Quirin Rohleder (full name: Quirin Michael Simon Helge Rohleder) was born on July 2, 1974 (Munich) and is a respected figure in the German surfing scene. He is renowned in the surfing community not only as an athlete, but also as an entrepreneur and innovator. As one of the pioneers of
From bodyboarding to acid drops: Quirin's path to surfing
Today’s Eisbach legend came to surfing relatively late – but all the more consistently for it. At the age of 14, he got on a
Quirin quickly became part of the then still young scene at Munich’s Eisbach. There he made surfing history: he was the first surfer to jump into the Eisbach wave from the shore. An iconic jump that is now called an acid drop. The idea arose less from a desire to experiment than from a comment by a friend who said that “sitting down” just looked embarrassing. Quirin took this seriously—and found a new, radical way to enter the wave. Admittedly, climbing onto the Eisbach wave by sitting down on the shore is not the kind of surfing people like to watch: with flowing movements and powerful style. It is much more reminiscent of a swimming pool entry aid than the confident flow of a surfer.
Quirin Rohleder as a surfer and athlete: From Eisbach legend to European champion
However, his sporting successes are not limited to the Eisbach. Quirin has also enjoyed international success, becoming European champion in rapid surfing. This achievement underscores his outstanding abilities and versatility as a surfer. His success has attracted sponsorship deals, including Rip Curl and, for a time, Patagonia, for whom he was a brand ambassador. It is important to understand that river surfing and ocean surfing are related but distinctly different disciplines. While ocean surfing takes place on natural ocean waves, river surfing uses standing waves in rivers or artificially generated facilities. The different waves also require different techniques to surf them. The Eisbach era: Pioneering work on Munich’s city river
Quirin’s career is inextricably linked to the Eisbach in Munich. His early years at the world-famous urban surf spot were marked by perseverance and a growing passion for the sport. He grew up not far from the famous wave in Munich and initially went surfing on the rapid wave mainly alone after school, before friends joined him – with unimaginable surfing equipment. With a K2 windsurf wetsuit that didn’t reach above the knee and without booties. Today, short wetsuits are rarely seen on the wave in Munich. The water temperature is between 20° and 6°C. Despite the harsh conditions, what was once a niche activity has now become an established surfing scene that attracts tourists from all over the world.
Entrepreneurial success: From Billabong warehouse worker to company founder
First jobs in the surfing industry in: board repairs, fin glassing, and everyday shop work
His first experiences in the surfing industry were very down-to-earth – with sanding dust in the air and resin on his hands. In Munich, he worked for shaper Collin Patterson, repairing surfboards and glassing fins. This meant he always had access to new boards. It was a deal that allowed him to learn the craft while growing his own surf quiver.
At the same time, Quirin also worked in Munich surf shops such as Motion and Boards im Einsatz. There he got to know the other side of the industry: direct contact with customers, material consulting, sales, and scene talk. These early jobs laid the foundation for his understanding of surf culture, products, and the market.
Entering the international surfing scene: Career at Billabong in Hossegor
After attending interpreting school, Quirin decided to pursue a different path—he wanted to work in marketing for Billabong. Since there were no vacancies, he started as a warehouse worker in Hossegor, where his French colleagues gave him the nickname “Pickelhaube” (spiked helmet). He was also the first German to work in the surfing industry in France. After about six months, he was finally able to transfer to the marketing department he had been longing for. In this role, he made notable contacts in the international surfing scene and had the opportunity to travel to world-famous surfing spots such as
After spending some time in marketing, Quirin wanted to move into branding, focusing more on marketing, brand management, and strategic orientation. Since his boss at the time was not prepared to go along with this move, Quirin decided to leave Billabong and strike out in a new direction.
Event manager and editor
Thanks to his good contacts at Billabong, Quirin was able to organize surf contests for Billabong itself as a freelancer and became an event manager. At that time, the surfing scene saw the world’s first webcast of a surf competition, which the Munich native spontaneously hosted thanks to his multilingual skills. After his time in France, he moved to Barcelona, where he worked as an editor for Surfing Europe magazine and was responsible for the German version of Surfing Magazine.
Agency life – consulting and talent management
Quirin also founded an athlete management agency. The starting signal for the foundation came when Marlon Lipke asked him for support because Quiksilver did not want to renew his contract. The Eisbach legend then organized new sponsors, took over PR work, and developed a unique model together with his partner Greg Martin: By combining professional athlete management with a TV production company, he was able to not only provide traditional support to athletes, but also offer video productions and marketing via international TV networks. This is a unique selling point in Europe. As a talent manager, he supports German surfers such as Noah Klapp, Janina Zeitler, and Leon Glatzer, but has also been responsible for international stars such as Frederico Morais.
The Water Works Agency, co-founded by Rohleder, plays an important role in the German water sports industry. It offers consulting and services for companies and organizations in the water sports sector, thereby contributing to the professionalization of the industry. In his role as Senior Marketing Manager at o2 Surftown MUC, Rohleder brings his extensive experience in the surfing industry to bear, developing marketing strategies and concepts to promote surfing culture for Surftown in Munich.
Own surfboard brand for river and ocean boards
Together with Christian Bach, he founded MIGHTY OTTER Surfboards in 2014. A brand that has made a name for itself in the surfboard industry and manufactures boards for both river and ocean surfing.
Surfing personalities who influenced Quirin's life
Early in his career in the surfing industry, Quirin Rohleder found key people who shaped him. From Derek O’Neill, then CEO of Billabong, Derek Rielly, co-founder of Stab Magazine, and Karl Wiese, he learned a lot about surfing etiquette and how to work with big brands and athletes.
Within the German surfing scene, Quirin also got to know Thomas Lange, the first German professional surfer. He was a real role model for the Munich native. Not only because he made surfing history as the first German professional surfer and was part of Kelly Slater’s legendary Quiksilver team, but also because he co-founded Fatum Surfboards, one of the best-known European board brands. At the same time, however, Thomas Lange was also his toughest competitor at the national level – at the German Championships, where the two fought for the title for years. When Thomas finally stopped actively participating in contests, Quirin sensed a realistic chance to win the championship title himself. However, his relief was quickly dampened by the then-new talent Marlon Lipke.
Thomas Lange brought Quirin together with Leon Glatzer. This connection led to a close collaboration. The Munich native not only took over sponsorship and PR management for Leon, but also accompanied him over the long term. The collaboration began when Leon was around 14 years old. He secured sponsorship deals for the young talent, enabling Leon to travel halfway around the world. However, this also meant he had a lot of responsibility for the future German Olympian Leon Glatzer from Pavones. The connection between the two was both personal and professional: Quirin helped launch Leon’s career and developed a sustainable management model with him, and a father-son relationship developed.
Family and current center of life
Quirin still has strong roots in his hometown of Munich. The Eisbach legend not only has the shaping bay of MIGHTY OTTER SURFBOARDS here, but also works as Senior Marketing Manager at o2 Surftown MUC. The German rapid surf pioneer does not live alone in Munich, but with his wife Madeleine and two children.
