THE TEAM
Poseidon Watersports does more than coach and outfit the UK’s kite, wing + foil enthusiasts. It’s a place to explore potential and break boundaries. We think for ourselves but work as a team, growing and developing and working hard to create an atmosphere for people to learn and love the sports that have got us where we are today.
Developed and directed by Chris Burke, Poseidon is a culmination of ideas and plans built over 13 years, since Chris first began teaching watersports in 2002.
Nowadays, based from Cornwall running the shop and coaching camps, he maintains a high level of riding and invovlement in the UK industry, whilst still playing an active role in the school in Poole, training the team, coaching and overseeing operations.
Poseidon’s culture thrives by embracing change and rewarding straight up hard graft. We're achievers, leaders and occasionally rule…benders.
We’re a young [occasionally more in mind than in body] team, always open to new ideas and suggestions.
Kiting, winging, prone and wake is what Chris lives for, and an adventure on the water is what makes him feel alive. He started his journey in his very early days when his path took him around the world as a coach, sponsored rider, test pilot and sales manger.
Starting Poseidon was a natural prgoression to put vision in motion and whilst still spending as much time on the water as possible, he remains progressive in his approach to riding. His role is to offer guidance to the Poseidon team and customers looking for technical knowledge and advanced coaching.
A copy writer by trade, Georgina, an Essex girl at heart and the most devoted mummy to her children. She has worked within various marketing agencies, alongside developing her own business projects over the years, offering her attentive eye for detail to several big name brands across a wide variety of industries. Georgina runs Poseidon's marketing, webstore and school bookings when shes not shuffling around the shop to old school garage, phone in one hand and a child on each hip.
Chief wizard and head of all kitesurfing at Hogwarts...or exeter uni...or both. Matty's had many firsts with us. His first ever kite lesson was with Chris, he was on our first ever youth course and got drunk for the first time on a Poseidon night out. Now he's a fully fledged kite and wing instructor and graduate in philosophical musings. We didn't teach him how to get deep and meaningful but we did start him shredding and he's amazing at getting everyone else stoked on it too.
Ben. Meet the calmest center manager and coach on the planet. We're fairly certain you could pop a live grenade in his hand and he'd still answer the phone and book you in with all the chill of the Antarctic. {That's not part of our team training before we get any complaints}
A great coach and a face you'll be pleased to see on and off the water, putting you at ease across the board.
Meet Michael. Fresh from SA, Michael is the newest addition to our team. He'll be coaching kiting and running our wing intro sessions too. Look for the biggest air on the water when he's out riding, he'll be going hard and high.
James H. When he's not sipping ayahuasca in the depths of South America he's coaching kite and wing sessions here in the harbour. With many years of travelling and teaching under his belt, James is an astute soul who will ease you into your watersports journey with a gentle nudge and all the wisdom of a Peruvian tribe elder. Just don't let him fix you a brew, unless you want to live the high life.
Meet Gav, our resident PT. He keeps us in shape with his nutritional knowledge and uber positive approach to all things fitness and wellbeing. But when he's not lifitng weights and competing in the World's Strongest Man competitions [fact check...he might not have actually competed in that], he's coaching kiting and wing surfing with us here in the harbour. He will quite literally pick you up and throw you into watersports...in a good way.
Meet Vikki Bentley. We struggled to get a picture of her because she never stops moving for more than a milli second. She'll coach you all you need to know about kiting and wing surfing whilst telling you the best spots to cycle, trek, hike and climb. Blink and you'll miss her. And if you don't get her as your coach we're sure you'll meet this super social Sally somewhere...she seems to be at every wedding going.
Charlie spends his summer on Sandbanks, driving boats, breaking boats, getting lost on boats maybe even sinking them. That's why we hired him as a kite instructor, no boats involved just lots of passion for the sport that's seen him go from boy to man and away from boats, for now.
Meet James. When he's not playing shoot'em up and driving tanks around Kimmeridge Bay he's here at the beach coaching kiting. If you're lucky enough to have James take you out, he'll arrive by motorbike [maybe in his military get up/maybe not] with a stellar tash and some solid one liners...it's all very Top Gun and we're down with it.
He's taught his own children to kite and now he's teaching the rest of Dorset. What Maldoesn't know about kiting and winging probably isn't worth knowing, he's an OG and can be quite the enigma. When he does grace the beach with his presence he'll be scoping the best spot with the least people, a man of few words but most are worth listening to.
Known by some as Gary the Welder, he's an aviation engineer during the week and kite instructor at the weekend. So when he's not figuring out how to make planes fly he'll be getting you to grips with your kite skills and maybe even helping you catch some air too.
This is Neve. She used to tear it up as a figure skater but nowadays her spins are strictly airborne and attached to a kite. Neve has been our beach hand for a good few years now, she's an expert kite launcher, lander, pump upperer and she can size you up for a wetsuit in two seconds flat. Another solid member of the crew with a surprising number of years kite experience under her harness, you'll find her at the beach or on the water most windy days.
Preferred foil setup - Axis HPS
Preferred wing setup - Axis ART, Pump board + Wasp Wing
JOIN THE TEAM
We’re a tight knit crew made up of a range of ages, skills, talents and passions but, all in all, our love for kiting, winging and foiling is what brings us together both at work and during play time too. Always on the lookout for like-minded grafters that want to experience the best of the industry.