Geovana Pagel*
São Paulo – The first time that the Brazilian Alessander Lenzi travelled to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, was in 2002, to participate in a jet ski competition: the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) – the governing body of power boat racing – World Championship. There he met other competitors and lovers of the sport interested in learning his technique in acrobatics, among them the Arab Salem Butti Butti Al Qubaisi, son of a sheikh from Dubai. "Since then I have travelled to Dubai nine times. In 2005 alone I travelled five times to coach Arab and also Russian and English sportsmen," explained Lenzi.
Every time he travels, the Brazilian sportsman stays in the Arab country for between 15 and 30 days. "In an area with 700 kilometres of coast and paradisiacal places, Dubai is a refuge for various jet ski sportsmen to practice," explained Lenzi. "In Dubai there is great luxury, many crazy constructions. It is a very exotic place," he pointed out.
The Arab country has the Burj Al Arab hotel, in which daily rates are as high as US$ 1,500. The US$ 6 billion dollar construction is 320 metres high, is on an artificial island 200 metres away from the beach and was build on pillars that go down 40 metres. The Teflon-coated fibreglass building is in the shape of a sail, has a panoramic restaurant that is semi suspended and has a tennis court. At the hotel, almost everything that shines is gold plated.
Alessander Lenzi was born in 1973, in the city of Jaraguá do Sul, Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil. He worked with his family in the civil construction field up to 1993 and started riding jet skis as a hobby. "I started working on acrobatics and noticed that I had a knack for the sport," explained the sportsman. In that same year he participated in his fist championship, in Santa Catarina. From then on he has not stopped competing and winning titles. Lenzi is the only Brazilian competitor to win the World Championship in the Professional Freestyle category.
The Brazilian sportsman has been wanted worldwide, both by professionals and by lovers of the sport, to pass on his technique and style of radical manoeuvres. Lenzi makes presentations in the most varied of places, as well as participating in the main championships in Brazil, Europe and the United States. This year, once more, his agenda is filled up with lessons, coaching and competitions.
"Today everything revolves around jet (skis) and my name. I have many people working for me who help to take care of the business, as I build my own jet skis and sell them. I also make and sell videos, represent brands, travel the world making shoes and take care of the sponsors," he explained.
Alessander Lenzi
E-mail: lenzi@lenzi.com.br
Telephone: (+55 47) 3275 0259
*Translated by Mark Ament
