2015 Buyers Guide: RRD

Photo: Dave White

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With bright and impactful graphics, it’s easy to recognize a RRD kite or board from Italian designer Roberto Ricci. The company has a “no yearly collection philosophy” and only releases new or next generation products when they fulfill a real need not currently met within the RRD line or when they feel they have had a breakthrough in construction or performance. RRD’s Marketing Manager, Ovidio Ferrari, talks to us about what RRD is offering in 2015.

Religion

For 2015, RRD has seven kites in its lineup. Are there any changes to the Addiction MKV, Emotion and Vision MKIII kites? The Addiction MKV, emotion and vision MKIII are untouched in our 2015 collection. For a few years now, RRD renounced the general trend of the yearly collections and now we only release new products when we feel that there are real needs to take a step forward compared to the previous year’s collection. We released the Addiction MKV racing kite in the first half of the 2014 season. This MKV version was a real improvement in terms of upwind ability and general performances compared to the previous MKIV version. Now we’ll keep it in the 2015 collection because we believe it still represents the best inflatable racing kite on the market. At the same time we’re continually working on the development process of our kite collection, and as soon as we feel we’ve reached a real step forward in development, we’ll release a new version of our Addiction, emotion or vision kites as well.

The Emotion and Vision MKIII are both all terrain kites but the Emotion is a strutless kite. How do these two kites differ and why would you recommend one over the other? Yes, both those kites are great all arounders, but they have different attitudes. The Vision is a freestyle/ wave orientated kite: Fast, powerful and easy turning. The Vision can fly in the higher zone of the window and in the lower as well, delivering good power to enjoy freestyle tricks on a twin tip or busting moves for great wave riding sessions on a surfboard. The Emotion on the other hand is an incredible glider, flying very stable in the higher part of the window and delivering great sensations especially for freeride/freestyle sessions or wave riding in light wind conditions.

The Passion, Obsession and Obsession Pro are all completely new. How have these kites changed and what is the difference between the two Obsession models? We worked a lot on the development of the passion to make it the ideal freeride kite, delivering great power but very easy handling with great hang time.

The Obsession and Obsession Pro are also excellent freestyle kites. The Obsession is our iconic SLE freestyle machine, with incredible hangtime, delivering great feedback and feel for freeride and freestyle sessions. You can execute any kind of freestyle trick with this kite and progress as your level goes higher, but as soon as your freestyle level improves and you start doing more powered moves, especially wakestyle, then you start feeling the need to grab an obsession Pro, a pure C-shape five-line kite that will take you to the powered tricks side with the forgiveness that only a C-shape freestlye kite can have. We developed this kite following the needs of our megaloop master, Jerrie Van De Kop, and believe that all the powered freestyle riders will fall in love with this new version of the obsession pro as soon as they try it!

With nine twin tips for 2015, what are the differences between your freestyle models the Poison V3, Style V2 and Style BIAX? The Style V2 is a pure freestyle machine conceived and made in Italy with an exclusive technology found only in Formula one car racing. This board is full carbon, super light, extremely responsive and it’s developed for riders with skill and attitude to perform at the highest level. That’s why we also produce the Style BIAX which combines the same shape features with a more forgiving technology that allows riders of all levels to charge this board and crank out jumps and tricks much easier. The Poison V3 is a new twin tip freestyle board with a new shape combining the scoop-line of our iconic freestyle board, the poison, with the outline of our new wakestyle board, The Juice V2. The result is a freestyle board that is easy to ride, especially in choppy water conditions. the new Poison V3 features a totally straight line in the mid-45 centimeters of the board, creating a perfect area to push hard when trying to edge and go upwind as hard as you can. The tip area was also narrowed down quite a bit, increasing top speed and allowing a quicker direction change, therefore increasing the pop.

The biggest design change in your 2015 twin tip range is the Juice V2. What changed and why? Having Jerrie Van De Kop on our team, we decided to follow the needs of this talented rider and his wakestyle attitude. So we developed this new shape according to his needs, with a 55cm long totally dead flat outline section in the middle of the board, to increase upwind ability, and a deep channeled hull. you can use the Juice V2 with your favorite bindings, and ride it with the small production fins or without fins if you’re looking to ride it in a park.

Photo: Dave White

Both are freeride/ freestyle twin tip boards and the biggest difference is their construction technology. The Placebo is built in a more forgiving wood-glass technology which makes this board perfect for beginners, and cheaper as well. The Bliss is a “proudly Made in Italy” board built with a Formula one cars “Autoclave technology,” that boosts its freeride and freestyle performance.

What are the differences between the Bliss V2 and Placebo V5 freeride boards? Both are freeride/ freestyle twin tip boards and the biggest difference is their construction technology. The Placebo is built in a more forgiving wood-glass technology which makes this board perfect for beginners, and cheaper as well. The Bliss is a “proudly Made in Italy” board built with a Formula one cars “Autoclave technology,” that boosts its freeride and freestyle performance.

RRD offers two light wind twin tips. What conditions does each excel in? At first look, the BS 45 V3 and BS 45 Pro seem to be the same board, but after the first ride you will feel they are completely different! The BS 45 V3 is a pure freeride board able to start performing in 10 knots of wind. The BS 45 Pro has a totally different scoop rocker line and bottom shape, allowing this board to be an incredible freestyle twin tip board with very nice turning and always ready to pop out of the water in light wind conditions.

RRD has an all new collection of 12 surfboards. Tell us about the C.O.T.A.N. and how it differs from traditional surf model shapes. The concept behind the C.O.T.A.N. boards is very simple and the name we chose for these boards tells it all, since C.O.T.A.N. means ”˜cut off tail and nose.’ Basically if you take a long surfboard and you properly cut off its tail and nose, you will benefit with the outline and control of the longer board, with the maneuverability of a shorter board. The result on the wave is insane! This style of board feels free and fast, and can be used to ride all types of waves, both big and small.

Cotan

Where does the new POP kite surfboard fit in your lineup? The two POP boards represent a new program in our lineup. The POP is a pure strapless freestyle board, very fast and easy to pop out of the water, with channeled rails that are easy to grab and execute strapless freestyle moves.

What are the other major highlights in your directional collection? Well, according to our “No Yearly Collection” philosophy, we have kept all the surfboard shapes in our 2015 collection that cater to specific styles and conditions. Amongst them all, I would like to highlight the Maquina surfboards and especially the 5’11”. This is a “must have” classic squash tail shape, able to deliver incredible performance in an incredibly wide range of waves and conditions.