The 2013 World Cup season is just over and Fanatic/North already released their latest news about a new team rider. And it’s a news we expected as Matteo Iachino was testing Fanatic/North equipment at the Worldcup in Alacati.
23 year old top Slalom racer and IFCA European Champion 2012 Matteo Iachino (ITA-140) from Italy has joined the International Windsurfing teams of Fanatic & NorthSails. His name is well known is the Slalom scene and he for sure has a great talent to make it further up to the top of the rankings. Matteo already made it on the PWA podium at the Costa Brava PWA Slalom in 2013 and won the Italian Slalom championships. He not only is a great racer, Matteo sails excellent in waves and has good skills in surfing. He left his former sponsors F2 and Challenger Sails and will now really push hard to make it on the top spots in the ranking. It’s Matteo’s third sponsor change. At the beginning of his career he was on JP-Australia and Gaastra.
Matteo with his new gear (Pic: Stefano Camera)
“I really wanted to join an experienced windsurfing brand and to have top boards top in our sport. And now I’m in this team and I can’t ask for more. I tried all Falcon Slalomboards and was quite stoked how easy and fast they are. Fanatic´s Product Manager Daniel Aeberli is a good friend of mine. He helped me a lot during these years and I believe in him and in the great job he´s doing for Fanatic.” (Matteo Iachino, PWA Slalom racer)
„Matteo is one of the most talented upcoming Slalom guys on the PWA tour. Following him since the start of his professional career gave me the possibility to see him develop his skills and Racing. He is a great personality and has the right attitude and motivation to make it all to the top of the Slalom scene. For us at Fanatic he is the perfect guy for our young and dynamic Slalom crew. The time has come to boost our 2014 Falcon line to the next level… A big welcome to Matteo.“ (Daniel Aeberli, Fanatic Product Manager)
- Matteo in a winners final at Costa Brava 2013 (he finished 2nd in this first final)
- Matteo’s victory at the IFCA Slalom Europeans 2013
- Matteo in an interview with C7
- Matteo in action
Fanatic released a short interview with the Italian racer:
Fanatic: Welcome to Fanatic! What were your reasons to join our team?
Matteo Iachino: I always wanted to join a successful experienced brand to have the best possible boards under my feet. When the possibility opened up to join the Fanatic team, it didn ?t take long for me to decide.
Fanatic: So, why Fanatic boards?
Matteo Iachino: I tried all Slalomboards and I was stoked how easy and fast they felt. Fanatic’s Product Manager Daniel Aeberli is a good friend of mine. He helped me a lot during my first years of competing I believe in him.
Fanatic: Did you try the boards already and what is your favorite board?
Matteo Iachino: The 140 is sick, but the slalom 90 is the one I like more because I love sailing in strong winds. Link: Fanatic Slalom Boards
Fanatic: Tell us a bit about yourself and how you got into Racing?
Matteo Iachino: I live in the north-west of the Italian coast, 100km from France. I windsurf since I was 10 years and my first race was a fun race organized by my club in 2006. I raced with a Freestyle board and a 6.0m Freestyle sail and I just loved the feeling I had during the race on the Slalom course. One year later I was racing in almost all competitions in Italy.
Fanatic: What do you think of your new team mates like Gollito Estredo and Victor Fernandez?
Matteo Iachino: I am honored to be in the same team as those champs, both are real heroes for me.
Fanatic: Which events are you doing in 2014 and what are your goals to reach?
Matteo Iachino: For sure I will do all the PWA World Tour where I want to stay in the top 10 trying to be better than this year. I think I will do the Formula Worlds trying to go better than this year and I will do the Italian Championships hoping to keep the title in my hands.
Fanatic: What are your plans for the winter months?
Matteo Iachino: I am already in El Medano, Tenerife and will stay here for the whole winter to be ready for the next season. I will mainly train in Slalom, but for sure I will also go Wave sailing and Surfing.
BIO/INFORMATION:
Name: Matteo Iachino
Sail Number: ITA-140
Birthday: 22.09.1989
Country: Italy
Favourite discipline: Slalom, Wave, Formula
Best results:
– 3rd PWA Costa Brava 2013
– 11th PWA Sylt 2013
– 17th PWA Turkey 2013
– 10th PWA Overall Slalom Ranking 2013
– 17th Formula World’s, Viganj, Croatia 2013 (first Formula event) – Italian Slalom Champion 2013
– Italian Slalom Tour Champion 2010-2011-2012 – 5th Italian Wave Championships 2012
Favourite spot: El Medano, Tenerife
Favourite Fanatic board: Falcon Slalom 90, Quad Wave TE 89
Favourite manoeuvre: Waveriding
How I started Windsurfing: I was 8 years old, I was in Egypt and my dad taught me the first steps on a windsurfing board. Then I stopped until I was 10 and on that summer I started again and I’m still here.
Best windsurfing day in my life: The last day of the PWA in Costa Brava 2013 when I realized I was going to get a podium in PWA, it was a dream come true.
Other sponsors besides Fanatic: Biancamano S.P.A. that gives me my wonderful van to go around for training and racing, L.N.I. Albisola, my sailing club since I was a child, who supported me every racing season.
My goals: Top 5 PWA
My slogan: Rock your life and never look back.
