About us

Alex surfed his first waves on the French Atlantic coast. Much has happened since then: In 2009, our boy from the Ruhr area decided to leave the work and everyday life behind him and spent a couple of years in surf camps in Morocco and France. In 2013 Alex eventually discovered a new destination for himself: Sri Lanka. The idea of the drivethru surf camp was born. This idea was then immediately realized with the help of his best buddies Waschdl and Raphi. Today, as manager he handles all business affairs mainly out of Germany, while missing the ocean, which is why he visits our camps in Sri Lanka and Denmark on a regular basis. Who knows what he will come up with next…

Together with Alex and Raphi, Waschdl is one of the founding fathers of drivethru. After finishing his studies in sports science in Munich, he has managed to turn his passion “surfing” into his occupation. It all began in Morocco and France and eventually led him to Sri Lanka with the other two guys. Since 2008 our favorite Bavarian is a surf coach and spends most of his time in the water. Currently he is responsible inhouse for the training and development of our surf courses.

Mimi is a drivethru member since 2015. Together with Alex, she takes care of the entire back office and communication for drivethru from Germany. The three boys met Mimi years ago, when she was teaching French at a surf camp in France at the time. After she finished her masters in 2014, Alex offered for her to spend a couple of months in Sri Lanka during the cold winter months in Germany, which she immediately jumped on and booked a ticket straight into the drivethru team. Starting as a guest care manager in our camp in Madiha, she now takes care of us, so that we don’t drown in our own chaos.

Since 2023 Lea is our camp host and yoga teacher at drivethru surfcamp in Hvide Sande.

Lea ensures that every guest feels right at home the moment they arrive. She is responsible for making your stay smooth and pleasant and that you always love to come back here. She is organizing everything around the camp including a variety of activities.

She loves life, but also knows from her own experience it can be quite exhausting sometimes and that we all need a break from time to time. Yoga and Meditation helps to calm down, take a deep breath, relax and recharge your batteries. Perfect for your next surf session. If you are still not relaxed enough, let Lea massage you, because she is also a trained masseuse.

Raphi is one of the veterans of drivethru and co-manages our surf camp and hostel in Sri Lanka together with Vivi. How did it come about? Quite simply: In 2009, the Swiss decided to reassess his priorities during a trip abroad. The next steps came rather quickly: Getting close to Alex and Waschdl? No problem! Quitting his job and apartment? Absolutely! Working and surfing together on the Atlantic coast? Fantastic idea! Setting off to unknown places and surfing new waves in the Indian Ocean? Hari, hari!

After her initial attempts at surfing in Indonesia, Vivi was determined to truly master the art of surfing during one of her trips in Asia. She began her journey in Sri Lanka, making a pit stop at our drivethru Camp Polhena. Vivi fell in love with the place so much that she swiftly made the decision to resign from her office job and give up her rented apartment in Zurich to permanently settle on the beautiful south coast of Sri Lanka. Alongside Raphi, she now co-manages our surf camp in Madiha and our hostel in Polhena.

To find her necessary balance, Vivi turns to yoga. She became a certified yoga teacher in 2017 and would be delighted to have you join one of her relaxing yoga sessions at our camp.

Ananda has been with us since almost the beginning of our trip, and as the Head of Room Attendants, is responsible for making sure everything is clean and tidy for you.

Anura is part of our security staff and will make sure you sleep soundly.

Jayalath is also part of the security staff and a wonderful neighbor. He is an all-rounder (emergency electrician, caretaker of wild animals and dogs, farmer, DJ, cook, upcycling specialist) and enjoys listening to classic reggae music.

Kusumawathi lives just around the corner and joined our team as a Room Attendant in 2022. She takes care of the cleanliness of the rooms and public areas.

Chamika, our youngest team member, lives just 5 minutes away by scooter. His tasks include supporting the chefs in preparing dishes, preparing ingredients, and cleaning and organizing the workspaces. Although his role as a junior cook is beginner-friendly, Chamika’s dedication and commitment in the kitchen are clearly evident.

Ramyalatha is our kitchen helper and clears the tables with lightning speed. Every day she comes by and lights the shrine. We couldn’t have a better neighbor than her.

Viraj is our chef and serves you delicious meals. He has a lot of talent and an eye for detail.

We love our evergreen jungle and so does he. IP is one of the gardeners who maintain our garden and keep the jungle natural.

Jayantha keeps himself fit by gardening with us and riding his bike over 1 km each day.

In 2016, Nadun joined the team as a photographer. Without ever holding a camera before, he became an amazing surf photographer. He has completed his ISA certification and is a surf instructor who still loves taking photos.

Nipun has already had a great career with us. He started as a TukTuk driver, leaving that job to join the Drivethru team as a housekeeper. In 2019, he took the opportunity to learn English and work at the front desk. Meanwhile, he is an ISA-certified surf instructor who takes care of beginner lessons.

Chamara joined the Drivethru family in 2019. He also started as a surf photographer and is now an ISA certified surf instructor. Always with a smile on his face, he will show you all the secrets of surfing.

In 2018, Sonia fell in love with Sri Lanka. Before that she studied meteorology and gained experience in aviation. She loves nature and one day she decided to pack up her whole life including her beloved dog and move to a tropical country. During her Sinhala course she met Vivi and Raphi.

Asoka is a hardworking and kind-hearted woman and takes care of not only the laundry but also the cleanliness in our villa.

Sudath is our painter and craftsman. You wonder why we employ a painter? Because there is a ton of work to keep the walls white.