What happens when a professional surfer steps onto his board not in a wetsuit, but in the finest evening and business attire?
For the current issue of rampstyle #38, "Just for the Plot," ramp.space developed the fashion editorial "Wrongly Dressed" with professional surfer Leon Glatzer. The creative concept thrives on the deliberate juxtaposition of two worlds: the powerful dynamism of surfing and the formal elegance of classic menswear.
Concept, creative direction, and production were all handled by ramp.space.
During the shoot, the fashion was consistently set in motion: Leon Glatzer stepped onto his surfboard in suits, shirts, and other high-quality outfits, showcasing his full range of skills while riding the waves. Water became an integral part of the visual design: wet fabrics, flowing silhouettes, and breaking waves convey the playful ease of the sport.
Photographer Norman Konrad translated this conceptual stylistic contrast into a visual world that is both dynamic and elegant. Thorsten Osterberger's styling accentuates the contrast between surf culture and classic wardrobe, lending the shoot its distinctive fashion character.
The German professional surfer was the first German surfer to compete in the Olympic Games (Tokyo 2021). Born on February 28, 1997, on Maui, Hawaii, to German immigrants, he moved with his family to Costa Rica as a toddler and grew up in the remote fishing village of Pavones – home to one of the longest left-hand waves in the world. Today, he is considered a global aerial specialist and is known for his spectacular, progressive air game.
In his Red Bull-produced film "Against Gravity" (released on Red Bull TV), he explores his challenging journey from jungle kid to Olympic athlete and speaks candidly about the mental crises he experienced after the Games.
To further perfect his technical reaction time and new tricks (such as double 360-degree spins), he relocated his training base to Munich. There, he uses the artificial waves at the newly opened O2 Surftown MUC facility in Hallbergmoos for his professional competition preparation.
Alongside his full-time job, he also appeared as an expert at a Red Bull casting for Germany's Next Topmodel in 2016.
Leon Glatzer has also founded his own luxury surf and wellness resort, NAMU Surf Retreat, in Pavones, Costa Rica. The Olympic surfer personally manages the exclusive camp, which is located directly on the world-famous, kilometer-long links wave in Pavones. It's an all-inclusive luxury and wellness sanctuary with private villas, ice baths, professional surf coaching, and specialized recovery training.
"I started surfing as a child in Pavones, Costa Rica. By sixteen I turned professional, traveling the world and eventually competing in the Olympic Games. Surfing has given me everything. Discipline, purpose, joy, and the opportunity to work with some of the most dedicated professionals in the world....Over time, I realized that what I loved just as much as competing was teaching. Sharing knowledge and watching someone catch a wave they never thought was possible. NAMU began as a simple idea. A way to give back everything I had learned throughout my life career, in the place where I grew up and fell in love with surfing." Leon Glatzer.
The editorial was produced at O₂ SURFTOWN MUC in Munich.
GoSee : namuretreat.com