COMPANY - Club Mistral

2012 

COMPANY

Passion and Lifestyle, Colours and Characters 

Action and Excitement, Indulgence and Freedom 

Culture and Friendship, Nature and Variety 

Respect and Sustainability 

Club Mistral 

02 

I Intro 

Intro I 03

CLUB MISTRAL WINDSURFING GMBH 

ABOUT US 

MORE THAN JUST SURFING 

Club Mistral Windsurfing Ltd. is a service company in the surf 

sport / tourism section. The brand was founded in 1985 as 

a simple marketing tool of the mother company, Mistral AG, 

and has since established into a successful and independent 

service provider. The initial idea of being solely a windsurfing 

school association has been refined in the last 25 

years, and today we not only focus on our own 21 windsurfing, 

kitesurfing, surfing and SUP centers, but also assist 

and organise 13 external centers with logistics, human 

resources, marketing and sales. 7 of those centers have 

put their trust in the umbrella brand Fanatic the Boarders 

Center, which is also part of the Club Mistral Windsurfing Ltd. 

portfolio. Both national and international travel is operated 

by the in-house tour operator, Travel People Ltd. 

04 I About us 

About us I 05

THE STORY OF CLUB MISTRAL 

25 YEARS 

HISTORY 

THE PAST 

Club Mistral was founded in 1985. The original idea was to 

enable fans of the famous m° to have an unforgettable holiday, 

and also to customise the leading brand of the windsurfing 

industry. Guests of Club Mistral would no longer have 

to drag heavy windsurfing equipment with them, but could 

simply enjoy the latest toys, ready for them on the beach. As 

such a service was still unique at that time, Club Mistral easily 

and quickly established itself in a lot of different dreamdestinations. 

06 I 25 years of history 

25 years of history I 07


25 YEARS 

HISTORY 

IN BETWEEN 

The 90´s were a time to transform Club Mistral from a pure 

hardwear marketing tool into a profitable, independent service 

provider, and the first 10 years of the new millennium 

were all about growth and establishing an approved premium 

product. Within only a few years Club Mistral not only 

managed to build up 12 new centers, but also managed to 

adjust their appearance and improve the range of services 

offered, benchmarking still unknown standards. The foundation 

of the in-house tour operator ultimately ensured the 

structure of distribution on the German speaking market 

and opened unprecedented international trade channels. 




25 YEARS 

HISTORY 

TODAY 

Today Club Mistral is an independent company in 15 destinations 

worldwide with 22 centers. At 18 centers we offer 

windsurfing, at 11 kitesurfing, at 15 SUP, at 9 surfing and at 1 

catamaran sailing. Furthermore we own 10 subsidiaries as 

well as 2 branches. Yola Bichler, who looks back on a long 

career in the windsurfing business, is the sole proprietor of 

Club Mistral Ltd. Around 160 team members work at the 

centers, and 20 more work at the head office, and these 

people are the driving force of this successful service providing 

company. All of this enables us to call ourselves the 

market leader in the surf sports business. 



12 13

14 15


25 YEARS 

HISTORY 

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: A TIMELINE OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS 

:: 1985 Club Mistral is born 

:: 1985 Club Mistral Gran Canaria opens 

:: 1985 Club Mistral Barbados opens 

:: 1989 Club Mistral Windsurfing GmbH is founded, subsidary of Mistral AG Switzerland 

:: 1991 Club Mistral Safaga/Egypt opens 

:: 1993 Club Mistral El Yaque/Venezuela, Dahab Hilton/Egypt and Karpathos/Greece open 

:: 1996 Club Mistral Windsurfing GmbH is sold to Mrs. Yola Bichler 

:: 1997 Club Mistral Cabarete/Dom. Republic opens 

:: 1998 Travel People GmbH is founded as a Touroperator 

:: 1999 Start of Kitesurfing buisness 

:: 1999 Fanatic the Boarders Center becomes a brand of Club Mistral 

:: 2001 Skyriders is born as a Brand for the kitesurfing department 

:: 2001 Club Mistral Alacati/Turkey opens 

:: 2003 Club Mistral Ras Sudr/Egypt and Mauritius open 

:: 2004 Club Mistral Golf de Roses/Spain opens 

:: 2006 Club Mistral Essaouira/Morocco and Djerba/Tunisia opens 

:: 2007 Club Mistral Dahab Meridien/ Egypt and Skyriders Safaga and Skyriders Ras Sudr open 

:: 2008 Club Mistral Preá/Brazil and Marsa Alam/Egypt open 

:: 2010 Club Mistral Dakhla/Morocco opens 



THE PRODUCT CLUB MISTRAL 

THE CLUB 

MORE THAN SURFING 

Club Mistral does so much more than just windsurfing, kitesurfing, 

SUP & surfing holidays! Our guests can decide to 

spend time on the water on site, or they can contact us before 

departure and take advantage of the opportunity to 

get professional and honest advice and book the complete 

holiday package with us. What ultimately matters is that 

they are overwhelmed by the pleasent and welcoming 

atmosphere at our centers. A fact which means we get 

many repeaters who are hooked on the quality of the clubs. 

A quality which is not only reflected in the equipment, but 

also and especially, in the service. 

18 I The Product Club Mistral 

The Product Club Mistral I 19

VIS 

MISS 

&ION 

The vision, the mission and the future of our company 

is not only set by our guests, but also by our team 

members´ perceptions. We ignore hierarchies, and 

every single opinion is important to us - regardless 

of the contributors position and function. All employees 

back future decisions, and the team members 

work closely with our guests in order to meet 

their expectations. This is a core principle for our 

company, and one we particularly incorporate into 

our daily lives. It´s the teams who find themselves 

in the mission statement, as they are the people 

who ultimately achieve our customers´ satisfaction. 

So the logical consequence is that we do our 

best to make all of our employees identify themselves 

with Club Mistral in the highest degree. 

20 I Vision & Mission 

Vision & Mission I 21

People 

The magic formula that successful businesses 

have discovered is to treat customers like guests 

and employees like people. 

22 

I People 

People I 23

PEOPLE 

MANY 

FACES 

MORE THAN 180 PEOPLE FROM 28 NATIONS 

Others only talk about multi-culti - we realise it! A small company 

like Club Mistral can be proud of the fact that its team 

members hail from so many different countries. The variety 

of cultures and characters creates a wide range of knowledge 

and a special atmosphere. For us, this extraordinary 

mixture of individuals and their capacity for teamwork are 

the key to a successful, service-orientated and competent 

team. It is undisputable that quality, appearance and equipment 

of the centers have to meet the very high expectations 

of our guests - however it is the atmosphere and the special 

service which makes us different to our competitors! This 

we owe to our excellent team! 

24 I People 

People I 25

26 I People 

People I 27

CARIBBEAN 

CAPE VERDE 

EGYPT 

GREECE 

MAURITIUS 

MOROCCO 

SPAIN 

TURKEY 

CABARETE (´97) - EL YAQUE (´93) 

SAL (´88) 

DAHAB (´94) - RAS SUDR (´03) - SAFAGA (´91) - MARSA ALAM (´08) 

KARPATHOS (´96) 

LE MORNE (´03) 

ESSAOUIRA (´05) - DAKHLA (´10) 

GRAN CANARIA (´85) - TARIFA (´85) - GOLF DE ROSES (´04) 

ALACATI (´01) 

WORLDWIDE 

WIND- & KITESURFING DESTINATIONS 

28 I Destinations 

Destinations I 29

LIV 

SURF 

&ING 

Having fun on the water is about so much more than 

just windsurfing. Somebody once said „variety is the 

spice of life“ and Club Mistral shares this view. We, 

as the OCEAN AMBASSADORS do our best every 

day to make a variety of surf sports accessible to 

our guests. Although windsurfing, kitesurfing, surfing 

and SUP all have their own allures, they nevertheless 

have two things in common: water and never-ending 

fun. 

30 I Products & Sports 

Products & Sports I 31

PRODUCTS & SPORTS 

WIND 

SURFING 

RENTAL I LESSONS I STORAGE 

Year after year windsurfing casts a spell over many people. 

The sensation of planing at high speed over the water is for 

sure addictive, and once you have tried it you won´t want 

to stop. At Club Mistral windsurfers have the chance to live 

their addiction to the full. Regardless of level, beginners as 

well as more ambitious windsurfers can find the perfect 

conditions to indulge their passion - whether you decide to 

rent the right equipment or if you bring your own kit and use 

our storage facilities. 




KITE 

SURFING 

RENTAL I LESSONS I STORAGE 

With 12 kitesurfing centers, Skyriders has an unique standing 

in the kitesurfing business. Just like the Club Mistral windsurfing 

centers, Skyriders offers the complete range, from 

professional instruction to rental and storage facilities. The 

safety standards are very high at Skyriders, with only certified 

kitesurfing instructors of international associations such 

as VDWS and IKO. The great variety of spots and destinations 

offers kitesurfers of all levels the right conditions for an 

unforgettable kitesurfing holiday. Perfect beginner spots like 

Dakhla or Ras Sudr and destinations like Mauritius and Preá 

for the pro surfers are unbeatable in the kitesurfing world. 

What is also unbeatable? The fact that all 12 centers are owned 

by our company. 




SUP & 

SURFING 

RENTAL I LESSONS 

Origin and trend is what combines these two sports. Surfing 

is the oldest fun sport in the world and in many countries it is 

much more popular than a fringe sport. Stand Up Paddling 

was not discovered only yesterday, and is currently seen as 

the new trend sport. The secret of the success of SUP is the 

fact that this one sport gives such a great range of possibilities. 

Whether in waves, cruising on the lake next door, or a 

work-out on a nearby river - SUP is trend. Also at Club Mistral. 




KIDS 

WE CARE ABOUT OUR FUTURE GUESTS 

We at Club Mistral think that it is very important to not only 

provide family-friendly products, but to especially make 

the offered sports attractive and accessible to the smallest 

ones. Therefore we have established a training program for 

kids & youngsters with the right equipment to make learning 

simple, but fun. All we want them to do is enjoy! Kids can 

normally start windsurfing at the age of 6. Stand Up Paddling 

enables even smaller children to have fun on the water 

together with their parents. Also, when it comes to prices 

kids & youngsters have some great advantages, including 

windsurfing free of charge when at least one parent rents 

out equipment. Apart from the special kids activities at the 

centers, we have hotels in our portfolio which are specially 

designed for families with kids and offer extras such as miniclubs 

or baby sitting. 




HOLIDAYS 

HOLIDAY PACKAGES I HOTELS I FLIGHTS 

At Club Mistral, we believe that windsurfing and holidays are 

inextricably linked. Most of our guests visit our centers during 

the course of their holidays. That´s why we not only offer 

services on site, but we also make it possible to book the 

complete travel package before departure. That way our 

guests can choose from a wide selection of hotels with different 

qualities and standards, as well as being able to add 

on flight tickets, or even book the whole package. The close 

cooperation between Club Mistral and the hotels on site often 

enables us to impinge upon the quality of the accommodation 

- to the advantage of our guests. Club Mistral is 

not only about surfing, but about a complete holiday from 

one single source. 



PARTNERS 

cooperations 

mistral 

fanatic 

north sails 

north kite boarding 

ion 

42 Partners I 43

PARTNERS 

COOPERA- 

TIONS 

PERFECT PARTNERS FOR A PERFECT SERVICE 

In our interconnected world successful and reliable partnerships 

are indispensable. Due to the large annual investment 

in the latest equipment for our different centers, we are dependent 

on professional suppliers. We have found the right 

associates, and are more than happy with our long-term 

partners - North Kiteboarding, North Sails, Fanatic, Mistral 

and ION. All of them do an outstanding job, which is reflected 

in the excellent products they bring onto the market. For 

the absolute pleasure of our guests. 

44 I Partners 

Partners I 45

46 I Partners 

Partners I 47

48 I Partners 

Partners I 49

BRANDS & 

COMPANIES 

fanatic the boarder center 

club mistral 

skyriders 

50 Brands & Compoanies I 51

THE OCEAN AMBASSADORs 

BRANDS & COMPANIES 

Club Mistral was one of the very first windsurfing school associations, and a pioneer in this section. However, 

the product as well as the Club Mistral brand were overshadowed by Mistral Hardwear for many years, 

and this only changed with the stagnation of the windsurfing business in the 90´s. Today Club Mistral 

is a strong independent company spoken of in the same breath as professionalism and quality. The brand 

Club Mistral and its many centers, spread over the whole world, help to increase the value and the communication 

of Mistral Hardwear - for Mistral International just one of many good reasons to hand over the 

trademark rights to Club Mistral Windsurfing Ltd. for another 30 years. 

52 I Brands & Compoanies 

Brands & Compoanies I 53

FRIENDS OF THE OCEAN 

BRANDS & COMPANIES 

The development of this sport has seen much progression in the last years, and although it was not taken 

seriously in the beginning, today it enjoys the very same popularity as windsurfing. Due to the fact that we 

luckily had a nose for this trend, Skyriders is the leading brand in the kitesurfing section today, and with 15 

kitesurfing centers we have an unique standing. Just as with the Club Mistral windsurfing centers, Skyriders 

offers the complete range - from professional instruction to rental and storage facilities. The trademark 

rights are in the hands of Club Mistral Windsurfing Ltd. 

54 I Brands & Compoanies 

Brands & Compoanies I 55

SUSTAINABLE 

TOURISM 

We share the earth not only with 

our fellow human beings, but with 

all the other creatures 

56 

I Sustainable Tourism 

Sustainable Tourism I 57

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 

TRUE 

BLUE 

WE CARE ABOUT OUR WORLD 

SUSTAINABILITY. A word is on everyone´s lips. Whether it´s 

about an application for the Olympic Games or about fashion 

manufacturing - sustainability is trend. From time to 

time the use of this word is justified and it is more than a cliché. 

However, far too often it is simply used for marketing 

purposes and there is absolutely nothing behind. It makes a 

good impression when you get involved in environmentalism 

and social projects, and we at Club Mistral have found 

out about sustainable tourism: Our commitment is currently 

limited to small actions, but we have started. Now we will 

continue to raise awareness in many more sections. 

58 I Sustainable Tourism 


SUSTAINABLE TOURISM 

TRUE 

BLUE 

GREAT EVENTS OFTEN COME FROM LITTLE CAUSES 

So far our focus in sustainable tourism has been on environment 

protection, the education and engagement of local 

employees, and social support in the newly industrialized 

countries we are working in. In the near future we would like 

to boost and extend our commitment and involve our different 

partners and suppliers in our projects. Some of them 

have already started their own ventures which we support 

with all possible resources. 

All of the sports offered by Club Mistral are in close touch 

with nature. A fact which obliges us as a company, but also 

every single windsurfer, kitesurfer and surfer, to show the 

utmost respect for nature and our planet! 

60 I Sustainable Tourism 


MARKETINGwww 

social communities 

web media 

print media 

62 Marketing I 63

MARKETING 

WWW 

VIRTUAL BUSINESS CARDS 

WEBSITES... a company´s business card. 

An indispensable information source. THE 

only true way of a company´s representation. 

Websites are referred to as many things 

and serve many different purposes - for Club 

Mistral it is just one: What we want is to supply 

our guests, our clients and all new customers 

with the most important information about our 

company - in a grouped and clear way - and 

to keep them updated. At www.club-mistral. 

com, www. skyriders.com and www.fanaticboarderscenter.com 

you not only find things 

worth knowing about us, the sports and the 

different destinations, but also everything 

you need to dream about your next holiday... 

eventhough it´s just for a short moment in the 

world wide web. 

64 I Marketing 

Marketing I 65

MARKETING 

SOCIAL 

COMMUNITIES 

UP TO DATE WITH FACEBOOK 

There are still a lot sceptics when it comes to social networking, and many people don´t really see the great 

advantages it can bring. However, Club Mistral does see the benefits of this free marketing tool. With more 

than 400 million users, Facebook is a rapidly-growing marketing and selling machine, and we definitely 

try to get the maximum out of it. We don´t want to do without this platform anymore - particularly with regards 

to customer aquisition. Also, when it comes to keeping our „Fans“ updated and providing them with 

the latest news - no matter in which corner of the world they are - we are definitely now fans ourselves! 


Marketing I 67

MARKETING 

WEBMEDIA 

MOVING WITH THE TIMES 

These days everyday life without computers is hard to imagine and there are more and more people who 

not only see it as a general working tool, but much more as a one-stop source of information - and maybe 

even as a leisure-time activity. In order to move with the times and to follow the trend, it has become vital 

for us to advertise on the main national and international websites all about windsurfing and kitesurfing 

and thus to attract the attention of the users again and again. 


Marketing I 69

MARKETING 

PRINTMEDIA 

GO WITH THE FLOW 

Although figures are decreasing in the print media due to the growing interest in the web, we as a company 

would also like to meet the requirements of those who would rather relax on the sofa, flicking through a 

magazine. Almost everybody spends their day to day life in front of the computer - so why also spend their 

freetime typing and Googling? When it comes to engaging with one´s hobby or dreaming about the next 

holiday on the water, there are still thousands of people relying on the „good, old“ magazines. We hope 

that it will stay like this in the future. 


Marketing I 71

0049 (0) 881 9254960 / COMPANY@SKYRIDERS.COM / WWW.SKYRIDERS.COM 

0049 (0) 881 9254960 / cOmpANY@SKYRIDERS.cOm / WWW.SKYRIDERS.cOm 

KITESURFING HOLIDAYS 

mauritius le morne / brasilien preá / el yaque / cabarete / kapverden 

safaga / djerba / essaouira / dakhla / tarifa / ras sudr / golf de roses 

KITESURFING HOLIDAYS 

mauritius le morne / el yaque / cabarete / tarifa / safaga 

cape verde / essaouira / dakhla / ras sudr / golf de roses 

photo by: club mistral / location: safaga 

photo by: tom brendt / location: el yaque 


Marketing I 73

SALES 

travel people 

direct bookings 

tour operator 

figures 

74 Sales I 75

SALES 

TRAVEL 

PEOPLE 

OWN TOUR OPERATOR & AGENCY 

With our in-house tour operator Travel People Ltd. we have 

not only been working the national but also the international 

market for windsurfing and kitesurfing holidays since 1999. 

The international distribution focuses on the countries where 

we maintain long-term partnerships with local tour operators. 

Those countries and markets have been growing 

steadily in the last years and have brought turnovers not to 

be sneezed at. However, the German speaking world still 

contributes more than 40% to the total turnover of Travel 

People Ltd. The majority of our guests appreciate the professional 

advice and the integrity of a specialized tour operator. 

That is why marketing actions include internet as well 

as the classic catalogue and other print media. 

76 I Sales 

Sales I 77

SALES 

DIRECT 

BOOKINGS 

ALL PERFORMANCES AT THE CENTER 

Not only has the booking attitude of clients changed a lot in 

the last years, but also the way people book their holidays. 

Also, or maybe especially, the internet has made a major 

contribution to that. A lot of customers use this transparent 

medium to book their journey independently and according 

to their needs. In the end it is those customers who revert 

to the direct-booking possibility, offered by our head office. 

All different services provided at our centers, such as rental 

and lessons, can be booked directly - and independently 

of the journey. Again the German speaking clients are a big 

piece of the cake, but the amount of international guests is 

also increasing year by year. 

78 I Sales 

Sales I 79

UK 

UK 

France 

France 

SALES 

TOUR 

OPERATOR 

Germany 

Russia 

Germany 

Poland 

Switzerland 

Switzerland 

INTERNATIONAL TOUR OPERATOR PARTNERS 

From the very beginning the main criteria about the structure 

of distribution has been the internationalisation of Club 

Mistral and the convinction that we, as a specialized provider, 

have to open up to international markets. A limitation 

to the domestic market would have sooner or later proved 

to be fatal. Two decisions finally led to our success: to build 

up an international team and to maintain close partnerships 

with specialized tour operators in foreign countries. Some of 

those, such as Sportif UK and Fun & Fly France, have been 

with us from the very beginning. However, we would also 

like to point out the importance of tour operators on smaller 

markets, such Switzerland, Austria, the Benelux, Spain and 

the former Eastern bloc countries - since they generate a 

significant turnover. 

80 I Sales 

Sales I 81

Germany 

France 

England 

Switzerland 

Austria 

Russia 

Netherlands 

Poland 

Italy 

Belgium 

Czech Rep. 

Spain 

Sweden 

Slowenia 

Norway 

Slowakia 

Canada 

Others 

2007 2008 2009 

GERMANY 31,05 32,58 32,86 

FRANCE 25,82 23,15 19,69 

ENGLAND 13,21 14,50 15,48 

SWITZERLAND 6,55 6,98 8,44 

AUSTRIA 5,09 3,50 3,81 

RUSSIA 4,03 4,05 4,28 

NETHERLANDS 3,19 2,66 2,69 

POLAND 2,16 2,67 2,29 

ITALY 1,23 0,96 1,48 

BELGIEN 1,17 1,92 2,82 

CZECH REP. 0,88 0,35 0,52 

SPAIN 0,76 0,76 1,49 

SWEDEN 0,60 0,69 0,61 

SLOVENIA 0,44 0,68 0,10 

NORWAY 0,42 0,44 0,50 

SLOWAKIA 0,26 0,21 0,32 

CANADA 0,19 0,06 0,28 

SALES 

FIGURES 

NATIONALITIES OF GUESTS 

During its long history Club Mistral has developed into a 

well-recognized product and a worldwide-known brand in 

the water sports tourism. These figures includes direct bookings 

and bookings through tour operator. 

OTHERS 2,95 3,84 2,32 Figures in percent 

82 I Sales 

Sales I 83

PROJECTS 

ocean vagabond 

hotel partner 

84 Projects I 85

PROJECTS 

OCEAN 

VAGABOND 

HOTEL & RESTAURANT PROJECT DAKHLA/MOROCCO 

Deep in the south of Morocco, in the region of West Sahara, 

our 2 partners, Sebastien Deflandre and Driss Senoussi, 

have realised an amazing project with us. About 1400 

km south of Essaouira, in the middle of nowhere, you will 

find the small town of Dakhla, located at an incredibly large 

lagoon. Sebastien was fascinated by this place from the very 

beginning and developed a strong desire and enthusiasm 

to realize this project. Ocean Vagabond Dakhla consists of 

32 wooden bungalows with a lovely restaurant & bar and 

a large Club Mistral & Skyriders Center. Everthing has been 

built in an environmentally compliant design, focusing on 

sustainability and energy efficiency. The whole facility runs 

almost completely on solar power. It can accommodate up 

to 70 guests at a time. 

86 I Projects 

Projects I 87

COOPERATION 

HOTEL 

PARTNERS 

DAHAB RESORT 

IN THE FOCUS OF THE GLOBAL PLAYER 

The big tourism companies already realised that more and 

more guests don’t want to spend their holidays only sunbathing. 

The requirements for a holiday destination became 

more comprehensive and include adventure, activity, pleasure, 

fun and nature. There is also a strong focus on all kinds 

of water sports. This is one reason why many prestigious 

hotels offer us a partnership to establish a professional surf 

facility at their resorts, such as Hilton, Radisson and Le Meridien, 

amongst others. Our latest cooperation is a most 

exclusive Skyriders Kitesurf Center, which will be built on the 

premises of the new luxury resort Hotel St. Regis in Le Morne/Mauritius. 

88 I Cooperation 

Cooperation I 89

COMPANY - Club Mistral

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?