Luise Stanko, born and raised in Germany, grew up with a deep love for the mountains, spending her childhood rock climbing and snowboarding. She worked winter seasons as a snowboard instructor, and eventually started filling the summer months volunteering in surf camps around Europe, determined to learn how to surf. 

 

In 2018 she achieved her goal of becoming a surf instructor. Since then, her journey has taken her across the globe—through Central America, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Europe in search of (mostly) warm waters and perfect waves. Today, she calls Portugal home.

 

Over the past two years, she has dedicated herself especially to women-only surf retreats, teaching in Europe, Mexico, and Senegal. Guiding women through their surfing journeys has become one of her deepest passions. She loves empowering them, sharing her experience, and accompanying them through the full spectrum of emotions that surfing brings—excitement, frustration, fear, joy. She believes that surfing accelerates everything we feel, amplifying our challenges but also gifting us some of the  best moments of our lives.