Thomas Traversa F3

Our dear friend Renaud is gone ♥️🕊️🥹

When I started windsurfing in the 90’s, I was a kid from Marseille and Renaud was one of the first pros I met at my homespot. I knew him from the magazines and from the iconic windsurfing trilogy videos, and on top of that he was riding for Tabou, the brand from Marseille. And he was riding on his iconic graphic, red board with green cross, it was so cool .

He was just a normal guy living a life I could not even dream of. He gave me a little compliment about my sailing and that meant everything to me.

A couple of years later I met him in Cabo Verde where he moved and owned a bar, I was still a kid and I remember having a chat with him about a book that I have just read, « la vie devant soi ». He was convinced that I probably did not get the meaning of that book. I guess he was right 😌

No filter, no judgement, pure honesty and words from the heart.

We lost contact for many years but I ended up becoming friend with many of his friends, traveling the world searching for new spots - the same way he did it - riding for the same board shaper and friend Fabien from Tabou. Keeping that similar light-hearted, curious and fun approach of life and windsurfing.

More than 20 years later I got the chance to bring back his iconic graphic on my custom boards. I guess that sparked something in him as he asked Fabien to make him a copy of my 70 liters magic board, with the new version of his graphic.

In 2024 we spent 3 weeks together in Maui, in Fabien’s house, we windsurfed together, really connected and shared a moment of life with Antony and Jules. It was the Tabou family reunion. All living the same dream together.

I did read that book again 2 years ago, thinking of him. He was right , I did not understand that story as a kid but it left a mark in me.

Like most things in life. We usually don’t understand each other. But we give and receive a lot more than we think.

Today I am very sad writing this , and also very grateful for the influence Renaud had on me.

All my prayers go to his son and his many friends and loved ones ♥️

Merci et bon voyage 🕊️

here is a little clip from last winter , when I drove to Brittany, to windsurf epic stormy conditions

Some chill music with nice footage from Stef, Rayan and Fred

Enjoy!

Britanny epic windsurfing // Storm DARRAGH December 24, Storm Darragh hit the French Atlantic coastI drove from Austria and scored 2 days of epic conditions, sailing beautiful waves on my 3.3 sail. Ro...