About Matteo
A rider known for his pure and expressive style, Matteo embodies the spirit of modern freestyle and brings a refreshing perspective to the North Kiteboarding team – one deeply rooted in the joy of riding, the pursuit of self-expression, and a commitment to sharing the passion that has shaped his unique journey.
One of his greatest sources of pride isn't a specific trophy, but carving out a life centred around his passion. He reflects that if things had taken a different turn, his life would be "just normal - find the normal work, doing the same things every day. It’s hard to break away from that. You have to make a sacrifice and be ready to lose something. You need courage to do that, to reach for your dreams.”
The 22 year old’s love for kiting began at a summer camp in Lake Garda when he was just 11 - the same camp where he now gives back to the sport by coaching a small group of kids. Matteo first competed on the GKA Tour in 2019 (Winning the U19 Title in Tarifa), and has won the Italian National championship for the last 5 years. Still, his primary motivation has never been solely focused on the competitive circuit. “I do it for the love, not for results. Every day I say: I’m gonna put this grab, make the rotation more inverted, make the blind landing more stylish. For me, it’s not about the difficulty, it’s about the style.”
Matteo loves all board sports: snowboarding, skating, and surfing. “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. And in competition, you learn many things about yourself.”
Away from the water, you might find Matteo climbing, slacklining or cooking (he makes a super Tiramisu!). Despite breaking his ankle skateboarding in January, which fortunately hasn’t impacted his competition plans, Matteo views this year as an opportunity to focus on his main goal for the future: winning the Freestyle World Title. Read more...
Matteo's accomplishments
1st – GKA U19 Freestyle World Title, Tarifa 2019
1st – Italian National Freestyle Championship (x5 consecutively)
1st – Italian National Freestyle Championship 2022 (Stagnone)
1st – Italian National Freestyle Championship 2023 (Stagnone/Marsala)
2nd – GKA Freestyle Kite World Cup Taíba 2025
3rd – IKSURFMAG Best Male Kitesurfer 2025 readers award
A riders quote
“With Freestyle you are never done. You can make a trick your own in a 1000 different ways, it all depends on your mindset and your personal energy on the water.”
Matteo Dorotini
“With Freestyle you are never done. You can make a trick your own in a 1000 different ways, it all depends on your mindset and your personal energy on the water.”
Matteo Dorotini's SETUP
