Youri Zoon is a professional kitebaorder who is currently third in this season’s rankings.

YOURI ZOON started kiteboarding in 2003 and has gone on to travel the world to compete in the sport. His titles have included PKRA Vice World Champion and Dutch Champion and he’s currently fighting for a title in this season’s rankings. He’s third and is working and training at every opportunity he has to hold on to this coveted place.

We got the opportunity to talk to Youri about his career in more detail and what it is about kiteboarding that makes him tick. Read on to hear about his highlights in the sport to date and how he views overcoming injuries as up their with some of his greatest achievements.

Tell us about where you grew up and how it enabled you to pursue you passion for extreme sports?

I grew up in a small town in the south west of Holland, since I was young I always wanted to be the best in everything I did, I always felt challenged. This also was the same when I started kiteboarding.

Youri started kiteboarding in 2003 and has seen the sport take him to competitions around the world.

When was it that you decided to focus of kiteboarding and what was some of the early success you had in the sport?

I started in 2003 and after al the sports I had done before I knew this was the sport I needed! In 2004 I won the European Junior Championships in 2005, Dutch championships and in 2006 my first World Cup stop and finished third overall that year.

Where in the world has the sport gone on to take you and what have been some of the highlights?

I have been al around the world and as we speak I am in Greece. Next week I will be in Switzerland and the week
after in Germany, so I can say that I am always travelling all over the place.

Highlights have definitely been my world titles. But also coming back from injuries and winning competitions! That really gives you a great feeling!

Youri puts overcoming injuries to continue in his career as some of his biggest achievements.

How important to you was it becoming PKRA Vice World Champion after two years of injury and how much did this motivate you to go on and take to take the two world titles you gained in the years to follow?

For me this was a normal process, the fact that I became second was more than I could have ever expected. But I knew I
trained hard for it. It definitely gave me the feeling that I could win the tour, win world titles and stay at the top.

Among Your’s titles in the sport is that of PKRA Vice World Champion.

What are you currently training for and do you have any exciting challenges or projects planned for the year ahead and beyond?

At the moment I am ranked third so still have a chance for a title this year. That is definitely my main goal. And I’m still training hard fort his. Future plans are definitely in the pipeline but more on that soon!