Federico Vanno (Italy)

Full name

Federico Vanno

DOB

01-12-1978

Hometown

Rome

Favourite wave

I have many, Bova in southern Italy, Banzai in front of Rome and Sa Mesa in Sardinia... The important thing is that the wave must be clean and uncrowded.

Stance

Regular

What does it mean to you personally to be on the West team?

First of all to have met Francesco and Nils (distributors for West in Italy) and to have built up a great friendship with them. Obviously I'm also very happy to use very good, warm and light wetsuits that allow me to "Scammelate" (word used always by Francesco to indicate a radical turn) like if I were in boardshorts...

Entourage

Marchetto Ranaldi, Francesco and Nils.

Surfing forte

I think free surfing...

What motivated you to follow this path?

For sure the passion I have for surfing and for the sea... surfing for me is a way to feel better also if everything around me is going wrong...

What is the furthest distance you have travelled to catch one swell? Where was it and was it worth it?

I'm travelling a lot since I got the license both for my job and for surfing... to travel 800km to get some decent surf. It's always a good way to spend time... I remember one trip, 2 years ago when I went to Spain and Portugal 3 days by car and had to drive alone to go there and to come back home... 3550km! but great surf!

Longest surf session?

Normally I surf maximum 3 and a half hours in a row... But when I was 18 years old I surfed also for 8 hours!

Best surf ever?

There are many days I can remember with good waves all around Italy. But one day was special in a spot near Rome, Banzai. Waves were clean not many people... it was so perfect that I can not even describe it...

Describe your worst surf trip or worst wipe-out?

My worst surf trip?? in France 5 years ago... days of rain and small waves... My girlfriend was trying to break my board because of all the km we were doing to find some decent surf... My worst wipeout was in Bali. I was dropped by a local and went directly down to the reef... not a good experience!!!!

What do you never leave home without?

In Italy, my sleeping bag. It comes always with me... but when it is very hot during the summer I replace it with my wonderful parasol. Very important between a session and an other... I take it also when I leave for surf trips outside Italy... My friends always make fun of it but then why I found all of them under my umbrella?

Describe your ultimate night out...

One week ago with Marchetto and Dado in a pub near Rome. I cannot remember the name of the pub but what we drank for sure... like 12 Long Islands... aaaaaaaaaah! great night...

What are your plans for the summer 07/08?

mmm... BOOOOO?! first of all I have to book my holiday in January then I will think about the summer...

If you weren't a surfer...

What a strange question, I never think about it. Maybe I have continued sailing... But it was this passion that lead me to surfing... so I don't know!

The hard road...

Nothing special... I had just to trust myself!