Unleashed#68 The Winter Issue

H L/ C O . 25 YR S I N WA K E

W W W. H Y PE R L I TE . C O M

Pics: Gab Sarmiento _ Maui Hidalgo

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A N T O I N E

For your nearest stockist please email _ johnno@doubleupwake.com _Facebook_dupwake

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T A C O

For your nearest stockist please email _ johnno@doubleupwake.com

100% Paulonia Wood_Instagram_@dupwake Core | Dyna 2_vimeo_dupwake Base _Facebook_dupwake 360ยบ Polyurethane Side Walls | 3 Stage Rocker Sizes: 136 | 139 | 143

R EP U B L IC R AIL S AR E H AP PY T O AN N O U N C E T H E AR R IVAL IN AM ER IC A O F T H EIR T O P Q U AL IT Y AN D AF F O R DAB L E WAKEB OAR D O B S TAC L ES .

F IN AL LY, EV ERY C AB L E PAR K IN T H E WO R L D C AN EN JOY T H E IN N OVAT IV E R AIL S T H AT IN T H E PAS T W ER E EXC L U S IV E O N LY T O T H E P H IL IP P IN ES .

F O R T O O L O N G , T H E IN DU S T RY P ROV ID ER S O F WAKEB OAR D O B S TAC L ES H AV E B EEN DO M IN AT ED B Y A S EL EC T F EW. R EP U B L IC R AIL S IS T H E AN S W ER T O T H AT P RO B L EM .

T H E C O M PAN Y B EL IEV ES T H AT C O M P ET IT IO N IS T H E KEY T O IN N OVAT IO N . T H EY H AV E A C O M P L ET E S EL EC T IO N O F O B S TAC L ES F O R B EG IN N ER S , N OV IC E R IDER S AN D P RO S . T H EY S ERV E C AB L E PAR K OW N ER S AN D EV EN T O RG AN IZ ER S B Y DEL IV ER IN G WO R L DW ID E T H E B ES T P RO DU C T S P O S S IB L E. T EX AS N OW H AS A PAR K F IL L ED W IT H B R AN D N EW R EP U B L IC O B S TAC L ES R EADY F O R T H E P U B L IC IN EAR LY S P R IN G . M AKE S U R E T O F O L L OW @ R EP U B U B L IC WAKEPAR KD F W FOR MORE INFO ON THE OPENING.

Unleashed Wakeboard Magazine World Headquarter France 2 rue Dorbesson 31100 TOULOUSE Issue 68 – October/November/December 2015 FOUNDER, CEO, EDITOR & DIRECTOR Philippe SIRECH PUBLISHER Philippe SIRECH +33(0)7 87 95 37 40 Europe +1(407)800-3567 USA/WORLD philippe@unleashedwakemag.com MARKETING Philippe SIRECH info@unleashedwakemag.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Phil SIRECH ads@unleashedwakemag.com P.R (PRESS RELEASE) Stephanie PROTET +33(0)6 11 11 25 32 sephanie@unleashedwakemag.com CSO , MARKETING & STATS Sophie Sirech-combettes +1(407)800-3567 sophie@unleashedwakemag.com

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We apologize about the last Photo publication of Antoine Jacquiaux on the BOBBY CARNE Photo. There was a format problem on these files, and that’s why the pictures came out over-lighted. Here we have included a better version.

We are sorry for the problem.

Unleashed Team

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elise Fougere +33 (0)6 99 10 62 98 elise@unleashedwakemag.com WORLD REPORTER AND PROOFREADING Vicki Hernandez Dill +1(832)338-8116 vicki@unleashedwakemag.com SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER Hector Urzaiz Calpe +34 69 725 2381 Hector@unleashedwakemag.com CONTRIBUTORS PHOTOGRAPHERS Phil Sirech, Hector Urzais Calpe, Antoine Jacquiaux, Peter Vahlfridsson, Rodrigo Donoso, Red Bull, Daniel Deak Barcos, Benjamin Wiedenhofer, Taco de Boel, Dom Granger, Tim Spanagel CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS Ben Leclair, Vicki Hernandez Dill, Annelie Chang , Daniel Wurm, Daniel Butzerin-Schute, Ian Curry Lindahl, Hector Urzais Calpe, Hayley Edmonds, Buckman Fergusson, Lukas Suess, Dom Granger, Courtney Angus, Troy Hawks, Fred Larose TRANSLATION Dominique Granger COUNTRIES UNLEASHED FRANCE Jérôme Macquart +33(7) 60 89 76 43 jerome@unleashedwakemag.com

Bobby Carne © Antoine Jacquiaux

UNLEASHED INTERNATIONAL SPAIN Hector Urzaiz Calpe +34 69 725 2381 Hector@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED JAPAN Nagahisa Matsukawa +81 9 016 752 900 Matsu@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED RUSSIA Katerina Yuerieva +79 25 26 304 36 katia@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED CANADA Dominique Granger +1(514)267-1636 dom@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED USA Philippe Sirech +1(407)800-3567 philippe@unleashedwakemag.com PRINT : EVOLUPRINT France and Sundance Solutions Orlando USA DIGITAL : ISSUU.COM

Unleashed Wakeboard Magazine is published six times annually by Unleash Communication located at 2 rue d’orbesson 31100 Toulouse, France. All right reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is strictly prohibited. Unleashed Wakeboard Magazine is not responsible for unsolicited submissions including, but not limited to manuscripts, photographs and illustrations.

Disclamer: The activities described and photographed here are performed by trained athletes. Attempting anything contained within these pages could result in serious injury or death. Unleash Communication is not responsible for any injuries sustained by readers or the failure of any equipment shown here. So wear a helmet and a life vest !!!!

William Klang © Peter Vahlfridsson

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ears may pass but nothing changes. After spring comes summer, after summer comes fall, and after fall comes winter…this is the end of the wakeboard season in the entire northern hemisphere. Cable parks and wake parks close their doors and it’s time to fly away.

We named this period of the year “Exodus“. As you know the Northern Hemisphere has the most wake parks in the world, more than 79 just in Germany and 95 in France. It’s time for all the diehard riders to grab their boards and leave the cold weather for the sunshine mostly located in the South. We call those people the “Bird-riders”, because like a migratory bird, they fly to the warm locations of the planet during winter.

It’s always the same locations, Australia-Asia for the majority of them, the Philippines, Thailand, Bali, and South Africa are still the famous destinations for all of the warm wake park searchers.

But each year new locations grow all around the world. Both Cancun, Mexico and Morocco opened their doors this year and next year everyone can look forward to the opening of the Dubai cable park. There’s always a new place to be when you’re a “Bird-rider”.

Unleashed Wake Mag follows this wave, always grateful to have the opportunity to cover all the winter trips of the most famous pro riders and young guns. Each journey provides awesome stories of the best cable parks in the world along with the lifestyle of the different cultures and of course the parties!

Enjoy this new edition and have fun on your trips for those who travel during this period …

Philippe 12

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© Phil Sirech

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Jordan Gaudette is an energetic, free-spir ited, forward thinking ar tis t r e s i d i n g i n t h e s u n s h i n e s t a t e . H e i s a U n i ve r s i t y o f C e n t r a l F l o r i d a graduate where he studied Business and Psychology. While Jordan has always been known to draw and doodle, it was a univer sity ar t cour se that inspired him to pursue his passion for ar tistic endeavors. Combining many different experimental techniques and his own creative possibilities, Jordan has been able to define his own style.

With the use of vivid color schemes and unorthodox techniques, Jordan creates a unique style that is both soothing and exciting. Jordan wants his creations to speak directly to the observer, to be drawn in and be enthralled with what they feel. The abstract essence of his work is clear and creates different reactions from different people. Rarely do any two people see the same thing and Jordan uses that as inspiration. In fact, hearing what others see, think and feel about any piece is propelling and pushes him to expand and create more.

This input drives Jordan to reach out with other artists in which to collaborate and combine two seemingly different styles into one new concept or art form. With more experience and experimentation he then found that his style transcended mediums. Jordan began exploring areas to combine his art with everyday life, to connect and inspire people who may not have an affinity for traditional art. He discovered new ways to paint and create custom one of a kind wearable and functional artwork. This vision led to opportunities to collaborate with successful sunglass companies, surfboard makers, clothing companies and much more.

Jordan’s diversity has spread and now his artwork can be found at his local cable park, hanging on walls in homes and offices, and displayed on apparel all over the world.

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HANG A R 9

by Vicki Hernandez Dill / photos: Hangar 9

Texas definitely does things big and when it comes to wake parks they aren’t skimping. More is MORE evidently. With the opening of Hangar 9 in Nor th Houston this past summer - Texas is now home to to 10 full size cables!

Hangar 9 is just 31 miles from one of the most international airports in the world, George Bush IAH airport, and the park is close to both Lake Conroe, a lake full of boat enthusiasts and the Woodlands, one of Houston’s premiere communities. Upon driving into H9 you can see that this place is a haven for extreme athletes.

A motocross track, 3 palms, has been on the premises for many years. In addition as you enter the driveway there is a huge SMG boat dealership, who has partnered with Hangar 9, on the property and they run surf clubs, wake demos and boat sets.

The sun always seems to shine on Hangar 9 but the park is set amongst many weeping willow trees…lots of places to chill and eat on picnic tables under the shade. They also have several forested areas away from the cable to relax and cool off and if you’re a planner - bring your hammock! You won’t regret a nap next to the cable before or after a great session.

Hangar 9 is owned and operated by a company called Waypoint. Waypoint is a group of individuals who came together and set a goal to build the best wake parks in the world while positively influencing the communities that they are in. The origin of the name “Hangar 9 Wake Park” is part-cool factor and partsuperstition. They wanted to have a name that was unique. When deciding between Hangar 9 and a few other ideas, a few funny coincidences came up and evidently the name is a story in itself, which they are keeping a secret for now… hmmmmmm keeps us all wondering!

Hangar 9 consists of 100% UNIT features and the lake is jam packed with 11 in all. There is not a bit of wasted space on the lake including

rails that won’t intimidate a beginner to rails that advanced riders can find both challenging and edit worthy. Their advanced rails include a L and an XL kicker, which are very well placed near the dock, a signature UNIT Panakos Rail with a transfer, the smaller version pool gap that wake skaters and wakeboarders both love, and the handrail which occasionally takes down even the most elite riders and has them swimming across the lake! In addition it is their plan to consistently add new rails and change up their layout regularly to keep their riders excited and progressing. The speed of the cable is usually acceptable to the high level riders…it’s only slow when the cable is full of first time riders. Hangar 9 is also the first park in the USA to showcase UNIT’s wave break system. Because their lake doesn’t have an island in the middle, they’ve installed UNIT’s wave break system that acts as an island in the middle of the lake to provide smoother water.

Way to set the bar high Hangar 9!!!

As traffic increases their future plans will include adding more cable systems to their 1 Sesitec system and their 2.0 that they have presently. The park is still young but soon their building will overlook the entire lake. A huge perk is the awesome pro shop, M2 Sports that they have onsite in the SMG building. It is an established Houston board shop with a satellite store and they are ready to provide you with all your wakeboard needs. Food and beverages are offered through a very Texas themed food truck: Orchard Catering. The owner makes high quality food and loves serving the community that comes out to ride and can often be found chatting up the riders like you would expect from any good Texan!

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When they first set out to hire staff, they had one criterion in mind for their employees: that they loved working with and mentoring kids. The Hangar 9 staff enjoys being around kids and teens, teaching them to wakeboard, serving as positive role models for them, and they work hard to make sure that everyone that comes through the door has a great experience. You can count on their operators to learn your name, be enthusiastic when someone learns a new trick and encouraging to those that need help.

Hangar 9 is a strong supporter of the Points Chase Competition and they look forward to growing the event series locally every year. They hosted the “Features Only” portion of the contest through the month of July and several of their best riders competed at the the National Points Chase Competition in August. They also hosted Malibu’s Houston PRO through the World Wakeboard Association on October 2-4 and riders from around the world gathered for both boat and cable wakeboarding events and word on the street is that Hangar 9 is a park worth visiting!

They are the first Ronix only full size cable park in North America. The well known brand provides them with their rental fleet and they often send out pro team riders, like Parks Bonifay, to Hangar 9 to motivate the riders and hang out at the park. H9 offers lessons every weekday before they open and also hosts birthday parties, private events and day camps during the summer months. Throughout the year they plan to be open when the weather is favorable and because Texas is hot, hot, hot they might open during warm stretch even in January & February…hallelujah!

So if you’re planning a cable park road trip… consider Texas for your main destination.

Go ahead and book several days in Htown at Hangar 9. You’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted - warm weather, welcoming people, HOT Texas women, Mexican food on every corner and a cable full of some of the best rails UNIT has to offer!

G reg N els o n

by Phil Sirech

Hi Greg can you introduce yourself in a few words?

Greg Nelson, Wakeboard Legend – Learn our sports history you young whippersnappers, I love watching what you’re all doing these days!

You’re actually working on the 2017 Prototypes, how does the design process work?

At Hyperlite we have three designer/shapers or whatever and I think the process is different for each of us. Right now Jimmy and I just wrapped up a new bad boy and we started by riding a few different shapes he wanted to test, we both rode them but mainly I watched how the board rode under Jim. Then we start sketching out ideas and after we agree on the design we hand the specs over to Andy, he builds the CAD model, we then cut a perfect prototype and Jimmy gets to ride it. Usually he loves it right out of the gates but if tweaks need to be made then we make them, test it again and then cut the molds…

Tell us more about Hyperlite from the beginning in a few words.

I competed against Hyperlite when I started DoubleUP and have known the brand very well since the inception of our sport. Now, having a role with Hyperlite that’s where my heart is, I believe we are making the best Boards, Bindings & Boots. My favorite time of year is shooting with the team because they are simply the best and you never stop laughing with Rodrigo around. I’m still riding as much as possible and dig the 2016 gear, do me a favor and just give Hyperlite a shot. #iRideHyperlite

You have an awesome team, how did you decide who to put on the team and how does that work?

Since then I have enjoyed having Mike Schwenne on the team as he rode DU back in the day & watching Trever Maur blow up and helping him with his first Pro Model. I also believe our IT Girls, Raimi Merritt, Courtney Angus & Carro Djupsjo are top notch, they care about growing women’s riding and helping others advance their skills on the board. Also have to mention Noah Flegel, I think it’s obvious where he is headed and watching him wakeboard or surf is a treat like no other. San Im ads a unique personality to our team and he rips. Rocker Steiner, Garrett Coleman & Parker Swope are all passionate young guns and I’m backing each of them 100%. Finally, I would like to see GB (Graeme Burress) back on Hyperlite someday! I do plan on hitting the Phillies this winter to find the next cable star, probably connect with Derry in February while the world is at CWC getting ready for the season.

What is your role with Hyperlite?

VP Marketing which includes making sure our Website & Social Channels are tops, ensuring the team has the gear they need and always helping them build their brand, keeping an eye out for the next talent that fits with our team and continuing to design boards like the new Murray and Vagabond, love creating and collaborating with our guys!

What are the developments and trends for the next year?

I think our sport is being defined by both boat and park riding, each requiring a totally different board shape and construction, but both able to share the System Binding technology. Our new Wishbone and Union for the park have been raved about, you need to give them some laps. Behind the boat, we’re finding that bigger is better, we can make boards so light and thin that riding the new Murray 150cm feels like a 140, #SizeUp folks, it’s a softer more forgiving ride.

How has the company grown and changed over the past 4 years?

Funny, I was just reviewing our System Binding and Boots sales over the past 5 years, I think the System has been our marquee product, works great for all types of riding, it got people talking about Hyperlite again and the trend is only continuing to grow. I think this binding revolution has really helped define Hyperlite as a leader producing better products and breaking from the standards of the past.

Can you tell us more about this new revolution for 2016, the System Lowback?

Yeah of course, it started where it always does, with the riders.

While Rusty, JD & Jimmy preferred having the highback for boat riding, Nick, Courtney, Trever and myself were all cutting ours off. I think I rode 2 years without the Highback before the new LowBack was released. Funny thing is, I’ve shared these with friends who’ve said they felt more support with the LowBack than the System Pro, ultimately it’s the riders preference, I’m just glad Andy knocked it out of the park with the LowBack design!

Tell us more about sales and marketing all around the world?

Well, when you have a great distributor in a country you really work with them to support what their market needs and you try to tailor your message for each region. Some of the ads we’ll run in the US will show up elsewhere but sometimes 28

I T H I N K O U R S P O RT I S B E I N G DEFINED BY BOTH BOAT AND PARK RIDING, EACH REQUIRING TOTALLY D I F F E R E N T B OA R D S H A P E S A N D CONSTRUCTIONS, BUT BOTH ABLE TO SHARE THE SYSTEM BINDING TECHNOLOGY.

© Rodrigo Donoso

We just give you whatever you want, millions of dollars and so many wakeboards that you’re buried in them. Shout out to OWC, MWC, Blue Water in Parker and the newly opened Next Level Ride in Austin, TX, love that place!

we tweak them. Our website is our best asset and personally I think that Squiber, our design team, has provided Hyperlite the best sites in wake hands down for the past three years.

Even in slow months we’ve got 10K visitors browsing the site on a weekly basis, that’s marketing and sales day and night 24/7. Top that off with our Facebook and Instagram accounts and we can communicate with our fans whenever we want, I think it’s awesome.

What cool things are on the horizon for the next years ?

I’ve already leaked that Jimmy and I put something new together, you’ll have to guess whether it’s for the boat or the park. I know our other designer and head of R&D is working with Mr. Davies on a new shape, Aaron always delivers so it’ll be awesome. On the boot front I don’t know what we’re going to do honestly, lots of ideas on the table but the team hasn’t yet decided on what we’ll tackle for 2017.

Do you have plans to sponsor events in the future, maybe through the Cable-parks ?

Events are tough in my opinion, I know they are critical for the sport, but what do they return to the sponsor? I believe more in supporting the athlete that could be at the top of the podium at the event. Having said that - we do have a long standing tradition with Nautique Boats and the Masters, and I absolutely love watching that event, live or on their webcast, texting Dano as he’s doing his thing, and watching pure boat riding with no features. The Masters provides the year’s best Wakeboarding IMO.

Thanks for this interview Greg, any last words or thanks ?

Thank You Phil and Unleashed, I really enjoy the mag and the Guide. Thanks to Hyperlite, Nautique Boats, Aktion Parks and everyone who loves Wakeboarding or spends just part of their day thinking about it, we need more of you, so spread the word and #PassTheHandle. I’m always willing to advise young riders on achieving their ambitions, you can reach me at Nelson@Hyperlite.com - Peace

How does it work to be sponsored by Hyperlite if you’re a cable-park?

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Jamie xx

Major Lazer

Dexta Daps 7Eleven

Eddy Kenzo Sitya Loss

I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) (Feat. Young Thug & Popcaan)

Powerful (feat.

Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley)

Dej Loaf Blood (Feat.

Young Thug & Birdman)

Fetty Wap Couple Bands

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LiP TYPHOON T h e U l t i m a te W a te r s h a d e

by Annelie Cheng

If you want to protect your eyes from the sun while riding in style, look no fur ther. LiP Sunglasses have combined rider-driven functionality with high quality eyewear tha t s tays with you, even dur ing the hardest wipeouts!

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND LIP? LiP Sunglasses was founded in 2012 by Belgian national and award-winning eyewear designer Dirk Michielsen. A hardcore windsurfer himself, Dirk soon realized the lack of a quality pair of water shades on the market that can also hold up to real-life wipeout situations. Packing in 25 years of eyewear design experience, Dirk’s latest creation, the TYPHOON, is very likely the most advanced and hottest looking pair of sunglasses for water sports on the market today.

MATERIALS & KEY FEATURES LiP takes pride in the fact of only using the highest quality materials available in the eyewear industry. The frame of the TYPHOON is made out of TR90, a Swiss polymer that is virtually unbreakable while very light weight. The lenses are made by ZEISS, covered with a permanent layer of their hydrophobic, oleophobic and scratch resistant Tri-Pel coating. A patented double vortex venting system prevents fogging while small obstructions inside the frame restrict the airflow from directly hitting the eyes. Do they float? No, and for good reasons: flotation chambers make the frames bulky and structurally weak, besides, try finding back your sunglasses after a wipeout behind the boat or at a cablepark! Instead, LiP developed a bomb proof strap system that, while comfortable to wear, does not give in or stretch. Additionally, the system is clipped and secured to a retainer necklace, all part of the package.

URBAN STYLES LiP also offers an increasingly popular range of URBAN sunglasses reflecting Dirk’s unique and authentic style of design. Like the Typhoon, all frames are made out of TR90 plastic and fitted with lenses by ZEISS, the majority being polarized.

WHERE IS THE JOURNEY HEADING? LiP today consists of a young team of water sports enthusiasts who turned their passion into their job. No large corporation behind them, they really care about the function and quality of their shades as much as their style, yet at the same time trying to keep prices as low as possible.

Coming out of the wind/kitesurfing and SUP scenes where they’ve already got a solid base of followers and a team of world class athletes, they recognize a growing awareness for eye protection in all kinds of watersports, including wakeboarding, where they’re now becoming increasingly involved in.

For quality shades that just work, at a reasonable price with a fresh, authentic look, check out LiP Sunglasses at www.lip-sports.com, their Facebook page, and Instagram!

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© Phil Sirech

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Jo e J o e Battleday

When I grow up

I will be

a Pro Wakeboarder Interview by: Phil Sirech

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© Red Bull

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What is your life like growing up at the lake?

Who would you say has helped you to get to where you are Growing up at the lake is pretty cool because there’s a good now? group of us who ride together and push each other to learn For sure my brother has had the biggest impact on my riding. something new. The best part is just being able to chill there We have ridden together, along with the Peacock brothers, all day and there’s always someone to hang out with. since we were kids and we constantly pushed each other. Also

In the past couple of years I’ve started to ride a lot with CK and What is your best competition result so far? he’s helped improve my riding massively through coaching I’d have to say winning the Europeans last year. It was such a and riding together. But my dad can’t go unmentioned great competition out in Poland with great weather. I couldn’t because he has always pushed me to better my riding. have been happier with the result and I rode to the best of my ability.

Where do you see wakeboarding going in the next few years?

Well it’s clear to see that wakeboarding is heading away from What was it like when you found out that Red Bull was going air tricks and more towards features. I think air tricks will to sponsor you? always be a part of wakeboarding Words cannot express how happy I but it looks as if style is becoming G R O W I N G U P AT T H E L A K E I S was!! I had been speaking to them more and more important. Also it PRETTY COOL BECAUSE THERE’S for a while but didn’t know that looks as if more unique features A G O O D G RO U P O F U S W H O R I D E it was coming. They came down will start to become more common TOGETHER AND PUSH EACH OTHER to the lake on my 16th birthday like Red Bull rising high as they can TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW. and surprised me with a Red Bull push the limits of what is possible helmet, hat and a board covered with the sport. in Red Bull stickers. I was so pumped. It had always been a dream for me to get sponsored by them and I can’t wait to What is a standard day for you in the summer? see what the future holds.

Wake up, have a bacon sandwich for breakfast. Then head

down to the lake at about 12 o’clock, have a Red Bull before I What was it like qualifying for the main event at plastic ride and then just ride on and off throughout the day. playgrounds?

It felt so good, I had been practicing down at Liquid the week So you landed your first 1080 this year, what’s next? leading up to it to try and qualify. It was so cool to be able to At the moment I am working on style and focusing on grabbing ride against some of the riders that I look up to and it was spins rather than doing more but I’m not sure what’s next such a crazy setup. The kicker to quarter pipe was probably really. I guess I’ll just ride and see what happens... the scariest thing I’ve done on a wakeboard. I only hit it once but looking back on it I wish that I had hit it more as it’s such Do you have any additional comments? a unique feature and actually surprisingly fun.

I’d like to say a massive thanks to all my sponsors; Red Bull,

Obrien, O’neill, JBski and Bern. Also to CK and my brother What are your plans for the rest of this year?

Jack Battleday for coaching me throughout the year. Thanks I’ll be going to Abu Dhabi at the start of November for Unleashed for the opportunity! the WWA worlds to compete in traditional and features only, and then will be going to Australia over Christmas to meet up with my brother and spend some time riding in hot weather. I can’t wait to just ride in a hot country without the stress of having to practice for a competition, especially with some of the sick rails that they have at Bli Bli. I’m hoping to improve on my rail riding while I’m there.

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© Red Bull

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© Red Bull

I T ’ S C L E A R T O S E E T H AT WAKEBOARDING IS HEADING AWAY FROM AIR TRICKS AND MORE T OWA R D S F E AT U R E S . I T H I N K A I R TRICKS WILL ALWAYS BE A PART OF WA K E B OA R D I N G B U T I T L O O K S A S IF STYLE IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE IMPORTANT.

infinite

gap session by: Daniel “Wurmy” Wurm / photo: Daniel Deak Barcos

Liam Pilgram

Bernhard Hinterberger

Liam Pilgram

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Infinit e is a non profit or ga niza t ion w h ich has or ga nized wa keb oa rd ca mps in Ger ma ny and a b roa d since 2007. O ver t h e yea r s Infinit e has emer g ed t o b e Ger ma ny’s b ig g es t wa keb oa rd ca mp or ga nizer.

For the crew of Infinite the opening of their very own cable park is a dream come true. The Sesitec System 2.0 is the first cable to be permanently installed in a swimming pool. This only became possible as the swimming pool in Dabringhausen is only open for 6 weeks during the summer holidays. The rest of the season it is publicly open for wakeboarders. The contest called Infinite-­Gap-­ Session was the opening event of the Infinite Wakepark.

Liam Pilgram

Four days prior to the competition a camp started directly on site.

15 wakeboarders camped, hit the water together, shared their meals and hung out under the light of bonfires in the evening.

The grand opening went down on Saturday, September 5, 2015.

The spotlight was on the four meter wide gap between the 50 and 30 meter pool. The riders had a total of six features to choose from, getting them from one side to the other: 2 UNIT kickers, a box, an A-­frame, a flatbar and a UNIT uprail.

A total of eight teams battled it out for the win, each of them consisting of a pro wakeboarder and two camp participants. The team leaders were pros like three time World Champion Bernhard Hinterberger, Junior World Champion Moritz Petri, three time German Champion Tobias Dammith, three time German Champion Mari Sandner, Dominik Schwarz, Max Andrade, Kevin Kelbow and Young Gun Liam Pilgram.

Collectively each team had 15 laps to figure out the best run of each team member. The head to head format made it very interesting for spectators to watch. In the end the judges saw Moritz Petri’s team in the top position, closely followed by Young Gun, Liam Pilgram’s team. Third place went to Tobias Dammith’s team. Despite the unstable weather 400 spectators showed up that didn’t want to miss out on the action of the first ever Infinite Gap Session.

Following up right after the prize giving was a live hip-­hop concert

by German rapper „Tatwaffe“. The night ended with an epic photo shoot and a live gig by DJ Wild Mix Soundparty. Infinite wants to thank its sponsors Obrien, Waketoolz, ION such as well as their supporters Sesitec and UNIT Parktech.

Starting from May 2016 Infinite Wake Park will be open to public.

Planned are public riding hours, cable rentals and camps. The second edition of the Infinite Gap Session will be back in 2016.

More informations online at www.infinite-­camp.com

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Chill and Ride goes BIG again Powered by NISSAN

by Daniel Butzerin-schute / photo : Benjamin Wiedenhofer

Four days of par ties, on and off the water, at Europe’s biggest wakeboard-boat-event.

Onc e a ga i n i t wa s c e l e b r a t e d in Freis t et t wit h more t h a n 10,000 spect a t or s joining t h e p a r t y. T h e l o c a t i o n , i n t h e sout h wes t of Ger ma ny, wa s once a ga in t h e wake bo a rd i n g h o t s p o t fo r o n e b ig weekend.

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On Friday, Sian Hurst and David O’Caoimh were crowned ever participation and took the slogan “Go BIG“ for granted. pro division champions and Team Mastercraft/Germany by Afterwards everyone celebrated the winners at the party Muhl Watersports won the Team Challenge. Ben Kassin with NO MANGO! and DJ D-RUSH. succeeded in the juniors competition and Chris Müller was the best amateur. Special thanks goes to Warehouse The fact, that the riders can also party hard, was definitely One, who supplied the amazing prizes. showing on their faces Saturday morning. Nevertheless,

the beloved Team-Challenge started some time before Parties went all day & night, perfectly organized by noon, accompanied by bluebirds and 30 degrees Celsius Spektakelmanufaktur. Beats from top-notch DJs like - just perfect for another day of competition. Wake voice TEDDY-O made it a perfect gathering for the wakeboarding Clint Liddy supported by Harry Döpfert at the mic informed scene. What a weekend! We started with the motto “Go the spectators on the site, as well as the crews lined up next BIG“, but it turned from BIG to BIGGER into HUGE! The 2015 to the competition track. Around a 100 boats were counted Chill and Ride powered by NISSAN was the biggest event and everyone had a great time. In the end, it was again Sian ever: Largest number of registered boats and a massive Hurst, David O’Caoimh (both IRL), Sam Carne and Edd lineup of wakeboard pros.

Blunder (both GBR) from Team The weekend’s entertainment “Mastercraft Germany by Muhl program sought for Watersports“ who won with some PHENOMENAL DJ’S AND MANY OTHER OFF-COMPETITION comparison. Phenomenal DJ’s stunning tricks over the massive ACTIVITIES, COMBINED WITH THE and many other off-competition wake of their X-46. Only a few E XC E L L E N T F O O D & B E V E R AG E S activities, combined with the points behind it was Carro Djupsjö OFFERED, MADE IT AN EVENT OF excellent food & beverages (SWE), Jorge Gill (GBR), JB EXCELLENCE & EXCITEMENT. offered, made it an event of O’Neill (USA) and Lucas Langlois excellence & excitement.

(FRA) of Team “Wake2Wake

powered by Killerfish Hot Energy“, taking the 2nd spot on the Most of the riders, crews and people came a few days podium. Just behind was Team “Marius Boats“ with Aisling before the actual venue, because they were looking for a full Deegan (IRL), Philipp Schramm (GER), David Hofer and week of great wakeboarding or just to have a good time. To Nico Juritsch (both AUT) on Phils’ Wakesetter 22MXZ. The begin with the welcome party on Thursday was a blast, and victorious teams celebrated, because of the 4,200 euros, attracted more people than ever before. DJ Crazie Pee was who was split amongst them, and of course some of the the one to warm up the crowd and afterwards DJ TEDDY-O money was spent at the following party. showed his skills. People were on the dance-floor pumping and partying. A perfect start for the event!

It was again DJ TEDDY-O who got the crowd started

and moving, this time together with DJ B-TRIX. It was We kicked off on Friday with the junior’s category - a legendary night, which surely will be remembered. participants were a total of nine kids and teenager’s under Everyone had a great time together: Pros, amateurs, 18 years of age. Jacob Gauß, only 6 (!), was the youngest wake-boarders, fans and visitors … because this is exactly wake-boarder in the lineup. He showed some solid moves what Chill and Ride powered by NISSAN is all about! Even and therefore got a special voucher, supplied by Warehouse though, the big final was still to be done on Sunday.

One. Winning the category was Ben Kassin from Berlin, who has some years of practice & experience under his On Sunday, the Pro Ladies went to show their skills. They belt. He was riding behind the Mastercraft X-Star of MCD made their way on the water and everyone was ready to Performance, which delivered a perfectly shaped wake. enjoy the nice sunny day. Four ladies made it through to the Local Philipp Burkhardt took 2nd and Tino Ullsperger came final. Sian Hurst was the first one qualifying; she came in on in 3rd. Our partner, Warehouse One l, rewarded the winners fourth and therefore started first in the final. She showed with many prizes worth several thousand Euros; It didn’t everything she had on lock, like a massive TS FS 540 Offaxis, stop there though: Thomas Friedl took 3rd in the Amateur’s a Whirlybird and nice grabs, which set the pressure on competition, while David Hofer (AUT) got 2nd. 1st place her opponents. Former World champion Robbie Rendo went to Mr. Air Müllero, who showed the biggest Raleys (ARG) missed the podium just by a bit. A young girl from and Frontflips, perhaps of the whole weekend. It seemed, Ireland, Aisling Deegan, managed to take 3rd place, but her that the nice guy from Ketzin (GER) really enjoyed his first compatriot Sian was still on pole. Charlotte Bryant (GBR)

45 Liam Pilgram

who won the qualification, showed again a strong run with HS tricks you won’t see often with your own eyes. Of course it was FS 360 and a Tootsie Roll. Now it was up to the judges Scotty the highest level a boat-competition in Germany has ever seen.

Broome, Patrick Hentschel and Alex Neuwirth to decide who That’s why some guys, who normally would have made their would take this years win. They choose Sian, who was super way to the final, had an early ending to their participation. For stoked about that and the prize given! example the winner from Friday, Chris Müller, as well as Conni

Schrader, Tobias Dammith and Philipp Schramm, which means Afterwards a short midday-break took place, where some nice all German riders, didn’t make it to the next round. But it wasn’t prizes were on stock for a raffle at the Nissan booth. A very happy just them: Nico Juritsch and Philipp Hofer from Austria also winner received first prize, a weekend with a Nissan Nismo missed out on the conclusive round, even though they showed a sports car. Additionally a snowboard good performance and still more had supplied by Warehouse One and many to follow them.

OF COURSE IT WAS THE HIGHEST more gifts found happy new owners.

LEVEL A BOAT-COMPETITION IN During the raffle US wakeboardingSuddenly the sky became dark and GERMANY HAS EVER SEEN. legend, Shawn Watson, signed heavy clouds appeared. Signs of everything his fans asked of him. If you bad weather and storms arose from were looking for a brand new ride, Nissan had some special the West, directly towards our spot in Freistett. This was not event-offers and the whole range of cars on site. At the booths something that the judges, riders or organizers needed or wanted of O’Brien and Ronix, people were able to get a first glimpse at to see! Under the looming circumstances, the aim was to get a the 2016 products. Those who just wanted to get some delicious quick and fair end to the competition. These eight riders were food & drinks found plenty of offers on-site. A cold Jever Fun or qualified: defending champion Sam Carne, the winner from 2011perhaps a Havanna Club for the grownups, the kids got maybe 2013, David O’Caoimh, wakeboarding-legend Shawn Watson, as a soft drink like a sparkly Orangina. Everyone was eager to get well as Jorge Gill, Edd Blundell, Lucas Langlois, JB O’Neill and back to their places though, in order not to miss any action on Max van Helvoort. All of them had the chance of winning huge prize the water. It was Heinrich Hörth, who showed his flyboard-skills money as well as some extra cash on top, which went to the winner first, followed by a speedboat presentation and finally the top of the “NISSAN Best Trick Competition“ right after the event. Max highlight of this weekend: the Pro Men’s wakeboard category. was about to start his second run, the storm arrived and made

wakeboarding impossible. Some time passed, but the weather Nearly 20 young men were battling it out for the biggest prize forecast and conditions didn’t improve. The judges decided later money of the weekend. All began divided in two heats and now on, that there was no possibility to finish the contest. Therefore the the judges had to have an even closer look, because of technical prize money was split equally to all finalists.

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Nevertheless the judges crowned the three guys who performed best in qualifications. 3rd place went to Shawn Watson who was riding behind the Nautique G23. He grabbed his board maybe twice as many times as his opponents did and showed maximum style with tricks like a Method Glide, Wrapped BS 5 Nosegrab and his Signature, the Olé Mute 540, HS as well as FS. “This was one of the coolest events I’ve been to. I’ll definitely come back! Thanks to Oli from Aktivboot, as well as to Nautique and Roswell, who made this trip possible!“ said Shawn right after the event. 2nd place went to Sam Carne, who had Pete Rose, Slim Chance and Wrapped TS FS 360 Nosegrab in his pocket, but still wasn’t enough to take the lead. The victory by decision from the qualification went to David O’Caoimh, who was crowned European Champion just a few days before the event, as well. David and Sam were both riding behind the X-46 of Mastercraft Germany and the wake provided by this beauty was amazing. Like this it seemed easy for the Irish to show tricks like TS BS 720 back-to-back, a huge Melon FS 180 which gave him a lot of style points, the Skeezer and some other technical maneuvers. Right after the winners ceremony David quoted: “Unlucky we had no chance to ride the finals, because we would have loved to do so, especially for those thousands of spectators, they would have loved to see us battle. But safety first! I was really happy how my qualification-run turned out and of course I’m proud to stand in top position at the podium!“ We

hope for a final in 2016, which fulfills the riders and visitors’ wishes and shows the highest level of wakeboarding again.

Organizers can be happy about the accomplishments of this year’s event. More than 10,000 spectators came, some excellent parties took place and the action on the water was outstanding.

Thanks to the team of Spektakelmanufaktur and to the Karcher family, who once again provided their shipyard, which is the perfect location for this event. Also a big thank you to all those other helping hands making Chill and Ride powered by NISSAN 2015 possible.

Go BIG was the slogan and that is what happened all the way. Thanks to our sponsors NISSAN, Warehouse One, MCD Performance, Jever Fun and all other partners who supported this event which such effort and so professionalism.

We cannot wait for 2016! Already mark your calendar for the weekend of the 18th until the 21st of August. 12,000 euros in cash prizes will be up for grabs and surely attract a riders-lineup even bigger than this year. Be there!

Additional Information can be found on chillandride.de or facebook.com/chillandride.de!

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The Breddas

Backyard

by Ian Curry-Lindahl / photos : Peter Vahlfridsson

F i r s t o f a l l , i f yo u a re s t il l wonder ing “ Wh o a re t h e Bredda s?” t h e n i t ’s t i m e fo r yo u t o t ra vel t o S weden a nd meet t h ree of t h e m o s t a t h l e t i c s h redder s on t h e pl a net : Jeremia , M a t t ia s a n d Be n j a m i n H o p p e . Th ese t h ree b rot h er s a re t h e Bredda s .

Every year, we hear and see something awesome happening 100 kilometers above Goteborg in Sweden: The Battle of the Backyard. In Sweden you ask? Believe it or not there are not only blondies, ice hockey and salmon up there! So in 2015 we decided to have a look at what that legendary backyard is all about. Once we got there, we couldn’t believe our eyes! There were great wakeboard set ups all over the place, mega ramps, a skatepark, a party area and way more all in the middle of the countryside in Sweden. In a few words, everything you can imagine to make a backyard look like paradise on Earth!

WHAT IS THE BATTLE OF THE BACKYARD? On paper, the Battle of the Backyard is pretty much the biggest wakeboard event in Sweden. It has all categories, lasts 4 days and brings a bunch of international riders and groups them with the best Swedish riders. But in the real life, it is way more than just a competition. The Breddas created a location where wakeboarders and non wakeboarders come from all over Scandinavia to party, have a good time and watch the riders pushing the themselves on the water for a week.

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with care. Some of the Swedish mixed up with the international invited riders and it was a joy to see everyone pushing themselves on the poolgap all together. It was an incredible sight to see! Before another night of enjoying the late summer light from Sweden, we had a preview of Steezy Peaze, a band who was scheduled to perform the next day.

On the first day when we woke up we started to see people arriving and setting their camping area to get ready for the week, The day was there for all the riders to catch up, enjoy what the backyard has to offer and train a little bit before the first evening of entertainment in Udevalla’s countryside.

On the second day, Thursday, while still enjoying the skatepark, trampoline, ramps, music, and so much more the the qualifications started. People were battling in all the categories to make it to the main event on Friday and Saturday. In Open Men the top two riders were invited to join the pro division. For the end of the day, the Breddas had organized a paintball game in the forest followed by a beer pong contest to start the night. You can imagine how this night ended.

SATURDAY, LAST DAY: Sunny blue skies, hundreds of people and the main day is filled with solid wakeboarders in each of the categories. The pro division had a down rail placed behind the kicker which made quite a show! We saw riders such as Victor Salmon, Jeremia Hoppe, Antoine Allaux, William Klang and many more doing epic things all over the lake, and of course, the crazy flips that Mattias Hoppes can do on a rail! Everyone was riding the way they like best and enjoying the park the way it was built for the event. After an epic day of wakeboarding everyone was excited to watch the prize giving ceremony followed by the live performance of Steezy Peaze to launch the big, BIG last party.

Friday, we woke up and the whole field was packed with tents, cars, sponsors and the big days of the event were ON! All qualified riders were fighting to make it to the final on Saturday.

The show was really good and it was incredible to see the level of riding that the Swedish scene has. Later in the afternoon, a bilevel contest was organized on Bredda’s new poolgap (yes there is also a poolgap in this backyard!). Everybody could join in and have a few hits on the crazy rails the Breddas made

Cheers to the Breddas for the effort they gave to make a memorable week like that happen! I can’t wait for next year!

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WAKEPARADISE

CONTEST

by Héctor Urzaiz

I had never been to Italy before and w hen people tell you that Montichiar i, an hour or so from Milan, is one of the best competitions that Europe celebrates - don’t even consider missing it. Book your flights now! It is incredible to think that in these times you can find a roundtr ip ticket to Italy for 45 euros . It’s jus t another factor to convince you that this is an event you won’ t want to miss!

Flying at 6am is always good because then you can spend the entire day at your arrival. The problem is when it rains as it did when we arrived to Montichiari, so yes, Nico was there to give us coffee and a good time. Greetings to Nico and thanks for the hospitality!

As the day progressed we started celebrating with beer and shots, but the summit of the awards was preceded by the now legendary Miss Wet t-shirt contest. The girls were taught how to move with little clothes and a lot of shots. Afterwards we went to the after party taking place at the same cablepark. With so many riders from around the world in Italy, you could feel the atmosphere of brotherhood in the air. Winners and even those that didn’t win celebrated with shots, beer, mojitos and girls, so so many girls. In my personal opinion that could be one of the best parties I’ve ever attended. We closed out the night with Mr. Jimmy Lariche on the microphone like we were singing in a karaoke bar.It is clear that Ludovico Vianoli, one of the legends of Italian wakeboarding, has done an excellent job since they opened the cable, with his team Nico, Marco “Polo”, Lobo and several others. A good cable with a great team can not disappoint the riders!

A great location for a large cable equipped with the latest Sesitec technology, which allows the cable to always have the same tension. They provide handmade modules which are comparable with the big names in obstacle construction, a fun box with a side rail, an uprail, a double kicker, a flat bar, a tube and the legendary super pipe. During our first day there (I say “our” because my companions were Victor Gallego, Yannik Paton, Alvaro Ibañez Kaviani and Sepe) we started seeing familiar faces from our sport. Riders such as Daniel Grant, Victor Salmon and Dominik Hernler were among the first to arrive. In the afternoon we started training with a clear sky. The highest level tricks were seen on the star feature of WakeParadise, the SuperPipe, a transfer of a kicker to a pipe about 2.5 meters above the water level so you can imagine the variety of tricks, 270-450 both “in” and “out” with all styles of slides, and that was just the warmup session.

My experience? To begin with these people have completely broken my stereotype of typical local Italian people. I used to think that all Italians had slicked back hair like in the movies.

Certainly there are some but what this experience showed me is that they are very good people. I’ve made good friends in Montichiari and made unforgettable memories, like putting 5 people with boardbags and backpacks in a normal taxi! I met wonderful people at Restaurant Rino’s, 10 minutes from the cablepark by car. They very kindly offered to take us to the cable at twelve o’clock, after lunch. I totally recommend this place to you when you go to WakeParadise, and for me the best meal was Lasagna Lobo.

The day of the competition the spectators were definitely NOT disappointed in the qualification rounds. During LCQ’s we saw lots of doubles, mobydicks, backmobes, and 900’s just to name a few, but all sharing tricks on the rails.

The final rounds were a head to head format and the surprise was Victor Salmon. He eliminated riders one by one such as Felix Giorgii, Dom Hernler and local rider Massi Piffaretti. On the the other side Sebasztian Szolath surprised all the people beating Mattias Hoppe, Tobias Michell and others. So the end of the competition between these two riders was huge with solid riding, very strong on the rails and without falls in either rounds throughout the final. In the end the title was won by the rider settled in Thailand, Victor Salmon, at the young age of fourteen.

So today he is one of the new riders to consider in upcoming competitions around the world.

The truth is I cannot wait to go back again next summer, and WakeParadise will be on my calendar. I am looking forward to seeing all my friends around the world that we only get to see at European competitions. A big hug to everyone from WakeParadise and I will see you next year!

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© Taco de Boel

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Dirk Van Esser

by Phil Sirech / photo Taco de Boel

What makes a wakepark cool?

The crew, the speed of the cable (29 is not cool at all), and if they make homemade obstacles it’s a plus for me. They are never perfect but always unique (but sometimes they are the best ;-) What makes a trick cool?

The simplicity of some tricks, I’d rather see a sweet clean back one then a pre spin sloppy landing 720. The entry and landing matter, it’s not only all about the trick.

What makes a board cool?

If it’s your board it’s always cool! I’m riding the Slingshot Reflex now, it’s a pretty sick board, you should try it :-) What makes bindings cool?

Not too stiff, not too flex.. Should give you the right support. Looks don’t matter (that much :-) What makes a riding style cool?

When someone makes it look so easy! Do the tricks “you” like and the tricks “you” love...

What makes a session cool?

Making perfect lines, riding doubles with your buddy that seems to have the same mental disorder as you. When you fall you rush your way back to the dock because you want to be on the water asap.

What makes Belgium cool?

Terhills cablepark of course ;-) and the fact that the scene is growing fast! About 5 years ago there was not a single cable park and now we count 5 filled with plastic and there are plans for a sixth one!

What makes a wake trip cool?

Meeting new people all over the world. You share the same interests so you make new friends really fast.

What makes a video edit cool?

The right amount of trash, humor and sick riding! A good example is “DoSayDaBai” with Wes, Oli, and Quinn. It’s a 7minute edit, which is normally way too long, but this one feels like a 2 minute edit.

What makes a photo cool?

The photographer, the rider and most of all the light. Thanks to Taco for this sick shot!

What is the most important thing to get a sponsorship?

Just ride and have fun, make some photos and a edit here and there. If you have the skills, the sponsors come on their own.

What is the most important thing to progress?

Ride different parks with different people, don’t forget about your rest days and try different things (get out of your comfort zone). Film a lot, work on what’s ugly and make perfect what was good.

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By Hayley Edmonds This year’s edition of Surf the Lake went down on the beautiful Lake Annecy in France.

Riders traveled far and wide from Russia, USA, UK, Switzerland, as well as athletes who live close by to par ticipate in the final stop of the European Wakesurf Tour.

The first day of competition finished on a high with a live DJ set at the Savoyard that carried on into the evening. On Sunday, the finals went down in perfect conditions, sunny with a light wind. This year, the level of riding went up a notch,with the riders landing both stylish and technical runs. The stand out riders of the event were without a doubt the American, Jodi Grassman, the current US Skim Style Champion who scored an outstanding 91 points on her second run and the French professional wakesurfer, Sebastien Balland whose final and winning run consisted of a huge big spin, a shove it to shove it and a 720°. Sebastien took home both the Open Men in Wakesurf AND the Open Men in Skim. Jodi was victorious in the Women’s category. Alena Pischulina took the top step on the podium in the Open Women in wakesurf, in front of her compatriot Yana Glumilina.

Thank you to the Association Francaise de Wakesurf, Nautique boats, Glidesoul, Talloires, Dakine, Liquid Force, Wakesurfshop, On the Lip, Sili sunglasses, Dune Wakesurf, Brethen Apparel and the volunteers that helped make it such a great event .

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houston

by Buckman Fergusson

October 3-4, 2015 the 8 th and final stop of The Wakeboard World Ser ies went down in Houston, Texas at Hangar 9 Wake Park. The event was also the third and final stop of the Malibu Evolution Ser ies and the last pro wakeboard event of the year to be held in the United States . It was a fantastic event, with perfect war m weather and great conditions for ever yone to show off their best.

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Coming into the event, Harley Clifford had such a massive lead in the Wakeboard World Series Rankings that he did not even need to compete in this event, which was a good thing as he strained his neck a few days before. He showed up to ride but was not a factor, finishing last in his first heat. Phil Soven also finished last in his 3-man heat against Massi Piffaretti and Rusty Malinoski, which meant Phil finished the entire season without winning a single event for the first time in over 12 years!

new Hangar 9 Wakepark. The Traditional Cable competition featured a head-to-head format with Tom Fooshee going up against Brady Patry, and Chandler Powell going up against Bryce Bingham in Semi-Finals. In the end Chandler Powell took the win against the ‘King of the Cable’, Tom Fooshee. Brady Patry then won the consolation match against Bryce Bingham for a third place finish giving Brady his fist podium of his professional career. This was also the first career win for Chandler Powell in a Traditional Cable competition.

The final heat included Steel Lafferty, Cory Teunissen, Massi On the women’s cable side, it was Meagan Ethell taking the Piffaretti, Mike Dowdy, Tony Iacconi, win over Jamie Lopina and Anna and the rookie, Parker Siegele Nikstad, giving Anna her first T H E F I N A L H E AT I N C L U D E D S T E E L making his first finals appearance podium of the year.

LAFFERTY, CORY TEUNISSEN, MASSI of his professional career. What was P I F F A R E T T I , M I K E D OW DY, T O N Y amazing about this finals heat was In the Men’s Features Only IACCONI, AND THE ROOKIE, PARKER that Steel Lafferty, at 23 years old, competition, Chandler Powell and SIEGELE MAKING HIS FIRST FINALS was the oldest rider in finals, making Tom Fooshee met again in the APPEARANCE OF HIS PROFESSIONAL this one of the youngest boat finals in finals but this time John Dreiling CAREER. the history of pro wakeboarding. Not joined them for a 3-man final jam only that, but Cory Teunissen, also session in which all three riders in his rookie season, was the only rider in finals who had ever competed on the water at the same time. Chandler was once won a previous event in their professional careers. In the end again too much for Tom Fooshee to handle, just barely taking it was Mike Dowdy who came out on top, executing one of the the win with Tom in second and John Dreiling in third. This was most impressive runs we’ve ever seen him do with a flawless the first double-win for Chandler Powell and it was enough Double Indy Back-Roll and multiple 900’s. It took far longer than to move him into first place in the Wake Park World Series everyone expected for Mike Dowdy to get his first professional Traditional Cable standings, and second in Features. This was win, and it was definitely well deserved. He’s had a phenomenal only the second time in John Dreiling’s career in which he made comeback season after missing the entire 2014 season with a it onto the podium at a WWA event, but he’s definitely someone knee injury and with this win, Dowdy moved into 3rd position for you’ll want to watch in the future as he also made finals at FISE the overall Wakeboard World Series rankings. Cory Teunissen and Plastic Playground earlier this year. finished the event in 2nd place with the best rookie season we’ve seen out of any rider since Parks Bonifay in 1996. In third was In the Women’s Features Only, Meagan Ethell took the win over Steel Lafferty with his second podium of the year, and it was Taylor McCullough and Jamie Lopina. Meagan took the triplegood enough for him to win the overall Malibu Evolution Series. win on the weekend and became the first rider in the history of A huge congratulations to Steel Lafferty as this was certainly a The WWA to have three 1st place finishes in the same event. As career highlight for him. for Jamie and Taylor, these two 17-year-olds have been at each other all year long landing on the podium together four times In Women’s, it was Meagan Ethell taking the win over the this season. There’s certainly a rivalry between these two that legendary Dallas Friday with Tarah Mikacich finishing 3rd. will continue on in the years to come.

With Dallas’ second place finish, she finished the season with a podium in all nine events she competed in, however it was not There will be two more Wake Park World Series events this enough to take the overall Wakeboard World Series Title. Dallas year, with the Cable World Championships to be held in Abu and Meagan were tied for first place but the tiebreaker went Dhabi at Al Forsan Sports Resort November 4-6, and the to whoever placed higher in the current event, so as a result final stop at International Wake Park in Phuket, Thailand Meagan Ethell is the 2015 Wakeboard World Series Champion! December 11-13. For full results from this competition or more information about any of these riders, be sure to check out On the cable side, 34 riders from all over the world competed www.thewakeboardsite.com. in a Features Only and a Traditional Cable competition at the

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F LA S H Y

N I K I TA T E R S KOV, BAC KS IDE AIR OVE R A BE A UTY AT H IP N O T IC S WA K E PA R K , TUR K E Y. Photo : Aki Nurminen

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O LI VI E R D E RO M E , H U G E BAC K S I D E AIR OV ER T O KYO Photo : Rodrigo Donoso

WILLIAM KLAN G, BACK S I D E LIPSLIDE TRAN S FE R S WE D E N .

Photo : Peter

E N RIQUE DOSTA : WA LL R I D E ON WAKESKATE S PA I N Photo : Hector Urzais

S E PE I BA N E Z H A N D PL A N AT WA K E PA R A D I S E Photo : Hector Urzais Calpe

YAN N IK PAT O N IS O N F IR E, B AC KS ID E AIR M AL AM AR WAKEPAR K B ARC EL O N A .

Photo : Hector Urzais

a n n a nikstad

by Vicki Dill / photos : Stephen Guidry

Say HELLO to Texas girl, Anna Nikstad. She’s quickly making her mar k in the wor ld of women’s pro wakeboarding with her fear less tr icks on the kickers. She’s one of those girls who the guys just can’t keep up with.

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So Anna...you’re kind of a sudden phenom...pulling out crazy tricks that you don’t typically see girls do. What planet did you come from & what’s your short story?

Awe thanks haha. I just grew up on the water and always tried to keep up with my brothers. I’ve always been sort of an adrenaline junkie and wakeboarding definitely supplies my daily dose. I was raised to not be afraid of heights or speed because, when trying to keep up with the boys, I was either left on the roof of our house or whipped across the water behind a jetski. So needless to say, the blame goes to my brothers for making me the way I am on the water. But I’ve only been consistently wakeboarding a little under three years, I played competitive soccer for about 13 years of my life. Now, I’m a full-time wakeboarder learning to balance going to school, wakeboarding, traveling and working.

How do you think people would describe you in a few words or phrases?

Uh, I have no idea. That’s a good question. haha Are you scared of anything because it sure doesn’t seem like it? Wakeboarding related or otherwise?

I can’t really say I’m scared of much, I think being scared is exciting so I probably handle my fears a different way. But I’m terrified of spiders.

Tell us about your brother Erik...we hear he’s a pretty crazy guy...has he influenced you in any way?

My brother is my best friend, wakeboard coach and ride or die. And yeah, he’s absolutely a wild dude. He has such an impact on my riding, without him I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. He is always the one pushing me to be better; he never lets me give up or take the easy route. It’s always “if I can do it, then you can do it” or “try it two more times” when we’re wakeboarding. He’s helped me gain confidence on the water and trust my abilities.

Any wake crushes & if so give us a few hints!

I totally have a wake crush he’s a shaggy, beach-bum lookin’ dude. Try to narrow that one down. Haha What’s your take on girls who wakeboard in bikini bottoms?

I have one piece of advice for them… check yourself before you wreck yourself.

Where do you feel like you make the most progress? Which park brings out the best in you?

I feel like kickers are the strong point of my riding and it’s where I progress the most. There’s nothing I love more than boostin’ off kickers. Wake Nation Houston is my home for all kicker tricks I’ve learned. Wake Nation has a pretty easy vibe and the people there are some of my closest friends. It’s fun to be able to ride and progress in an atmosphere like that.

What is it about wakeboarding that keeps you coming back for more?

I ask myself that a lot. Ha. Seems like every day I ride I break myself off at least once. But I still come back for more. It’s like an addiction, I love taking the time and effort to learn something new and with wakeboarding, it’s an endless run of trial and error until you stomp the crap out of a new trick.

That feeling right there is what makes me love the sport. Then combining that with being on the water, getting to travel and meeting some awesome people, it gets pretty magical.

American guys or Foreign guys and why?

Oh, that’s a hard one. I’d say foreign guys, gives me a reason to travel more ;)

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I’VE ALWAYS BEEN SORT OF AN ADRENALINE JUNKIE AND WAKEBOARDING DEFINITELY SUPPLIES MY DAILY DOSE.

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Tell us about your recent wakeboarding travels...anything planned for this winter?

I spent this past spring in Sydney at Cables Wake park, helping with the grom camps and coaching. Then went up to Bli Bli on the sunny coast of Australia and didn’t want to leave.

After that I did a little bit of traveling to Florida and Cali for the Triple Crown stops, then I spent some time in London filming and coaching at Liquid Leisure, which was such a sick park. I plan to ditch the cold again and go back to Australia later this winter, then check out the Philippines and maybe Fise in France and Plastic Playgrounds in London.

What do you do during your so called “off season“ to stay conditioned?

I try to run every morning (or every other morning) but I mostly spend my time at this Ninja Warrior gym in Houston. It’s a parkour gym.

Do you have a favorite edit that you watch over & over?

The other night I watched some old school Alliance wake “Pull” episodes, it’s cool to see how far wakeboarding has come since then. But, honestly I don’t watch very many edits.

Who are some people who inspire you, motivate you or just plain light a fire under your ass and make you mad enough to prove them wrong?

My dad is someone that really inspires me, he’s such a hardworking guy and super supportive of me chasing my dream. He makes me feel limitless.

Also, women’s wakeboarding in general is motivating. The progression of the women’s side of the sport is getting so competitive, seeing other girls on the water go BIG lights a fire under me and makes me want to push myself that much harder.

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I was born on the beach in Corpus Christi, Texas. I’m pretty sure I came from the water. Also the tattoo on my side, it’s an axe and the handle turns into a tree. I’ve wanted the quote “From the forest itself comes the handle for the axe” because it explains karma and balance in a neat way. The quote isn’t in the tattoo, it just symbolizes it pretty well.

Hypothetically...how do you feel about dating a guy wakeboarder who isn’t a bad ass like you?

I figured I can’t really date a non-wakeboarder because I’d run out of things to talk about. Ha! No but I’m okay with it if he’s okay with it. The deal breaker though is my calluses can’t be bigger ( or nastier) than his. I can’t date a dude with softer hands than me….

Which trick are you most proud of and what are you pushing to learn?

Landing Pete Rose 5 this year was pretty sick, it’s definitely one of my biggest accomplishments. This next year I want to try some KGB 5’s, Double mexi or maybe skeeze 5 ( switch crow mobe 5). I just want to do another trick that no other woman has done before.

We heard you do a little coaching...where at and what do you like about it?

I’ve always loved coaching, back when I played soccer I coached a u-8 girls team and it was so much fun. I started coaching a lot more this year, I helped run the grom camps at Cables Wake park, did lessons while at Liquid Leisure and then I did private lessons with kids at Hangar9 and had a girls day every Tuesday this past summer at Wake Nation where I worked with a bunch of young babeshredders. It’s just so cool to watch kids learn to wakeboard and develop a passion for it just like I did.

Have any Texan tendencies that foreigners instantly pick up on when you’re traveling?

I say “ya’ll” in just about every other sentence and when I travel I never stop hearing banter for it. Haha but oh well, it’ll always be a part of my vocabulary.

Are you really good at anything else non board sport related?

Before I was a wakeboarder, I was a full-time soccer player.

I played for an Olympic development team for 5 years, then had to retire because I had about five knee surgeries and my surgeon was not going to operate on me again. Also I come from a pretty creative family, so I like to do artsy things.

What makes you laugh so hard that your belly hurts & you’re crying?

Cat videos.

Who is Anna in 5 years and what do you think she’ll be doing?

Well hopefully I’m still riding hard and pushing myself. I want to take wakeboarding as far as I possibly can so I’m aiming for more traveling, filming, podiums and maybe a treehouse that overlooks a gnarly 2.0 in my backyard.

You seem pretty chill...does anything totally piss you off?

I’m usually a pretty chill person, I’ve got a long fuse but you don’t want to get to the end of it. ;)

Any shout outs to people or companies that have helped you out along the way?

Yeah, just a big thank you to my family and friends and everyone that has my back. Also shoutouts to my sponsors Hyperlite for keeping me equipped this season. Also shout out to Wake Nation Houston and Hangar9 for letting me call them my home parks. Thanks Vicki.

Any guilty pleasures that might be a tad bit embarrassing?

My jam sessions in the car are pretty embarrassing..

I pretty much play every part of the band, all at once. Haha Tell us about your rad tattoos...do they mean anything?

Awe, thanks! Yeah, the ocean scene on my leg represents my love for the water. It’s progress of an entire leg sleeve.

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BY CABANA BOYS INC Cabana Boys Inc. is dedicated to bringing our customers joy, laughter, and of course, hot cabana boys! Our modern, decorative wine glasses will liven up any bachelorette party, birthday party, or social event. Each Cabana Boy wine glass experiences a design process that is as innovative and unique as our customer. www.cabanaboysinc.com

/ / / / FO LDAB LE FLI P -FLO P \\\\

BY SALVATOS At the crossroads between fashion and function, salvatos is a next generation brand for the girl on-the-go. Offering convenience versatility, practicality, and above all style...

She works hard & plays hard... From desk to dinner til dawn And for every fleeting fashion move she makes, salvatos will be along for the ride. www.Salvatos.com

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/ / / / H AIYAN \\\\

BY SHELLIE STYLE Always be yourself, unless you can be a Mermaid.

ShellieÂŽ is committed to creating high quality, affordable fashion accessories perfect for a mermaid. Our products are All Natural & made with love in the USA. We hope you enjoy our amazing collection of mermaid inspired products. www.shelliestyle.com

/ / / / LO N G T O P 0.5MM \\\\

BY GLIDESOUL GlideSoul waterwear liberates you from putting on the same wetsuit day after day, and gives you choices as endlessly vibrant and exciting as you are. You can pick the perfect outfit to express who you are, so you can light up your city and colour the ocean. www.Glidesoul.com

/ / / / FULL W ET S U I T 3/ 2 MM \\\\

/ / / / T H E S KINNY \\\\

BY PRANA When you reach into your closet, there should be something there that reflects who you are, how you feel, and what you value most. There should be something that you can put on in the morning and confidently wear all day long. Something that can be thrown in your bag and know will work for whatever your journey brings. prAna is that something The prAna Embroidered Trucker adds a feminine touch to the casual easy breathing goodness of a trucker hat with a hand embroidered floral design. wwwPrana.com

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N.Schneier © C.Lehnert

© C.Lehnert

A.Aulbach © L.Suess

M.Toeller © F.Suess

The Bricks Open An event like THE BRICKS OPEN in Duisburg Germany doesn´t need roaring publicity

by Lukas Suess

T h e re i s n o h i g h e r, fa s t e r, or b ig g er a t t h e Br ick s . Th ey jus t cut t h eir ow n p a t h o f p u s h i n g t h e spor t in a different wa y. Th ink ing w h a t a re a l l y n i c e wa ke b o a rd c o nt es t sh oul d l ook l ike, t h e Duisbur g fol k s put so m e o l d s c h o o l s t re e t s t y l e sk a t eb oa rd feel ing int o it . A l rea dy t h e l a s t yea r ’s p re m i e re m a d e t h e wa ke scene sit up a nd wa t ch . No wonder the l i s t o f 4 0 p a r t i c i p a n t s h a d t o b e cl osed 20 minut es a ft er it s onl ine appearance.

The already clean designed feature course at the Bricks got worked over just for the event. It began with a crossways pipe, followed by a flatrail with a dragon tail on the left and an incline with a pipe-extension on the right. Next was a newly designed fence by UNIT Parktech and a combination of UNIT Skatecurb and UNIT Techseries rail. The following elbow-pipe was placed right in the cable corner, which made it a bit tricky and not many riders made it all the way to the end. After that there was the choice of a kicker-to-A-frame to the left or the stepdown rail to the right. A flat zone and a right and left kicker marked the exit of the course. It was a well packed lap of just less than a minute and getting real close to the action anywhere around the lake was just perfect for hundreds of spectators.

In a pre-round the field of 40 melted down to 20, who then started in head to head mode in round 1. Winning two out of three runs advanced

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riders to round 2. The next head to head battle took the best five right into the Überfinal. The judges had already brought to the attention of the riders, that they would appreciate creativity, different lines and style. Red Bull Teamrider, Dominik Guehrs, showed a packed and solid run, but surprisingly he fell on the exit KGB, which opened the chance for local hero, Niko Kasper, to climb the podium. Two well qualified speakers took the crowd through the thrilling Überfinal. At the end Alex Aulbach from Munic took the highly coveted “Überring”, a heavy seal ring carrying the “The Bricks Open” logo. Bene Tremmel took second and local Niko got third.

Afterwards the riders were full of praise for the thrilling format and the creative setup. Dominik Guehrs took it lightly when he missed the podium: “One whole day of playin´ in the feature garden for the practice session was worth the trip to Duisburg. Thanks to the crew at The Bricks for the fun sessions!”

Waky Marrakech photo : Fred Laroze MOROCCO OPENS ITS FIRST CABLEPARK !

This is the story of a meeting between Francis Koot, quadruple world champion in water skiing on Cableski and Hicham Berrada, president of a hotel complex in Marrakech, on the beaches of Mauritius.

That was 3 years ago. These two water sports enthusiasts had a common idea to bring a new sport into Marrakech and decided to create the first water ski lift in Morocco, the Waky Marrakech.

Francis took on this adventure and brought in his friend Olivier Ducarme to communicate and ensure proper management of the site.

The Waky Marrakech is a cable park completely custom made: From digging to completely covering the lake with a liner, (the type of liner that exists at the Al Forsan Wakepark in Abu Dhabi), and add to that an island dotted with palm trees and slightly chlorinated water. Wakeboarders will have a feeling of riding on a lagoon or a mega pool.

THE SPOT

The new park located at Orées de l’Ourika is 10 minutes from the center of Marrakech and 20 minutes from the airport. The Waky is located in a resort giving exceptional views of the Atlas Mountains. It includes a full size water ski lift system 455 meters with 6 carriers and a 2.0 system. 4 Rixen’s modules: 2 kickers, an A-Frame and longbox keep riders excited and trying new tricks in this picturesque setting. The short distance between the outlet of the water and the pontoon is greatly appreciated.

THE WAKEPARK

Other activities like bocce, table tennis and table football are available to clear your mind. For lovers of the green, it is possible to enjoy the 18 hole golf course and its practice. Lounge chairs and ottomans under umbrellas offer a place to chill quietly. A bar on the premises serves cocktails and other drinks, but also offers catering ranging from Caesar salads to burgers for a reasonable European price.

There is a wakeshop offering a complete wake boarding set up, including shorts and other streetwear. Changing facilities and showers are of unparalleled cleanliness.

Packages including hotel, meals and riding will soon be put into place to encourage riders from around the world to visit Waky Marrakech for a wake boarding holiday at a very reasonable price.

FUTURE PROJECTS:

If you would like your second home near a water ski lift it is possible at Waky Marrakech! A real estate program around the ski lift is in planning stages to acquire various types of housing for a variety of budgets.

A beachbar with a pool overlooking the water ski lift is under construction. This promises crazy Marrakech evenings.

Open most of the year and with the surrounding temperature at 30 degrees Celsius, the Waky Marrakech will probably be “the“ destination for riders at the end of the season!

REFERENCE / INFORMATION: Waky Marrakech - Les Jardins de l’Atlas - Route de l’Ourika, km 13 - Marrakech, Maroc +212 (0) 525 07 51 20

Terminus Wake Park

Triple Crown

by Buckman Fergusson

The third and final stop of the Monster Energy Triple Crown took place at Terminus Wake Park just north of Atlanta, Georgia September 18th and 19th. This stop was especially unique and unlike any other Triple Crown contest because the features were rearranged into a much more advanced course for the competition. This created a unique opportunity for riders to attempt tricks, transfers and gaps that they could not otherwise perform. A medium kicker was aligned next to the pool gap feature so that riders were able to transfer directly onto the top of the high ledge or even gap over the entire pool to the down rail. Another flat rail was aligned on the other side of the pool gap so that riders could transfer from the rail, to the side of the pool or directly into the pool. On the other side of the lake the pipe rail was aligned in front of the Raph Derome signature UNIT feature, creating a very difficult line from pipe rail to Raph rail. This unique course design is credited to the manager of the park, Chase Andrews, who did an outstanding job showing what every park has the opportunity of doing for a contest. We sincerely hope that other parks take advantage of this opportunity in the future, as every rider praised the set-up and the park for putting on one of the most challenging and rewarding competitions of the year.

the Raph rail, Daniel hit the safety of the outside rail (something you’re not supposed to hit) and transferred to the wall of the inside rail while performing a 360 as everyone’s jaw dropped and took a minute to figure out what they had just seen. The other impressive trick that went down was John Dreiling’s switch toe back 270 gap transfer rewind to back lip from the kicker over the pool to the down rail of the pool. Think about that one for a second.

The second to last Triple Crown event took place in California where Dominik Hernler dominated the competition followed by Aaron Gunn and Guenther Oka. Dominik, who was undefeated this season, showed up to Terminus the day before the event and many wondered how he would fair on this challenging course without any practice. In practice Aaron Gunn had been throwing down his signature Truckdriver 3-to-1, in which he grabs both sides of the board with one arm through the handle, spins 360 degrees, pops his arm out of the handle and then rewinds back 180 degrees, landing blind. Most riders wouldn’t even dare to attempt a trick like that, making it one of the most impressive tricks to watch. James Windsor also threw down his massive Front-to-Fakie and Daniel Grant went HUGE on just about everything, as he most often does. Daniel also made his way into the finals with a trick no one had ever imagined. On

The event also hosted a Big Air Kicker contest in which the best wakeboarders in the world went as BIG as they could off the XL kicker in an attempt to land the most impressive trick. Tom Fooshee threw down his signature Pete Rose 720 and a KGB 540 while Aaron Gun landed a few enormous grabbed backside 720’s. In the end it was Chandler Powell who came out on top with the first-ever Method backside 540. It is one of the most technical and stylish tricks we have ever seen on a wakeboard.

In the Pro Women’s division it was Courtney Angus followed

by Jamie Lopina and Sophie Hogben. Coincidentally this also turned out to be the same order for the overall Triple Crown standings. This is Courtney’s second consecutive overall Triple Crown win.

For full results and more information on any of these riders check out www.thewakeboardsite.com

With all these amazing tricks being executed, it came down to James Windsor, Daniel Grant and Dom Hernler in the finals, and Hernler, who hadn’t ridden the set-up even once before competing, managed to win ALL of his heats on the way into the finals. In the finals Dom completed a super clean run utilizing the rail aligned by the pool to transfer up and along the pool and then pole-jam the front of the down rail with a tail-grab backside 180 down the stairs and a massive Half-Cab Roll off the XL kicker. In the end, it was too much for James Windsor and Daniel Grant as Dominik took the win and upheld his undefeated season. Daniel Grant took second, followed by James Windsor in third, and with that it was enough for Windsor to take the overall Triple Crown title for the 2015 season.

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Yonnel Handplan © Dillon Dreilling Bret Little © Phil Sirech

James Windsor © Phil Sirech

James Windsor

Dom Hernler © Dillon Dreilling

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© Down Under

NAME: WASSIM EL HODAYEBI AGE: 13 YEARS OLD HOMETOWN: UTRECHT

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by Dom Granger

Years wakeboarding?

My first season was not a real season full of wakeboarding, but I learned a bit of the basics.

Since then I’ve ridden 2 full seasons and this is the 3rd full season.

© Down Under

How did you start wakeboarding?

Before I was into wakeboarding, I was a skateboarder and one time I was swimming at Down Under when I saw guys wakeboarding and I loved it. So after that I begged my mom every day to go wakeboarding, haha.

Do you do any other boardsports?

Yeah I’m crazy about boardsports. I also enjoy skateboarding, surfing and kite surfing. But wakeboarding is my favorite one :) What do you like the most about wakeboarding?

You are never finished learning. Everyday you learn a new trick, and the lifestyle, and every one is always nice to each other.

What tricks are you working on right now?

My intention for this season is to do a toe front 720. I’m very close but every time when I land a fall backwards :( Who is your favorite rider, and why?

I have so many favorite riders that I can’t choose just one rider, but I love the creative style of Antoni Van Der Wekken!

© Down Under

© Ben Canevari

Favorite Wake Video?

My favorite wake video is the Debut. I love it!

What do you like to do outside of wakeboarding?

I like to draw, it’s very relaxing.

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What do you dislike?

I don’t dislike much but one thing I don’t like is when someone is shaking the cable behind me.

Name a trick you would like to do one day?

I have so many tricks I want to land in the future - like a 1080 or a super high double grab backside one.

Which do you prefer, rails or kickers?

I like rail tricks the most because you can express your creativity. I like kickers too because when you practice a new kicker trick you fall a lot but when you land it you are so excited.

If you could have a session with anyone, who would it be?

I think it would be fun to have a session with Felix Georgii...

Tell us a bit about the Shaka Bros?

Tom, Lodewijk and I are best friends (bros) and we like the shaka sign so that’s where the name comes from. We are going to drop a video every month that we edit and film by ourselves.

Do you always ride together?

Not all days. Sometimes I can’t go boarding because I have homework.

Shout outs?

Thanks to: My mom and my father, Niels Illemars, Joey Schoolman, Ivar Vermeulen and my bro’s Tom, Frankie & Lodewijk Waterhout and Unleashed Wake Mag for these highlights on me and my bros.

84

Nose grab

half cab

roll C O U RT N E Y A N GU S Photo : Tim Spaanagel

Before a t t empt ing t h is t r ick I recommend t h a t you l ea r n t o do a n ent ire l a p of t h e ca b l e r iding swit ch a nd l ea r n a t oeside b a ck rol l .

Start underneath the cable and take a progressive cut at the kicker and stay slightly crouched. Let off your edge about 3 feet from the kicker so you hit the jump with a flat board.

To avoid rotating on the kicker focus on your front foot coming off there top of the kicker before you throw the trick. Come off the top of the kicker with more weight on your back foot so you can tuck your front knee to reach the nose grab with your front arm. Try to lock your back elbow into your back hip to keep that handle in close. Throw your head back like you do on a toeside backroll.

Starting with your chest low allows you to throw the flip harder and spot your landing earlier. Focus on riding away from the cable as the tension will hold you up so you don’t fall on your bottom. Try and land it first go ;) Best of luck, Courtney

For extra steezzz bone out your back leg 85

Take a Spin at the World's First

Solar-Powered Cable Park

By Troy Hawks

© Artech.be

B ee r a n d wa r s : T h a t ’s w h a t Bel g ium is pr ima r il y k nown for but now it ’s al s o h o m e t o T h e S p i n , t h e Wor l d’s fir s t ca b l e pa r k t h a t r uns ent irel y on so l a r e n e r g y. T h e S p i n i s l oca t ed a t Les La cs de l ’Ea u d’H eure, a t op in t e r n a t i o n a l t o u r i s t d e s t i n a t ion a nd ch a in of five l a kes in S out h wes t B el g i u m n e a r t h e F re n c h border.

T h i s ye a r T h e S p i n h o s t e d a s t op of t h e R oa d t o R opes 2015 Va n Tour.

About $1.5 million dollars have been invested in the park that includes a 7,500 square foot facility that houses changing rooms for riders, a retail shop, a conference center, and a snack bar serving some of Belgium’s finest brews. For overnighters, the Spin has four lodging rooms that sleep up to six people each.

The Spin has a local club of about 355 riders and more than 6,500 adventure seekers come to give it a try each summer.

The Spin features a 2,000-foot solar-powered lift that can carry up to 30 riders at a time, thanks to 168 photovoltaic panels that can produce as much as 42 kilowatts at peak times. The move has helped the park save more than 23,000 kilowatt hours a year, which in turn avoids about 72 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

The solar panels produce more electricity than what’s needed to power the lift and building facilities. The park also features a 8,000 gallon (30,000 liter) water tank that collects rainwater that used in the showers and toilets. A wood stove and reflectors help boost heating and lighting.

Prices start at $15 (Euros) per hour, $40 for the day, and $600 for the year.

THE 2016 JOBE BREACH FAST AND PRECISE! FEATURES

BY DOMINIK GÃœHRS

DEEP CHANNELS SINGLE CONCAVE CHANNEL LARGE SURFACE AREA TIP AND TAIL FLEX

CHECK THE COMPLETE 2016 JOBE WAKEPARK COLLECTION ON WWW.JOBEWAKEPARK.COM

HOOKED ON RIDING WATER SINCE 1961.

#botb15

#ballsofsteel

#breddas

#rixenworld

#teamrixen

#1961 #trustthebest

Pulled by of the most insane tricks in 2015 Teamrider Mattias Hoppe with one Bardos epark, Sweden . Photo: Daniel Deak the Rixen Little Bro at Breddas Wak

www.rixen - cableways .com