My name is Tine Slabe and I’m the owner of Recharge windsurf shop. I started windsurfing back in the 1990s while in primary school. I come from Koper on the Slovenian coast, so being in the water has always been second nature for me and windsurfing quickly became more than just a hobby. I started visiting Greece and other windy locations and the first frontloop followed not too far along the way... My love for the sport and hard-working attitude started to pay off: as a student, I got some good results in freestyle, the discipline I focused on after I became the first Slovenian windsurf pro in 2003 after completing my studies. After a few years, I switched from freestyle to slalom, where I also did very well.
After being a professional windsurfer for twelve years, it was time to focus on other challenges. I’d started Recharge back in 2007, but I couldn’t make it my priority until I finished my professional windsurfing career. Nowadays, I run Different Eyewear and work as a brand manager for Patrik Boards, but most of my energy is focused on Recharge and the development of our line of products. Of course I still try to go windsurfing whenever possible.
Windsurfing and my businesses have taken me all over the world and I was the first person in the world to windsurf past Cape Horn.
I still have plenty of challenges and goals for my future. I’d like to use my knowledge and experiences to help develop cutting-edge windsurfing equipment and do my best to popularize this beautiful sport. At Recharge, our goal is to develop gear that will make windsurfers go further and faster and help them progress as quickly as possible.