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| Photo:Olaf Mitchell |
FG: Thank you Karen, I feel the same for you, I enjoyed very much getting Goya Sails of the ground with you, I thank you very much for your trust, time, energy and everything you invested along the way to make this dream possible.
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| Karen and Francisco |
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| Karen and Francisco with the first prototype Goya Sail |
FG: The business is going well, we learned a lot over the last years and made us focus on what we love doing. I’m very thankful we got to experience it while being relatively a small business.
WM: What are you working on; anything cool you want to tell us about? (You don’t have to give away any secrets here just say what you want about your upcoming products.
FG: Developing products is a constant day after day, good ideas stay longer on the table and we build on them, I’m learning that everything has their own speed and at one point I have to stop and go riding as I’m also part of what is being developed.
WM: How are your sail designs evolving? Board designs?
FG: Rigs are getting lighter, easier to move around, basically feeling as if you don’t even have it but you are moving faster and with more control. Same goes for boards, fins, masts, etc.
WM: What do you see for the future?
FG: We intend to continue the development of shapes and designs along with newer materials and building techniques. That equals less gear that does more. On the long term future, wow, that is going to be amazing!! I believe that together with the new generation of riders, as common as it sounds, The Sky Is The Limit!
WM: Francisco, please tell us a little about your background, where you came from, how you got to Maui. What was it like for you when you first got here?
FG: I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1970. I grew up in contact with sports like skateboarding, surfing and all the other fun sports. My dream all through high school was to live Windsurfing to the fullest! As soon as I finished high school, I worked a summer job and got myself over to Maui. It has been an amazing experience learning a new culture and meeting the people that have become my friends and partners for over 20 years (and counting), while also keeping the stoke of riding the sport that I enjoy so much. In those early days on Maui I did mainly landscape jobs that had no attachments so I could work every day or be gone for a week depending on the conditions. A lot of people were really patient with me and understood my goal. I’m very thankful for them.
WM: I know how passionate you are about windsurfing Francisco; can you please express some of your passion for windsurfing to us?
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| F.G.@ Jaws |
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| F.G.@ Jaws |
WM: Tell us a little about your amazing team at Goya Windsurfing.
FG: Keith is the head shaper. He was one of the four founders of the brand in 1994, that is where the name Quatro came from. There were so many fours around. Eventually my brother Lalo who studied business at MCC joined the partnership and took over the general managing of the business. Jason Diffin is the head sail designer and much more. Bjoern is the graphic designer and also much more. He also works along with Stephan and Jason Stone on the media & websites. Laurent takes care of the international sales and he is also involved in the marketing of the brand. Pascal handles all the US accounts and manages our Haiku shop together with Skyler. Molly handles all the accounting and day to day things of the business with Petra. Tierry and Phillipe build all the custom boards and help with the development of the production boards. Emanuel is the factory manager and handles all the shipping. On the water but also helping with all the development and marketing of the products are Levi Siver & Camile Juban, Josh & Harley Stone, Jason Prior and the list goes on.
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| Photo: Olaf Mitchell |
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| Photo : Olaf Mitchell |
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| Photo: Olaf Mitchell |
WM: Are you planning to compete in any windsurfing events this year?
FG: So far Karen I’ve only registered for the one of the events on the American Windsurfing Tour. It’s the one at Wadell (north of Santa Cruz). It’s only a couple of days and doesn’t require very much traveling. These days it is hard being away from the family for longer trips. 
WM: What other activities do you enjoy besides windsurfing? FG: I enjoy surfing, cycling, yoga, chasing the kids around, watching a movie, reading a book, doing nothing.
WM: What people you most admire and why. FG: A lot of people inspire me, Karen. Some of them I read about in biographies but for the most part, I admire day to day people like the teachers at my kid’s school, other parents, and some athletes as well. WM: Francisco, please tell us about your family?
FG: Tamara is my best friend, wife and partner, I have a daughter named Luna she’s eight and a son named Teo he’s four. We also have a cat that adopted himself. We named him Sussie as we thought it was a girl until we took him to the vet. My mother Marines with her husband Emanuel live on the next road. They have an organic fruit and tree farm with hundreds of trees. My brother Alejandro is an artist and runs Paia Contemporary Gallery right next to Tamara’s boutique. My sister Lorena recently moved back from the mainland, she is in the real estate business, Lalo is my younger brother and boss ;)) (be nice to your little brother/sister). Lalo has been busy setting up our offices in Europe over the last couple of years but he is starting to spend more time in Maui when possible. All of Tamara’s family lives in Buenos Aires so we visit every year, over there the kids spend some time with their cousins and it is our time to keep in contact with our other culture.
FG: Tamara is having a good time with her shop. A few years back she changed her business from wholesaling to just designing for her own boutique. That change has allowed her to relax and enjoy more time with the kids and her personal interests.
FG: I came to windsurf, but it ended up being so much more than that. I really connect with the people here. There is a good vibe and a dynamic community that keeps on growing and evolving. WM: What don’t you like about Maui? FG: I’m not sure that I dislike anything but some things could be improved like the education budget, and the sustainability of the community. They need to stop the burning of cane fields (I read that Hawaii is one of the states with most asthma in kids). I would like to see friendly communities developed with parks, walk and bike ways, with mom & pop stores in the communities so that people walk and meet more, etc. WM: What is your typical day like Francisco? FG: I fill it with Family, business and of course, fun. WM: What would be your ideal day? FG: Longer WM: Francisco, is there anything else you would like to add? FG: I would just like to say,”Thank you Karen for always being and creating! You are an inspiration to many.” WM: Are there any links you would like published
FG: GoyaWindsurfing |
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