Welcome to my World, this is me!
Leaving sand everywhere while always on another bigger mission called living live without regrets.
Full name: Mariska Wildenberg
Born: The 28th of February in the Netherlands
Living in…? At the moment in between the northern part of the Netherlands, along the Dutch North Sea – Castricum with my boyfriend, the middle part of the Netherlands with my parents – Almere and the kite vanlife following the wind to the south of the Netherlands and beyond. Or somedays you will find me driving around in my second home finding a new backyard to shred on the water, snow or concrete.
Facts…
Grown up with lots of sports around, never not on a mission or “trying” something new. There is no way you can fit her in a box, the moment you try to she will already burst out. She prefers freestyle skiing over shopping, football kits over dresses, snow boots over high heels (she can’t even walk them), playing the best trick in the skatepark over playing with barbie. Having friends who show her some new cool tricks on the snow or water instead of going to birthday parties or the movies. Prefers the kite- vanlife above luxury hotels. Doesn`t know what to do with make -up and she will always and always leave a trace of sand. If there is no way she will create one.
Inspiration:
Mariska always thinks: what the boys can do, I can do too – maybe even better! She is inspired by the little things, all the people with their own story. The people met on trips, that become a family, give a lot while they have less..and tell her not to quit, because they didn`t quit too.
Student Life
“I am a very bad student but a great learner“
Student: Accountancy & Control – RA. To be continued.
Student-life: Every semester somewhere else on the world
Graduated: BSC- Sports Management & Entrepreneurship, MBA –Entrepreneurship, MSC- Accountancy & Control.
Also: outdoor instructor, kite/surf/wing instructor and coach (IKO level 2)
Starting somewhere on the lowest grade , because she always did just enough – the priority was on sports and the adventure outside. From nothing at all to doing some years twice and some exams for the 5th time. Mariska studied every semester somewhere else on the world and graduated, the bachelor Sports Management & Entrepreneurship, Master of Business Administration Entrepreneurship. In June this year she finalized the master of accountancy. Next is the post master Accountancy, but for now she will be more focused on the study of kitefoiling the next 3 years.
Frozen to Liquid Water
There is nothing to proof and nothing to protect: I was who I was and I am who I am and thats enough.
Frozen water: My comfort zone and also everything but my comfort zone. This is where I learned to challenge myself, to push myself to get better, to be better, to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Here
I learned: the difficult is what takes a little time, the impossible is what takes a little longer. It showed me: Don`t give up just because something is hard, pushing through challenges is what makes you grow! And great things
take time!
Liquid water: The same but different, the scenery changed, the mission stayed. Still about chasing dreams worth living for: finding new adventures, flying upside down, as fast as possible, crossing boundaries, reaching goals, facing challenges, seeing the world. Here I learned to appreciate the things you already have (reached), enjoy the little moments, no – one can take that away from you.
Kitesurfing, Snowkiting, Kitefoiling & Wingfoiling
From frozen to liquid water Mariska added kitesurfing to the list sports at the age of 18. Which wasn`t always an easy ride, it took some time, thrown out by the seas, flying over the beach, crashing, 10 minutes a day till 4 hours a day. Actually becoming a kite instructor a few years later. Not practicing any trick the first years. Scared to go out there. Flying the kite 10 minutes. Scared for the unknown. Scared to.. fall. Changing peoples life to teach them kiteboarding, learning them new things, she loved but it was not her passion. Because she was told she wasn`t going to reach anything anymore….?
It took some time/years again until she realized that the athlete she once was and became, pushed by coaches, hours of training, behind that is still that little (not so shy anymore) girl who fell in love with the game of sports and never looked back. The challenges and the goals reached on top of that mountain, the kickers, the sliders… she realized she isn`t done yet.
From that moment, Mariska started to fight again for what she believed in, a dream she once had. With a new passion: kitesurfing and snowkiting!
Favourite
Trip?
Sofar;
Australia, all the way up into the north: Kiting in between hudge turtles, bleu water and super withe sand, sleeping in betwee the kangaroes and the best: no connection!
Philippines: a little island where all food comes from farmers, the water out of the wel, kiting in front of teh school, kids helping to launch. Flat water and windy from sunrize till sunset.
Norway! Endless snow and fun in the mountains with the kites 🙂
Conditions?
All the extremes & the unknow. Mariska really loves the rough ocean and the 3m stormy sessions, wing sessions in the waves- the scary onces! But she also likes the 7 knots flat water 21m foil session.
Kitefoiling
“Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are”
All season kitesurfer on an Olympic kitefoiling mission, climbing up as far as I can in the international Kitefoil race world. Representing the possibilities to all the shredding girls out there – to follow their own mission & dreams!
Home- spot: Wijk aan zee, The Netherlands
Kiting since: 5 years, competing 3 years
Kitefoiling: The main discipline since a week…..to be continued.
Always..? Thinking what the boys can do, we can do too – even better
Bad habit: Learning the hard way, taking all the sand home (even if I try not to)
Good habit: Fun, never give up, no matter the conditions.
Goal: Nothing is impossible – show it.
All to become everyday a little better than she was yesterday.
Best result?
… Capable doing all of this over the whole world again!
The past 2 years mariska made it to: Dutch champion, big air, Asian freestyle champion, 3rd in racing. PKA overall 1st in freestyle, 1st race, 1st big air, Long distance world/European Champion Snowkite, 5th Redbull Ragnarok, 4th goldcup sardinie, 19th WK kitefoiling, 15th at the world beach games in Qatar, 3rd in the formula kite spain.
Kite Van Life
Kite Van Life: Meet my (kite) van, living the vanlife as a kitesurfer.
Meet: Volkswagen T5,
Born: In The Netherlands, 2007
Co-driver: Dog
Goal: Alway seeking never lost – Always on the highway to everywhere.
Favourite spot: Close to the beach with the wheels touching the sand, next to the conrete playground watching the shredders out there!
Why? It`s cheap, what else do you need? Following the wind everywhere and sleeping right on the spot with friends.
Family
Mum & Dad looked at me, they saw something worth believing in long before I believed in myself
Growing up with lots of sport around, always driven to reach new goals, makes life fun and a never ending adventure for everyone around.
From a young age I already learned to challenge myself. Sports, studies, soccer with the guys, running competitions, swimming, flying through snow & skate parks, skiing 140 km a/h. And in whatever mum says no and dad says yes.
With a family & two dogs always supporting me, even if it might be a little crazy. All limits will be tested now: foiling in no wind or holding on to the 3m. Missing handle passes, throwing board offs, landing a strapless backroll (never surfed a real wave), kitelooping, water taxi, not hitting the cameraman, flying over the course on the snow and finally racing the hydrofoil!
Thank you mum, dad, brother: chasing the wind forever, anywhere, running behind me, untangling lines, drying wetsuits inside, leaving sand, launching kites, supporting (read: mid night airport drop offs – packing bags), wiping the tears out of my eyes- sending me out there to try just one more time!
It made me who I am today
Sports..??
“Maris & sports what could possibly go wrong..??”
From soccer with the guys – a national team, running competitions international, to swimming getting all licenses, to dancing on stage, skating the street and skateboarding the bowl. Skate 120 km, taking the SUP, surfing the ocean and the streets with a surfskate. The biggest part of her life was about; Skiing 140 km an hour, flying over kickers, flipping through the mountains, sliding the rails. A life in the snow. Battling on the highest level possible, winning competitions, but more about enjoying it. Life and the life of her family was and still is built around sports and competitions. Making sacrifices and leaving things and people behind, taking risks to reach that goal and become one of best! That’s what makes her life fun & worth it!
All these sports teach her the meaning of life, how to keep a balance and how to pick up herself after falling down. Coming back after injuries, dealing with fear. Push herself to get better and get comfortable with the uncomfortable. That she sometimes have to fight a battle more than once to win it, don’t need to stay between any lines. For Mariska there are no limits, the world is the stadium and nothing is out of bounds.
Mariska also learned that life is precious and some day you can get injured and reduced to your raw vulnerable self. Losing all you had, come back from 0. Against all odds. Some moments she had great results, but was still struggling silently. She learned to accept, that something is what it is, there is got t be a way through it. she was who she was and is who she is: different.
Shred it till bed
“Promise me you always stay wild”; Granny
Born and raised with no limits. Parents who never hold me or my brother back, always challenged us for new “things”.
Together we have been playing soccer in the same team, high level and reaching a lot of goals, I love the teamsports! I still like to play sometimes but there is always the moment I have to choose.. and you can`t let your team down – thats a fact.
Besides the fact that I played soccer forever, since a little girl, I also started swimming, getting all licenses. Mum just told me I had to get my A.. but once I start something….
On high school I was also in the running team, competing national championships, I didn`t like the running, but i liked the fact that I was good at it without training… so I was always wndering where I could end up (and yes we reached the first place somedays).. and running you can do with a broken arm… 🙂
During other free time, I found out the skatepark. Joined all other sports of my friends. Because if you never try, you will never know.
Skiing was a big part of my life, it was my life, it teached my about life. It made me begin kitesurfing 6 years ago, which is a big part of my life now, actually it is my new life!
From nothing at all, to scared to go out there, just a few minutes.. to becoming an IKO instructor, Show people how kiteboarding can change a life! …..because I wasn`t going to learn tricks… I wasn`t going to reach anything, because that was impossible they said. and I was already 18 years old, different now. BUT once I started to fight for what I believed in, a dream i once had, a new passion was born! My life as a kitesurfer & snowkiter, turning into that of a kitefoiler right now! No way back… Become first of the world, dutch chamion in big air, 6th in the Ragnarok. Oke it is going to be hard, but hard doesn`t mean impossible.
If someone tells you; you can`t, turn around and say “watch me”
