The Mission: A Big Birthday

Where to start? Mauritius was just incredible. With two weeks of non-stop conditions, we really scored.

I used to visit Mauritius so much as a kid to train waves and freestyle, it’s where I really progressed as a pro rider. The idea of heading there this year came about a few months back when I was in Sardinia at our Year 30 dealer meeting. While there I chatted to Roberto and my team manager Jacopo about putting a shoot together for our brand-new wave kite and really making a special release out of it.

So, we got a small team together – myself, Roberto, team rider Ralf Bachschuster, and Sam behind the camera – and decided to go in search of the magic shots. It’s always a toss-up when you book these kinds of trips in advance because you never really know if you’re going to score or not. But mid-September came, and we decided to pull the trigger and give it a shot.

This trip wasn’t just about the kite, though. Roberto Ricci, the heart and soul behind RRD, wanted to make this trip special to celebrate his 60th birthday in style, in Mauritius. It was the perfect way to combine his milestone celebration with the 30th anniversary of RRD, a brand that has helped shape so much of the industry.

We were riding the new Religion Gold Aluula and the Religion Dacron version during these fantastic days. Between testing sessions, shooting and celebrating, Mauritius delivered some of the best waves I’ve ever ridden in my life on a kite.

The Religion kite represents a milestone in the evolution of wave kite design. It’s the culmination of everything myself and the team have learned, and to see it come to life during a trip that marked both Roberto’s 60th and RRD’s 30th anniversary felt like a full-circle moment.

I hope you get the chance to try this kite and experience wave riding the way it’s meant to be. If you’re in Cape Town this season, you’ll find us there in full force!