UNLEASHED # 61 July August 2014

Photo: Raynald Tanny Rider: Mathieu Montoro - FISE Montpellier

WHO’S WHO tttttttttttttt

UNLEASHED WAKE MAGAZINE Unleashed Communication 2, rue d’Orbesson 31100 Toulouse, FRANCE ISSUE 61 - July / August 2014 EDITOR & DIRECTOR Philippe SIRECH PUBLISHER Philippe Sirech Mob 1: 00 337.87.95.37.40 Mob 2: 00 1 400 800 3567 philippe@unleashedwakemag.com EDITORIAL Raynald Tanny mob: 00 336.75.04.89.10 raynald@unleashedwakemag.com MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES Philippe Sirech P.R (Press release) Stephanie Protet Mob : 00 336 11 11 25 32 stephanie@unleashedwakemag.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris O’Shea, Chris Garrison, Dave Gesbriecht, Riley Bergerter, Steffen Vollert, Tyler Soden, Raynald Tanny, Bradlee Rutledge, Trevor Bashir.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steffen Vollert, Raynald Tanny, Stef Tor, Victoria Collins, Antoine Allaux, Silas Thurman, Angelika Shriber, Wolfgang Dittrish, Alexander Schirasi-Fard TRANSLATIONS Victoria Collins, Raynald Tanny COUNTRIES USA, France, Canada, Spain, Australia, Philippines, Thaïland, Japan, England, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Hongary, Italy, Brazil, Andorra, Switzerland, Argentina, Sueden, Poland Russia, Indonesia...

UUNLEASHED JAPAN Nagahisa Matsukawa Mob 00 819 016 752 900 581-0039 5-38 Ota-shinmachi Yao-city Osaka Japan Matsu@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED RUSSIA Katerina Yurieva Mob : 00 79 25 26 304 36 Russia, Moscow, M.Gruzinskaya, 31. 19 123557 katia@unleashedwakemag.com Unleashed Wakeboard Magazine is published nine timesannually 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 tomanuscripts, photographs and illustrations.

Disclamer: The activities described and photographed hereim 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 herein. So wear an Helmet and a life vest !!!!

Photos: Raynald Tanny Rider: Daniel Grant

Location: TN64 Sames - France Edito: Philippe Sirech

EDITO tttttttttttttt

Summer is finally here, which means that it’s also the start of contest season! And this year, it all starts with the 18th edition of FISE Montpellier which is now part of the FISE World tour, a 4 stop world tour held in 4 different countries. Redbull, the energy drink that gives you wings, also brought us two of the biggest events in Europe, the Wake of Steel in Austria and the Redbull Rising High in Germany. Some of the biggest names in the industry took part in these contests such as the young and talented Aussie James Windsor, who will be telling us more about his passion for wakeboard in this issue.

But UNLEASHED magazine is also a magazine with a heart “Stay strong Brad”!

We have joined the foundation that was especially created for our friend and pro rider Brad Smeele who suffered a horrific injury while pushing the limits of the sport we all love and is now paralyzed at the tender age of 25.

We are all doing everything in our power to collect funds for his long road to recovery so he can be back on the water in no time. #staystrongBrad

Once again, we hope that we have provided you with the best interviews, reports and photos our sport has to offer, and the entire UNLEASHED team and myself wish you all a very happy summer 2014.

Philippe Sirech

TREND vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

From planes and trains to mountain tops and secret spots our lives are always in motion and The Stylus is built to ride shotgun. Amplify your life with clear, crisp sound, distinctive design with folding pocketability and on-wire 3-button remote and mic to catch calls on the go. .DJ fit and folding headband for use on the go. .Powerful, low-distortion drivers for even the heaviest music. .Memory foam ear cushions for prolonged comfort. .High-quality removable mini-coil cable for instant extension. .Inline 3-button remote and mic compatible with iPhone. .Protective travel pouch. www.nixon.com

In the Ronix era, Parks Bonifay has taken his signature hard edging, quick reacting, explosive style of riding and blended it with user friendly features to make the Ronix Parks Modello Wakeboard. A thin, wide profile reduces the swing weight that can throw you off your game, and a wide profile gives you more coverage on the water so you can balance yourself out and have more control of the board. The Mod Pour makes the core of the Parks Modello Wakeboard ultra light, so you can control it on the water and in the air, while the Monocoque Construction and Krypto Cable sidewalls keep this board together and make it durable enough to handle hard falls and a few bumps and bruises. Customize your ride on the water using the 8 included fins and know that, once you step onto the Ronix Parks Modello Wakeboard, you are riding something totally new, different, and made just for you. www.ronixwake.com

The Body Glove Rockstar Comp vest is Rusty Malinosky’s signature vest. If your goal is to boost like Rusty but still be able to breathe after taking a hard fall, then this vest is right up your alley. This vest is designed using Body Glove’s D3O impact protection that is super thin and lightweight, but will protect your ribs and back during even the hardest of falls. The Rockstar comp vest is a true pullover design with custom cut stretch zones and mesh drain panels, giving it a fit unmatched by any other vest. www.bodyglove.com

The Motion Select is a true training/lifestyle hybrid. We started with our performance running chassis and stripped away the running-specific features. The result is more than just the most lightweight model in our line, it’s one of the most flexible and comfortable training shoes we have ever created.

- Fox-Form one-piece upper eliminates the need for a tongue and offers the truest fit, lowest weight, and superior comfort.

- Perforated synthetic nubuck and Fox Flow Mesh upper for breathability.

- Fox Motion technology provides superior cushion, comfort, and flexibility, while drastically reducing weight.

- Fully decoupled Motion outsole offers the highest level of flexibility for natural movement and maximum comfort.

- Duratrak MDT outsole for excellent grip and durability. www.foxhead.com

The Hyperlite Ambition CGA Vest is made just for the ladies to provide superior protection and mobility so you can hit the wakes with confidence. The back of the vest features True Flex Technology designed to give a truly dialed in fit, and make this vest feel like a second skin. Angled Hinge points create a free range of motion in all directions with almost no restrictions on mobility. The Ambition features graphics inspired by the Hyperlite Pro girl riders to keep you looking and feeling great when your out on the water. www.hyperlite.com

TREND vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Sony’s latest Action Cam announcement includes the impressive HDR-AS100V Action Cam and the HDR-AS100VR Action Cam + Live-View Remote Bundle. Both cameras are the same, but the HDR-AS100VR also comes with Sony’s handy Live-View Remote. The HDR-AS100V is designed for shooting in the mountains, water, or anywhere else action sports occur. It’s ideal for skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, motocross, skydiving, mountain biking, and any other outdoor adventure sports. The lightweight, rugged, wearable action camcorder supports up to Full HD 1080/60p video recording at using the XAVC S format. It also features a 1280 x 720p HD slow-motion mode that captures video at 120 or 100 fps and an 800 x 480p slow-motion mode that captures video at 240 or 200 fps.

Like previous generations of the Action Cam, Sony includes a rugged waterproof housing with the HDR-AS100V. The housing features a tripod mount, but the camera also include a tripod mount accessory so you can mount the camera to a tripod without using the included housing. Plus, the camera is splashproof, so you can use it without the housing—even in rainy weather or splash-prone situations. When the camera is used with the included housing, it’s waterproof to a depth of 16.4’ (5 m). The housing is also shockproof from falls up to 5’ (1.5 m), as well as dirt and dust resistant, which makes the camera nearly impervious to mud, snow, rain, sand, and grime. The HDR-AS100V is equipped with a ZEISS Tessar lens, which supports a wide 170-degree viewing angle and SteadyShot image stabilization with Active Mode. It has a 1/2.3” Back Illuminated Exmor R CMOS image sensor as well, which provides excellent low-light performance. www.sony.com

Aaron Rathy has become a constant force in the sport of wakeboarding and his riding style seems to evolve with every season. Since his first year with Byerly he has been working on a shape that was designed specifically for him. The AR1 is the culmination of all that hard work and testing. Scott «Butch” Bouchard designed this shape to be responsive, fast and poppy, but also extremely durable. This is accomplished with our all new Cross Link construction. This process fuses the top and bottom fiberglass laminates in four zones throughout the core. By connecting the top and bottom laminates a strong «I-beam” bond is formed. This new construction method has allowed us to design a thinner shape with no loss of strength.

The AR-1 utilizes Byerly’s first Continuous rocker line to generate maximum speed into the wake with no loss of pop .This new profile allows the board to have a very responsive feel and hold a strong edge into the wake. Mr. Rathy and Butch have been working on this shape for three seasons and now it is ready to rip. www.byerlywakeboards.com

The Limited Edition Diamond Danielo features a full carbon top sheet that gives the board greater speed and responsiveness on the water as well as the most durable board design possible. This board will take some serious abuse and still dish out the fastest profile of any board on the market. This is the most responsive skim style board on the water, helping you pull off everything from your first 360 to Drew’s signature backside 540 bigger-spin. This off-the-shelf model is the exact same construction and design as the one Drew is riding this season, not a «less-expensive» or lower end board with a similar graphic. Whether you are surfing on a shoulder high Centurion FX-44 wakesurf wave like Drew or a below-the-knee starter setup, the Diamond has the speed and precision to get you what you need. www.phase5boards.com

TREND TREND

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

We are happy to present you the next generation of our well known front zip line ONYX. The 2014 edition additionally features ION Anti_Smell, using the SanitizedÂŽ hygiene function. This certified antimicrobial material treatment avoids the unique characteristic of regularly worn neoprene every water sports man knows well: A foul, sweaty smell. www.ion-products.com

Inspired by one of the greatest and busiest cities in the world, Mofour proudly presents a brand new early intro wakeboard for 2015, the MO4 Suprah.

Uncompromisable, flexible with tons of style, this one’s for the shredders who know exactly what they want from their weapon of mass shredduction. www.mofourwakeboards.com

ARTY KILLAMARI

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Originally from DC, Killamari is a freelance illustrator and designer now residing in the city of Atlanta. Specializing in character based illustrations and designs, Killamari builds colorful worlds by mashing together Khmer culture, street life, monster flicks, and sexy foods; washing it all down with a shot of whiskey.

Killamari creates illustrations and designs for animation, broadcasting, branding, storyboards, apparel, packaging, editorial, gaming, mobile apps and more...

Clients: JWT, Floyd County Productions, Studio FN, Chocolate Soop, Zynga, This Is Not Art, FX, Creative Loafing, FEMA, Mychael Knight, Illustration CS6 WOW, Digital Blue, Fashion Victim, Sandwich Town...

Exhibits: Kai Lin Gallery, doogallery, Cube Gallery, APW Gallery, Terminal West...

NEW SPOT

UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

AKTION PARKS BREAKS GROUND ON MIAMI WATERSPORTS COMPLEX UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Aktion Parks, a subsidiary of Correct Craft and sister company to Nautique Boats, partnered with the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation & Open Spaces Department to break ground on South Florida’s first watersports cable park, the Miami Watersports Complex (MWC) at Amelia Earhart Park located in Northwest Miami at 401 E. 65th Street.

Completion of Miami Watersports Complex is scheduled for October 2014, and it is expected to draw wakeboarding enthusiasts, professional competitors and world-renowned competitions to Miami. The park will be situated on a 90-acre fresh water lake that will be equipped with two full-size cables and one two tower cable (which will be dedicated to Aktion Park’s renowned “Get Up Guarantee” program). Currently the park offers boat lessons behind the award-winning Super Air Nautique G23.

“The Aktion Parks team is thrilled to move forward in partnership with Miami-Dade County Parks on the Miami Watersports Complex, and the ground-breaking ceremony is the first milestone of many to come. We are truly excited to have the opportunity to introduce watersports to the diverse population living in and visiting South Florida,” stated Correct Craft President/CEO Bill Yeargin. “MWC is the second of many new cable parks Aktion will be announcing in the years ahead; we are excited about the future!”

Yeargin added.

Amelia Earhart Park also offers park users rugged mountain-bike trails with mountain bikes available for rent. In addition, the park features the renowned Soccer 5 mini-soccer complex providing a revolutionary small-sided game on enclosed 4G turf fields with bounce-back boards.

Aktion Parks, a subsidiary of Correct Craft, delivers customers an active, watersports lifestyle that is safe, healthy, family friendly, and environmentally conscious. Aktion Parks owns and operates Miami Watersports Complex and Orlando Watersports Complex, one of the first cable wakeboard parks in the U.S. and one of the most well-known parks in the world. To learn more about Aktion Parks visit www.aktionparks.com or follow us on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/aktionparks.

About the Miami-Dade County Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Department Nationally accredited, a three-time winner of the NRPA National Gold Medal Award, winner of the 2013 Florida Governor’s Sustained Excellence Award and the 2009 Florida Governor’s Sterling Award for excellence in management and operations, Miami-Dade County Parks is the third largest county park system in the United States, consisting of 260 parks and 12,825 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the world. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises out-of-school, sports-development, and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; arts and culture programs and events; the renowned Zoo Miami and the Deering Estate at Cutler; the Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Open; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; pools; and more. For information about Miami-Dade County Parks call 3-1-1, or visit www.miamidade.gov/parks/. It is supported by The Parks Foundation of Miami-Dade.

Photos: Liquid Force Interview: Philippe Sirech

BUSINESS UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

TONY FINN - LIQUID FORCE UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

What’s behind the names of the brand you manage ?

Liquid Force is a name that was thought up by my co founder Jimmy Redmon and I when we were on a snowboard trip. We wanted something cool and catchy and fun and unique.

What can be better than Liquid Force!

What are the developments and trends in the next year’s boards ?

We are doing so many cool new things, it’s a really exciting time at Liquid Force! Harley has a new board with a great new tail design and amazing shape. Raph has a new boat board that goes huge. We also have new park boards, including more for kids. Basically, we are going for more flex and rebound, lighter and stronger Also, we have a boatload of super amazing wakesurfers!!!

How did you decide who to put on the Team and how it works ?

The people who get on Liquid Force need to be passionate about Wakeboarding and love Liquid Force as much as we do. Although we are super stoked for our athletes when they win a contest, in general contest results are not that important to us. I mean, look at our team! We have the best athletes in the world that are stoked to ride and stoked to spread the love!

How has the company Grown and changed over the past 5 years ?

We have become more and more focused on the customer. We have terrific people who work and play at liquid force every day. We try and get as much water time as we can, and have fun and do R and D. We are constantly trying new stuff that wil make everybodys experience on the water as good as possible!

What are the developments and trends in the next year’s bindings ?

We have made our 2015 bindings even more high performance and more comfortable What about Sales and marketing all around the world ? then before. We have an amazing new integrated footbed and a brand new binding OMG, that fun! Traveling all over the place and meeting cool people and going wakeboarding with them! called the TAO where less is more So what inspired you to create Liquid Force wakeboards ?

Jimmy and I both had already been wakeboarding for about 10 years when we created Liquid Force. We weren’t stoked on all the water ski companies stuff, so we wanted to create the perfect wakeboard brand where we could innovate, have fun, and ride a lot.

We have always focused on making the best possible boards and bindings we can!

What cool things are on the horizon ?

It is TOP FREAKING SECRET. But it will be RELENTLESSLY INNOVATIVE!!!

Some words about Liquid Force Free for all and the brostock ?

We like to have fun and spread the love for the sport we love. Brostock is the best wakeboard party of the year, and Free For All is where we team up with the world’s best cables and killer sponsors like Monster, Axis, Spy, New Era, Sanuk, Skullcandy and let How does the design process works ?

Our designs start in the minds of our awesome team of athletes. We listen to their everybody ride for FREE for a day. Some days, we teach over 300 kids to wakeboard or improve their wakeboarding in 1 day. Its pretty awesome!!!! dreams and do our best to make them a reality!

Photos: The Wakeskate Tour Text: Silas Thurman

COMP HHHHHHHHHHH

Stop 2 of THE WAKESKATE TOUR – Texas Two-Step HHHHHHHHHHH

he Texas Two-Step went off without a hitch. Texas hospitality was in full swing at Hydrous Wake Park in Little Elm. Having the cable park and sports bar on-site brought the action straight to the crowd for this amazing event. As with all things in Texas, the drop was bigger than anything we’ve seen on The Wakeskate Tour. The drop measured overhead for even our tallest competitors, presenting a genuine challenge to everyone riding, but any doubts about shredability were soon put to rest. Practice and qualifiers proved once again that wakeskating’s rate of progression was not slowing down any time soon. Metal rails and big drops were the theme for this unreal event. After some of the best quarter-finals we’ve ever seen, we moved right into the new semi-finals format, featuring three heats of 4, as opposed to our old 6-man heats, allowing our semi-finals riders to keep their flow going a bit easier. Gunning for one of the top two spots in each heat was the name of the game, everyone fighting for their chance to make it into The Wakeskate Tour’s Six Man Super Final. Danny Hampson, Bret Little, Nick Robinson, Yan Lecomte, Austin Pastura, & Andrew Pastura battled it out for 90 minutes with some of the heaviest-hitting riding we have seen. Austin Pastura was the man to beat, coming into The Texas Two-Step at the top of the ranks. When the dust settled it was 2-time world champ Andrew Pastura who put it all together with a switch frontside flip, bigspin boardslide line & a shove frontboard, 270 to switch frontboard line, showing once again that he’s among the best wakeskaters we’ve ever seen. The Pastura’s are now tied for first place overall taking a big chunk of the 50K prize purse and garanteeing themselves a Spring Training spot in the Philippines!

Stay tuned at thewakeskatetour.com for all the standings as they unfold.

We are excited to see who finishes in the Top Ten this season, earning themselves a spot on the «Spring Training» trip to the Philippines, courtesy of CWC and Republic Wakeparks. This season is building up to be very exciting so far, with lots on the table, & the next 2 stops are guaranteed to be all-time.

Men’s Super Final Results: 1st - Andrew Pastura, 2nd - Austin Pastura, 3rd - Yan Lecomte, 4th - Nick Robinson, 5th - Bret Little, 6th - Danny Hampson Pro Women once again stepped up their game, showing that they had no problem with the massive drop & metal rails. Cassandra Scott took the proverbial cake with her ollie, boardslide line. All of the Wakebabes have been killing it and we’re excited to follow their progression!

Women’s Final Results: 1st - Cassie Scott, 2nd - Jen GilanFarr, 3rd - Calli Turner The event was one of our best and we can’t thank Chad Lacerte, Cody Johnson, & the rest of the crew at Hydrous Wake Park and Towers Tap House enough for making this stop such an incredible weekend. The Wakeskate Tour is only as good as it’s athletes, staff, & sites, so we really appreciate all the help & support we receive. Huge thanks goes to our sponsors for their continued support: Rockstar Energy, Supra Boats, Nike, Ronix, Sesitec System 2.0, Unit Parktech, Spy Optics, the CWC, and Republic Wake Parks. Without their help, none of this would be possible.

Photos: Flo Suess Text: Flo Suess

COMP HHHHHHHHHHH

OBSCURA DROPFEST 2014 - LANGENFELD - GERMANY HHHHHHHHHHH

During the legendary WakeUp Camp in Langenfeld, the first ever Obscura Dropfest went down as the first of it’s kind in Germany.

From a starting pool 5ft. above lake level, pulled by Sesitec’s System 2.0, riders would either use one of the two Hubbas, or the drop into the lake.

Designed by Germany’s most famous wakeskaters Andy Kolb and Lukas Suess, the setup would allow for the best wakeskating.

Twenty Wakeskater provided a thrilling show in front of hundreds of spectators. Besides germany’s wakeskate elite consisting of: Andy Kolb, Lukas Suess, Jan Kissmann, Frederik Küpper, Moritz Thiele Jan Grabski, Marcel Tilwitz and the local heroes Tim and Andy Schwiertz Gnidowski, Daniel Grant the Thai wunderkind showed up to show his raw but technical riding.

In qualification and semifinals each rider had 5 attempts of which the best 3 counted. Tim auf dem Graben (Organisation): «This format makes consistency one of the crucial factors. Plus the audience will witness many stuck tricks. In the final, it was then six trials of which 3 were counted. The four finalists were: Jan Kissmann, Moritz Thiele, Marcel Tilwitz and Daniel Grant.

Marcel Tilwitz convinced alongside other technical tricks by his Bigspin front board and secured the third place behind Jan Kissmann with a switch bs 360 shuvit and front lip shuvit. However unbeatable was Daniel Grant. His highlights were a Bigspin boardslide, a switchback lip and a switch frontlip Bigspin.

Daniel Grant in the interview: «It was awesome to have a contest on the first legit wakeskate setup in Germany. It was cool that so many people came out. Everyone was stoked on wakeskating. And it turned out really good for me.”

Obscura Dropfest results: 1. Daniel Grant 2. Jan Kissmann 3. Marcel Tilwitz

COMP

Photos: Noon Atichatpong Text: Angelika Schriber

NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

RIP CURL SUMMER CARNIVAL - THAILAND NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN

Bangkok is a city that continuously surprises the tourists and locals. A city that is known to the world, as a city that never sleeps and sleep was out of the question on the day of the Rip Curl Summer carnival 2014.

An event that Rip Curl has done over the past four years combining Wake & Music festivals to the spectators in Bangkok city. The first event was located at Thai Wakepark in 2010, one at Siam Paragon and last year, right in front of the newly opened Flow House.

Now for the first time - Bangkok was the venue to host the biggest 1day outdoor wake music and fashion event ever seen in Thailand on the weekend of the 26th April 2014. The Rip Curl Summer carnival was in the heart of the city center right next to the sky train at Central Chidlom The event was a huge success, drawing a variety of crowds from the CENTRAL shopping mall to the outdoor car park where shoppers could get up close with the event. The spectators were having such a great time with some getting soaked from the riders hitting the pool gab, which made it quite refreshing in the Bangkok heat.

Sponsors of the event such as Rip Curl, Isuzu and Thai wake park put together a 40-metre pool gap with a metal handrail and a ledge. The wakeskaters and wakeboarders both had an individual jam format on the day, which was individually judged by each rider to nominate there top three wakeskaters and top three wakeboarders who they thought were the best on the day. These scores were then tallied up to reveal the top 3 winners in each category on the day.

It was great to see a few international wakeboarding and wakeskating girls such as Angelika Schriber, Pim Panyapa and Minnie Tabo competing and representing the females in the event. It definitely showed the spectators that anyone can wakeboard.

One of the top well known favourites in Thailand, Daniel Grant, international team rider of Rip Curl, definitely showed the public why he is so talented. When Daniel took the water for his 15 min demo, Daniel styled out his skill to show the crowd who DG is. A lot of people where Impressed and speechless as Daniel always tends to give the crowd something they haven’t seen yet and this is why its easy to see why his sponsor Rip Curl have resigned with Daniel Grant for the upcoming 2014 season.

After the event was held, Rip Curl showed Daniel’s section in “THE DEBUT”. One of the biggest movies to be released this year in the cable wake scene, after which the audience got to ask Daniel some questions about wake boarding and his thoughts and get to know a bit about who he is.

After this short introduction the winners were crowned.

Daniel Grant taking out both wins for wakeskate and wakeboard on the day definitely shows he is not messing around when he is on the water in his hometown.

In the Wakeboard category, fellow competitors Robin Leonard placing 2nd behind Daniel Grant and young up and comer Victor Salmon placing 3rd. In the wakeskate Category Victor Samon, the young gun placing 2nd after Daniel Grant and local team rider and mentor Didi Anwar making it on podium and placing 3rd in wakeskate.

After the awards were done it was time to party. The pool gap was transformed into a foam party, which went on all night to celebrate the success of the Rip Curl Summer Carnival event for 2014.

Winners Wake: 1st Daniel Grant, 2nd Robin Leonard, 3rd Victor Samon Winners Skate: 1st Daniel Grant, 2nd Victor Samon, 3rd Didi Anwar

CO

OMP

Photos & text: GoPro

BUSINESS UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

GO PRO - European Headquarters UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Recently GoPro’s founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman officially opened the European Headquarters in Munich, celebrating that GoPro is now a global company and highlighting the importance of Europe to the company. Even before the official opening of the headquarters, GoPro was setting a strong foundation for a successful future in Europe with GoPro cameras and accessories now sold in more than 12,000 stores and specialty shops across 14 European countries.

In 2014, GoPro will be involved in approximately 100 events in 14 European countries including the Freeride World Tour, UCI Downhill World Cup series and FIM Motocross World Championship series.

In addition, GoPro is excited to partner with nine action sports resorts in total located in the Alps and Scandinavia.

Some of Europe’s most renowned action and adventure sports athletes are wearing the GoPro HERO3+ in 2014, including the Mountain Bike Freeride World Tour Champion Sam Pilgrim (GBR); seven times MotoX World Champion Tony Cairoli (ITA); the reigning UCI Downhill World Champion Rachel Atherton (GBR) as well as legends like Xavier de la Rue (FR) big mountain snowboarder and Danny MacAskill (GBR) street trials bike rider extraordinaire.

Woodman kicked the party off with a highlight video featuring Danny Macaskill, Sam Pilgrim and Rachel Atherton – who are part of GoPro’s European athlete team – showcasing just what happens when GoPro teams up with some of the world’s best athletes.

Photos: RIXEN Interview with Sven Fahrenholz

MARCATO UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Rixen X Breddas UUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Unleashed: Rixen has recently signed Lior Sofer and the Breddas to their team. They are obviously some of the top riders out there, but can you please tell us some particular reasons for the sponsorship?

Sven Fahrenholz: Lior’s skills and ability to stomp never been done tricks with such a massive style definitely speaks out for him. Plus he is always motivated and never loses his smile – it’s always great to have such a guy in your team.

With the Breddas we have added a new type of rider which we didn´t really have in our team until now. These boys are unbelievably talented when it comes to riding features and they contribute a lot to pushing the sport on the next level. Their knowledge and riding style might become helpful when it comes to the development of new Rixen Features. Besides that, with the Rixen Battle of the Backyard they have created one of the most unique events in wakeboarding.

Unleashed: Speaking of the Breddas… Compared to others, what makes their wakeboarding so special?

Sven Fahrenholz: They don’t stick with the mass and try to copy, they develop and invent new tricks on their own. In their mind nothing is impossible you just have to practice hard to reach your goal. Their passion to always surpass each other definitely made them to what they are today and distinguishes them from the others.

Unleashed: How do they differ from each other? Especially regarding their personalities and their wakeboarding styles?

Sven Fahrenholz: Well, Jeremia is kind of a hyperactive kid who always needs to do something while Benjamin is quiet and laid back.

Mattias is pretty much in the middle, can be quiet but also can be loud. They definitely all enjoy seeking new challenges because that´s what keeps them going! Looking at their riding you can see that Jeremia is the most creative of them when it comes to rails. Mattias always wants to see how far he can push himself and certain tricks. And it´s unreal how fast and easy he learns new stuff! Benjamin might be quiet but he can explode on the board and then he does tricks you´d never thought they would be even possible. His mentality is super strong!

Unleashed: you have said earlier that they will be involved in the development of new features. Please tell us more about this process?

Sven Fahrenholz: Team riders are not just nice to have, we would like to incorporate them more into our brand and in our case e.g. the development of new Rixen Features. To keep the progression going we want to strengthen the cooperation with our team. The Breddas are shredding every day and already built some features on their own so they will have quite good points to add for sure. And of course, only a rider-proved feature is a good feature.

Photos: Raynald Tanny Text: Philippe Sirech

Jimmy Larriche

FISE

PHOTOS & TEXT: RAYNALD TANNY

MONTPELLIER 2014 tttttttttttttttttttttttttt Every year, the city of Montpellier in France is host to the one and only FISE festival.

But FISE is much more than just a sporting event. The principal organizer Hervé André Benoit and all his team go all out to put on an event that goes beyond all expectations for any fan of extreme sports. Within 5 days, over 50 disciplines are represented for the greatest pleasure the riders, as well as for the spectators who come to witness the best in each sport. From BMX, to skate, to FMX and of course wakeboard, the FISE is a concentrated bomb of extreme sports in which the wakeboarding community is proud to be a part of.

A CONTEST A LIFESTYLE A DATE

Daniel Grant

Due to its great reputation within the wakeboarding scene, a lot of international riders were present again this year to participate in this massive extreme sports event. Among them, there was Antoni Van Der Wekken, Brenton Priestley, Nico Lerchenfeld, Max Balser, Louis Floyd, James Windsor , Yann Calvez, Julian Cohen, Manu Rupp, Wes Gumpel, Maurice Prior, Daniel Grant, Sam In, Dominik Ghurs, Oliver Breumlund, Emilio Epstein, Antoine Allaux, Shawn Murray, Ben Leclair, Steffen Vollert, Scotty Broom, Marc Negre, Aaron Gunn, Jimmy Larriche, Tobias Michel, Mitch Langfield, Bob Soven, Louis Mistaudy, Yan Tibo, Marvin Kalter, Hugo Charbit, Felix Georgii, Julien Bonnet, Matt Montoro and Ignasi Cortes.

In other words there were plenty of excellent riders for this umpteenth edition of the FISE, and the battle will be fierce on this unique and original setup.

The setup was criticized a little for not having changed too much compared to the 2013 edition, but it still gave the riders the opportunity to give it their all and go beyond their comfort zones. And winning the FISE is always a good thing to have on your resume when you’re a rider!

The setup consisted of the famous wall ride and its ghetto exit, a kicker to ledge so the riders could express themselves technically, two kickers to get some aerial tricks into the runs, the wall of the “conseil general” to give the setup a street feel to it, an up pipe, and a handrail. The setup is pretty different to the setups of Wake the Line, but to be honest, isn’t it better to have a unique setup rather than a setup full of obstacles you already know? I think so, and anyway the FISE isn’t just limited to the obstacles you can find on the water…there are plenty of bars, restaurants and clubs around the basin which provide plenty of entertainment for the riders all week long.

Daniel Grant

Steffen Vollert

The training sessions were on Wednesday and the qualification rounds began on Thursday. The cool thing about qualification rounds is that the riders take it easy. What I mean by that is that the riders do simple but efficient runs with rotations that rarely exceed 540 and clean presses in order to make it to the next round.

The aim of the game is to keep it clean and classy and we love it!

In the “stylish and clean” category, riders like Brenton Priesley and Mitch Langfield really stand out from the pack, not to mention Nico Lerchenfeld and Daniel Grant who were clearly born in some sort of style machine.

Other riders like Julian Cohen and Bob Soven made the most of these qualifying rounds to go really big on the kickers. These guys obviously don’t need the big air from Rising High to go flying through the air!

Math Montoro

There were also plenty of new comers this year such as Oliver Breumlund and Ben Leclair who made this edition of FISE even more enjoyable to watch. On the French side of things, Antoine Allaux and Matt Montoro were putting down some really clean runs that were good enough to scare the biggest names in the game. Having one of them in your heat is never a good sign, and with the crowd on their side, those two are capable of doing some really gnarly runs!

Friday morning, it was time for the amateur qualifications and pro trainings. It was a great opportunity for the amateur riders to tame the setup and for the pros to take a break and head into the city to see the sights after two days of riding and partying.

It was on Saturday morning that things starting getting serious with the 1/4 finals and the semi finals. Judges Léo Labadens, Kevin Calvez and Jérome Ruffray had one objective: to have only 8 riders left for the head-to-head final the next day.

The only french speaking riders who made it to the final were Ben Leclair and Yan Tibo from Quebec, who both put down some really stylish runs. They were joined by the one and only Daniel Grant, German riders Steffen Vollert and Nico Lerchenfeld, and the two Aussies James Windsor and Brenton Priesley. The only American in the final was Julian Cohen who has been absolutely killing it this year.

So Saturday ended with the surprise elimination of big names such as Bob Soven, Shawn Murray, Felix Georgii, Jimmy Larriche, Dominik Guhrs, San Im or even Mitch Langfeld and of some young up and comers such a Aaron Gunn, Antoni Van Der Wekken, Manu Rupp, Antoine Allaux and Matt Montoro.

Daniel Grant

The atmosphere was intense! There were 8 riders on the dock and a head to head battle would decide the ultimate winner.

The first battle consisted of Daniel Grant vs Ben Leclair. It was a difficult task for Ben, but not impossible. After some very tight competition, it was Daniel who made it to the next round just in front of Ben. The next battle was between Nico Lerchenfeld and James Windsor.

Nico was really at ease on the setup, and with his stylish and unique lines, the judges decided that he deserved to go through. The third heat consisted of Yan Tibo and Julian Cohen.

Yan Tibo fought really hard but it wasn’t enough to stop Julian. And finally the last heat of this head to head was between Steffen Vollert and Brenton Priesley. With super clean lines and really technical tricks, it was Brenton who made it through just in front of Steffen.

Brenton Priesley

For the semi finals, it was Julian Cohen vs Daniel Grant and Nico Lerchenfeld vs Brenton Priesley. Even though they were only 0.5 points a part, the judges preferred to reward Daniel for his clean and aerial runs rather than Julian for his more technical runs. Sometimes the judges are more impressed by the beauty of a trick rather than its technicality…I guess it’s all just a question of appreciation. So Daniel was through to the final against Nico Lerchenfeld who won his heat against Brenton.

After 4 days of riding and intense partying, it was time for the grand final of FISE 2014 to start. Daniel, who was calm as always, did an incredible run with plenty of amplitude, clean style and technical tricks. Nico also did an awesome run too but it just wasn’t enough to stop the Thai machine. So it was therefore no great surprise that Daniel Grant won FISE 2014, with Nico Lerchenfeld coming in second and Julian Cohen coming third.

It was another successful edition of FISE, who by the way is now called FISE WORLD as it is now an international event. We will tell you more about the Andorra stop of FISE WORLD in the next issue, but until then LONG LIVE THE FISE! We are lucky to have such a cool event that has always kept the board sports vibe alive, which is something that is so valuable to any wakeboarder’s eyes.

Brenton Priesley

Julian Cohen

Photos: Redbull Text: Wolfgang Dittrich

COMP tttttt

RED BULL RISING HIGH - GERMANY tttttt

Dominik Gührs wins Big Air showdown 4500 spectators flocked to Hamm on Sunday, to witness some of the world’s best wakeboarders live at the Red Bull Rising High. In the final Dominik Gührs topped all competitors to take home the win. With the help of UNIT Parktech a new gap setup has been built over the last months – solely for the event. The setup consists of one pool, two massive kickers and a roller landing located in a lake 2.5 metres below.

Apart from Big Willy 2.0 a big set of stairs as well as rails and a ledge are integrated in the course. The riders were towed by two twelve metre high Sesitec System 2.0 two-mast lifts. Thanks to that system the riders were able to show jumps as high as eight metres and as far as 20 metres – airtime that has never been displayed before.

For further information please visit: redbull.com/risinghigh.

17 big names in wakeboarding, including the Germans Felix Georgii, Dominik Gührs and Nico von Lerchenfeld as well as wakeboarding legend Parks Bonifay (USA) and international stars Steel Lafferty (USA), Daniel Grant (THA) and Brenton Priestley (AUS) made the Rising High in Hamm an event to remember. Four wildcard winners, who secured their ticket into the event a week earlier in the only qualifier at the same venue completed the field. With Tobias Michel, Miles Töller, Max Balser (all GER) and Severin van der Meer (SUI) all well known names in the scene.

Starting Wednesday last week the guys began preparing with the so called crew sessions to be able to put it all on the line come Sunday. It was immediately obvious, that the level of difficulty, as far as tricks and gap were concerned, was again higher than it had been at last year’s premiere in Hamburg. The best thing however is the fact that all cable-wakeboarders from the region, especially local hero Miles Töller, will be able to train at the obstacle in the future, as Big Willy 2.0 and the stair sets will remain at the wakeboard park in Hamm after the event is over. Much to the delight of Miles Töller: “Brilliant! It’s great that the Red Bull Rising High setup remains in Hamm. It enables me to work on new tricks and enjoy the enormous airtime every single day!”

CO

OMP

Results: 1.Dominik Gührs (GER) 2.Nico von Lerchenfeld (GER) 3.Daniel Grant (THA) 4.Brad Smeele (NZ)

Chris O’Shea

William Klang

On Sunday the international wakeboarding scene for the first time got a glimpse of what is possible at Big Willy 2.0. As soon as the gates to the event venue opened, the heat was on: Clint Liddy and Sven Krafft lead the way as hosts and helped fill up the lake’s banks quickly, as thousands wanted to experience the action live and direct.

After every rider was introduced via a presentation-jump over the huge gap, the spectators in Hamm started to sense that they were in for a huge display of airtime.

In the first round the rider went head-to-head in two heats, with the two best riders of each heat moving directly into the final. Right from the start double rolls were a regular occurrence. Since the event’s format demanded the riders to at least have two tech- and one style trick (with a maximum 360 rotation) in their seven tries at the gap, clean grabs were vital to get good scores. The jury around head judge Flo Meeh (GER), Scotty Broome (AUS) and Peter-Pascal Schmidt was boosted by snowboard pro Benny Wetscher (AUS) who – due to the set-up’s similarity to a snowparc kicker – knew how to give away proper scores. Among the riders moving on into finals were Felix Georgii, Dominik Gührs, Nico von Lerchenfeld (all GER) and Brad Smeele (NZ).

Daniel Grant (THA) and lucky loser Chris O’Shea (AUS) completed the field.

After the trophy presentation, which of course included some proper champagne showers, Dominik Gührs was delighted: “I was feeling great right from the start. After the first tests In the final every rider once again was allowed seven hits. Brad Smeele, who was the here in Hamm I knew I was in great shape. Watching the other guys perform I knew that it only rider to stomp a TS Double Backroll Indygrab in the qualification round as well would be a tough battle though. The performance level was insane, which makes the win as the final, still had to content himself with fourth place. Place three went to Daniel even sweeter for me. I couldn’t be happier right now!” Wakeboard legend Parks Bonifay was Grant, who probably displayed the biggest airs of the weekend including a massive also stoked with the event: “Ten years ago I wouldn’t have dreamed about jumps like the HS FS 900 Nosegrab. Allgäu native Nico von Lerchenfeld managed to surpass Daniel ones we saw over the last couple of days. To see the guys perform and to be able to get a hit Grant with a super-clean HS BS 720 Melongrab underlining his great form over the at Big Willy myself was a great experience. This is taking wakeboarding to the next level!” last couple of weeks. The only one capable of beating Nico von Lerchenfeld on the day was another Bavarian – Dominik Gührs from Munich. The Red Bull athlete got Topping off the event was a longest distance session, in which Big Willy was moved further off to a perfect start and dominated the field throughout the event. Not only did he away from the pool bit by bit, making the gap between kicker and roller bigger and bigger. shine during qualification, his best tricks followed when they mattered most. During In the end it was Daniel Grant who came out on top covering a distance of more than 25 the final Gührs first landed a HS BS 900 Indygrab as his tech-trick and followed it up metres. Local Miles Töller ended up in third place, right behind Nico von Lerchenfeld who with a super-clean BS 180 Stalefish-Method-Doublegrab as his style trick. Enough to came second. Chances are no wakeboarder in history has ever covered more ground in gain Dominik Gührs the win! competition than these three, who deservedly were rewarded with thunderous applause!

Brenton Priesley

Photos:Red Bull Text: Alexander Schirasi-Fard

COMP

Podium: 1st Daniel Grant 2nd Nico Lerchenfeld 3rd Julian Cohen Action: Nico Lerchenfeld

tttttt

RED BULL WAKE OF STEEL - AUSTRIA tttttt

After being treated with a home victory by local Dominik Hernler last year, the crowd in Linz had to witness Daniel Grant (THA) abduct the 2014 title to foreign land. With Dominik Hernler absent due to injury Grant, thanks to his technically demanding tricks, managed to leave his strong competitors behind winning the Red Bull Wake of Steel for the second time in only three appearances. As a result the former wunderkind of the wakeboarding scene is now Linz’ lone record-holder.

Rumour has it that Linz is on good terms with the weather god. The bad weather front predicted for this weekend never showed up at the event site at Linzer Handelshafen, which as in previous years was once again packed with people. Some 15.000 spectators witnessed 16 of the best wakeboarders in the world do battle for two days straight.

Renowned for its unrivalled obstacle the Red Bull Wake of Steel has long since become one of the biggest highlights on the international wakeboarding event calendar, which is why riders all over the world feel honoured to be invited to the city of steel. Due to the event’s high performance level the riders had to give it their all right from the get-go.

During qualification only ten riders made the cut from the two groups into the semi-final.

Here the riders had to go head to head to determine the best five riders who would make it to the super-final.

Austria’s old hand Daniel Fetz made it into the Top 10 as well as the 16-year-old rookie Timo Kapl, who both were very happy with their performances. Top-Rider Dominik Gührs (GER) who took part in the event for the third consecutive time, was beaten early, but still was overwhelmed by the event: “Every year it’s more fun coming to Linz. The obstacle provides such great variety of lines. I don’t know of any another place where you can get as creative as here.”

In the super-final’s first round American Julien Cohen managed to grab the lead with a strong run heading into the second round as the interim-leader. With the starting order tilted Daniel Grant took his chance and catapulted himself all the way from third to first place, capping off his error-free ride with a 270 back lip slide on the 25-metre plastic pipe. Nico von Lerchenfeld also managed to shift into higher gear when it mattered most.

Under the strict eyes of wakeboarding legend Parks Bonifay he in the end earned himself second place honours.

After the event, winner Daniel Grant was more than excited: “Last year things didn’t go too well for me, which is why I’m super happy that this year I came out on top again.

Linz just knows to put on a show and I’m sure Red Bull Wake of Steel is one of the most unique events out there. If I may, I’ll be back next year for sure.”

With Dominik Hernler absent during the third edition of the Red Bull Wake of Steel Daniel Grant takes a 2:1 lead over the Austrian. However the good news is: Hernler is well on his way to recovery and highly motivated for next year: “It’s great watching some of the best wakeboarders in the world go at it. But honestly: I’d rather jump in the water myself and have a go myself. Next year I’ll be back for another title.”

The LINZ AG Bubble Days, which Red Bull Wake of Steel is a part of, did not end after the sporty part was over though. Far from it: Immediately after the show the spectators flocked to the concert-stage where Hinterland, FIVA MC and R.A. The Rugged Man got their audience dancing until the early morning hours.

Results: 1. Daniel Grant (THAI) 80,67 Points; 2. Nico von Lerchenfeld (GER) 78.67 Points; 3. Julian Cohen (USA) 77,00 Points; 4. Antoine Allaux (FRA) 69,33 Points; 5. Marc Rossiter (GBR) 59,00 Points.

CO

OMP

Interview by Victoria Collins Photos by Raynald Tanny Location: TND - France

Courtney Interview

Angus Courtney Angus is a hyperactive ball of energy with a big smile and legs for days. The 21 year old Aussie has been making a big name for herself in her home country as well as overseas by winning the 2013 WWA Worlds as well as doing kids camps to encourage future little champs. We caught up with her during her European trip to talk about Women’s Wakeboarding and her plans for the future.

Courtney Angus

Hey Courtney! You recently completed a whirlwind tour of France, how was that? What was your favorite part of the trip?

Hey Tori! France is now in the top 3 of my favorite countries and despite the language barrier, I met so many really cool people that were super passionate about wakeboarding. I had so many good experiences – it is hard to say which one was my favorite…

Congrats on winning both Wake and Beach and FISE! We’re you stoked to compete and meet new girls on the circuit? Was the FISE set up scary?

Thank you! I am so stoked on my start to the summer! The FISE setup was very challenging but so much fun and I was very impressed by the number of girls wakeboarding at a high level in France. At Wake n beach there were over 10 girls busting out 540s and there was a 10 year old girl transferring – Good stuff!

Speaking of FISE, did you have fun? Did you survive the 5 days?

I need a T-shirt saying, “I survived FISE!” It was a great experience riding in front of the FISE crowd. The competition stages wakeboarding very well – it is great promotion and exposure for our sport and us riders. I can’t wait for next year!

You recently signed with Hyperlite and shot the 2015 catalogue with all the team, what’s it like being a part of such a big company in the wakeboarding world?

I am so stoked to be a part of the Hyperlite team and I am so proud to be involved with Hyperlite’s first women’s cable board – the 2015 Socialite! After the 2015 catalogue shoot, Hyperlite couldn’t take the Socialite from me. I have been riding it non-stop ever since and I have already taken out Wake and Beach, FISE and the first stop of the WWA Triple Crown! You gotta try it!

One of the reasons you came to France was to do girl camps, how was that? Do you find that the level of riding in France is similar to Australia and the USA or do French girls need to kick their butts into gear?

Ange Schribber, Sophie Hogben and I are all Aussie plus we have some awesome up and comers including Zahra Kel and Deanna Hatten…

BUT I was very impressed with the number of girls pushing their riding! The number of motivated girls attending Chicks with Tricks and Miss Wake Camp was awesome – It is only a matter of time until the girls start throwing down at an international level.

I believe by influencing girls to wakeboard, the industry will develop and hopefully female riders will reap the benefits that we deserve. It is only a matter of time, so until then I will continue to do what I am passionate about!

You’ve been on the podium of a fair few contests lately, who are your most fierce competitors?

Definitely Ange Schribber! She has all the tricks and is the girl to beat! Last season was my first season competing on the WWA Wake Park World Tour. Most of the comps came down to Ange and I battling it out… It made us both work hard to improve our riding! If you haven’t already heard of Anna Nikstad, get ready to hear a lot more!

She has come out of no where with a ton of skill and is progressing FAST! Did you enjoy the different cable parks you visited in France? Do you find them different to the cable parks back home?

I love moving from park to park! My riding improves a lot as some parks will have wide rails that I can learn some technically difficult tricks on and transferring those tricks to another park with narrow rails is an awesome challenge. I would hate to fly half way around the world to the same cable park… I love that every park is different!

You’re a machine on the kickers, I’ve never seen a girl push her ridding so far!! How do you keep yourself motivated?

Thanks! This Summer in Australia I wrote down a list of tricks that I wanted to learn off the kickers and I wouldn’t ride unless I was practicing for a comp or attempting to mark a trick off my list. Having set goals and achieving them makes wakeboarding so rewarding!

Do you follow a special diet and workout routine to stay fit? What do you do during your off season?

I never have an off-season… When it gets cold in Australia I travel to the states or to Europe – ENDLESS SUMMER I do a ton of Yoga! It is awesome for flexibility and the balance training stabilizes my knees. Sometimes I do hot yoga to burn off all the not so healthy food I consume… I do not diet.

What’s next on your super busy schedule? More contests, more filming, more camps?

This season I will compete at all 3 WWA Wake Park Triple Crown events, the US nationals and hopefully defend my world title. I plan on filming a fair bit and I really really want to take out female trick Prize money and sponsorship have always been a massive issue for wo- of the year! men’s wakeboarding, do you think it’s ever going to get better or is there always going to be a massive gap between men and women?

Any last words?

I do not well on that issue… I am passionate about wakeboarding and Fox has Hydro shorts and if you ride in them you can automatically making a career out of what I love. I am constantly comparing my ri- do a backmobe! ding to the Pro guys and I feel that the level of women’s wakeboarding is closer to the level of pro guys then any other extreme sport (snow- Thanks a bunch for answering our questions Courtney, we’ll hopefully boarding in particularly). see you back in Europe really soon!

I understand that Wakeboard companies are not charities, so I strive to directly influence board sales and encourage female riders.

Thanks Tori!!!

PEOPLE

Photos: Dennis Dulko Interview: Raynald Tanny

SSSSSSSSSSS

DENNIS DULKO - PHOTOGRAPH SSSSSSS

Hi Dennis, you’re one of the most motivated photographers in Europe at the moment, when did you start your passion?

Hey Raynald, I started to take photos 7 years ago at the age of 15. Well I didn’t even have my own camera, I good friend of mine lent it to me all the time. I got my first camera at the end of summer in 2006 and it was a Canon eos 400d kitversion. Then taking pictures became my favorite hobby a part from wakeskating. Finally, at the end of summer 2006, my parents bought me my own camera. I’d like to thank my Mom and Dad! Love ya :-* Did you study photography? If not, how did you learn how it works?

At the moment I’m going to a school to receive my Photographers diploma in the capital city of Germany, Berlin.

But for the last two years, I was working in a big advertising studio in Nuerenberg in Bavaria in the south Germany to get my apprenticeship done. Most of the skills I learnt by my own trying and studying how a camera works and which details and functionalities it brings with it.

What do you like the most in a photo?

That’s by far the most difficult question because there is such an immense diversity of feelings that a good photo can trigger in you, whether you like it or not. But the first impulse that hits you is the moment you see the picture, realizing what’s going on in the scenery, that’s the best feeling for me!

When you get it printed for the first time and when you see the picture for the first time!

Do you also film?

No I’m a photographer. In my opinion you should focus on one thing and I already found my passion in taking pictures.

Portrait by Anne Roeper

Rider: Antoni Van Der Wekken

What is your setup?

My setup is a Canon eos 5d mark3 with a Canon ef 24-70 / 2,8 and Canon ef 70-200 /2,8.

3 Canon 430 ex2 speedlights 4 yongnuo Radios What is the setup of your dreams?

The setup of my dreams is very fast flashes with a mobile battery pack.

For now I’ve got a dope deal with Hensel flashes. They help me out for my big projects such as the latest cover shot with Antoni van der Wekken. At this point I’d like to say a big shout out to Hensel. You guys are legends! I got 3 Hensel «Speedmax» and 2 Hensel «Power Max L» battery packs. The Speedmax is the fastest flash you can find on the market at the moment.

You use flashes and radios a lot, what do they bring to your photos?

When you are working with radios and flashes, you can make your own light. The art of photography is just painting with lights. I really like to put special spots in position and getting my own lighting. That’s why I use radios and flashes a lot.

Is it more difficult to shoot with a radio or is it easier?

To shoot with radios is not that easy, actually. It’s pretty difficult the first time but the key is to understand how a camera works. That’s the basic knowledge you have to know, otherwise you will never take good pictures. The next important thing is to understand how flashes work, then you will head in the right direction. But the main difficulty is to set the flashes exactly how I want them. Wakeboarding and wakeskating always brings difficult spots for photographers because you can’t always set the flashes near to the water or in the water because the water is usually too deep for tripods. That’s the point where my creativity is sometimes defined. But it’s always good to bring some friends to shoot with you that can hold or hide your flashes in the water for example.

What is the difference between the natural light and flashes?

With natural light, you can give the picture its own note with the emotion of the weather and the light situation. I like it when you have a special weather situation, but with flashes you can create your own light. The negative site about flashes is that they have the same light temperature all the time. The positive aspect though, is that the riders are more highlighted from the background.

You’ve recently been to Holland to shoot some winch action with Antoni Van Der Wekken, Nico Kauzner and John Broer. How was it?

It was literally dope! We spent 1 week in the middle of the Netherlands at Antoni’s place with my girlfriend Anne, Nico Kauzner and John Broer. I didn’t even know Antoni before.

Nico Kauzner, who I’ve known for ages, just called me a few weeks ago after he came home from his Australia visit. He had the sweet idea to go to Holland to take some winch pictures and involve Antoni. Antoni then involved John as well which worked out pretty awesome. I couldn’t have imagined a better crew to shoot with. Nico and John just took extra holidays for the shoot.

The landscape of the Netherlands is very beautiful and you have a lot of water canals which is perfect for winch action. For some spots we didn’t even drive that far away from Antoni’s place, but for others we drove half way through the Netherlands. But our mission was to hit as many good spots as we could find and it was a lot of work but it was worth it for sure.

Do you have any funny story about that photoshoot?

Don’t know if it’s funny or not. One time we worked till 6am because we had to build a kicker for the spot. At the end, we unfortunately had no shots on the card. All of us were pretty tired and done. We set up the winch on top of a bridge to get a higher pull. Because it was 6 am when we finished, everybody was completely tired but the winch had to get down off the bridge. So Nico went up to get the winch and had to carry it over wet grass down a hill. And you know what that dumb cunt did? He was pulling the winch behind him down a hill of wet grass.

You could see him getting faster and faster with the winch behind him and trying to break with his feet, but the weight of the winch just let his feet slide on the wet grass down the slope.

He was going straight towards his car which was standing close to the slope and Anne who was already sleeping in the car just woke up seconds before and opened the car door without knowing what was going to happen next. Nico just stopped half meter in front of Anne who opened the door yelling like «Yeeeeew, what a hell of a ride». He was pretty lucky actually, that could have ended up pretty bad!

Rider: Jhon Broer

Rider: Nico Kauzner

What is so special about shooting winch?

The special thing about winching for me is that you can hit and shoot locations where no one has ever ridden before. And what I like most about winching and taking pictures of wakeboarding or wakeskating in the streets is that I can influence wakeboarding and wakeskating in the right direction a bit. In my opinion the sport should get more urban for sure.

How do you work with the riders? Do you ask them to do a special trick or you let them tell you what they want you to shoot?

At first we collect our ideas together and find a good spot or build something together. Then I ask the riders what they would like to do. After we get the trick done, I always try to get more out of the riders and try to push them to their limits to get a better shot because I have to see the things with my camera and try to find a good cut.

How do you find the right angles to shoot? And what’s a good angle?

Every spot is different. Often I can’t go near to the spot or obstacle because it’s dangerous with the rope for my camera or for my other equipment. When it’s possible to shoot close to them, I prefer to use a wide angle lense. For shots from far away, I use a tele lense.

What does a photo have to show? Except the tricks of course…

In my opinion a good photo has to show that the photographer already had the shot in his mind before taking it. Another very important thing about a good photo is not only the work from the photographer, but also the work of the whole team behind the shot. And don’t think that I have you to tell that an acceptable picture should always be sharp.

How do you feel when a rider goes to a sketchy winch spot? Are you scared for him? Are you just pumped on the photo you will get? Are you afraid of the possibility of missing the shot?

Yes, I’m scared for him but I also check it out with the rider first and see how he feels about it. But I also want to get my photo on card and I’m very focused on the shot. That’s why I always try to push the riders with positive statements. Sometimes I push them when I know it’s pretty sketchy but covershot suitable. I know that’s a bit mean but hey, who doesn’t try will never know.

Is it important for a wakeboard photographer to wakeboard as well or not at all ?

It definitely helps you a lot to understand the sport and the lifestyle. Sometimes, you have to see things from the rider’s point of view to get a sick shot and I think that when you are a wakeskater like myself, then you will never have problems understanding the dudes and you will always have nice trips.

When do you think your shot is perfect?

I can’t say this when I’m thinking about my perfect shot. I always try to make it better and better. But when I achieve the ideas that I set out to do, then I’m heading in the right direction I reckon.

What do you think about the general wake shots we see in all the magazines?

We have a lot of sick shots and people who are very creative. The sport gets bigger and bigger every time and you have so much opportunities to put the rider in scene. In my opinion, the other photographers do it just perfect! The only thing I don’t like is that other magazines don’t actually decide about the pictures itself. They decide about the name of the rider on the picture. That’s why I think that this doesn’t push our sport in the right direction when you always see the same faces a hundred times in one magazine.

Do you shoot other things in action sports?

Yes, I like extreme sports very much and I try to shoot as much as I can, but I’d rather concentrate on wakeboarding and wakeskating.

Are there any photographers that inspire you?

Yes but he’s not an action sports photographer. His Name is James Nachtaway and he is a Photojournalist.

Any last words?

At last I want to say thanks to family van de wekken also antoni van de wekken , john Broer, Nico Kauzner, Anne Roeper ,Hensel light performing and all the other dudes who helped us with our winch tour.

For more photos about our winch Trip like me on Facebook «Dennis Dulko photography»

Interview & photos by Raynald Tanny Photos & Interview - Raynald Tanny

James Wind sor tttttttttttt When passion and progression meet each other

James Wind sor

Hi James, how are you? You recently won the first stop of Triple Crown at Cajun X right?

How was it?

I’m good thanks, How are you going?

I’m doing well thank you! So tell us how was it?

Yeah, I was really happy with the win. I missed a few of the WWA/Triple Crown events last season with an injury, so I really wanted to start the season off well. I came back from Europe a bit earlier than I’d planned, and unfortunately missed a few events there. But I really wanted to focus on the WWA WPWS and Triple Crown events this season.

Cajun X has an awesome set-up and I loved riding there everyone has really stepped it up again this season, which I’m stoked about. It was pretty special having an all Aussie podium, I was super pumped for Aaron Gunn and Busty Dunn.

You went to Europe for some other contests in the past months, where did you go and how were those comps?

First comp for the season in Europe was Fise in Montpellier France. It’s my third year at Fise now, and the event was amazing again this year. I still get pretty blown away how good the atmosphere is and how many people come to watch this event.

We had such awesome weather and it’s definitely one of my favourite rail events of the year. The whole scene with the BMX, Mountain Biking, Roller and Skateboard contests is insane, there’s always something going on. After Fise I travelled around France a bit, with Raynald Tanny and Daniel Grant, and we had an awesome week shooting, surfing, and visiting a bunch of cables. Then I flew on to Austria and hung out with Dominik Hernler and BP for a few days before Red Bull Wake of Steel. Last year was my first year at Wake of Steel, and it’s the gnarliest set-up I’ve ever seen.

It actually takes you a while to take in how different the set up is. With the massive drops and the short pull in the middle, it makes you really work to get every hit perfect. The set-up just gives you countless opportunities to hit it so many different ways. I can’t wait for next year it is such a unique concept and so much fun to ride.

You told me that you really enjoy competing.

What is the feeling you like the most during a contest?

Competition riding just seems to work for me because it pushes me in a different way than free riding does. It’s the vibe I get off the other riders, and how everyone is looking for different lines to change it up. I’ve always really enjoyed the feeling of landing a run that I’m stoked on.

During a contest, when the pressure is on, how’s the atmosphere between all the riders? Good?

It’s always a pretty fun atmosphere, you arrive at an event and see everyone, and it feels like your home.

Everyone handles the pressure differently and after a while you get to know how each rider handles it. But pressure is not necessarily a bad thing…. you need it there to help push your riding.

When you’re not on a podium, how do you feel? Are you frustrated, angry or you just don’t care?

I feel disappointed with myself for not riding like I would have like to.

What are you goals this year? Winning the WWA world tour?

Well I’ve won three WWA Wake Park World Titles now, one in Junior Mens and two in Pro Mens, but I haven’t won a WPWS yet.

So yes, I definitely want to win a WWA WP world series, and the Triple Crown series.

Concerning the world tour, what do you think of the judgment in general? Are they fair or you think it could better?

Well wakeboarding is definitely not a sport that the first person across the line is the winner, there’s so many veritables to consider.

But in the time that I’ve been competing I think they rarely get it wrong. My first year doing the WWA tour I found the way the judging is set out, you can see the area’s letting you down, and this helped me a lot in the progression of my riding.

And about the big air contests like Redbull Rising High, do you think that it’s the future of wakeboarding or just a show like «nitro circus»?

I think big air contests definitely have a big future in Wakeboarding. Not every wake boarder likes competing in cablepark events, so having different styles of contests keeps everyone happy and motivates the riders to keep the sport fresh. It’s awesome for the spectators, and is important for the progression of the sport.

You travel during 6 months of the year. Is it difficult to be far from your home country during a long period of time?

I do miss my bed sometimes, but most of the time I’m so stoked to be doing what I do for a living, and it’s so good being part of the Slingshot Team. We usually start the season with our team trip, so you pretty much have an instant family when you get to the states.

Here is the big question: How do you pack your bags when you know you’re leaving for a 6 month trip!? How many boards do you bring? And how many boxer shorts, hehe?

The first year I did the season I packed way too many clothes, carried too many boards and bindings and got charged excess luggage all the time. The next year Manu Rupp showed me how to pack a board bag……. he has it dialled.

•Passport •2 pairs of jeans, one black, one demin •2 pairs of shorts •2 dress shirts •12 T’Shirts •4 Singlet shirts •1 Hoddie •4 boardies •12 boxers •1 pair of shoes •Socks •6 caps •1 towel •Toothbrush •Sooruz Wet suit •1 Slingshot board and bindings •Lki Life Jacket •1 Helmut •Stickers •Iphone •Ipad •Gopro •Tim Tams for Oli Derome

When did you start dedicating 100% of your life to wakeboarding?

I started wakeboarding in 2009 when I was 13, and the following year I started doing my schooling via skype so I could ride all day, every day.

So from when I was 14 I pretty much rode all day, every day at my local cablepark. Then 2 years later I went overseas to do the WWA WPWS and to ride some different cables, and won both Pro Mens and Pro Obstacles at the World Titles in Abu Dhabi and came equal 2nd in the World Series.

What is the best thing about being a pro rider?

It would have to be, being part of the Slingshot International team, it’s awesome. Having my own Pro Model board and LKI life jacket, and just beening able to ride every day with my friends, at some of the most amazing places around the world in magic. This lifestyle is something I will never take for granted.

And the worst?

Injuries, there like a big waste of time If you weren’t a pro wakeboarder, what kind of job do you think you would do?

I have no idea, I’ve never thought about it.

Where do you like to ride the most? And why? In general, what kind of tricks do you like to do or even watch? Huge kicker tricks? Technical tricks on rails?

When I’m home in Australia I like to ride at Gowake Mackay, because of the awesome set-up, and the good vibes. When I’m away CWC and Republic are my two favourite because of the amazing rails and people there.

I really like watching stylish kicker hits….big backside 180’s.

Do you winch some times? And boat? What is the difference between a boat sesh and a cable sesh? Do you think you would be able to land all the tricks you do on a kicker in cable behind a boat?

Yeah I really like winching, it gives you the opportunity to get some rad shots and footage, and it’s good to do something different. I definitely can’t land the tricks I do off a kicker at cable behind a boat unfortunately, but I really like to change it up sometimes, by taking a boat set.

Do you stretch or do you do something special to stay in shape. Or not at all, you just ride?

I mainly just ride, but stretching has become a big part of my daily routine to keep as flexible as possible….I can touch my toes now. In the off season, I also like surfing, skating and motocross.

I know you started riding dirt bikes really young. If you could change your career of pro wakeboarder for a career in dirt bikes, would you want to change?

I loved riding dirt bikes nearly as much as wakeboarding, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Do you want to thank some people or brands?

I’d like to thank Jeff McKee for all the support he gives me, the Slingshot team because your awesome. My amazing sponsors Kirk Langford and Fin Hatch from GoWake Mackay, Jason Daniel from Loose Kid Industries. Governor L’Ray Villafuerte from Republic/CWC, Raynald Tanny from Sooruz, Nico von Lerchenfeld from Sesitec, Live it travel and Kawana Sportscare.

To the cableparks I rode at for their hospitality. Thanks BSR and Graeme Burress for my home away from home in the States, Raynald Tanny and Leo Labadens for my time in Europe, my Mum, Dad and sister Janae……Thanks heaps, it’s been an awesome year.

James Wind sor

James Wind sor

WORDS

Photo: Raynald Tanny Location: Lacanau - France

tttttt

with HUGO CHARBIT ttttt

What makes a wakepark cool?

I think that the atmosphere is pretty important. There must also be a lot of thin rails that change position regularly, accomodation thats not too far from the lake and good food.

I’m French after all!

What makes a trick look cool?

No matter what trick you’re doing, it has to be esthetic. The rider must do everything in his power to make the trick look good, all the while following the latest trends when its comes to style.

What makes a board cool?

It’s very hard to answer this question because each rider has his or her expectations when it comes down to flex, length, width etc…but I think the weight of the board and its longevity are pretty important. PS: A nice graphic helps too!

What makes bindings cool?

As long as they are Ronix bindings, then I’m happy! They’re super light and as comfy as my slippers!

What makes a riding session cool?

The weather has to be nice and hot, all my buddies must be there, and there should also be a bus full of naked girls on the side of the lake filming and getting us beers. hahahahaha What makes a wake trip cool?

A good atmosphere and group cohesion between the riders and the photographers is really important. You have to go to good wakeparks and be ready to ride when the light is just right.

What’s the most important thing for a long lasting wakebarding career?

Having a brain helps! Listening to your body and having good relations with the rest of the world is also really important.

What’s the most important thing in order to get sponsorship?

Riding as much as possible, doing comps and getting as much exposure as possible, whether it be photo or video. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my sponsors GSM Europe for Billabong, Glisshop, Ronix and Jeewin.

What’s the most important thing in order to progress?

Ride, ride, ride, ride and ride some more!

Photos: Raynald Tanny Words: Antoine Allaux

TRICK TIP

HOW TO O

Frontside Lipslide nose to 270 out

O 1. As you come closer to the rail, keep your front arm slightly bent and the handle low enough so you can press on it as you get onto the rail.

2. Keep your board in the axis of the rail at the entry, then turn your board 90° once you’re on the rail.

3. Very Important: To do a nose press, shift the bottom part of your body so that your front foot is aligned with your shoulders.

4. Gradually grab the handle with your back hand but don’t pull on it too hard as you will over rotate.

5. At the end of the rail, throw your 270° while pushing on the handle. Bring the handle into your lower back. You can catch it with your other hand either before or after landing, it’s up to you.

6. The aim is to only turn 90° before blocking your rotation and then coming out in 270°.

Location: TNG - France Rider: Antoine Allaux

Interview: Raynald Tanny Photos: RWND

EVOLUTION

AND NOW J

with CK Koester J

What differences do you see between wakeboarding when you started and how the sport is now?

At 25 I’m still fairly young in the world, however within wakeboarding I am now considered one of the older guys. I started on the contest scene when I was around 17 years old and in those days I felt young, but now the kids are absolutely killing it from as young as 13/14. These kids are water babies through and through having been involved in the sport over half their lives and it’s awesome to see what stuff they’re coming up with. I’m just holding on tight trying to stay relevant. I think that’s the way to keep up with this ever evolving sport. Things change so quickly and ‘what’s hot and what’s not’.

Air tricks, rails, kickers, zeaching, winching, flipping off rails, doubles on kickers, grabbing on rails, T-shirts and now even hoodies and button ups. Sometimes I feel like I’m playing football (soccer) against the pros, continually chasing after the ball. As soon as I think I’m there, it just gets kicked on to the next guy. That’s why you’ve got to stay relevant, but most importantly enjoy it the whole time.

When I first got into the Pro scene in wakeboarding, it was all about the air tricks on the cable and most people weren’t that bothered about rails, but being British this changed fairly quickly for me. In those days the boys at my cable park, JBski (London), were always building new obstacles. Pipe rails, inclines, flat bars as well as weirder, bigger and more gnarly features like 3 stage rails over cars and ski ramps and giant burns. These things can be terrifying to hit and as a grom, well, we all learnt that hitting rails was the thing to be doing. So for me, as the scene has changed over the past 10 years with the influx of S2 parks and rails becoming ‘whats hot’, I’ve fully embraced it all and found that rail riding, kicker hitting and general features riding is definitely what I love most. Don’t get me wrong, I do still enjoy cracking out a few air tricks when the time feels right, and this side to the sport is and should always be a big part of it.

What do you see as the evolution of wakeboading in UK at the moment?

The UK has had a thriving and growing wakeboard scene since the mid 90s, but as with everywhere when the economy dipped, things did become more difficult especially on the event and sponsorship side of the game. We lost the UK Pro Tour on boat and cable and basically lost all major contests and financial support. This obviously sucks when wakeboarding is your profession.

However luckily for us, some people held on tight, the distributers triumphed and are still going and Industry Wakeparks who are the driving force as well as installers for all Sesitec parks in the UK have pretty much been the source of an incredible resurgence in our sport over the past four years, helping it grow massively on every front and setting up 30 new System 2.0 parks in the last 3 or 4 years.

This is the evolution of wakeboarding in the UK. Small wakeboard communities are setting up all over the country and slowly but surely the sport is growing again as well as mixing together with more and more riders travelling up and down the country to ride different spots. Now with the latest edition of the Grassroots Tour – a tour catering to every level of rider with over 21 stops all across the UK and Ireland and with Pro divisions at some stops - the sport is starting to grow and I’m pumped for it.

Add to this a few different amateur boat tours – the AOD, Rookie Rider League and overall UK Amateur series and you have an incredible platform for young talent to showcase their skills.

It’s not just these contests alone that are causing the growth and unrelenting passion, but the installation of world class features at full cables and S2’s up and down the country. We used to have to travel the world to find really sick set-ups but now we have so many of them with 11 full parks and 20 S2 parks with more in the pipeline, all hosting some amazing riding spots.

Finally we have some major contests that are known Worldwide. Wakestock, Red Bull Harbour Reach and now the latest edition Plastic Playground. These can only boost the sport in my opinion. These are all features only contests with the biggest names in the world of wakeboarding invited to ride alongside the UK’s best. Purpose built, unique features set-ups, big cash prizes and massive spectacle created for the crowds and it’s no wonder every riders is chomping at the bit to get invited. Just watch them to see for yourself how amazing they are!

What was your ultimate goal when you decided to make wakeboarding your profession?

Ever since I left school to be a wakeboarder, I set targets and goals. Podium at nationals, win the nationals, get sponsored, make the finals at worlds, land a 1080 etc etc the list is never ending. However, this is exactly as it should be.

To progress, you can’t ever relax with what you have and what you’re doing at the moment, and always be thinking big, striving for more. I believe this is the only way to have a chance of success in sport. Basically, every time I achieved a goal in wakeboarding, it made me push harder and I love this about the sport. I am lucky to say I have surpassed all of my original goals in this sport and more, but now I have new ones and I will always push towards them. A major turning point for me was when I damaged my knee, that created a whole variety of new goals, get strong, get back on the water, but that’s where the issue arrived. Getting back on the water was my biggest goal and even though I was rehabbing all the time, I definitely rushed this process and I paid the price. I have spent the last few years fighting off injury but now that has all changed. After the WWA Worlds in Abu Dhabi in October 2013, I decided to make a difference. I didn’t wakeboard for nearly 6 months and worked on changing myself physically and mentally. I cycled and went to the gym almost every day, taking up Pilates up and Yoga and eating healthy (well I tried, eating is good). This has given me the time to properly recover and for 2014 I feel great, sometimes we need to take some time off and have a different attack.

Now that you have achieved all your original goals, what’s next?

I’m happy to say that most of the goals that I set have been achieved and more, but as I said before that’s not enough for me. There’s always more and you can always push harder. So this year, my goals are to keep fit and stay relevant in everything I do. I’m going to push harder, compete more, shoot and film more and really throw myself back into the sport. Oh and try and keep up with all the super Groms!

«A picture is worth a thousand words» GALLERY

Hugo Charbit - TND Damazan - France - Photo: Raynald Tanny

Mitch Langfeld - CWC - Philippines - Photo: Bradlee Rutledge

Vincent Sudrat - Lacanau - France - Photo: Raynald Tanny

Kaesen Suyderhoud - CWC - Philippines - Photo: Bradlee Rutledge

Dustin O’Ferrall - USA - Photo: Taylor Hanley

Quinn Silvernale - Valdosta - USA - Photo: Ian Zinner