Okoboji with Hyperlite & Scheels University

We had some fun with Hyperlite and the Scheels crew at Lake Okoboji recently. Garth, Mike and the rest of the Scheels crew were great to work with and after being briefed on the killer 2011 Hyperlite equipment we hit the water to give it a try. Props to all who braved the 55 degree water and big chop. Hopefully next time the water will be warm and glassy.

I was happy to take a set on my Hyperlite setup with the killer solid system bindings!

Paul, Scott, and Rick from Hyperlite were great to work with and thanks to Mark for the cool O’neill stuff. Until next time, here are some pictures.

Look for us at the lake. We will be above the tree line rockin Hyperlite.

Riding the Cable Park in KC

Thinking about heading to KC Watersports for one last cable ride before they close for the season. If you need some inspiration, here’s a helmet-cam video of some riding we did there last month. Get out there and ride!

2011 Hyperlite Bindings

The 2011 Hyperlite bindings have been unveiled via this photo and description. Can't wait to nab some myself. Look for Omaha Marine Center to stock these bad boys in 2011. Here is what Hyperlite is saying:
Ride Like Rusty, JD and Shaun with The System
The dawn of a new wake footwear philosophy, the System binding solves an inherent design flaw that has plagued wakeboard boots since the first bungee bindings. A rigid plastic plate coupled with a soft, textile upper forced the rider to sacrifice either support and durability, or comfort and range of motion. The new System binding separates the traditional design, creating a comfortable and light water-specific boot that's free from hard plastic and heavy plates, with a separate external binding that supplies strength and durability. The boots perform like athletic footwear with a supportive chassis for a locked-in feel and responsive ride. Designed for any riding style, Hyperlite's upcoming boot series is compatible with the System, including Rusty Malinoski's Marek, JD Webb's Kobalt and Shaun Murray's Murray.

Cable, Comps, & Coaching

We had a great time in the KC area over the weekend! Friday night we hit the cable park and rode with the rail master himself, Shane Bonifay. Shane had some helpful pointers for me on spins and was really fun to watch. He is recovering from his THIRD knee surgery—ouch. Saturday and Sunday meant winning x2 at wakeboard comps (dad got a 2nd and a 1st) and then another fun session at the cable. Hit the water again tonight (Tuesday) for some lessons with the Jensens. It’s always fun to watch riders progress and they are doing just that. Enjoy the video of some fun cable footage. No broken collarbones this time. Ride on. More pics here.

Go Pro Camera Day One--FUN

Picked up a Go Pro waterproof video camera and had some fun with it. Oh, yes, we had another one and it ripped off of the helmet after the first fall and SANK! Moral--always wear a flotation device...even if you are a camera. Watch the video here.

It’s All Here!

The three things I have wanted all winter have finally arrived—spring, 2010 Hyperlite equipment, and our Mastercraft X-star. Spring means we are riding quite a bit and any day now I will hang up the dry suite until that unmentionable season comes around again.

A few long awaited boxes recently arrived on my doorstep from Hyperlite which made it ten times better than Christmas as far as presents go. The new Marek is SICK! It is super fast with unmatched launchablity. If you have not tried a Marek you owe it to yourself. The 2010 Marek bindings are on the stiffer side of the Hyperlite line making them really responsive. I’m diggin em. Check out Hyperlite’s line at their website and at Omaha Marine Center. A HUGE thanks to Hyperlite for the support. As for the X-Star, Omaha Marine Center has come through once again. Those guys are dedicated. From routine maintenance to winterization, they are great. They also did a full redo on our decal package which turned out perfect (check the pic and be impressed!). OMC knows boats! Thanks guys. Speaking of OMC, check their site for details on upcoming Rider’s Club events. They should have some new 2010 equipment to demo and as always, they will have world class wakeboard boats at the events. We’ll be there so come hang with us and enjoy.

8 or 85?

It is 8 degrees cold with blizzard conditions in Omaha and I am in Orlando where it is supposed to be 85 degrees HOT.

Needless to say, I am jumping for joy…into the nice WARM ocean!


Hello everyone back home. Enjoy the shoveling!


Now that you are all mad, I’d like to show you my pictures from the Projects Wake Park and the beach. Here are the rest of the pics.

WARMest wishes, Jonathan

A Summer Wrap

Other than feeling too short, this summer has been great. We have been riding quite a bit and progressing. Lately spins have been my focus, but Scarecrows, front rolls, backrolls, and big cabs are still fun. Competitions have gone alright too. I ended up winning five for five in INT, locking in the state champion spot, and qualifying for regionals as well as next year’s nationals. Next year will also mean moving up a division or two. INT Regionals are later in September in Littlerock Arkansas. Our whole family plans on attending and my dad will compete in his division which is cool. Here is a pic of some of the NE crew with some hardware.
The WWA nationals in Oklahoma were really fun and REALLY HOT (104 in the shade!) with the only break being in the hotel pool which was freezing! The best riders in the country were present so it was awesome watching them ride. I ended up second in my division. It was pretty cool being pulled by Travis Moye who is the most respected boat driver on the planet. Equally cool was getting the thumbs up from Brian Grubb who happened to be in the boat the first day for my run (see Brian and Travis in the pic that was taken right after my run).

Second place means I qualified for the World Championships. After my final’s pass in OKC we snagged a podium picture, jumped in the car, and drove as fast as legally possible to make another comp in KS. We literally drove up to the dock, I grabbed my Marek, and rode. It made a great memory. Thanks guys for waiting/stalling!

The World Championships in Orlando later this month will be pulled by Supra boats so thanks to Omaha Marine Center we have been riding behind a Supra. The all black World’s edition looks tough and pretty much everyone feels compelled to offer props. OMC has a couple of these World’s editions so check em out!

Be cool!

Competition #1 and #2 for 09 (1st place x2)

We just got back from Kansas and the first competition for 2009. The time was fun. Got first on Saturday, but had two falls. I had a stand up run Sunday though and got first again.

Sticking this trick at the end of both of my passes Sunday was my favorite part.











My dad and uncle also won their divisions both days which is cool.
Check out our three Hyperlite Marek boards lined up in the truck as we got ready to leave. Rusty approved I would say.

Next it is off to Oklahoma in a few weeks and then Kansas again. In the meantime, I can’t wait to work on some new stuff.

New, Nuevo, and Nouveau

Three new things are energizing me these days—a new season of riding, new gear, and yes, new tricks. The new season enthusiasm sort of goes without saying, but it is so great being on the water (especially without a dry suit!) that I had to say it anyway.

As far as gear goes, my new set up is so amazing that not even urbandictionary.com has a cool enough phrase for it! The Hyperlite Marek is SUPER fast with a pop that just plain launches. The forgiving landings are a big plus also. My Murray bindings are so insanely comfortable and supportive that I am not sure how they could get much better. With that said my dad has the Mareks and my uncle has the Audios and they are just as amazing in the comfort department.

As for the tricks, I am just a little excited about learning new stuff. Just today I stuck my first Mexican Backroll! What a great feeling it is to learn something new!

Thank you Scotty at Hyperlite for pushing me at the Rider’s Club to learn the Mexican Backroll. I got it clean the next day. Thanks a bazillion to the crew at Omaha Marine Center for sponsoring me. And thank the good Lord for Summer! Jonathan out.

Fr Frr FREEZING!!!

Took a set November 16th and to say it was cold would be a severe understatement. The air temp was 45 and the water was 43 stinking degrees! We shed tears afterward knowing the boat would be winterized the next day. Here are some pics of the big chill.

National Championships (Bakersfield CA) -- 3rd

An ultra fun year of wakeboarding comps came to an end for the 08 season with the INT National Championships in Bakersfield California October 1-4. I was happy to take 3rd in my division and therefore enjoy being ranked 3rd in the nation for my division (READ—“I am thankful to have podiumed, but am kicking myself that I didn’t pull off the win”).

Day one was all out for me and things felt big and stylish, but I fell on the last trick of my first and second pass. Day two was about getting all of my tricks and two stand-up passes, but amplitude and aggressiveness were lacking. No excuses though. Congrats to 1st and 2nd.

California was tons of fun. Earlier in the week I rode at Carlsbad Lagoon (the famed birthplace of wakeboarding!) and enjoyed a few other fine points of living like the surf at Huntington Beach, In and Out Burger, and cruising in the convertible. Thanks everyone for a great season! We plan to ride into November and will see you on the dock again in late March!

Enjoyed some press recently. Something in the Fremont Tribune, Omaha World Herald, and Elkhorn Sports. Click on the text picture to read the article.

Summer 08 Video

It has been a great and fun season so far. Here is a little video documenting some of the fun. Comps for the regular season are over, but I qualified for nationals so we are headed to Bakersfield California in October. Looking to grub on some In and Out and El Pollo Loco since I have never had either and my mom and dad are former So Cal types who rave about the eats.

The Stump Jumper

We had some fun at the lake last week doing some dock starts...I mean STUMP starts. Check it out and enjoy (Note: The buffering may take a moment and may snag a little, if so, watch a second time for better flow).