Story: Marcus Tronêt | Photos: Marcus Tronêt, Magi Foster

My name is Marcus and I’ll be your bus driver this summer! I grew up in the south of Sweden and started windsurfing when I was 10. My dad windsurfed when he was young, so it’s in my blood! I sailed as much as I could growing up, but it’s not always easy in Sweden, especially when you don’t live close to the water. I got properly hooked onto the sport when my parents bought a Kona. I was 15 at the time, and thanks to the Kona my skills developed quickly.

After high school, I really wanted to do something related to windsurfing and I decided to go to Greece to train and become a certified windsurfing instructor. I landed at the Flying Fish school in Vasiliki, Club Vass as it is known, at the southern tip of the Greek island of Lefkas. That summer, I learned a lot and really came into my own as an instructor. I went back to Club Vass last summer to polish up my skills and now I feel prepared to spread the stoke in my home country. I worked hard this past winter to set aside enough money to purchase a van, and I’m jumping in! That’s actually my van you see in the drone shot above and in the picture in the gallery. I’m in the process of fixing it up, so for now the logos you see are photoshopped, but I promise you it’s going to look awesome!

The Konabussen is a mobile windsurfing school: I will travel around the country from May to September with a van and trailer full of Kona gear, stay at each spot for a couple of weeks, and teach windsurfing! I’ll sleep in the van for the most part. I’m just starting the business and it will be cheaper, obviously, but sleeping in the van is also the best way to be in the right place at the right time when the conditions are good!

I’m planning to do three group lessons a day, with six persons per group. I’ll do corporate events too in the off-season. All the equipment will be from Kona Boards, so I wanted to have ‘Kona’ in my company name! The project is all about getting more people to start windsurfing, and about giving intermediate windsurfers more confidence to take their sailing to the next level, and the Kona was definitely the best platform to make it happen. I do this because windsurfing is my great passion in life. Seeing others experience it as well makes it even better!

In these difficult times for the environment, I think it’s important to connect with nature, and a sport like windsurfing is a great way for people to feel that connection. I’m convinced that if we all care a little more for the environment around us, it will make a big difference. That’s why a portion of the money I’ll receive from each lesson will go to support causes that work hard to clean up the seas. The garbage that ends up in our oceans is outrageous, and it’s our responsibility to do something about it. I’ve had great contacts with some amazing ocean conservation organizations, but perhaps you’ll have other suggestions for me to get in touch with? If you know of a great cause dedicated to cleaning the seas, please let me know in the comments below.

Besides windsurfing, I’m passionate about filmmaking. I got a taste of it when I was in high school, and I’ve had a chance to shoot a few promotional videos since then for a number of sports clubs. I’m looking forward to putting my cameras to good use to promote the Konabussen project with films and photos throughout the summer. Stay tuned.

Click here to check out my Konabussen website, which includes detailed scheduling and booking information. See you on the water!