Wingsurf
“People” by Ozone: Iain Hannay, General Manager
Iain Hannay has been Ozone’s General Manager for a decade. His relationship with the brand first began after a chance meeting with a pair on a Mediterranean beach and grew from there. He has always been enthralled by kites since ripping around his native Scotland’s muddy fields as a teenager. On moving to Spain in […]
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“People” by Ozone: Simon Burner, tester and assistant designer
Simon Burner, 19, is Ozone’s newest team member. The Austrian-Swedish teenager joined Ozone in early 2021 as a tester and assistant designer in the kite and wing division. A kiter since his earliest days, he has family ties to the brand and the industry. Barcelona-based Burner is an accomplished kitefoil racer and wingfoiler of note, which make him ideally-placed to learn the ropes and forge new boundaries in the business.
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“People” by Ozone: Dom Zimmermann, head of design
Dom Zimmermann has just been elevated to Ozone’s head of design. After years working side-by-side with Ozone co-founder and legendary design chief, Rob Whittall, Zimmermann has assumed the mantle and now has the onerous responsibility for all the kites and wings in the ever-expanding range. The 41-year-old German splits his time between Switzerland and Mauritius, where consistent breezes, the big waves of Manawa and One Eye, and turquoise butter-flat lagoons provide ideal conditions to develop and fine-tune Ozone’s new offerings. The Indian Ocean island also affords Zimmermann the opportunity to switch-off by indulging his passion for nature. Its roads and hills make a perfect training ground for the endurance cycling races in which he loves to compete in Europe.
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“People” by Ozone: Torrin Bright, Product Manager and test rider
Torrin Bright, Ozone’s product manager and test rider, joined the brand as a 19-year-old in 2009. A competitive kitesurfer in course-board racing and freestyle, the New Zealander began as a kite tester working with Ozone founders, Matt Taggart and Rob Whittall. Through several roles, he worked his way up to product manager about five years ago. Based in Tauranga, New Zealand, he is responsible for all Ozone’s expanding line, ranging from kites and twin-tip boards to a new range of hydrofoils.
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“PEOPLE” BY OZONE: TIBO DOS SANTOS, FOIL AND BOARD DESIGNER
Tibo Dos Santos, Ozone’s foil and twin-tip designer, joined the company in early 2017. He lives and works in New Zealand, where he designed Ozone’s first twin-tip boards in his garage in Tauranga. When Ozone asked him to build a kitefoil and board, he upgraded the workshop.
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