available to come that day.
Another challenge was to also convince my family that opening a watersports school was the right business move.
My parents are old school and they believe in more formal career paths such as becoming a doctor, lawyer, etc… my choice was much too unconventional and it took some time for them to recognize and approve of it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about E-foilUSA?
E-foilUSA started out as a small dream.
I have been in the watersports industry for many years, working in sales and eventually as an instructor.
When the sport of hydro foiling came around, I was instantly drawn into it. One day a dear friend of mine and pro athlete Damien Leroy took me under his wing. One thing led to another and he introduced me to founder of Lift e-foils, Nick Leason…
We brainstormed and I decided to open a Lift E-foil school. Lift, a pioneer of the industry based in Puerto Rico has revolutionized the industry with the creation of the e-foil. I couldn’t be more excited for the opportunity to work with this amazing brand and to start a school.
Two and half years later and we are one of the largest schools in the country. We have also incorporated other foiling disciplines and now teach wing foiling, kite foiling and tow-in foiling.
In addition to private lessons, we also offer Corporate events, Women’s clinics and kids camps.
Since the opening of the school, I have had the privilege to share and teach some pretty outstanding people.
I was asked by our local yacht club to lead a club dedicated to introduce women to sports, Women on Water or WOW.
Since my involvement, we have taught kiteboarding and foiling clinics to a number of women and encouraged them to learn new sports. Our community is growing and we have participated in a number of events together, including a Dragon Boat race as well as Kitesurfing trips abroad.
Another program I’m thrilled to be a part of is our local Special Olympics Paddleboard chapter. We started this program eight years ago with only five athletes and have since grown into a team of over 20 athletes of ages 15- 54 years old. Our team practices every Thursday (during the season) and we also compete in local, state and international competitions. One of our athletes, Daniel Fundora is currently representing team 305SUp at the USA GAMES in Orlando this coming month.
Lastly, we partnered with Cabrinha Kites and their NEW FOUND FREEDOM project which focuses on offering water activities for people with disabilities. We taught some of the most amazing humans how to foil and kite at events held in Miami, South Carolina and Oregon.
I’m extremely proud of the work we do and for the chance to share my passion with others and to create opportunities for people of all abilities. My goal is to continue to grow the communities around me and give everyone a chance to be involved.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
One of the areas where we most need help is with our Special Olympics program.
As the head coach for Miami Dade’s Paddle Boarding Team, I spend a lot of my time recruiting new volunteers to help us with the program.
We currently have 20 athletes in our 305SUP team, and we need as many volunteers as possible to keep the program working. You can participate either on land or on the water, coaching different level athletes, and there’s no full-time commitment involved.
To get involved, please e-mail me directly. Our training camp is scheduled for April 9th at Matheson Hammock Park.
Pricing:
- $325 – 2 hr E-foil Private
- $100 p/hr Wing Foil
- $100 p/hr Kitesurf
Contact Info:
- Email: info@e-foilusa.com
- Website: www.e-foilusa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/efoilusa/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/efoilusa
Image Credits
Kiting photos by Fidel Wingsurfing photos by Arnold Newman
