Rudy Castorina is a windsurfer from Paris who has been living his dream on Maui. Rudy has just released a pretty nice video called “Maui Love” and as we did not know Rudy yet we thought to catch up with him. Rudy is very passionate in all he does and if he isn’t in the ocean he puts all his effort in his jewelry brand Rue Belle. He never felt a need to compete and was inspired by the travel trips of Renaud Simon, Raoul Lequertier or Vincent Lartizien and the photographer Gilles Calvet.
An interview with Rudy Castorina, a Frenchman, who lives his dream on Maui
Rudy at Teahupoo, Tahiti (Pic: Francois Rigaud)
Continentseven: When and where did you start to windsurf?
Rudy Castorina: I started windsurfing on a lake on the countryside of Paris when I was about 14 years-old. My dad was passionate so we were going to the water on the weekends. I was so passionated that at 17 my parents found a solution for me to sail more and sent me live with a new family in Marseille. I was living 100 yard from the sea next to “La pointe rouge” Everything started there, it was a magic moment, that changed me forever. Then I came into surfing during my first trip to Morocco at the age of 18. But I was using a skateboard to ride through the city before all.
Continentseven: Who were your influencers in the beginning?
Rudy Castorina: What influenced me the most at the beginning were the adventures and trips you could find in the “Wind Magazine” of riders like Renaud Simon, Raoul Lequertier or Vincent Lartizien and the photographer Gilles Calvet. They went windsurfing at the most remote perfect waves, met with the local people and ate local food. This was windsurfing for me. Now I get influenced by guys like Thomas Traversa, Camille Juban because of their style in the water and who they are on land. My neighbour also influences me, but he does not windsurf, he surfs, does fishing and gardens and has a beautiful Ohana (family) surrounding him.
Continentseven: You live in Haiku on Maui. How is it to live on Maui?
Rudy Castorina: I really like the fact that as soon as you have free time, Maui is an amazing playground, the ocean, the land, the culture. There is a melting pot of people on the North Shore, watermen, artists, hippies, entrepreneurs, gardeners, passionate people… which gives an interesting flavor.
Continentseven: So you left France forever?
Rudy Castorina: Not really, for now Maui is my base camp and my company RueBelle allows me to go back twice a year to present the new collections in Paris.
Continentseven: You also create music. We just listened to a few tracks by Sandwich Island Bass on Soundcloud.
Rudy Castorina: It’s been a nice adventure with two really good friends for about 5 years, but now I am taking a break as it’s very time consuming to focus on the water more.
Continentseven: You are running Rue Belle together with your wife Bella. A dream or sometimes a hard fight?
Rudy Castorina: Both, but foremost a dream came true. We created RueBelle 12 years ago and now present two collections each year at Paris Fashion week. Bella is an amazing artist and it’s really special to represent Hawaii with her.
Continentseven: How was it possible to live in the US?
Rudy Castorina: After being with my girlfriend for 2 years we got married which allowed me to stay living and working in the US.
Rudy Catorina at Ho’okipa
Continentseven: When did you decide to leave France?
Rudy Castorina: I did not really decide to leave one day to another. It happened over time. Everything fell in place naturally, waves, love, business. After a couple of years I was like: “I think I live here now! I am based on Maui.”
Continentseven: You traveled a lot, you saw a lot of different places, cultures and spots? Why did you decide for Maui?
Rudy Castorina: I was travelling in search of a place where I could go in the water every day and a place that would allow me to start a business to live comfortably. Without knowing it, I found this on Maui as I fell in love with my island girl, Bella Rosa Resta.
Continentseven: You are living the dream on Maui far away from your home Paris. How do you deal with the current situation in Paris or Europe?
Rudy Castorina: Yes, this is really tragic. Paris and its surrounding is my home town and where I grew up. I have a lot of close friends and family there. It’s a really complicated situation where violence is not the answer and not necessary. I really hope it will stop there and everywhere in the world. PEACE.
Rudy Castorina at Jaws (Pic: Pierre Bouras)
Continentseven: Many windsurfers try to make a living out of a competition career. You never did?
Rudy Castorina: Competition has never been important for me. I never felt a need for it. Again what inspired me were those windsurfing trips and bringing back images for the magazines, and this is what I did. Although when the Aloha Classic comes in town, I like to take part in it when the forecast is good.
Continentseven: Your style in waves looks really relaxed. Your cutback is super smooth and your bottom turn reminds bit to Craig Maisonville’s bottom turns. We guess you saw many different styles since you came to Maui?
Rudy Castorina: Thanks, I think my style got better lately because of my close hands on with Fabien Vollenweider shaper from Tabou. When I arrived Josh Angulo, Jason Polakow, Luke Siver were so “styly” to me. Later I saw Mark Angulo, then Levi Siver, Kauli Seadi. I also remember the aggressive style of lip hitter Paul Bryan or Dave Kalama and Rush Randle with their watermen approach.
Continentseven: Has windsurfing changed much since you came to Maui for the first time?
Rudy Castorina: Yes, the gear is so much better I think. So much more accessible, much more performance for all conditions. Though the feeling and the stoke of the people is the same I think.
Continentseven: How much has surfing influenced your wave sailing and the other way around?
Rudy Castorina: A lot, for example it allows me to learn how to only use the power of the wave to generate speed, reading the wave. I like also to bodysurf to connect just with the ocean in a pure and simple way.
Rudy Castorina at Ho’okipa (Pic: Pierre Bouras)
Continentseven: What is windsurfing for you?
Rudy Castorina: Connect with the ocean, the wind. A family and a passion that is driving me through life.
Continentseven: What are the next steps and where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?
Rudy Castorina: Go deeper in all facets of my life to live more in harmony. Play my role in helping the world to have a better global awareness, tolerance and peace. ALOHA & MERCI.
Continentseven: Merci, for the interview.
©continentseven 2015
