Radical ATHLETES
Ibiza has always attracted a certain type. Those who think deeper, see further and feel more strongly than others. Those for whom life is about exploring the very edges of existence, expanding the limits of what it means to be a human on this planet. It’s what drew the jazz crews and beatniks in the 1950s and what spearheaded the hippy revolution. It’s the spark that ignited the open-air dancefloors of the 1980s and the free parties of the 1990s. It’s a sense of adventure, of escapism, of the countercultural nonconformity that continues to inform life on this far-flung, sun-baked, salt-edged island. As Ibiza comes of age, a new breed of seeker is exploring the boundaries of the natural world, creating living playgrounds from the island’s cliffs and coves, crashing seas and winding roads. In an age of near-constant overstimulation, from screens and news to technology and conversation, these athletes seek to redefine what their bodies – and minds - are capable of. And while the disciplines that each has chosen may differ, what they share is a deep-rooted desire to disconnect from the noise of the modern world. To push further, to dive deeper, to ride faster and to climb higher. To trust in the benevolent power of Mother Nature, to blur the boundaries between risk and glory, and to taste – if only for a moment – the very edges of freedom.
Mark Frydrychowski
Ex-professional skateboarder
«Skateboarding to me is unmitigated joy. Adrenaline mixed with dopamine mixed with oxytocin and all that good stuff. There’s no agenda and no judgement – no good or bad or right or wrong. It’s totally expressive.»
Pacome Pegaz
Cliff jumper
«Cliff jumping is my way of escaping reality, disconnecting with the wider world and reaching a kind of flow state. There is of course an inherent risk, but there is also a beauty and fluidity to interacting with nature in a completely different way.»
Mathias Måhl
Rock climber
«Even though it’s a vertical space, I feel an indefinable sense of being held by the rock when I climb. This feeling of support and profound connection with nature allows me to blast away my limiting beliefs. It’s then that I can reconnect with my most powerful and authentic self.»
Jaume Oliver Serra
Professional padel player and coach
«Padel is the way that I reconnect with myself. When I'm on the court and the tension of the match is high, the rest of the world ceases to exist. I think of nothing but the competition. It becomes almost like a meditation, a total escape from everything.»
Stephane Woit
Ex-professional tennis player and coach.
«Tennis is the most humbling sport in the world to me, because it’s so technical. You can be the most powerful CEO in the world, but there are no shortcuts. You need to put the hours in, master the techniques and respect the discipline. It can be a very emotional experience for some people.»
Gabriella Velvet
Horse rider
«Horses are deeply intuitive and very often they understand what you need. Riding like I do in Ibiza – fast, wild and free – allows me to feel strong and powerful. I am completely at one with nature and my horse. It’s a very elemental feeling.»
Dipika Wishart
Free Diver
«Free diving is the ultimate act of bypassing the mind and rejecting our inherent fear-based conditioning. By facing the fear of death and softening into the edges of my existence, I am healing my original trauma - anxiety, fear, suffocation and the survival response of the sympathetic nervous system – and rewriting my own narrative.»
Mathias Lauda
Professional motor racer and surfer
«Nothing motivates me like sport and competition. It’s the way I access my true self. Ibiza is where I can be truly free to challenge myself.»
Nick Brewer
Primal Moves founder
«Primal Moves helps people to get out of their heads and drop into their bodies. The practice brings about an understanding of physical and spatial awareness.»
Styling by Ilaria Norsa.
Styling Assistant: Gaia Fusarini.
Video: Jordi Cardona Merino.
PH Assistant: Iva Fischer Cvjetkovic.
Underwater photographer: Sara Gonzalez Tur.
Local producer: Daniela Natale.
Hair: Gianluigi Gargaro @ The Agency Aldo Coppola.
Make Up: Corina Smith @ Smack Ibiza using M.A.C. cosmetics.
