Jonnie Eisler has 28 years of experience in all aspects of the water sports industry. He has been involved with windsurfing, traction kiting and kite surfing since their introduction into the UK. Yes he really was there during the very early years of windsurfing! He was also a founder member of the British Kite Surfing Association in 1998 and a pioneer kite surfer! He is fondly called ‘The Doctor’ by his kite surfing friends.
In the early 1980s Jonnie worked for Mike Chadwick of Midland Windsports in Nottingham. He became the shop manager of what was probably then the largest windsurfing retailer in the UK. During that time he repaired most brands of boards on the market in the UK. He also taught windsurfing at the National Water Sports Centre at Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham (the home of windsurfing in the UK) under the guidance of the early windsurfing trainers Pete Hawthorne and Russ Towns. These three exceptional people took 17 year old Jonnie under their wings – put Jonnie through the instructor’s course when he was 18, taught him how to teach, how the industry worked and the importance of being actively involved in the sport. Jonnie raced the Sea Panther (UK-produced racing legend) every Tuesday evening at Holme Pierrepont where there were often over 80 competitors!
Jonnie joined his brother Richard as a partner in Cygnus Sails in Kettering in 1986. He helped develop the business and water sports for 22 years. During this time he developed working relationships with importers and insurance companies; repaired just about every bit of kit you can imagine relating to windsurfing and kiting; raced competitively all round the East Midlands; taught windsurfing at Rutland Water, Pitsford Water, Billing Aquadrome, and Grendon Lakes; helped produce the first Windfest event at Hunstanton Sailing Club in 2000; visited sail factories in China; met and was inspired to do the sports by some of the windsurfing and kitesurfing legends - Robbie Naish, Pete Cabrinha, Neil Pryde, Fred Haywood, Josh Stone, Bjorn Dunkerbeck, Lou Waiman, Elliot LeBoe, Cory Rossler, Frans Orly, Raphael Salles, Ricardo Campello and a lots of other great names; ran traction kite clinics in Kettering; promoted kite surfing all round the country; became an IKO kitesurf instructor in 2002; helped develop and assess trainee kite instructors; and even made windsurfing booms!
The partnership with his brother at Cygnus Sails was dissolved in 2007. Richard now trades independently under the name Cygnus; Jonnie now trades as jonnie eisler.
The jonnie eisler loft and workshop is near Silverstone in South Northants. Jonnie is a member of Hunstanton Sailing Club, Oxford Sailing Club and Box End Park (Bedford) Cable Wakeboard and Waterski Centre. He does the sports because he loves them. But also because he believes that it’s the best way for him to keep in touch with the way the sports are developing, and keeps him in touch with the needs and interests of his customers. Check this website to find out where you might find him in the next few days.