Who is Erwin Zantinga?
“Just cycling somewhere is not enough for Mr. Torpedo” – De Wereldfietser
As a creative adventurer I come up with adventurous journeys I’d like to do in creative and original ways. These journeys I turn into inspirational talks, articles and blogposts, films, podcasts, workshops and photoseries. Next to this I’m the creator of the Dutch Adventure Community, the Dutch reprisentative of the International Cycling Film Festival and creator of the independent Rough Conditions Adventure Film Festival. I have released one full colour coffeetable book.
As a little boy I sometimes had troubles sleeping. One morning, after a sleepless night my dad told me next time I could get my bike from the shed and cycle through town to get tired. It was kind of a joke. But not to me. The next sleepless night I found myself cycling in a dark and deserted village at the age of 10. It was my first adventure. After finishing my graphic design study I backpacked through Europe and the USA before entering an education in popculture.
There I took all opportunities to do creative projects abroad. For one project I cycled from Hungary back to my hometown researching ecofarms on the way. I finished my studies with rollerblading through the Netherlands, in search of the meaning of adventure. This resulted in an award winning film, an event called “the Groninger Adventure Night” and a little book (sold out)
After my studies I continued as a creative adventurer, working together with musicians, outdoor enthousiasts and creative artists. I cycled 700 kilometer through the Netherlands while writing ultra short stories on a daily basis. I cycled through Russia with a 3rd hand bike, hiked the Souss river in Morocco and tried to rollerblad LeJog. Cycling 24 consecutive hours through the high peaks of Gran Canaria during a winter storm and 2500 kilometer in search of the Mt Blanc (without a map or electronic navigation). I circumnavigated the island of Schiermonnikoog in 30 consecutive hours by foot and turned this journey into a full colour coffetable book. In 2019 I started my biggest project as of yet, a 98 days journey into Sapmi, the territory of the Sami people north of the European Arctic in search of local music and art.
While touring with my own film festival and representing the ICFF in Russia, Spain and the Netherlands I was online content creator for the Dutch branch of Outside Magazine. To spread the joys of adventurous travel I organized a total of 5 Adventure Nights where people spoke about their journeys in a nice and cozy pub setting. Currently I am writing articles for on- and offline magazines, talking to audiences in different languages and doing workshops on schools, festivals and gatherings. I’m a recuring contributer for cyclingmagazine De Wereldfietser and outdoor website Mountainreporters. Because of my love for music I turn my journeys into musical podcasts, in collaboration with Zomaar Radio. You can also find me in front of the stage at a concert or in a boulderhall, swinging from the wall, mostly in my hometown of Groningen, the Netherlands.
