Meet The Team

CERTIFIED KITE FROTHERS!

Our passion for kitesurfing and adventure is the driving force embodied in our team, which is shared with you when you join us on our specially crafted experiences at world-class kitesurfing locations.

The Zephyr Team consists of mature, friendly, and qualified instructors, coaches, and guides; and with a high ratio of team to guests, we can always offer quality services with no fuss, so you get the best out of your Zephyr Kite Tour.

If you’re keen to be a part of this fun and crazy crew, why not join our team?

BEN STROWGER

OWNER / DIRECTOR
KA SENIOR INSTRUCTOR | STOKECOACH | DUOTONE TEAM RIDER

BEN STROWGER

Ben has been passionate about board sports since he left England in 2003. As a natural motivator and frother of any action sport, he’s been leading people on adventures to snowboard, party, and kitesurf for years. Having worked for Zephyr since 2013, Ben became the proud owner of the business in 2020 and since then has been constantly searching for new and exciting destinations to bring a Zephyr Tour along to! Ben’s friendly and positive outlook on life is contagious and his passion for kitesurfing and adventure will blow you out of the water – literally! His tagline of, “Keep it simple, make it stylish,” will have you kiting with more style and better technique in no time. While coaching, Ben likes to focus on progression, ensuring that all his clients finish each session with a smile and stoke! He loves to fly high and boasts a WOO record of 24.4m (#4 all-time in Australia). Ben’s favourite time to kite is when a storm front is rolling through and the wind gusts above 30kts. However, when out of the water, Ben puts all his focus and energy into ensuring he delivers the highest level of customer service, providing you with the best customer experience. When he’s not living the stoke kiting in remote destinations around the world, Ben works for our partner retail shop Ocean Addicts in Sunshine Coast, QLD. Check out his Stoke Coach sessions for the ultimate inspiration and see why he gets people to follow him anywhere around the world for the stoke.

HOME COUNTRY: England
YEAR STARTED KITING: 2011
FAVOURITE KITE TRICK: Megaloop board-off
KITESURFING GOALS: Megaloop Board-off
WOO RECORD: 24.4m

CAT JAY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & ADMINISTRATOR
KA LEVEL 1

CAT JAY

Cat first set out to pursue adventure in sports tourism in the mid-2000s when she moved to Whistler, Canada to work as a snowboard instructor. After relocating to the Sunshine Coast, QLD in 2018, the warm waters and smaller swell of sunny QLD provided Cat with the perfect opportunity to take up surfing. With the windy, sunny days of summer, it only seemed natural to expand her board-sport repertoire to include kitesurfing. Cat became an instructor in 2021 and enjoys connecting with her students by tailoring each kite lesson to their specific needs, recognising that each student has a different learning style. As a kiter, Cat appreciates long, flat-water sessions with the wind blowing 18-20kts, where she can consistently push her skill level and improve her technique. She is keen to boost higher and execute her jumps and rotations with more style. After working as a high school teacher for 10 years, Cat now works in marketing, graphic design, and website management. With the expansion of Zephyr Tours and the increasing range of activities offered on tour, Cat joins the Zephyr team in an administrative role while also lending a hand with tour photography.

HOME COUNTRY: Australia
YEAR STARTED KITING: 2020
FAVOURITE KITE TRICK: Front-roll with crail grab (seatbelt grab)
KITESURFING GOALS: Kite loops & heli-loops with confidence
WOO RECORD: 10.8m

TEAM COCOS 2026

TEDDY WILLIAMS | INSTRUCTOR

KA INSTRUCTOR

TEDDY WILLIAMS

Originally from California's Bay Area, Teddy has been hooked on kitesurfing ever since his first ride back in 2013. Growing up surfing, mountain biking, and kiting, he quickly developed a love for adventure that has since taken him around the world—from Maui and South Africa to Western Australia, and now the Cocos Islands.

A self-confessed wind addict, Teddy is happiest when it's absolutely howling on a 9m chasing big air and waves, but he's just as content cruising around on a 12m with good mates. After teaching kitesurfing in Long Island, New York, he discovered another passion: helping others experience the thrill of the sport. Whether it's a student's very first water start or coaching more advanced tricks and rotations, Teddy loves seeing people build confidence and progress on the water.

Now based in Western Australia after chasing bigger wind and new adventures, Teddy is excited to share his passion, knowledge, and stoke with everyone who joins the Zephyr crew this season.

HOME COUNTRY: USA
YEAR STARTED KITING 2013
FAVOURITE KITE TRICK: Megaloop late backroll with added rotation
KITESURFING GOALS:
To go as big as possible for as long as possible!
WOO RECORD: 21.5m (on Surfr 🤓)
BEST ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE A BEGINNER KITESURFER?
Trust the kite! It does all the hard work
KITESURFING PHRASES THAT ONLY A KITESURFER WOULD UNDERSTAND?
Nooooooooking
FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO KITESURFING?
Ocean Beach, San Francisco
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST ABOUT JOINING THE ZEPHYR TEAM?
Kiting, surfing, and fishing in paradise!

PHIL GREEN | INSTRUCTOR

KA LEVEL 1

PHIL GREEN

Phil is our on-island local legend! Not only does he teach and facilitate all our kitesurfing lessons and help out on tour with the Zephyr Team as required, Phil is a carpenter extraordinaire, fixing, building, constructing, designing; whatever it is we need help with (just take a look at our sturdy kite racks in the kite shack)! Phil started Kiteboarding in the Cocos (K) Islands back in 2011 and his passion for teaching saw him enrol in the first Kiteboarding Australia Instructors course in 2016. He moved to Cocos with his wife Karen in the same year to 'retire', i.e,. work full-time as a carpenter, while enjoying the fantastic climate and wind conditions that Cocos has to offer. When Phil’s not teaching you’ll find him kiting in the Cocos lagoon or snorkeling with the turtles.

HOME COUNTRY: England
YEAR STARTED KITING: 2015
FAVOURITE KITE TRICK: Jumping kite loop transition
KITESURFING GOALS: To still be kiting when I’m as old as Graham Flynn
WOO RECORD: I’m happy to get my fins out of the water!
BEST ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE A BEGINNER KITESURFER?
If in doubt, don’t go out!
KITESURFING PHRASES THAT ONLY A KITESURFER WOULD UNDERSTAND?
Tea Bagger!… Pumping!
FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO KITESURFING?
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
BEST THING ABOUT BEING A PART OF THE ZEPHYR TEAM?
Meeting new people, learning from other instructors, and being a part of an enthusiastic team.

KEV BRIGAUDEAU | INSTRUCTOR

IKO LEVEL 1

KEV BRIGAUDEAU

Originally from France, Kev fell in love with kitesurfing the first time he saw it in action in Tarifa, and he's been chasing the wind ever since. After a career as a project manager in Belgium, where he organised Red Bull pump track events, Kev traded the office for adventure, spending time exploring New Zealand before making Australia home.

Since arriving in Australia, Kev has taught kitesurfing in Melbourne, Cairns, and already completed one season with the Zephyr crew in the Cocos Islands. When he's not on the water, you'll usually find him planning his next adventure or exploring in a 4WD. Calm, patient, and passionate about helping others progress, Kev loves sharing the stoke and making every session on the water one to remember.

HOME COUNTRY: France
YEAR STARTED KITING:2021
FAVOURITE KITE TRICK: Inverted backroll
KITESURFING GOALS: Back roll hand drag
WOO RECORD: 9m
BEST ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE A BEGINNER KITESURFER?
Failure is part of the game.
KITESURFING PHRASES THAT ONLY A KITESURFER WOULD UNDERSTAND?
Sheet out the bar (with the good accent, otherwise that sounds weird!).
FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO KITESURFING?
Tarifa, Spain
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST ABOUT JOINING THE ZEPHYR TEAM?
Sharing knowledge between everyone

SAMUELE ZANELLA | INSTRUCTOR

VWDS

SAMUELE ZANELLA

Meet Samuele – the youngest member of the Zephyr crew, bringing plenty of energy, enthusiasm, and stoke to the team!

Originally from the beautiful Lake Garda in Italy, Samuele grew up surrounded by mountains and the outdoors. A former ski racer, he developed a love of adventure early on before turning that passion into a career as an instructor. Whether it's kitesurfing, sailing, wing foiling, mountain biking, or Nordic walking, if it involves being outside, chances are Samuele is all in.

His love of travel eventually brought him to Australia, where he recently completed a season teaching kitesurfing in Perth. Now he's headed to the Cocos Islands and can't wait to share his passion for the sport, help guests build confidence on the water, and make sure everyone leaves with unforgettable memories (and hopefully a few new tricks!).

HOME COUNTRY: ITALY
YEAR STARTED KITING: 2020
FAVOURITE KITE TRICK: Inverted backroll
KITESURFING GOALS: Kiteloop
WOO RECORD: –
BEST ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE A BEGINNER KITESURFER?
The best riders never stopped being students.
KITESURFING PHRASES THAT ONLY A KITESURFER WOULD UNDERSTAND?
It’s nuking!… I just got a magic gust!…
FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO KITESURFING?
Lake Garda, Italy
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE MOST ABOUT JOINING THE ZEPHYR TEAM?
Meeting people who share the same passion for kitesurfing, learning from other instructors, and being part of an enthusiastic team.