Words by Peri Roberts
There’s the Stig Hoefnagel you see online – the slow-motion landings, the mega loops, the crazy film edits with racecars and tulips – and then there’s this one. The one who’s been with Naish and Prolimit for over a decade. The one who says things like, “I don’t think I’ve ever ripped a Prolimit wetsuit, like, ever,” and “You want to be you. Not the guy chasing trends just to fit in.” The one who’s leaning into a new kind of career – less about chasing the spotlight and more about creating a legacy that reflects who he really is.
When I sat down to interview Stig for Prolimit’s We Care campaign – a storytelling series that looks at the deeper connection between our sport, our planet and the people who ride – I didn’t expect to walk away with such raw honesty. But maybe that’s what makes Stig, well, Stig.
He first fell for kiteboarding at age nine, watching riders launch over him in the south of France. “They could just decide wherever they wanted to go, and the kite could take them,” he told me. “It seemed so free.” His parents, cautious of the sport’s safety back in the early 2000s, made him wait four more years before his first lesson. When he finally did, he was off cruising the lake behind his house, jumping, exploring, creating.
That sense of creative freedom has always stuck with him. Even as he rose through the competitive ranks – finishing third at King of the Air in his debut year – it was never really about the trophies. “I thought my life was going to change,” he said. “It didn’t. I think it made me really step back and think about what I was doing and why I was doing it in the first place.”
It’s something I learnt in my own competitive career too: results don’t define you. It’s the moments, the memories, the things you create along the way that last.
His competitive spark hasn’t died, and he’s not separating himself from the thrill of it just yet. You’ll likely still see him with a jersey on. But the focus has shifted. The goalposts have moved. He’s gone from chasing titles to chasing meaning. “I was always doing video projects, posting on Instagram,” he said. “But when I started focusing on it with a purpose, I saw the impact. People were watching. People cared. That’s when I realised, okay, maybe there’s more to this.”
And there is. For Stig, the mission now is clear: create content that means something. Work with brands that back the long game. Build projects that inspire others to ride, explore, and create their own stories.
That’s where Prolimit’s We Care initiative fits in. It’s not just another campaign – it’s a commitment to doing better. To build gear that lasts. To tell real stories. And Stig gets that. When I asked him what kept him with Prolimit all these years, he didn’t hesitate: “The quality. Always. I’ve never ripped a wetsuit. And now it’s recycled, sustainable, still insanely comfortable? That’s a no-brainer.”
He tells me a story about Robby Naish trying on a shorty at a beach demo: “He was making jokes at first, and then an hour later he’s like, ‘Man, I think I’m gonna take this home.’ It didn’t even feel like he was wearing anything. Then I told him it was sustainable – and people around us were like, ‘Wait, really?’ That’s the point. When the product speaks for itself.”
That’s the heart of We Care. It’s not about big slogans or greenwashing. It’s about making products so good they speak for themselves. Long-lasting, recycled, ethically made. Gear that performs and just makes sense. “I sold twelve Prolimit wetsuits recently,” Stig said. “They’re all from the past few years. I couldn’t tell the difference between the four-year-old one and the new one. That’s what sustainability looks like.”
And in that same quiet confidence, he’s building something else, too. He’s not trying to be the loudest voice in the room; he’s trying to be the one that echoes long after the scroll. “The thing I’ve learned is that when you find something unique to you – your style, your voice – it becomes addictive. It keeps you going. And if it connects with people? Even better.”
That creative drive is what keeps him passionate about kiteboarding… fuelled not just by wind and adrenaline, but by purpose. “Kiting is one of the best travelling sports in the world,” he told me. “If there’s wind and water, there’s always a new place to explore. Why wouldn’t we show that to the world?”
For Stig, it’s about more than just finding wind – it’s about building a bigger picture. One where content isn’t just noise, but a story worth telling. Where athletes aren’t just competitors, but creators. And where kiteboarding takes its place on the global stage, not just for the thrill, but for the lifestyle and freedom it represents. He’s not just thinking about his own journey – he’s thinking about the next generation. The kids watching from the sidelines, wondering if there’s space for them too.
By the end of our chat, we’re not talking about carbon emissions or metrics. We’re talking about legacy. About showing up differently. About building something that lasts… on the water, online and within the community.
Stig keeps it simple: “I want to be known as a great ambassador for the sport.”
Someone who didn’t follow the trend, but shaped it.
Someone who backed long-term relationships over short-term gains.
Someone who cared.
And in a world that moves too fast, where content disappears in 24 hours and hype cycles spin out every month, maybe that’s the version of Stig we need more of.
Follow Stig’s quality content, viral moments and next moves, here.
