Summer 2012

Tons of riding this summer. Not a lot of updates posted here. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook if you'd like. Did manage to win the Picnic in the outlaw division this summer and riding has been so fun. Enjoy! 

Shaun Murray

Spent time with Murray last week. What can I say? He is Shaun Murray?!?! He helped me a ton with my riding. The time was amazing for sure...and I was and still am amazingly sore! Kyle Rattray (Gator Boards) and Travis Moye (Mastercraft) also helped me out. Thanks guys! Before heading home we checked out some paddleboarding in Cocoa. Would love to have one. Counting down the days til the Nebraska thaw. Oh, and one more thing, the 2011 Hyperlite Bindings and boots did not disappoint.

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.

The HOT Picnic

“The Picnic” was a fun time with Ronnie Romero and his crew. As always, it was a great event. Kyle Alberts made it a homecoming from FL and impressed everyone with his skilz. Brian White was also there representing Hyperlite with their great product. Lots of really good riding went down. Enjoyed winning the advanced division. Stay tuned to Wakeboard Nebraska for a recap of the festivities. I’m back in Florida for a week and then hoping to ride on the Center Hill Lake in Tennessee on the way home. *The pic here is with Ben Bazis who won outlaw.

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.

World Championships of Wakeboarding 2009--1st place

It was a privilege to ride in the World Championships of wakeboarding held in Orlando. I was excited to qualify at the top of my division on Thursday and then take the overall win on Friday. My dad and I celebrated with riding the cable at OWC (video of my first 540 off the kicker is at the end of this post), surfing at Cocoa Beach, and eating sushi.

Saturday I snapped my collar bone at OWC while spinning on the "fun box." Then we spent the better part of the day in the ER where they even had to cut off my beloved Hyperlite jacket. That’s right, I said “cut off”!

The pain was excruciating, but I couldn’t pass up the awards ceremony Saturday night. The really cool thing was that Rusty Malinoski, whose pro model board I ride, helped me carry my board and HUGE first place trophy from the podium back to our table. BTW, when I say “our table,” I mean the table where Rusty and I had dinner. He was super encouraging and gave me great tips on some tricks I am working on right now. It didn’t bother me a bit when the announcer said I was Rusty’s protégé! I can’t wait to start riding his 2010 set up. It looks amazing and has the new track system for bindings to make the board even lighter. I am not sure how long the collar bone will take to heal, but am eager to get back on the water. Thanks for your support and prayers. Click here for more pics.

Checking In

We have enjoyed a lot of time behind the boat this summer and now travel is picking up. Yesterday we drove to Kansas City and hit the cable at KC Watersports. We grabbed as many pulls as we possibly could and had a ton of fun. The sliders, kickers, and rails are a blast. The crew there is super friendly and helpful so make it a priority to check it out. You can find our pics here.

Thursday we head to Oklahoma City for the WWA Nationals and on Saturday morning it is off to Kansas again for the INT comps on Saturday and Sunday.

If you have not yet picked up your copy of Global Warning, do. It is super funny and has some of the best wakeboarding and video production you may ever see. Insane stuff that will make you want to ride.

Been diggin the toe side front lately.