Riding Free: Italian Freestyler Matteo Dorotini Joins the North International Team

Where are you from?

Originally from Venice, I now spend most of my time in Lake Garda, where I combine my training and coaching a small team of younger athletes.  
 

Can you talk us through your journey with watersports?
I love all the boardsports: snowboarding, skating, surfing. I remember watching the kites when I was a kid, and from the moment I saw one person jumping I fell in love. Going to Lake Garda, I found some friends, and slowly kiting became my life. 

How did you learn to kite, who taught you, and at what age did you start?
I was 11-years old. Neither of my parents were kiteboarders, and at that time most of the instructors were scared to teach children - they didn’t have small boards or a harness that fits me. So I started out in summer camp at Lake Garda – at the school where I am now working. Then I went to Cape Verde – where some guys told me I should try to compete.  

Was kiting your first love, and how did it lead to becoming a pro-kiter? 
I don’t know if you can define me as a pro-kiter at the moment! I’m just a guy who really loves the sport –  I’m just improving, doing my best, and trying to involve more people.  

Do you remember the moment when you decided to focus on freestyle? What sparked that?
Friends. In Freestyle we really respect each other. I like the people who are into it because they are really pure as a person. And the discipline of Freesyle? Because it’s the best way to express yourself and make the sport your own. It all comes down to how you move, how is your energy...  

What draws you to competitive kiting?
Any big lessons or takeaways from your competitive career so far? I really feel from board sports you learn respect – for Mother Nature and for others. Surfing is the best example. You just want to keep it real and be great with the people. You can say that in competition you learn many things about yourself.  

What song gets you into the zone before a big event? 
Old school hip hop – American music. I like the vibe. Freestyle is old school and stylish, like old school rap.  

You mentioned a standout moment was training with Fabio Ingrosso. Can you tell me more about that?
In 2019 I entered my first comp in the GKA.  I wasn’t sure about competing because I felt like I was blocked at a certain level and I couldn’t improve. So I went to Brazil to do some coaching with Fabio. It was my first trip alone, I didn’t know any words in English, I couldn’t talk with the people, and I was scared of the pros. But I learned a bit of English and started to converse with the legends. Fabio encouraged me to compete. I am really thinking about those days from then to now. Fabio really had me on the mindset.  

Who do you draw your riding inspiration from?
I came pretty late to the World Tour, for the age I am and when I started...  so I never had the opportunity to work on something new. Many people inspire me - I love watching the riders who do the tricks in the old way – for example Tom Bridge is a big inspiration to me. Noah. Jama? I am always watching their videos. 

How would you describe the feeling of freestyle? What do you love about it? 
With Freestyle, you are never done. Every day you say: I’m gonna put this grab, I’m gonna make the rotation more inverted, I can make the blind landing more stylish. It’s not about the difficulty, it’s about the style. A railey blind done better than a backside 7 is nicer to watch – to see the power and how you move in the air. My opinion is that in freestyle the biggest trick doesn’t always look better than an easy trick. You could do a 1m jump super-stylish, and make that trick yours in 1000 different ways. It all depends on your mindset. But I do it for the love, not for results. 

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
If I think about where I was born, and where I am now, I can say I did a good job. Kiteboarding is the greatest thing ever – if I didn’t meet kiteboarding, my life would be normal. Sometimes I see my friends back home – they have grown up, they go to work, but they are not doing what they love. It’s hard to break away from that normality. You have to make a sacrifice, and be ready to lose something. You need courage to do that, to reach for your dreams.   

Do you have a favourite/go-to trick or signature manoeuvre?
No I don’t have any favourite – it’s not about which tricks you do, but how you do them. Although Slim 9, and Rewind are probably two of my go-to. 

If you could do a move over and over again, just because of the way it feels rather than it being the best move anyone can do, what would it be?
Slim rewind double grab 

Freestyle is a diminishing category in kiting these days —where do you see it heading in the future?
I really think it will become something – to me it looks like we’ll see in some years who really loves the discipline and who is doing it for the hype. I think in future it won’t be so much about competition, but video and parks - like skateboarding is now. It will appeal to the pure person, who has love for the sport.  
I really appreciate watching Tom Bridge and Vortex videos – they show what's behind the sport. Sometimes people see only the tricks, but these guys show the big community behind freestyle, how we think.   
 


This year it seems strange that the world champ will be decided from one competition in Brazil, in November. But I’m happy. I went skating on 2 January and broke my wrist, then they cancelled the first competitions. So maybe this is going to be my year. 

What’s been your most unforgettable kite trip / favourite spot?
Brazil in 2019 – everything started for me there - my mind started to open and I thought ‘for sure this will be the way’. I prefer Taiba to the other lagoons. Taiba was the first place where I saw riders training, park guys going into crazy rails – and I thought “Wow, this my world”.  

Do you have a day job / side gig? Did you study?
I was still in school when I chose my career, and decided if I want to push these years I need to stay free. In the future you never know – I have time. But for the moment I am following my dream. Working a bit with the kids, but mostly focussing on myself and my training.  

How do you hope to inspire others, particularly younger generations?
Everything I know, my coach taught me. Without him I would not be here. I saw in myself how another guy can help you, and I want to give back. In Italy we say “what we plant, it grows, and we take it”. I really believe in karma. 

What role has social media played in your journey? What’s your favourite thing about it?
I’ve never been into social media, without it, you cannot do much, but for sure I never stay there to see the algorithm. I’m not doing what I do for others, I am doing for myself and for those who love freestyle kiteboarding. My goal is simply that other riders follow me and watch my videos to adapt their riding.  

How would your friends describe you in three words?
Chaotic. Pure. And I really care about people. 

You’ve been riding North for a while - what North equipment do you use?
The Pulse, Flare 147, Fix Boots, Navigator Freestyle 5-Line Bar. 

What do you think of the new Pulse Modern-C kite?
I love it. It’s way more stable, has more slack. When you need to go for your biggest tricks, you definitely need a c-kite, because in freestyle the kite doesn’t need to move at all. This one is stable, so you can focus on your trick – not the kite. 

Do you have any secret talents?
I love to cook. I make a really good tiramisu. I like to climb. I like to do slackline. It’s hard to find a thing I don’t like. I like to learn and I’m not scared to try new things.  

What is your main goal for the future and what do you hope to achieve in the next few years?
My main goal is to become world champion, but also to inspire people, and not let Freestyle die.