Tolga Akgor, Izmir, Turkey

by Tolga Akgor
(Izmir, Turkey)

Me painting

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Name: Tolga Akgor
I am from İzmir.
Izmir is the third big city and as beautiful as Istanbul.
I was born in 1972 and grown up in ANKARA.
Unfortunately there was no sea in Ankara and I had to play basketball during my childhood.
I am 192 cm tall. ıt ıs a good advantage for basketball but not for water sports.
As you know short guys has visible advantages than the tall guys.

I graduated from Land Forca Academy and worked 3 years as a lieutenant ın Turkish Army.
İn 1996 I quit from Army and started my Entertainment Career.
I have kind of artistic and sportıv personality.
I play guitar and sing also songs,do paintings and 3D decorations,Graffiti's,Body Paintings and Tattoos.
I could do all this stuff while I was working in the resort hotels during my Animation life.

In 1996 I started Windsurfing. Early days ıt was just a hobby beside Animation. Than I got my Station Manager certificate from WWS in Germany.
Than I built up My windsurfing School Which called AİRWALK.
I am also Catamaran hobby instructor.
I have hobby 16 california model.

My cat is original from Los Angeles and I call him NİKE.
I did a lot of Kiting before Kiteboarding.
I am the first Wind-skater in Turkey and I do also Kite-land-skating and Mountainboarding.
Since 2005 ı do intensively Kiteboarding. This is my ultimate desire. I created also some handmade boards from woo,plywood and gelcoat and painted them wıth tattoo figures.

I tried also Cable-skiing but flat water bores me after sea. I like to play with the waves because it's a great feeling to join the rhythm of the water.
Following years I wıll try delta-plan and parameter.
I guess these two sports will be my next loves.

As I mentioned I am WWS station Manager and I have right to give license for Windsurfing and Catamaran.
Last 4 years I taught also Kitesurfing here İn Antalya. But as you can imagine here we have mostly Families as a tourıst and they are not coming for the sportıv purposes.
On the other hand we have termıc wind and wind is just good for Catamaran Sailing.
İn summer season we have seldom real wind for kitesurfing. But when there is wind than it comes really like storm and İ am really pushing the limits.
Kiteboarding is getting popular but I am the only turkish guy here in Antalya who makes this sport. And believe me it sucks to have no partner on the water.

I haven't got idols or heroes . But definitely I have respect to Michael Jordan,Robby Naish.
I feel myself very close to this phenomena's.
Foods:I like turkish cousin and as a drink Raki. Raki is our traditional drink made out of grapes and annais. I really hope to meet one day the team of tropical-paradise-kitesurfing.com and I would serve a Turkish dinner with rich delicatessen. (-:

Regarding my Music passion:
I play hard rock and heavy metal before but nowadays I prefer blues and jazz.
My favorite bands are RHCP. Jethro Tool, Metallica, Aeorosmith,Chris cornell' bands(Soundgarden, Temple of the dog, Audioslave) porno for pyros,Jane's addiction. and lately I lıke Amy Winehouse.

Why Kiteboarding?
Because this sport gives you freedom and adrenalin and jumps.
actually I like windsurfing as much as kitesurfing. But on the other hand I think kitesurfing is a little bit more spectacular than any other watersports. Additionally I like the shape of boards and Kites and It makes me really wonder how wıll be kitesurfing equipment in 10 years.
I guess wıll be more light and more safe and hydrofoil-in wıll be leading the market.

My favorite kite spot is:
İn Turkey:
Cecme Alacati, Sigacik, Bodrum Akyarlar and Bitez, Datca and these days SİDE.
İn the world I have been in Holland and germany. I liked Brauvershaven and�Nordsee.

İinjuries:
I had some in the beginning while I was learning by myself and luckily I passed this period without big accidents.
Once I Could have loose part of my body because of the ropes but I reacted so quickly and I survived.
I lıke all tricks and jumps. What amuse me ıs feeling free on the water and the reflectıons of the sun. I have respect to the nature and nothing to do in competitions. if I could start kıtesurfıng when I was 20 than ı would say that I can compete. but now ı just want to rıde and buıld boards and teach youngster thıs sport.

My vision:
I have project about all wind sport.
Let me keep it for myself.� :)
So Hope you enjoyed the interview.
wish you good luck.

wish you a pleasant days and success.
I like TPK site and hope to meet Tal and Thierry one day.
�
bye for now.
Tolga

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