Stick Guide

Our Philosophy. Our Ritual.

We at Ritual believe in creating our own path. We’ve set out to deliver a range of hockey gear that is unique. Our products are designed for individuals who demand function, creativity and sense of style in the products they choose to own.

Our ritual is about thoughtful, purposeful design. We keep our product range limited so we can focus on creating outstanding products. Every product is designed from the ground up to perform a specific function and reflect extensive research and development. We explore the relationship between materials, design, people and hockey. Our expert designers perform a variety of material and design tests resulting in a range of first-class functional products of superior quality & durability that you will appreciate and get the best results with.

Take a look at our products and the chances are one of them was designed to do what you love to do.

Design

Our high quality designer products reflect skillful design, attention to detail and a unique appreciation of functionality – an artful fusion of design and functionality. It is a quality-focused process that cannot be automated meaning that each item is handmade by a team of craftsmen and women. Each hockey stick for example, can involve up to 10 hours of crafting to our specifications.

Those who make our raw materials and the men and women who craft our products are all experts in their field. They take great pride in their work and the quality of what they produce and what we deliver to you.

Materials

We have taken no shortcuts in the process so as to ensure our products are constructed using the most superior materials available.

We have created premium quality gear, utilizing materials that last and age well. We don’t mind if our products age gracefully as older gear that still performs its function despite being used extensively is appreciated. That’s not to say we’re not continually seeking out the best technology and materials to create the futures best range – it just means you don’t have to keep replacing damaged gear.

The world’s leading composite material manufacturers supply the Carbon and Kevlar used in our composite hockey sticks. Located in Japan and The Netherlands our suppliers have proud histories in leading the way in composite materials engineering and development and in servicing the aerospace industry.

Our bags are constructed using Korean 1000D fabric that is well known for its durability and resistance to abrasions, tears and scuffs. All high-stress areas and anchor points are triple-stitched and the bags are lined with high quality 420D Oxford Nylon. That’s why we’re bold enough to offer you a 6 month warranty – we know they’ll last.

Nathaniel Nelson

Founder

Nat is a self-confessed ‘gear freak’. After graduating university with a science degree, he followed his passion for hockey equipment, working in management, retail, design and development for several leading hockey brands. Nat has dedicated his career to hockey. It’s taken him to all corners of the globe, joining hockey communities and meeting professional gear manufacturers. He is now a leading hockey expert. Ritual is the culmination Nat’s experience, passion and (slight) hockey obsession.

Sabrina Heesh

Marketing & Sponsorship

Sabbie is an elite hockey player and (just quietly) goalie for the England women’s national team. She is also our Ritual marketing guru. If you’ve ever contacted us for customer support or sponsorship enquiries, you’ve likely chatted with her. Sabbie studied Exercise & Sports Science at university and quickly found her feet in sports marketing. She’s currently specialising in digital marketing and plotting England’s world hockey domination.

James Jeffrey

Luggage & Soft Goods Design

The bag man. James is an Australian who’s been in the bag game for years. He’s lived and worked all over the world, designing supreme-quality bags for Crumpler, Knomo and Bellroy. He runs his own bag and brand development HQ in Torquay, Australia.

Trudi Nelson

Brand Manager

Trudi has shaped our brand from day dot. She works closely with Nat on Ritual’s business strategy, product design and overall brand identity. Before getting into the world of competitive hockey, she spent 11 years as Brand Manager for a leading Australian online brand, keeping a sharp eye on the marketing team.

Fran Bacardit & Arnau Vila - Cinematography

Fran Bacardit & Arnau VilaCinematography

Fran and Arnau are Ritual multimedia experts. They bring the brand to life on film. Working out of their studio in Barcelona, Fran and Arnaud have shot on location pretty much everywhere, from remote South America and industrial USA to sun-soaked European beaches. They also run the cinematography team at Film Easy.

Pasha Gademan

European Sales Manager

Pasha is a man of many talents. He has degrees in Journalism and Communication Science, and is also highly regarded hockey coach. Pasha works closely with Sabbie to manage our team of international athletes, as well as looking after our European sales. Pasha coaches at Almeerse Hockey Club and is involved with the Dutch men’s international program.

Raoul Luescher

Composite Materials

There’s nothing Raoul Luescher doesn’t know about carbon. He’s our composite materials expert, with over 20 years of experience in high-performance engineering. Raoul has worked with Boeing Aerospace, the Australian Defence Department and the Australian Institute of Sport, plus several top Olympic athletes.

Josh Emrich

Graphic Design

If we make hockey players look good, Josh makes us look good. He's our branding and design guru, based in Indiana. We work closely with Josh on all aspects of the Ritual Hockey brand identity.

Joel Wells

3D Industrial Design

A Melbourne born and based Product Design Engineer, Joel's passion for innovation in sport followed him into university where he studied Industrial Design at RMIT. Professionally Joel has successfully started a number of design consultancies, with specialties ranging from consumer electronics to furniture, elite sports and medical devices. Over his 12 year career, he has worked locally and internationally for such clients as Nike, Adidas International, Under Armour, Coca-Cola, Hewlett-Packard and Ford, while also lecturing in Product Design Engineering at Swinburne University.

Elmar Krop

Photography

Based in Amsterdam, Elmar has an impressive list of clients under his belt. Our elite athletes love working with Elmar and really appreciate his personal care and professional approach. Not to mention his amazing photography skills!