(Text by Carlo Forni)
After the last years with Deep Master company, which had sponsored the 2016 World Spearfishing Championship in Syros, won by George Vasiliou, and where Giannis Sideris finished second at the photo-finish, the great Greek Champion moves to Pathos and this is another step in the growth and strengthening of the Greek company.
We have asked Giannis a few things about him, his spearfishing career, the reason for his move to Pathos, his first sensations on the new products. But before that, we have asked the Team Manager, Giacomo De Mola, also responsible of Sales and Marketing for Pathos, what this addition move means for the Greek company.
Apnea Passion: Pathos has now really a complete team of Ambassadors that are definitely great champions. The “last” entry with Giannis Sideris indeed makes the team even stronger. As Team Manager, are you planning any new athletes to enter? Which other nations?
Giacomo De Mola: “Hi Carlo. First of all I want to spend just two words about Iannis. I could speak for one hour…I will say just that I respect him very much, I know him from the first years I came to Greece. He is a great Champion, and I do not speak just of what he can do in the water, but especially as person out of the water. In Greece, he is practically a leaving Legend. I could not be happier that he joined us in our successful journey.
Now I want to explain a little bit the Pathos Athlete politics. As businessman, I strongly believe that all the people in one company have a role and all the roles are important. For this reason, some years ago I created 3 Athletes Categories:
The INTERNATIONAL AMBASSADORS
They are chosen from the strongest athletes in the international circuit, they are cosmopolitans, they have been fishing in many parts of the world, usually, they speak more than one language and are people that I trust 100% for all their activities and ideas to develop new products or improve already existing ones. They are Real CHAMPIONS, the inspiration for thousands of people all over the world. (Ndr. we have talked about of Pathos international Ambassadors meeting here). Today Pathos International Ambassadors are:
Giacomo De Mola
Andre’ Domingues
Cyril Bollote
Ozan Onen
Oscar Lopez
Samuel Tomas
Kim Jaatinen
Samir Tiblali
Teva Montagnon
Kostas Makris
Ale Talo’
The NATIONAL ATHLETES
Every nation has some very strong athletes well known in the country, often they are young promises of the international spearfishing circuit. They have a big desire and big dreams, they are most of the time fishing and testing the equipment and I get a lot of very good feedback from them.
The LOCAL COLLABORATORS
This category is the real essence of the widespread work that Pathos does. These guys support the Pathos dealers at a local level, with them presence on the territory is guaranteed. They organize seminars, are instructors, they are the Pathos image during products test with the final costumers on Pathos open days. Of course, they are also very experienced and strong spearos, and some take part also in competitions, and our dealers are very happy to have them.
I have other 2 big surprises for 2021 …..one is in ITALY and the other is in FRANCE stay tuned ….!!!!
Well, with all the 3 categories we have more or less 60 athletes in all the world, as I told you everyone has his role. We get a lot of feedback to how we can improve the products and many ideas for new ones. We are in direct contact, we chat practically every week, and often we organize meetings to exchange our ideas, test new products, make videos etc.
In this way, we incorporate in the company the direct experience of the champions.”
After these very deep reveals of the organization of the Official Pathos Team athletes, and waiting to know, and tell you all, the names of the Italian and French athletes, we have started our interview with Iannis Sideris.
Apnea Passion: Hi Iannis, how did you start spearfishing?
Iannis Sideris: It was an inner need that grew over the years. I considered it very important from a young age to be able to hold my breath for a long time. Growing up I started diving and discover the underwater world. At the age of 8-9, I followed a friend of my father who did coastal spearfishing. At the end of that day, I start dreaming of myself as a spearfisher.
AP: How and when did you start competitions? Who is your spearo legend?
IS: I started competing during my studies in Naples. My first competitions took place in Italy. When I returned to Greece, my friend Nikos Kampanis urged me to take more serious spearfishing competitions. I do not have a model athlete. It’s weird now that you mentioned it. I believe that all people have a special personality and I do not think that there are legends, just ordinary people who work hard to achieve their goals. Personally, as strange as it may seem to you, is that people consider me one of the best fishermen in deep water and that I do not keep secrets about the way I fish.
AP: What is Pathos to you? What does Pathos represent for a Greek athlete?
IS: Pathos to me means Evolution!! It is the largest company in Greece, and it is my honor to be in this group now. I will help with my experience in the development of products and in the creation of new ones.
AP: Spearo, athlete and spearfishing champion. What can you now give to a great company like Pathos as support on products and in general?
IS: I can give my experience and know-how for the development, construction and the correct setting up of our company’s products. The owner of the company, Mr. Michalopoulos, has an open mind, many new ideas and he likes to discuss with the support team all his ideas to obtain the best possible product. I am now a member of this group. I want people to understand that a product to reach your hands requires thought, experience, endless tests in the sea! I believe that the ideal people for Pathos are people who have spent their lives at sea and in spearfishing competitions.
AP: Which Pathos products do you prefer and which products you have some ideas to improve? Which Pathos products did you try already in your career and what did you like the most?
IS: Supreme fins are very good for deep dives, extremely stable, fluid and reactive. Laser and Saragos spearguns of measures between 60 and 90 cm are perfect for hole fishing and light ambushes, and of course the Sniper is a very good power speargun, with a perfect buoyancy balance on measures from 95 up to 115 for big fish and long shots. But of course, all the Pathos products that I have had the chance to try in the past gave me always a feeling of solidity/confidence/reliability and sensation of a product studied in every detail with passion for spearfishing.
AP: Which are your next goals and which competitions will you participate to in 2021? IS: I have been waiting for the World Championship to be held in Sardinia since last year. We are having some special moments now with the coronavirus, but my training is uninterrupted and my goal now is just to win a world championship.
