"Gero Tragatschnig was born in mainland Germany, but soon started out to the island of Sylt, to pursue his dream of a windsurfing and surfing lifestyle. To finance this dream, he initially shaped and repaired boards during summer at Paradise Customs Sylt. During those years Gero built his reputation as a progressive shaper, especially for small wave and longboards, designing boards that would allow their owners to get the most out of those sloppier Nortern Sea swells. His winters he spent travelling to the world’s best surf regions, where he also continued collecting extensive surfing and shaping experience in Hawaii, Australia, Indonesia, Marocco and Central America.
Since 1996, his friendship and close collaboration with then WQS rider Thomas Lange allowed Gero to apply his international shaping experience and wave knowledge to develop high performance shortboards, and an entire range of boards for different users and wave conditions.
Gero moved to Peniche in 1996, to be able to shape and surf all year round. It is here where the idea of Fatum is consolidated and takes name and form.The ability to surf the diverse waves in this area, collaborate and receive feedback from local and travelling surfers influenced the shapes Fatum created since then and now are carried in its portfolio.
Today Gero possesses a blend of exquisite knowledge of less conventional shapes such as fishes, malibus, longboards and quads, but also the experience with high performance short boards as a result of his work with team riders such as Miguel Mouzinho and Thomas Lange. Gero believes in a straightforward approach to board-design:give every surfer the best possible board. Today’s Fatum board range is suited for a wide range of surfers, from more seasoned surfers looking to just have fun with their surfing or returning to the water, to high performance surfers looking to use state of the art shapes for competition."
