Leah Pakpour
Introducing Leah Pakpour, the first Rebel ambassador from across the pond! She grew up in a small, cosy house just a stones throw from the Californian coast and started surfing at the age of 4. She recalls learning to ride waves from their family friend and 90’s iconic, stylish pro-surfer Donavan Frankenreiter, “He would put me on the front of his board and it was insanely fun for me as a little kid”. From then on Leah spent all her summers at surf camps, competing from the age of 12 and ranking #1 in California for many years.
At 16 Leah graduated high school early. She used her savings to travel the world, surf and study. She gained an advanced diploma in Business Management and Leadership whilst surfing some of the best waves of her life in Australia, before heading to the south island of New Zealand and Costa Rica. "Travelling alone taught me so much about myself and how I like to live in the world. It was a great experience in developing my character and strength as a human being.” Leah also loves to inspire other women to get in the water, push their surfing abilities and share in the surf community.
Flash forward and Leah is now 25, back on the competition circuit and loving it. Whilst she was born in California Leah feels a strong connection to her German roots, where her parents lived for many years, and represents Germany on the QS tour. Her goal is to earn a place in the top 10 for the QS season, and maybe one day to represent Germany in the Olympics for surfing, “that is a big goal but I will be working towards it.”
Since joining the Rebel Fin ambassador team, Leah has been ripping up her home breaks in Cali and testing and optimising our Thruster Fin set ups.
