Team

Raphi is one of the cornerstones of drivethru and together with Waschdl, he manages our surfcamps in Sri Lanka. How did it come to this? Easy: In 2009 the Swiss decided on a trip abroad to set his priorities anew. The next steps after that came fairly quickly: Team up with Alex and Waschdl? No problem! Quit the Job and Apartment back home? Definitely! Working and surfing on the Atlantic coast? Fantastic! Discovering unknown places and surfing new waves in the Indian Ocean? Harri, harri!

Raphi is:

Campleader at drivethru Surfcamp Sri Lanka

ISA Level 2 Coach

Surf Life Saving GB Beach Lifeguard

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.

Waschdl is:

Training & Development
ISA Level 2 Coach
Surf Life Saving GB Beach Lifeguard

Lisa is an official member of the drivethru family since 2017. As a local from the German city with the largest airport in the country, it is no wonder that the girl from Frankfurt was taken by wanderlust at an early age. Lisa undertook her first surfing attempts in France, where she completed her training to be a surfteacher soon after. Working in Morocco she met Alex, Waschdl and Raphi. The surf fever was awoken and the bond struck from both sides. It was already clear back then that she would be joining the boys in Sri Lanka after she finished her studies in physiotherapy. Leading our new camp in Hvide Sande, Lisa is excited to start her new personal Denmark adventure!

Lisa is:

Campleader at drivethru Surfcamp Denmark

ISA Level 1 Coach

Surf Life Saving GB Beach Lifeguard

Physiotherapist

After her first attempts at surfing in Indonesia, Vivi wanted to really learn how to surf well on one of her Asia trips. The starting point of her trip was Sri Lanka with a pit stop in our drivethru Camp Polhena. She liked it so much there, that the Swiss girl quickly decided to resign from her office job and give up her rented apartment back in Zurich and to permanently live at the south coast of Sri Lanka. Together with Raphi, she manages our two surf camps in Madiha and Polhena. Vivi gets her necessary balance from yoga. She is a certified yoga teacher since 2017 and would love to welcome you in one of her relaxing yoga sessions in our camp.

Vivi is:

Camp manager at the drivethru Surfcamp Sri Lanka  
Certified yoga teacher

Nana is probably the most vibrant mix of all. She was born in Switzerland and grew up in South Africa, following her life moto „Travel the World surfing“, the world is her home. Since 2017 she gets to call her place within the drivethru team her new home. It all began in 2012, when Nana stepped on her first surf board in Cape Town, which then took her over Portugal, France and Spain all the way to Sri Lanka. She is one of our surf teachers at the camp and tries to spend every minute of her day in the water. The best thing about her job? The smiling faces of her surf students! We would like to see if you end up with a bigger smile than the one of our cheerful South African after your surf lesson!

Nana is:

Surfteacher and travel companion

ISA Level 1 Coach

Surf Life Saving GB Beach Lifeguard

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…

Alex is:

Manager and creative driver of drivethru

ISA Level 2 Coach

Surf Life Saving GB Beach Lifeguard

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.

Mimi is:

Head of Back Office & Communications

M.A. European Culture and Economy

Janne has always wanted to live and work by the ocean. Growing up in the south of Germany, and later doing her master studies in Berlin, the ocean was never in reach for this girl from Ludwigsburg. Therefore, in 2011 she decided to take the idea of surfing and a life by the sea more seriously. And so she spent two surfcamp seasons in Portugal after her semester abroad in Lisbon. Back in her office in Berlin, it did not take long for her desire for sunshine and salt water to return and grow. Consequently, Janne applied for her dream job by the ocean all over the world und luckily with us too! Janne works as a social media editor and organizational talent in Germany and Sri Lanka – by the ocean.

Janne is:

Social Media Editor and Organizational talent

M.A. International Relations

ISA Level 1 Coach

Surf Life Saving GB Beach Lifeguard

Mary is always looking for new challenges in life. After her University studies, she worked her way up to team leader in a marketing firm. Feeling the same as we all did, this model student didn’t see the office job as the best thing since sliced bread. A change and new adventures needed to come along! And so, in 2017, Mary decided to make a pit-stop in the surf camp in Portugal as a host and marketing specialist. That is where she met Waschdl, who was enjoying his well-deserved vacation in Portugal at the time.  A couple of weeks later, Mary stumbled upon Waschdl’s Facebook post about a new drivethru office in the Ruhr region, and the way to a new adventure was paved: Since 2018 Mary now works in our back office. The possibility of doing a few weeks home office in Sri Lanka and Denmark or visiting our camps as a yoga teacher offer Mary plenty of adventure!

Mary is:
Booking & Customer Management
B.A. Marketing
Certified yoga teacher

drivethru – how it all began

When Alex was working in Morocco as a surf coach for the first time, he met a lot of nice people there, among them Waschdl, who also taught surfing there. In the ensuing winter months, the two met regularly on the Moroccan Atlantic coast again to spend the winter together and to earn some dirhams along the way. In their first season together Raphi, the third in the league, was in the same place at the same time: It was love / friendship at first sight.

 

The following year, the three also spent their first joint summer in France. The desire to continue spending time and working together in the future grew.

 

When Alex returned the following spring from his winter trip to Sri Lanka, he reported to the others of the perfect waves and the breathtaking nature of this island. Everyone was immediately excited and didn’t hesitate when deciding where to go next. Other collaborators for this project were found quickly.

 

The drivethru surfcamp in southern Sri Lanka emerged. Surfing, living, relaxing in an idyllic setting, spending time with nice people and enjoying the leisurely pace of the island.

 

The drivethru team is thrilled to meet you and to experience the adventure “Sri Lanka” with you.