Issuu

WE WEST

TRIpPIN' A Frenchman, an Englishman, 2 Americans & a pair of Swedes... Text & photos : Nick Taylor

Su re , i t m i g h t s o u n d l i ke t h e b eg inning of a joke, but for th e m i t wa s t h e s t a r t o f a n epic roa dt r ip t h roug h t h e h ea r t of S o u t h e r n F r a n c e . S t a r t ing out in Toul ouse & t r ippin’ wes t , t h e b oy s f e a s t e d o n a seeming l y endl ess suppl y of un d i s c ove re d w i n c h s p o t s dur ing t h eir 2-week jour ney, a l so ta k i n g t h e t i m e t o s n a ck on a few cl a ssic French ca b l e pa r k s a l o n g t h e wa y. L o c al l eg end Léo La b a dens pl a yed ho s t & g u i d e t o t h e s t a cke d crew of int er na t iona l fl ipt r icker s , c a p t a i n i n g t h e i n fa m o u s S h og un 4x4 t h roug h a l l k inds of te r r a i n ; w h a t eve r i t t o o k t o g et t o t h e next spot . T h e re we re n o h o t e l ro o m s or comfy a ir-condit ioned rooms wa i t i n g fo r t h e b oys o n t h is t r ip, onl y t h e soft comfor t of M o t h e r E a r t h u n d e r n e a t h t h eir 6-ma n t ent , w h ich h oused th e m eve r y n i g h t t h a t t h ey didn’ t opt for sl eeping under t h e s ta r s . Wi t h s u c h a d i ve r s e l ineup of t a l ent ed wa kesk a t er s , eve r y s p o t wa s g u a r a n t e e d t o b e a spect a cl e of it s own, an d a s t h e vi d e o re a d i l y sh owed us , Léo La b a dens , Ben Ho r a n , O l l i e M o o re , N i ck Ta yl or, Fredr ik Bl omq vis t , & O sk a r G e j l e r b ro u g h t wa ke s k a t i n g in Fra nce t o a w h ol e new l evel . It’s n o j o ke : We We s t Tr i p p i n’.

What made you want to put this trip together? I’ve had this idea in mind for a while. After a couple of trips to the U.S. winching with the Remote crew, I was sure why my life revolved around wakeskating. Winch trips are the best thing we can do; load up a couple friends & a winch in a strong vehicle, then you’re good to go find some prime undiscovered spots while having a good time. Organizing a trip like this in France is part of me giving back, sharing what I have learned overseas & trying to get the next generation of French wakeskaters hyped to get together & go on trips like this. Guaranteed good times for all! What role did you play on this trip? Mostly official Shogun driver and sandwich maker! Got to ride a lot, plus a little winch driving, filming, & there’s always beer to be put in the cooler (a knotted t-shirt tied to a shoestring dipping in the river)! Any busts on the trip? Did the locals mind you guys winching in their backyards? One legit bust and only after 5 hours of shredding! I’ve done a good amount of small winch trips over here, but this one made me realize that French people would rather ask questions & watch us ride than get angry & yell about us trespassing or whatever reason they usually find when we winch in the U.S… Long live French winch trips! We heard that you backed over a redneck dude riding a moped while doing aroshambo with the car ahead of you under a bridge... True story?!? Ah ah ah ah kind of... Well, there was a one way tunnel that I pulled into right as another car on the other side started doing the same, so I told “Shotgun Oskar» to play a roshambo with the guy in the car. We lost, so as I was backing up, I heard a noise of broken plastic pretty loud, and turned around to see the redneck dude on his moped. I had crushed his front fender, but he didn’t really seem to give a shit. Random people started to gather around, so we quickly paid him off with 30 euros and drove away!

What’s it like traveling in France? It’s so fkking beautiful. Spending whole days hanging out by quiet vineyard creeks, winching centuries-old spillways decked by castles & arched stone bridges, or driving old country roads through hours of forests & fields to find another small town loaded with spots. We hiked the cloudy peaks of the coastal Pyrenees & skated through historic city squares to grab breakfast at a rad little bakery that Léo already knew about. I fell in love with the rhythm of life in France, as well as the respect the French seem to have for their past. Me & Fredrik want to move there! haha… As for the logistics, Léo had us dialed with the Shogun & big tent. I love traveling with wakeskaters because no matter what happens, we’re resourceful & resilient enough to make any situation work, like stuffing 6 of us into a 4x4 way beyond capacity & living in a tent for weeks on end. It’s all part of the fun for us. I’ll never forget how incredible was my first adventure in France.

trees to watch us while they ate their lunches together. It made me really happy to see that.

You finally got to hit the small hubba ledges in Montpon. Do they live up to the hype? They are a bit smaller than my imagination had led me to assume, but super fun for sure. Our first exposure to them was really funny too. We were pulling into this grassy park to hit the staircase dam & Léo points out the window all nonchalant, “And yeah, there’s those ledges you guys have been freaking out about”, as if they were an after-thought, and we passed right by them. I was almost worried we wouldn’t get to hit them, but we stayed around town for a few days, getting to slay them up & down in between sessions on all the other spots nearby.

What did you think of the French wakeskate scene? On my first night in the country, Léo brought me & the Swedes (Oskar & Fredrik) to TNS cable outside of Toulouse for a little wakeskate jam he’d put together, basically just rallying all the local wakeskaters to come out & ride with us for a few hours before the sun went down. I got to meet a host of stoked out wakeskaters, of all ages & skill levels, all there to shred a few short-notice cable laps with us. Some had been riding since 2001, some only a few months, but all felt the good vibes. I loved it. It was such a rad little sample of what we found all over the country, pockets of wakeskaters based around the cable parks where they learned to ride, with some hardcore elements branching out to find what kind of hidden winch spots their part of France might be hiding. With such a receptive scene & so many winch spots, I won’t be surprised if a lot more international wakeskaters start turning their attention to France.

Any busts on the trip? Did the locals mind you guys winching in their backyards? Only one! Weeks of winching, dozens of sessions, and only once did a polite little policeman come & ask us not to jump down their dam. We probably would’ve gotten tasered for trying to winch something as epic & historic as a castle ledge in the States (not that we have anything like that), but almost everyone we encountered in France seemed either genuinely interested in what we were doing, or at worst they didn’t acknowledge us at all. During some of our longer sessions, families would set up picnics under shade

So how’s your French now? I’ve got breakfast absolutely dialed, but other than that, I’m essentially useless haha. My pronunciation is there, and I can replicate almost all the sounds thrown my way, but I’ve got a long way to go before I can describe my surroundings or hold a conversation. I guess I have to keep working on it!

What role did you play on the trip? I definitely fell into the role as the trip photographer. Whether that was my position by default or because I got all frothed out to shoot photos everywhere we went, it’s hard to say, but I loved every second of it.

GEAR 2016 BOARDS / SIGNATURE BOOTS / BINDINGS VEST / WETSUIT

//// GOODBOARD - MENTOR \\\\ The carbon series Mentor is 10% lighter, has 3 Stage Rocker and was developed for wakeboarders looking for a stiff and aggressive board. The long channels, strong pop and sharp edges are ideal for inverts and towing by boats as well as cables.

//// G OODB OARD- PUR E \\\\

//// GOODBOARD - BONOBO \\\\

//// GOODBOARD - TOMMYBOARD \\\\

Pure is a stable, playful board. A smooth base, rounded edges and more flex in the tip and tail united with a stiff core for stability on the water establishes the Pure as an obstacle loving board.

The Bonobo has the classical all-rounder flex, sharp edges and rounded channels in the tip and tail guaranteeing easy handling in the water. The flat middle base and flex ensures fun on obstacles while the Double Carbon Stringers push performance.

The best board for groms and petit women is the Tommyboy. The lightweight and soft construction make it easy to learn the basics without draining your legs. Make skill progression fast and fun! We have incorporated your feedback in the design making the Tommyboy more colorful and transparent.

//// JOB E - CONC OR D \\\\ Rock the obstacles in your cable park with this board designed to go fast on the rails. The board has a lot of flex, making it really easy to press, a hybrid rocker for added speed & control and a H.I.T. base for even more speed! The nature core makes sure this board can take a beating from the obstacles at your local cable park.

/ / / / J O B E - P IT C H

\\\\

The Jobe Pitch is your ultra-light rail performer. Its large surface area and flex makes it perfect for presses and it makes use of a special presstechnology to make those presses even easier! Its continuous rocker ensures speed plus a very predictable pop; some extra grip to bust out your invert without slowing you down on the obstacles!

//// HUMANOID - LANGFIELD PRO \\\\ Slayk Thy Jib Thirst. The ultimate rail magnet for metal heads Core: Wood (Paulownia Species Woodland i-Core) 0x fins - 141/144

//// HUMANOID- Oâ€™SHEA PARK \\\\

//// HUMANOID- CO PRO \\\\

//// HUMANOID - HUXTABLE \\\\

The Freestyle Float Of Choice For Chris O. The perfect alibi for normcore park boards Core: Wood (Paulownia Species Woodland i-Core) 0x fins - 135/140/145

The Family Workhorse This beast of burden will eat up whatever you throw down. Core: Wood (Paulownia Species Woodland i-Core) + Full Carbon Topsheet 6x .7â€œ fins - 135/139/144

A bi-axial fiberglass top & bottom makes the Huxtable more flexible and lighter than ever. Deep recessed channels on the base allow for a strong edge hold when boosting in the park and also provide the rigidity throughout the centerline for hauling ass behind a boat.

by Sebastian Kitzing/ photos : Sebastian Kitzing & Phil Sirech

Last October the IWWF World Championships t o o k p l a c e a t t h e M a ya n Wa t e r s p o r t s Complex in Cancun, Mex ico. The top r i d e r s f ro m a l l a ro u n d t h e wo r l d c a m e to enjoy the endless summer at this paradise combined with the mos t exotic r iding.

The World Championship is the first contest to take place at this enormous venue composed of two cable parks, one boat lake, and a motocross track. Even though the place is still under construction that didnâ€™t stop the event from happening. The first day of qualifications many riders were surprised to see almost 10 Shoveling machines still working on shaping the lake even some of them were working in the amazing crystal blue color of the water. At first, many were having trouble landing their tricks but after a few runs people got use to the unique color. The spectators from the site described it as something theyâ€™ve never seen before. The opening ceremony took place at the host hotel, the Iberostar Paraiso Beach. Athletes from different countries got to weare their uniforms and wave their flag in front of all the IWWF organizers and the representative of the Mexican federation who gave a welcome speech at the end of the ceremony. 54

CARRO DJUPSjo Interview : Phil Sirech / Photo : Jb Oneill

Hi CA RRO ! In eve r y i s s u e o f U n l e a s h e d Wa ke M a g we g ive a voice to r ide r s like yo u w h o h a ve s e e n a l ot of ch a ng es in t h e spor t .

For you what event has radically changed the sport? Rising High no doubt. It’s the gnarliest event in wakeboarding and I’m thrilled that it is back this year. In your opinion which rider clearly marketed the sport during the last 10 years? I was going to answer Shaun Murray here but writing about Rising High had me thinking about Brad Smeele and I can’t think of any bigger inspiration. Even though that event had devastating consequences for him, he’s still pushing for it to continue as it’s the direction he wants the sport to go. I’m also so impressed with his determination and positive attitude. Brad definitely deserves all the recognition he can get. In your opinion which brands and new shapes have cornered the market in the last 10 years? There are a lot of great brands on the market but lately I feel like Slingshot has got the idea of where wakeboarding is going and creating boards that work both on the cable and behind the boat is the way forward. These days with wakes getting bigger and rail-setups getting crazier I feel it’s important to create durable boards that won’t break as most people don’t want to spend a thousand Euro each year on a new setup. It seems that cable wakeboarding has become more practiced than riding behind the boat. Is this the case in your area? I still ride both cable and boat but I definitely ride more cable now than I did a couple of years ago.

Tell us what your dream wakeboard event would be like. I’m actually working on it, hopefully you will see soon ;) Did your last victory change your life ? Winning trick of the year for my double flip in 2015 was really unexpected for me and one of my proudest achievements. Did it change my life? No not really but it made me unbelievably happy! Has wakeboarding changed around the world since you started? YES for the better I would say! When I started the only way you could make a name for yourself was by going to Orlando and meeting the right people. Today, with social media, it’s possible to get recognized wherever you are from. I think it’s going to make us see some great new names on the market! Have you had any injuries throughout the past years that have changed the way you ride? No, crashing is part of our sport and to progress I’d say its a necessity. Sometimes you’re unlucky and get hurt but you could also be unlucky and get hit by a car walking down the street. I think if you just keep focusing on what you want and take care of your body most of the times you can avoid injuries and sometimes shit happens, but you get on with it. Do you prefer competition or free riding and photo shoots ? Freeriding and shoots any day! I find contests inspiring as they make me push my riding but I love getting more than 2 minutes on the water. I think video and photo-shoots are

N OW I’M M O R E IN L OV E W IT H R AIL R IDIN G T H AN EV ER AS P R ES S IN G I S S O F U N O N M Y N EW R EF L EX AND I H AV E A L O T O F IDEAS F O R N EW T H IN G S T O T RY, B O T H B EH IN D T HE B OAT AN D O N T H E C AB L E.

the future and it’s also what I choose to focus on in my career. Can you tell us your main change for this year ? I recently signed with Slingshot which has changed my riding a ton! Now I’m more in love with rail riding than ever as pressing is so fun on my new Reflex and I have a lot of ideas for new things to try, both behind the boat and on the cable. It’s given me some extra confidence to know that I’m representing such an innovative brand that believes in the female side of wakeboarding. If you want to add last words, those lines are for you ? Thanks Unleashed for the interview and all that you do for Women’s Wakeboarding! Also thanks for the continued support from my sponsors Lifeproof, Slingshot, Betsafe, O’Neill, Xtravel and finally, thanks to JB O’Neill for capturing this photo on my Gopro! Thanks a lot Carro and see you on the water ! 59

crazy

YAN T IB O F U N N O S E P R ES S TAIL G R AB O N “ L A P O IN T E WAKEPAR K” Photo : Yan Lecompte

M AN U R U P P SIDE PRESS OCP ROOF BARCELONA Photo : Hector Urzais Calpe

JULIA’S 10 BEST MOVES 1. FRONTMOBE 540 2.RALEY 540 (315) 3. BACKMOBE 540 4. KGB WITH TAIL GRAB 5. 9 0210 (TOESIDE RALEY FS 360 ) 6. TS BS 9 00 (KICKER) 7. HS FS 9 00 (KICKER) 8. HS BS 720 WITH NOSE GRAB (KICKER) 9. ZEROSPIN STALEFISH GRAB (KICKER) 10. TS BS 720 NOSE GRAB

inspired for new obstacle hits or air tricks. It definitely helps to watch videos to learn new tricks and to get new ideas to improve your riding style. Where did you find your inspiration? As I said I watch a lot of wakeboarding videos to get inspired for new obstacle hits and air tricks. But I also watch videos from other action sports like snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing. Furthermore I follow many athletes of different kinds of action sports on their social media channels. Who teaches you? Do you have a coach? I don’t have a personal coach or trainer. Basically all tricks I can do at the moment I taught myself. Sometimes you get some tips from other riders when practicing a new trick but most of the time I first watch videos and then just try it out on the water. You land almost all the tricks than 70% of the guys can’t. Do you have any new ones on the way for 2016? For sure, there are several new tricks which I want to land or just want to get consistent! There are a lot of new air tricks on my list but also some kicker tricks I want to be the first girl to land. Any personal video projects for 2016? I haven’t planned a big video Project yet. But for sure there will be many short video edits as usual. How long do you think you will do wake boarding? I don’t know yet. I Hope I can do this sport as long as I can and as long as my body lets me to do. The main thing is to stay healthy and fit and it helps to be lucky and not get injured. So I try my best to stay fit and in shape to prevent injuries!

I WATCH A LOT OF WAKEBOARDING VIDEOS TO GET INSPIRED FOR NEW O B S TAC L E H I T S A N D A I R T R I C K S . B U T I A L S O WAT C H V I D E O S F RO M O T H E R AC T I O N S P O RT S L I K E S N OW B OA R D I N G , S K AT E B OA R D I N G AND SURFING.

by Phil Sirech / Photos : Marino Ivrea

Hi Marcy - Can you introduce yourself in a few words? Hi to all the riders of Unleashed Wake Magazine!!! I’m Marcy Grassis, I’m nine years old and I’m crazy about Wakeboarding!! Years wakeboarding? I started wakeboarding two years ago near my home at Wakeboard Park Ivrea. How did you start wakeboarding? I started snowboarding when I was four years old and two years ago a friend asked me, “Why don’t you try wakeboarding?” I loved it immediately!!! Do you do any other boardsports? Yes snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing! What do you like the most about wakeboarding? I love riding and having fun with my friends, the water, the sun and always trying to do new tricks.

Name a trick you would like to do one day? Double Husband l, Frontside 1200 and Double Tantrum to blind.

What tricks are you working on right now? Now I’m working on: FS5 double grab, Tantrum to blind, Transfer 270 . Air tricks: Frontflip, Husband,Backroll to revert.

Which do you prefer, rails or kickers? I prefer kickers but I also like rails. If you could have a session with anyone, who would it be? With Dominik Hernler. He is a great wakeboard gangster !

Who is your favorite rider, and why? My favorite rider is Daniel Grant. I met him last season at Wake to Paradise in Brescia and he was very kind to me. He has an amazing style and he can do difficult tricks with extreme ease.

Tell us a bit about Your Home Spots? I normally ride at Wakeboard Park Ivrea near Turin in northern Italy. It’s near my home. There are some structures: a kicker, bank kicker, box, spine kicker, step down box,rooftop and a framed fun box.

Favorite Wake Video? My favorite Wake Video is X Games Daniel Grant Real Wake 2015.

Do you always ride alone? No, I always ride with some friends and with the young boys of the Italian Team.

What do you like to do outside of wakeboarding? I like to play with my friends, my sister and my dog. I like swimming and I have a lot of fun at the gym where I do acrobatic gymnastics.

Shout outs? A shout out to all my friends who support me in everything and a special shout out to: Ludovico Vanoli and Marcello Ollearis (my Coaches)!! Zampa!! Italian Ski and Wakeboard Federation, PUNTO Distribution, RONIX Wakeboards, Wakeboard Park Ivrea and Mum and Dad!

What do you dislike? I don’t like football. Many Italian people only talk about football.

Chandler Powell

wwa abu dhabi by Morgen Burchell / photos phil Sirech

Our spor t is growing. It grows ever y day in the legitimacy and prominence, and in the background brews this continuous buildup of excitement that you can practically see, taste, and touch. You can feel an atmospheric change when you walk through a group of riders- a tangible energy in the air around you. That energy is more electric than ever in the brewing anticipation right before a big eventespecially when that event is none other than the world championships.

Photo : Wojtek Kalka

Before you s t ar t t o l e a r n b a ck ro l l t o rever t wit h indy g ra b , I recommend t h a t you l ea r n swit ch ta nt r um be c au s e t h e l a n d i n g a f t e r t h e rot a t ion woul d b e ont o your swit ch l eg ot h erwise. Once you have learned to do switch tantrum, you can move on to backroll to revert. The cut for this trick is quite aggressive. You should start underneath of the cable. Try to cut into the right corner of the kicker, it is necessary for you to avoid hitting the rope. Let off the edge before the kicker to start your jump with a flat board. Once your board is on the kicker let go of your right hand â€“ remember that it is necessary to do it in the end of the kicker to avoid rotation on the kicker and pre-spin. As soon as you see the edge of the kicker and the handle is already in your left hand push off and throw the head and shoulders back.

All this moves must be done at the same time. As soon as you push off the kicker and start rotating start to grab your board while leaning your body slightly forward. The knees should always be bent. After you have grabbed the board and continue to rotate, you need to concentrate on the landing. As soon as you see the water you need to let go of your board and be ready to land the trick. Remember that the handle might pull while landing. Thatâ€™s my experience of doing backroll to revert with indy grab. I wish you easy learning and new tricks.