Riviera Bay is alive again. The sun’s low, the swell’s up, and a pack of locals are scattered across the lineup, chatting, dropping in, wiping out. But there’s one grom out there who seems to belong more to the sea than to the shore. Barely fourteen, wiry and wide-eyed, Kiran Boult Cassar paddles into the pocket like he was born for this. Because, in many ways, he was.
“Since I could walk, actually.”
That’s how Kiran describes the start of it all. He’s laughing when he says it, but it’s true. His dad, an adrenaline-charged ski and snowboard instructor, first pushed him onto a kiteboard in Mellieħa’s Ghadira Bay when he was still in toddler shoes. “He just put me on the board and pushed,” Kiran says. “I managed to stand up. I actually have this old photo of me wearing a T-shirt that says Born to Surf.” His dad, Alisdair is just an incredible human too, always up to something. He joins his best buddy on every adventure, they build boards, work on their caravan, like his mother, is always by Kiran’s side.
A father and son duo like no other
If you’ve been around the Maltese surf scene, you’ve seen Kiran and his dad. The duo are a fixture: sunburnt, salty, and always ready for another session. His father’s influence is stitched into every wave Kiran catches. “He’s been wanting me to surf for a long time,” Kiran says. “When I was seven, I got my first board from Decathlon. We were camping at Little Armier. There were tiny waves, and I just tried. When I caught one, I fell in love with surfing.”
Waves, Whistles, and Blood Sugar Levels
Kiran’s story isn’t only about being a grom surfing. There’s something deeper: it’s about surfing through something. He’s one of the few Type 1 diabetics to paddle out regularly in Malta. That means his sessions come with more than just tides and wind forecasts; there’s tech, timing, and trust involved.
“I remember when I found out, I thought I could never surf again,” he admits. “I was in hospital thinking, This is going to be horrible. I’m going to miss everything.”
But his parents, once again, found a way to make the impossible possible. They rigged a system: a phone tucked inside a CamelBak that connects to Kiran’s blood sugar monitor. His mum and dad, either surfing nearby or watching from the beach, gets the readings live on his phone. “He whistles to tell me if my sugars are good,” Kiran says. “Or if I need to come in.”
During session, Kiran downs a carton of chocolate milk: his secret weapon. “That puts me back up if my sugar’s low,” he explains. It’s a level of responsibility most adults couldn’t handle, but he wears it like a badge. “I have it for life,” he says, shrugging. “So I just deal with it.”
And deal with it he does—by surfing harder, pushing further, and refusing to let anything slow him down.
“Get Barrelled.”
Ask Kiran what his big dream is, and his answer is instant. “Get barrelled,” he grins loudly. It’s the kind of goal every surfer remembers setting: the holy grail. He’s been working for it, wave after wave, session after session.
He’s surfed in Sicily, small mellow lines that let him test his style, and even at Alaïa Bay, Switzerland’s precision-engineered wave pool. “It was amazing, but stressful,” he laughs. “Two hundred euro for an hour. My parents paid for a few waves, and that hour just went so fast. Nothing beats the ocean.”
Back home, his favourite spots shift with the wind. For years, Riviera was his sanctuary. “I’ve been surfing Riviera all my life,” he says. But lately, Marley’s—a heavier, reefy right-hander—has been calling him. “Valerio helped me go there,” he says. “That day was my first time. It was fast and fun. I hit the reef, but I still loved it.”
A calling: From Grom to Coach
While most kids his age are still figuring out what they love, Kiran’s already teaching others how to do it. “I’ve always wanted to be a surf coach,” he says. “After I saw Valerio coaching, how fun and happy he was, I told myself, when I’m 12 or 13, I’ll ask if I can join him.”
Now 14, he’s living that dream. Between school and surf, he’s helping out at lessons, encouraging newcomers who are just learning to stand. “It’s the best life,” he says, with the kind of certainty that only comes from someone who’s already found his calling.
And he’s not wrong. In a country where the surf scene is still small and growing, Kiran stands out not just for his talent but for his consistency. “I think I’m the only kid in Malta who surfs regularly,” he admits. “I’ve gone to Riviera every time there’s waves, summer, winter, whenever.”
Shaping the Future, Literally
When he’s not in the water, Kiran’s in the shaping bay. With his dad, he’s started building boards from scratch – learning every curve, rocker, and concave by hand. “We already made one,” he says. “It’s 5’8”, quite wide, a bit thin. I learned how the rocker changes how a board moves. If it’s flat, it’s better for small waves. If it’s curved, it grips better in clean waves.”
They’re now shaping another. “It’s also 5’8” but a bit narrower. My dad wants something thicker for himself with more volume.”
He laughs when he describes it. “I think we might be the only people making surfboards in Malta right now.”
It’s part experiment, part obsession. You can feel it in how he talks—this grom doesn’t just surf boards; he understands them. The physics of it all fascinates him. “Concaves, curves, rockers—that’s all physics,” he says. “That’s why I love studying it in school.”
The Next Wave
Ask what’s next and Kiran doesn’t hesitate. “Bigger waves,” he says. “I’ve learned to duck dive now, so I want to start taking on more size.”
Beyond that? “Competing. I asked Valerio if I could join a competition this year. He said I’m too young. But maybe next time.”
He’s already dreaming further, of Australia, Indonesia, Bali. The global pilgrimage of every surfer who wants to test themselves in real waves. “Bali’s always been my dream,” he says. “I want to go there so bad.”
Until then, he’ll keep paddling out at home. Keep teaching, shaping, and chasing the next set with the same energy that brought him here.
The Kid Who Never Stops
When you talk to Kiran, you realise he’s built from something different, equal parts saltwater, adrenaline, and sheer willpower. He surfs, coaches, shapes boards, monitors his blood sugar, and still manages to dream bigger every single day.
“I want to surf for the rest of my life,” he says simply. “Never changing it.”
The sea around Malta doesn’t always deliver. Weeks can pass without a decent swell. But when it does, when Riviera wakes up or Marley’s starts to growl, you’ll see him out there. The youngest surfer in Malta, carving his line through every opportunity the ocean throws at him. We’d always recommend a chat with his mum and dad too, both with some more stories about Kiran, patience and love!
Still that kid on his first kiteboard. Still born to surf.
