Interview with Kitesurfer Roderick Pijls

Interview with Kitesurfer Roderick Pijls

August 16, 2018

Can you give us a quick intro about yourself?

Hi all, of course! My name is Roderick Pijls, I’m 26 years old and I’m a professional kitesurfer. I travel the world for world cup competitions / training / photo shoots / etc ... and I try to explore as much as possible.


When did you hear about The Bamboo Brush Society?

Approximately a year ago. I was at my local beach and I met Maurits. He introduced me to his Bamboo Brush and the Society that’s he starting. I was so positively surprised; as I’d never really thought about all the plastic pollution that’s caused by toothbrushes.


What do you think of the Bamboo toothbrush?

I love it! It feels like a normal toothbrush haha. Firstly, it feels more natural to have a wooden toothbrush in my mouth than a piece of plastic. Secondly, if I can help Mother Nature to sustain herself in her current condition by adapting just this little bit then I’m convinced.


You’ve travelled a lot around the world, where is the best spot you’ve brushed your teeth so far?

I’m travelling approximately nine months a year. From Norway to Cape Town to Tanzania to Indonesia.

Once I did a downwinder in Brazil by kite, so you follow the wind along the beach, from point A) to point B) was 700km. One night we slept on a little island (100m x 150m), as we missed our boat transfer and it was already getting dark. It was quite scary, but when the sun started rising I was blessed to brush my teeth in that place. No one else, just my friends and me and the ocean. What an experience!


What project are you working on this year that you are most excited about?

At the moment I’m working on my ‘In Search of Incredible’ project. I’ll be travelling to Kilimanjaro airport (Tanzania), from there I still need to drive off-road for another two days. Then we arrive at Lake Natron, which is poisonous, and I’ll try to kite on that lake. It’s going to be super scary and risky, but it’s such an amazing experience and adventure. I can not wait!


Tell us your best travel story?


At the start of this year we travelled to Morocco for the World Cup. We arrived a week and a half before and had amazing conditions, perfect wind and so many waves. Just before the competition we (my girlfriend and I) got invited by the local accommodation organiser to do a camping trip in the desert to hunt for undiscovered waves. So, the next morning, after we packed the car with our gear, we started driving for an entire day. The next morning we had a great session in the middle of nowhere, we were literally in the Sahara, and kiting somewhere unknown (pretty sketchy, because if something happened we had to drive for a day to the nearest hospital). After that session we had another one and then we searched for a campground. Building our own campfire and dinner we saw camels approaching us. We slept next to a campfire, underneath the stars, in the middle of nowhere with a group of camels around us. How perfect is that? It was such a crazy experience.


Any books, documentaries, films or series you’d like to recommend?


At the moment I’m reading the book: ‘Ki’. It’s about the power that we all have within us, but many people have lost because of stress and other reasons.

The monks in Nepal are still exercising and utilising the Ki in their body and this book explains how to re-find it and use it properly again. Such a great book. Also I watched the movie ‘Three Billboards’, have you seen it? It’s sad, but with such a strong mentality.

 

Share your best photo on your phone ! Make us laugh

Hahaha.. I’ve just got a new phone. But I like this one. Ice Cream is never a bad idea, right?



Last question… Where is the number one place you’d like to travel to?

Tahiti: Such a raw and untouched place (I think and I hope hahahah). So really want to go there and experience nature in its purest form.

 



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