Harley Clifford Interview

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harley clifford Words: Andrew Eddy Photos: Marlon Platt (Profile) Russ Hennings (Riding)

“All men are created equal, but some men are more equal than others”

George Orwell

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It's a melon half cab but not as we know it

With his second tour campaign well under way and and a first tour stop win Harley Clifford is more than an up and comer, still not 18 and already winning in Pro Mens, Harley is the new generation. With National titles in America and Australia already in the bag there can be one thing that he is aiming for now and it isn't what most 17 year olds will be thinking about, well maybe it is, but not exclusively. A world tour title looks well within this young shredders' reach in the not too distant future. We speak to Harley about what makes him tick and what the future will hold for this mega grom.

How did Mexico treat you, no car jackings I hope?

Haha yeah Mexico was super fun! I ended up winning the contest and we played a bunch of golf. No car jacking, but there was a couple dodgy moments walking down the street :/ What were your best and most entertaining memories of 2010 on tour, any scandal you want to drop for us?

Some of my most entertaining memories would for sure have to be watching who was going to win the overall of the Pro Tour! No real scandals except when I look back at the contest in Texas where I landed two tricks that have never been done in a contest before and I didn't make it through.

Seems harsh, what were the two tricks that you landed and how long have you had them up your sleeve?

I did the first back mobe 5 wake to wake in contest and I also did a hs early tail grab bs 7, I had been able to do them for a while leading up to it but I just had never attempted them in the contest.

What does it feel like being 17 and already being a home owner?

Yeah it's for sure a pretty cool feeling, I feel like an old person though haha. I bought a house on Lake Jessamine in Orlando, Florida; it's actually only a couple doors down from Brian Grubb on the lake so it will be sick to have him as a neighbour.

Jessamine has definitely seen a lot of action over the years and having Grubb as a neighbour is cer-

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tainly a bonus, could this mean some more skating time with your new neighbour?

Yeah Jessamine is going to be sick this year hopefully I can add some cool stufi to that action. I have been wakeskating on the cable a bunch lately, not so much on the boat but yeah I just ran into Grubby on my way to Putt Putt (golf ) haha and we were speaking about wakeskating and we are going to set up a couple of little wakeskate rails in front of my house so hopefully I will be able to session those with him a bunch.

Having already achieved a lot so early in your career, what would you like to accomplish in the coming years? Would you like to move more towards free riding and film sections or staying with the comp circuit?

Umm I'm for sure going to stay in the contest circuit I ffnd contests pretty fun and I am a competitive person. The coming years though I would really just like to invent some new crazy tricks and just try and push the sport with the level of riding.

Melon toeside backside 180 With so much going on for you on tour, do you find yourself riding for the sake of riding, training everyday or do you still get the stoke on every time you go out? What does it mean to you to ride?

Yeah i for sure am still stoked on riding every time I go out, I'm always out riding with buddies so no matter how I ride I just think to myself how lucky I am to be able to just be out on a sick boat everyday with all my buddies doing what I love and not in school.

What are you most stoked about with so far in regard to your achievements to date and does that help motivate you?

I would have to be most stoked about winning wakeboarder of the year last year. It's probably the best achievement in wakeboarding so to win that has just giving me a little boost to get out there and continue learning new tricks, winning contests and pushing the sport in everyway I can so I can try and get that award again this year!

Last year you were planning to come to Wakestock in the UK, but your grandfather was ill, how is he?

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No cheese, just extra steeze. Indy glide

Yeah he is pretty good at the moment he has been in and out of the hospital for a while now, but I think they have gotten rid of most of the cancer. I got to see him like a month ago and he seemed pretty good so the whole family is thankful for that.

Thats good news, happy days.

Stoakley'd Will you be planning on making it to the UK in 2011?

Yeah I really want to go to the UK, I've never actually been over there. I think Oakley wants to do a trip over there this year so we will see...

Talking of travel, when was the last trip you took without your wakeboard?

Umm last year my family and I went over to Phuket, Thailand for a family holiday and I did not bring a wakeboard, but when we got there we found a cable ski park so I ended up getting a

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Tail roll to blind board there.

Riding in Florida is how we all know it to be but is there anywhere that you would like to ride more than you do outside of your home turf more than you do?fi The Logan River is my local river in Australia and it is probably my favourite place to ride, it is this little sketchy narrow river that the water is so brown that you cant see your handle one centimeter under the water. I see sharks all the time there as well. Apart from that it's really narrow with trees lining all the banks so it never gets windy and I don't think I have ever seen another boat on there except for ffshing boats.

Do you ever get sketched out about the sharks? Surfing and seeing sharks in Australia kind of comes with thefiterritoryfibut there aren't many places you wakeboard and have to worry about being lunch for something else!

Haha yeah wakeboarding in the Logan is pretty dodgy I have never seen a big shark there, only little ones, but there have been a couple times were i have fallen o and they were just swimming around right by me :/ also one time I was riding and one jumped into my leg!

18 this year, have you got any plans already set for where you will be and what you will do to celebrate?fi For my 18th this year I am supposed to be in America, but I think I am going to fly back for a week and celebrate in Australia. I'm not sure what I'm going to do though, pretty sure Mum and Dad are planning a big party or something.

If you could have a birthday present that meant you could change one thing about the sport, what would you change and why?

Mmm the fact I have to live in America for six months of the year.fi Changing living in America would that be more to do with not liking America or just not being in Oz? Uhh yeah deffnitely nothing to do with not liking America but Australia is just sick, the atmosphere is awesome, and I love the fact that the beach is just down the road! Also in America I can

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“I would like to see people just pushing it, pushing their limits, building new giant obstacles, hitting massive double ups and just not holding back�

Sunset stale glide

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only ride at the OWC cable which is terrible for air tricks since it's so low and fast, you can't really do more then just a raley, and i hate raleys :/ haha!

What is your approach to health diet and training, do you work a lot ofi the water in the gym and health food shops or are you more into the drive thru and video games?

Well I was just in Australia for six months and I was doing personal training ffve days a week there so i kept super fft. I do also love to play video games, my diet for the most part is pretty good but I do love a good burger and fries now and then.

I know it isn't a favorite question of anybody's but what tricks are you working on now? What was your last crash set dedicated to?

Mmmmm I have been working on crow mobe 9s and whirly 9s, ts 1260 wake to wake and bs 1080 wake to wake, but my last crash set was dedicated to whirly 9s, was getting pumped haha!

With the sport and the riders progressing so quickly, if/when do you think we will see a 12 in comp?

Well this year I am for sure planning on doing a wake to wake 1080 in the comp and I'm going to try start to get 1260's ofi the double up consistent and hopefully I can throw down one of those in a contest or if not then in Parks' double or nothing.

What would you like to see more of in the future from wakeboarding and wakeboarders to make the sport better?

I would like to see people just pushing it, pushing their limits, building new giant obstacles, hitting massive double ups and just not holding back.

Every rider has a trademark of some kind in their style or their attitude to the sport or others, what would you like to make your trademark on the wake world?

Harry Potter maybe I don't know haha!

Any last words?

Thanks to everyone out there that has helped me get to where I am today, my family, all my sponsors and my fans.

Pete Rose on the nose

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