UNLEASHED #63, Nov Dec 2014

Photos: DDB Photography - Daniel Deak Bardos Rider: Dominik Ghurs - Germany

WHO’S WHO tttttttttttttt

UNLEASHED WAKE MAGAZINE Unleashed Communication 2, rue d’Orbesson 31100 Toulouse, FRANCE ISSUE 62 September - October EDITOR & DIRECTOR Philippe Sirech PUBLISHER Philippe Sirech +33(0)7 87 95 37 40 +1(407)800-3567 philippe@unleashedwakemag.com EDITORIAL & WEBSITE Raynald Tanny +33(0)6 75 04 89 10 raynald@unleashedwakemag.com MARKETING & ADVERTISING SALES Philippe Sirech info@unleashedwakemag.com PR (Press Release) Stephanie PROTET +33(0)6 11 11 25 32 sephanie@unleashedwakemag.com CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Chris O’Shea, Daniel Deak Bardos, Dennis Dulko, Steffen Vollert, Tyler Soden, Trevor Bashir, Justin Worrall, Raynald Tanny.

TRANSLATIONS Victoria Collins, Raynald Tanny SUBSCRIPTION DEPARTEMENT Patricia Bourriane Patricia.Bourrianne@lexisnexis.fr COUNTRIES UNLEASHED FRANCE Raynald Tanny +33(0)6 75 04 89 10 raynald@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED JAPAN Nagahisa Matsukawa +81 9 016 752 900 Matsu@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED RUSSIA Katerina Yuerieva +79 25 26 304 36 katia@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED CANADA Dominique Granger +1(514)267-1636 dom@unleashedwakemag.com UNLEASHED USA Philippe Sirech +1(407)800-3567 philippe@unleashedwakemag.com

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: Alija Bos Rider: Jordan Lavery

Location: Ranch Wake - USA Edito: Philippe Sirech

EDITO tttttttttttttt

We’re already in December and this year has gone by at the speed of light. There are more and more cable parks opening each year, with over 40 opening worldwide this year alone. New wakeboarding events are being created all the time, and riders are as keen as ever to know exactly what’s going on in this ever-growing sport.

The season is over in the northern hemisphere, and it’s now time to give the sunshine back to the southern hemisphere. We have programmed an issue full of interviews, photos and reports that discuss all the major events that took place over the summer in the northern hemisphere.

After Unleashed Taiwan and Unleashed Japan, the magazine has expanded once more and can now be found in the USA, Russia and Canada in order to have an even better global coverage of what’s going on in the 3W: Wakeboard, Wakesurf and Wakeskate.

The entire editorial team at Unleashed would like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year 2015. Happy reading and we will see you all in 2015!

Philippe SIRECH

TREND vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The 2015 Byerly BP, now in it’s second year remains almost the same to accommodate, those quick riders who want to go big.

Coming equipped with one of the most aggressive Continuous rockers on the market, and then combined with a composite carbon construction, Byerly have made the BP one of the biggest booting boards of the top of the wake while still having a soft landing. With a lighter core construction for a lighter, quicker ride mixed in with full perimeter flack jacket sidewalls and an elevated footbed area, the BP will be super responsive with easy transitions from edge to edge. If you love to ride boat and just want to go big, the Byerly BP will help you stick that next big trick without the strain. www.ronixwake.com

A large nose is the mark of a brisk, strong and dependable man”, a wise Frenchman once said.

We’re guessing the same goes for boards made by Frenchmen! Julian gave his 2015 pro model a nose and tail with as much surface area as possible, making the Conflict not only super strong but also fast, consistent and balanced on rails... especially when pressing! The 2015 Conflict also showcases a 3-stage rocker and a H.I.T. base, giving this year’s model even more pop off kickers and flex on rails. Its long and deep channels run all the way from tip to tail and work in unison with its sharp and hard edges... giving you the kind of grip you’ll need to boost air tricks like JuJu! www.jobe-store.com

Here is the ultimate model to enjoy extreme winter conditions without loosing any performance thanks to the latest innovations : STORM DRY Technology, 100% ultra stretch and super light material (to leave your body free for any movement) and full taped seams outside. Available in chest or back zip offering the G-lock proof zipper. You are now ready to face cold water in the Fire Head. www.sooruz.com

The franchise player has focused his sights on cable domination.

Jimmy LaRiche has inspired one of the best park specific shapes to date. Beginning with our proven Crossover Core and 360 degree ABS sidewall, the Franchise FLX takes a softer feel to the next level. This series features our thinnest profile, which creates maximum response and board control when pressed on features.

Jimmy’s new design also utilizes a base surface with no tip or tail contours for a solid feel on rail. The subtle edge channels offer the perfect hold while cutting, but are shallow enough not to disrupt the feel of the board on features. The Franchise FLX was designed to take everything Jimmy loved about his previous shape and tune it to be the perfect tool for the park. www.hyperlite.com

TREND vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

All new for 2015! Introducing the Del Taco, combining the best of our new technology and a new twist on our traditional features. Designed specifically for Antoni Van Der Wekken and Sylvain Antoine, two of the most technical park riders out there. Everything has been designed with park riding in mind. Flex is the key to this board, the Del Taco features 600 Gram Tri Axle glass & strategically profiled timber core. Wide tip and Tail profile, with Channelling gives you just enough hold for a solid edge, but not feel like you are on railroad tracks, allowing you to break free on demand. Our biggest rocker to date, not only provides great pop, but also makes presses seem almost effortless.

A bullet Proof Polyurethane 360 degree sidewall combined with the Dyna 2 base makes sure that this board is going to last. www.dupwake.com

The Response is a timeless shape within our line-up intended exclusively for boat riding. It’s outline and continuous rocker pattern combined with our Future Response Flex Technology to create one of the most efficient and effortless rides to date. Its medium flex is perfect for boat riding - enhancing the pop and softening the landings down the 2nd wake as well as into the flats. No matter what style of riding you prefer, the Response is right there with you ready to offer great flex performance, carve-ability, huge pop and effortless landings. www.slingshotsports.com

The Bandwagon is Ronix’s premier design in their camber range, in it’s own new design, featuring the newest design in wake boarding, camber styled rocker to allow for maximum pop at more consistent levels. Combine this rocker with Ronix’s A.T.R core, soft rails, and extra wide profile you are able to ride your boards shorter, but also have a more forgiving cut, while your board remains lightweight yet strong. The Bandwagon also comes with a sintered base, simple design and optional fin setups, so wether you plan to head out to go out and maximise your boat riding capacity, or hit some sliders, the Bandwagon A.T.R Camber provides for any type of situation. www.ronixwake.com

TREND vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

The 2015 O’Brien Nomad is designed around being the most reliable boot in their range. Featuring the maximum amount of technology O’Brien have at their disposal, the Nomad features a single panel upper, integrated ankle strap and an ultralight liner, to allow for extra weightlessness and breathability, while remaining comfortable and maintaining flex. Combined with a cantered chassis and power arch, the Nomad provides support through the ankle and under your foot on harder landings. www.obrien.com

The System has been completely redesigned this season, taking an already revolutionary product and making it even better. This new binding design centers around three new features.

Beginning with our exclusive G6 Polycarbonate chassis that is lighter than previous generations, while still providing superior board control and support. The improved chassis interfaces with our exclusive Urethane Highback for maximum mobility and response. New Auto Centering Stability Plates allow a rider to set their bindings up for the correct size boots in minutes. The plates are removable and can be replaced, ensuring a solid connection even after seasons of wear and tear. This new System is the ultimate in high performance wake footwear for boat and cable riders alike. www.hyperlite.com

For 2014 Liquid Force have developed the Harley Boot as one of their pinnacle designs. Featuring their traditional IPX chassis for a stronger, lighter base, and fitted with an EVA footbed and impact gel, the Harley will provide a soft landing and plenty of comfort. Combine these features with Liquid Forces Reflex Liner and flex zones, allow for you to get both comfort and plenty of flex from the Harley boot. www.liquidforce.com

For 2014 the Jobe Click Binding is built around providing the comfort and support while remaining an easy and simple binding. with Jobe’s signature comfort liner combined with a dual density footbed, the Click provided maximum comfort around your ankle, as well as under your foot. The Jobe Click also allows for plenty of response and support with ankle kidneys for support around your ankles, while the stretch panels allow for added movement, the Jobe Click covers all bases while remaining a perfectly rounded boot.. www.jobe-store.com

TREND vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Wakeskate Hawaii Surf designed by Pidivi wakeskates A must have for all wakesjkate lovers! www.hawaiisurf.com

Sixteen Ply Epoxy Wood construction and a team influenced shape make up this durable wakeskate series!

For 2015 Byerly’s signature wakeskate, the Team is back featuring one of the most consistent shapes in the industry.

Designed with a continuous rocker shape and constructed with a 16 Ply Wood Epoxy Construction, the Team wake skate provides the perfect balance of stability through weight, as well as a consistent pop off the wake.

With a steeper concave shape and grip tape top deck, the Team also provides greater control, with better release off the water and softer landings, making the Byerly Team a skate that anyone can have a crack on. www.byerlywakeboards.com

All Remote wakeskates are built right here in the USA using local wood and materials to build the best wakeskates on the market. The fiberglass base and urethane rails will allow you to hit the gnarliest gaps and rails you can find. Fine tuned by the best wakeskaters in the world, Remote wakeskates feature a deep concave for great control and feel and the perfect rocker line for great pop but also the fastest ride out there. www.remotewakeskates.com

For 2014 Ronix have created the Rove Karver, the only style of skate of it’s kind. The Rove Karver features a long board design, so you can lay out those big sweeping turns. Combine this with a blended rocker for easy glide speed, as well as an EVA top deck with a kick tail, and you will have a skate that is as versatile, as it is comfortable to ride. From beginner to confident wakeskater you will never have trouble with the Ronix Rove Karver www.remotewakeskates.com

BOATS vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

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AXIS LAUNCHES A NEW LEGEND HHHHHHHHHHH

At 23 feet 5 inches, the THE BEASTLY T23 brings a longer traditional-bow towboat to the ever growing Axis family.

Axis Wake Research proudly unveiled its all-new T23 in San Diego this week, at the annual national dealer meeting. As the latest addition to the Axis lineup, now featuring five wake/surf models, the T23 is the company’s answer to massive customer demand after the success of the first traditionalbow Axis, the T22, which debuted last year. Coming in at a foot and a half longer than the T22, and with room for as many as 16 people, the newest Axis is built for those who want maximum versatility and unrivaled performance in a bigger traditional-bow boat.

CEO Jack Springer matched the excitement of the crowd gathered for the unveiling. “We knew we had a winner from the start with Axis Wake Research, but we’ve been amazed at how quickly and powerfully the brand has grown, with Axis now the number-four player in the market,” said Springer. “Five boats in five years, plus Surf Gate, is huge. And so is the T23.

This is one big, bad, beautiful boat, and we are so pleased to launch it here with you tonight.

It looks amazing, but just wait until you get it out on the water. We are incredibly proud of this beastly machine.”

As always with Axis, owners get the absolute best boat for the money in the industry—without question. The T23 is a pure performer, with a painstakingly engineered wake-and-wave-maximizing hull and a hard-tank ballast system. And with upgrades like the Auto-Set Wedge and the revolutionary Surf Gate, riders of all levels can ride and surf world-class, effortlessly customized wakes and waves. The T23’s helm features a top-of-the-line swivel seat, precision Livorsi throttle, and easy, agile steering, while its expansive lounge area sports plush, high-end vinyl upholstery—now standard across the Axis line—in the most spacious cockpit available in an entry-level 23-footer.

ABOUT AXIS: Built in the U.S.A. by Malibu Boats with unstinting dedication to the same legendary craftsmanship, Axis Wake Research is all about high performance and astonishing affordability. Axis has seen explosive growth in the watersports industry since its 2009 founding, reaching fourth in market share within five years—and showing no signs of slowing down. Together, Malibu and Axis easily lead, commanding nearly 40 percent of the North American market.

ARTY HAROSHI

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Haroshi makes his art pieces recycling old used skateboards. His creations are born through styles such as wooden mosaic, dots, and pixels; where each element, either cut out in different shapes or kept in their original form, are connected in different styles, and shaven into the form of the final art piece. Haroshi became infatuated with skateboarding in his early teens, and is still a passionate skater at present. He knows thoroughly all the parts of the skateboard deck, such as the shape, concave, truck, and wheels. He often feels attached to trucks with the shaft visible, goes around picking up and collecting broken skateboard parts, and feels reluctant to throw away crashed skateboards. It’s only natural that he began to make art pieces (i.e. recycling) by using skateboards. To Haroshi, his art pieces are equal to his skateboards, and that means they are his life itself. They’re his communication tool with both himself, and the outside world.

The most important style of Haroshi’s three-dimensional art piece is the wooden mosaic. In order to make a sculpture out of a thin skateboard deck, one must stack many layers. But skate decks are already processed products, and not flat like a piece of wood freshly cut out from a tree. Moreover, skateboards may seem like they’re all in the same shape, but actually, their structure varies according to the factory, brand, and popular skaters’ signature models. With his experience and almost crazy knowledge of skateboards, Haroshi is able to differentiate from thousands of used deck stocks, which deck fits with which when stacked.

After the decks are chosen and stacked, they are cut, shaven, and polished with his favorite tools. By coincidence, this creative style of his is similar to the way traditional wooden Japanese Great Buddhas are built.

90% of Buddha statues in Japan are carved from wood, and built using the method of wooden mosaic; in order to save expense of materials, and also to minimize the weight of the statue. So this also goes hand in hand with Haroshi’s style of using skateboards as a means of recycling. Also, although one is not able to see from outside, there is a certain metal object that is buried inside his three-dimensional statue. The object is a broken skateboard part that was chosen from his collection of parts that became deteriorated and broke off from skateboards, or got damaged from a failed Big Make attempt. To Haroshi, to set this kind of metal part inside his art piece means to “give soul” to the statue. “Unkei,” a Japanese sculptor of Buddhas who was active in the 12th Century, whose works are most popular even today among the Japanese people; used to set a crystal ball called “Shin-Gachi-Rin (Heart Moon Circle)” in the position of the Buddha’s heart. This would become the soul of the statue. So the fact that Haroshi takes the same steps in his creation may be a natural reflection of his spirit and aesthetic as a Japanese.

ITW

Photo:Chris Garrison Interview: Raynald Tanny

Spot: Orlando, USA

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THE SENSITIVE ISSUE - INTERVIEW HHHHHHHHHHH

WITH LOUIS FLOYD

Hey Louis, we all know that there is some embarrassing questions in a carreer of a wakeboarder… Let’s start with a first one: A porn video maker would like to do a video on your boat. You just have to drive your boat, only that… But… Your face and name will be on the jacket of the DVD, what do you do !?

No, I couldn’t be that creepy guy in the background

A 10 year old kid comes to you and says: «i want to quit school to be a pro rider»… What do you suggest him ?

Being a pro rider is an amazing thing but it doesn’t last forever and education is everything these days. I’d tell them if they want it that much then they can do both.

Your main sponsor has asked you to stop wakeboarding and start a rolThe producer of Point Break 3 asks you ride a giant wave on wakeboard… lerblade carreer...

Like Mavericks for example… What do you do ?!

And they will pay you a lot for it, what do you do?

I like to try everything once but I’d have to give a miss on a Maverick.

Stupid questions get stupid answers...

If Scientists discovered that a wake boat polluted more than 10 cars in Your girl friend hates wakeboarding and asks you to quit or she leaves only 1 week! What would you do ? you… What do you do?

Get a hybrid.

I’m free and single and ready to mingle. Find me on tinder!

MUSIC VVVV

STEF TOR - DJ SUNNEE VVVVVVVVVV

«I SUGGEST YOU»

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BUNJU GARLIN - FEAT A$AP FERG TRUCK ON D ROAD

AIDONA JOKER SMOKER

CHARLY BLACK FIRST TIME

JOYNER LUCAS - FEAT GYPTIAN GIRL NEXT DOOR

POPCAAN WHERE WE COME FROM

VYBZ KARTEL CRASHING HEAD ON

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Photos: Yann Roy

COMP HHHHHHHHHHH

WAKE DANS RUE HHHHHHH

SHRED IN QUEBEC

WAKE DANS’ RUE is a unique contest series in northern America. The organizers travel all around Québec on a mission to find and develop the latest Canadian wakeboarding talents, all the while offering a great show to all the spectators that come to each stop.

With a winch that pulls at over 30 km/h, some of the best Canadian wakeboarders get the chance to show off their skills on a brand new set up with the hopes of getting their hands on a piece of the the $12500 global cash prize.

Yes it’s sketchy, yes people get hurt but they also have fun and have great partys every stop.

A different kind of contest showing another aspect of wakeboarding !

Alex Lajoie

COMP tttttt

WAKE TO PARADISE 2014 ttttt

BIENVENIDO IN ITALY ttt

The people from Wakeparadise in Montichiari Brescia in Italy organized the largest international contest in Italy so far, with riders coming from all around europe. It resulted in an explosive mixture, not only for the high level of riding, but also thanks to enthusiasm of the many people who came to enjoy the show.

The “Wake to Paradise” event took place on Saturday September 13th 2014 in Montichiari. Not only was it a contest, but it was also a huge party day between sport enthusiasts and the top international and Italian riders.

The 35 athletes competed in a format with 8 heats. All athletes had 2 runs for the qualifying round and then went head to head for the finals.

In the finals, the first rider had 3 runs to beat the second rider until the big final.

The international guests even went beyond expectations, with some huge and outstanding tricks that have been renamed ‘bombe’ by the commentators and fans. Some changes were made to the park set up and some new features such as a high metal up-rail were added to the already existing spine kicker, twin fun box and flat rail. But the feature that amused both the public and riders the most was the one designed by Ludovico Vanoli (owner) and built by the Wakeparadise staff: a transfer pipe carried out with a 1.20m kicker to a 2.20 m straight high pipe. The riders threw some heavy tricks on the transfer such as FS 450 Boardslide Pretzel out by Mattias Hoppe, BS 360 in Tailpress FS 360 out by his brother Jeremia and stylish Nosepress 360 out by Nico von Lerchenfeld .

Mattias Hoppe won, dominating on the kicker with tricks such as HS FS 9 or Switch BS 7 Stalefish.

Danish rider Robin Leonard, named “the Viking” by the fans, finished in second with massive tricks such as a halfcab roll and BS 7 from the kicker.

Jeremia came third with an indy tantrum to blind, hs 9 and nollie tranfert bs lip on the fun box.

The prize money of 3,000 € made sure that the riders would also enjoy the trip.

Apart from the winning trio, Nico von Lerchenfeld definitely stood out but he finished in 4th position because of an injury to his knee. He was recognized by everyone as the rider with the most varied style: he certainly made complete use of the park, showing huge creativity and challenging tricks such as TS BS 7 mute on kicker.

Luckily Nico feels better now and does not need any surgery.

The master of the house Ludo Vanoli, who was one of the best Italian riders in the competition as he reached the quarter-finals, performed an outstanding run but failed to defeat Nico in the head to head. Carlo Orlando also did a great job with a TS BS 7 and transfer fs board 270 out. After the comp was finished, the party was intense. The second contest was reserved for the girls, who let loose in the challenge in a Miss Wet T’Shirt contest that went pretty wild, to the delight of the audience who were already excited by the performance of the athletes. After this, the park offered a delicious italian grill and a DJ set, with a party that made everyone exhausted!

In conclusion, it was an exciting comp format under the sign of technical tricks and a general party atmosphere, which ensured that the day will be well remembered by the athletes and the large audience of around 300 people during the day.

This event was celebrated thanks also to the main sponsors Coast to Coast, Liquid Force, Sesitec Italia and the retailer Punto Sport. We also hope to see this event next year after having seen the resounding success achieved by everyone.

The Wakeparadise crew did an outstanding job and they now run a system park like no other!

The contest set up will now stay permanently for everybody to enjoy and they have just installed a second line with the new Heavy Duty System 2.0!

Report: Ludovico Vanoli

Nico Lerchenfeld

BATTLE FALLS Photos & text - Philippe Sirech

2014

FLORIDA

The grand final of the 2014 wakeskate tour was held at Battle Fall in Groveland, which is situated only half an hour away from Orlando in Florida.

This 4th and final stop was held on a pool gap bilevel with a Sesitec system 2.0 at Reed Hansen’s property. It was a dream set up for all wakeskaters around the world and their backyard was actually voted one of the best backyards of America.

There were a lot of pro wakeskaters present for this final stop and they could be seen discussing their runs around the pool gap. There were also a lot of wakeskating enthusiasts who came out to enjoy the show, the mini ramp and a pool especially designed for pool parties.

The event was held over 3 days. The trainings were on Thursday, the qualifiers on Friday, and the semi finals and finals were held on Saturday.

The qualifying rounds started with 5 heats of 6 riders for the men and 1 heat of 8 riders for the women. Léo Labadens and Clément de Prémonville came from France especially for this event but unfortunatly Léo didn’t make it pass the qualifiers and Clément neither as he injured his meniscus. German rider Luka Seuss from « the bricks » didn’t go through either, as the level of riding was just insane. Only the best riders made it out of the qualifying rounds and only 12 riders made it through to the semi finals.

Ben Horan

Austin Pastura

The girls had their own category this year as there were 8 riders present for this stop. Unfortunatly they couldn’t compete on Friday as a tropical storm came thundering down on Battle Fall just as they were about to ride, so the qualifiers were deferred until Saturday morning.

The sun was shining in Groveland on Saturday morning, and the storm from the previous day was just a distant memory.

The girls were finally ready to start the qualifiers before going straight to the semi finals.

The 12 best riders on the planet were ready to battle it out on this insane set-up. There were 46 riders at the start of the event, but there were only 12 left in the semi finals: Nick Taylor, Reed Hansen, Andrew Pastura, Ben Horan, Austin Pastura, Yan Lecomte, Dieter Humpsch were just some of the names that made up the 2 heats of 6 riders for the semi final. The format was 2 x 45 minutes of free runs and only 3 riders out of each heat went through to the finals. The level of riding was out of control with tricks and flips being stomped to perfection.

Yan leconte mastered his run with a frontside flip in and boardslide grind shuvit out.

Andrew pastura gratified us with a fronside flip up and a shuvit on lipslide out.

Markus Knox managed to do a Kick flip on the way up and a 360 back gap on the way down.

Travis Doran did a varial flip , and 360 flip on the gap.

Josh Zentmeyer, with a combo of frontside flip and shuvit on lipslide on the ledge of the rail.

For Austin Pastura, the youngest of the Pastura family, it was a Frontside al flip up and tail blunt lipslide down. Travis Belsito , put down a frontside flip and kick flip over the rail on the way down, it was just insane...

Mr Ben Horan did a varialflip and tail blunt with a shuvit out. Our host Reed Hansen landed a Fronside flip and shuvit lipslide 180 revert.

Even Gambetta did a Frontside flip and shuvit gap. Oli moore landed a bigger spin back, and shuvit in 270 blind on the rail.

And last but not least Nick Taylor, with a Backside Flip on the way up and a frontshuv boardslide backside 270. The semi finals were over and the judges now had to choose 6 riders to go through to the finals, which was not an easy decision to make as the level of riding was out of this world!

After an hour of deliberating, we finally had our 6 finalists. Yan Leconte from Québeq , Austin Pastura, and Ben Horan made up the first heat, and Nick Taylor, Reed Hansen and Andrew Pastura made up the second heat.

And it was on for 45 minutes of free run per heat. The level of riding just kept getting higher and higher after each passage, and the realtime display of each rider’s score put pressure on the riders to do even better runs.

It was Nick Taylor’s turn to take the lead and he held his lead right up until the end with a Backside flip switch frontside flip down, and hardflip frontshuv bordslide backside 270. He was followed closely by Andrew Pastura in second and our host Reed Hansen in third position.

Battle fall was a memorable stop on this 2014 tour with the participation of 46 guys and 8 girls. Thanks once again to the Hansen family for organizing such an awesome event on a dream set-up in Groveland and I can’t wait to see what the 2015 wakeskate tour has in store for us!

Ben Horan

Interview:Philippe Sirech

Powel l CHANDLER The younger generation continues to push the boundaries of sport. With it, many riders in different styles appear every year.

This month, we present the American wakeboarder, Chandler Powell!

Technique, with a lot of amplitude and style, Chandler is now part of the best riders of the moment.

Here is the interview of this new talent! Check it out!

Photo: Raynald Tanny - Tampa - USA

Photo: Philippe Sirech - BSR - USA

Hi Chandler, can you introduce yourself in a few words, age, size ,weight, etc…. ?

Hi I’m Chandler. I am 18 years old, I am 5’9, I weigh 185 pounds, and I like to wakeboard.

How long have you been wakeboarding, and where did you start?

I’ve been wakeboarding for 5 and a half years. I first rode at McCormick’s Cable Park and have been riding there ever since.

Why did you choose Wakeboarding as your main sport?

I chose it because of the freedom you have when you’re on the water. It’s so much fun to ride the cable with your crew. I also think the feeling you get after landing something new is the best feeling in the world.

Which rider inspires you the most, and why?

Honestly, riding with people at my home park inspires me the most. They all push me more than anyone and riding with them always gets me stoked on wakeboarding.

Can you tell us more about your home spot Tampa ?

McCormick’s is a very low-key, chill cable. Everyone there has a great outlook on riding and the conditions are always great. I have more fun there than anywhere else.

What is an awesome spot to you? Tell us the one !

An awesome spot is somewhere with super legit rails and awesome people to shred with. Right now, I think places like CWC and the Bricks are really pushing riding with the features they’re building. More advanced and challenging features will definitely result in better and more progressive riding.

How was your season? Tell us more about your multiple titles, USA England, Brazil….?

I am very happy with my season so far, but there is still always room for improvement. This is my second year going to international stops and it has been awesome to travel and see the world while riding. In the last two years I’ve traveled to China, Australia, Abu Dhabi, the Philippines, Thailand, England, Brazil, and all throughout the USA. I never imagined I would get to see all those places through wakeboarding. I am most proud of my wins in Triple Crown and Points Chase, but I’m also real excited that I am on the podium more consistently in both Pro Men and Features at all the stops. All the riders are so good - it is hard to podium.

What are your objectives for The WORLD in ABU DHABI ?

The obvious goal is to get on top of the podium but I’m also trying to get some good shots from the park in addition to the competition. The combination of the openness of the land and the bright sun makes for some sick lighting. It is such an amazing place.

What is your goal for 2015 ?

For 2015, I want to start putting out more videos.

It’s starting to become more difficult to differentiate yourself from everyone else on cable. I am hoping to build different things and start winching more to make videos that aren’t repetitive of everyone else’s.

You won the Pro mens features division of the Triple Crown at BSR this year, do you plan on being pro in the future?

Winning the overall features title this year was incredible! The race for the title this year was tighter than ever and several could win it at the final stop. It was awesome to come out on top!

I definitely hope to continue my professional career in the future. I know that I can’t wakeboard forever, but I want to do it as much as I can for as long as I can.

Tell us which sponsors thrust you now ?

I don’t know about thrusts, haha, but I am very thankful for the support from Liquid Force, LooseKid Industries, Smith Optics, Muscle Milk, SOS Surf Shop, and McCormick’s Cable Park.

They help me continue to wakeboard and I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such awesome teams.

Do you train a lot alone or with friends ? Name them!

I do a little of both but I definitely prefer riding with friends! Riding with friends keeps it fun and motivates me to try new things. I love riding with different people because you get to see different styles of riding. But I ride with Jon Dickey, Alex Graydon, Yonel Cohen, Julian Cohen, Chad and Justin Worrall, Justin Lee, and the whole crew at McCormicks. I love riding with them because they push me and we all have similar outlooks on riding.

What’s on your mind when you’re riding, what are you thinking about?

When I’m riding my mind isn’t on anything but my riding. Wakeboarding is an escape from everything else for me. All I focus on is having fun and putting style into my riding.

How much time do you spend on the water on a week?

I probably ride about 4 or 5 times a week. I ride whenever my homework permits.

Do you have a personal trainer and a manager, or are you searching for one?

Right now I do everything myself but when I need help my parents are always there for support. I’m not searching for one but I’m open to any attractive girls that want the spot.

Can you tell us about your time schedule on a usual week?

Details please?

My schedule is kind of crazy. On a normal week, I get up early, have a good breakfast, and leave for school at about 6:30 am. I am in class until 3:00 PM. I usually head straight to the cable from school and ride until dusk. Then I get home and work on schoolwork as late as I need to. If we don’t have school, then I’m at the cable. I’m fortunate that my home, school, and cable are all within 5 minutes of each other. Contest weeks are never the same and I usually miss the whole week of school for travel.

What is your favorite trick and which one are you working on at the moment?

Lately I’ve really been enjoying going big off kickers and grabbing for as long as possible. I love doing smaller spins with long, clean grabs. I started doing back-handed nose grab toeside backside 1s and also wrapped back-hand nose grab heelside frontside 5s.

But giant methods are by far my favorite thing to do.

A lot of people talk about “zeach” and “zeaching”, what do you think about that?

The talk on zeaching is healthy for the sport. Doing a legit rail hit makes it more challenging and look clean. I also think that being legit also helps to separate you from the rest of the riders in wakeboarding. Don’t just focus on landing the trick, focus on making it clean and look good. By doing so, you will improve your riding and style tremendously.

Are you more a rails, kicker or air tricks rider?

I definitely hit rails the most out of the three disciplines. However, I try to stay consistent across all three. I think there is more opportunity in the sport if you are able to perform in all three disciplines, and honestly, I just enjoy riding and love the variety.

How do you see the evolution of wakeboarding?

I feel like wakeboarding is continuing to go in the right direction.

Having so many different views and opinions on riding within the industry definitely makes it difficult to progress the sport. Also I think that the sport is becoming quite repetitive in the tricks and videos that people are doing. Riders need to start working harder to do things that differentiate themselves from the norms in wakeboarding. The videos that Raph and Dylan Miller dropped this year are great examples of differentiating yourself from the rest of wakeboarding. Their videos had many ideas that have never been seen before in wakeboarding. Cable parks should also start adding more advanced features in their lakes to help in evolving the sport. One reason why I think wakeboarding is becoming repetitive is because the rails from park to park are very similar to each other, meaning that the riders have done nearly every hit possible in these features. If parks start putting in more unique and challenging features such as more pipes, handrails, etc… then these rail hits that riders do on every day rails will become more challenging. I think that if people work collectively to build more unique, challenging features that differentiate themselves from everyone else, then the sport will continue to move in the right direction.

Ok thanks Chandler, is there anything we should expect from you for this year?

This year I’m hoping to put out a lot more videos with many different people. I like group videos because they allow for people to see multiple styles and hits in just one video. I also want to start winching more. Winching allows you to hit features that are not available in wake parks and will help push my riding on more difficult features.

Who would you like to thank anyone apart from Unleashed?

Thank you first of all for the interview and shots. I love the magazine. I would like to thank all my sponsors for helping to keep me riding every year, all my friends that I ride with for pushing me and keeping me in check every day, and most of all, my family for their support and love. I would not be wakeboarding today without them. THANK YOU!!

Photo: Raynald Tanny - Tampa - USA

Photo & Text: Philippe Sirech Rider: Becky Bond

COMP tttttt

BSR TRIPLE CROWN ttttt

WWA CHAMPIONSHIPS ttt

The WWA Triple Crown was held at BSR (Barefoot Ski Ranch) for the second time this year, and it was also the second stop of the WWA Wakepark serie 2014.

The event took place over 3 days, from Thursday to Saturday. Training and registration took place on the Thursday, qualifications were on Friday and finals were on Saturday.

Over 60 riders registered for this second stop of the WWA Wakepark Series and 3rd stop of the WWA Triple crown 2014, and 10 different categories were represented.

Some of the best names in the game were there such as Tom Fooshee (Texas USA), Daniel Grant (UK Thailand), James Windsor (Australia), Maty Hasler (Australia), Chandler Powell (USA), Yonel Cohen (USA), Aaron Gunn (Australia) in the pro men category, and Courtney Angus (Australia), Ange Shriber (South Africa), Becky Bond (USA) are just some of the names of pros that took part in this epic competition.

Graeme Burress is currently the leader of the overall ranking, followed by Tom Fooshee. The competition is going to be intense to keep his first place in the WWA Triple Crown here in Waco, Texas.

Friday was a very long day for everyone as the qualification rounds for all categories started at 8 am under the supervision of WWA technical director Rob Corum.

The day started with the amateur categories which included boys, girls, junior men , junior women, open men and open men features only and ended with pro men and women , pro men and women features only and pro wakeskate. The lucky winners of the pro categories will share $10 000 at the end of this stop.

At the end of the day, the riders made the most of the hot tub and the bar to talk over their runs and relax.

All the riders stayed in really nice cabins that are located on the edge of the cable park. This place is awesome, it has a cable park with home made obstacles, a bi-level pool gap and 2 lakes to ride boat with 3 Nautique G23 for the riders to enjoy.

After a good night sleep, the riders were ready for the semis and finals. Every one was on the dock at 8:30 as time is of the essence in an event like this. Our buddy Shane Bonnifay was also part of the organisation as he is now the official speaker of the tour, and he did a wonderful job I must say!

The amateur finals for all categories started in the morning with a little bit of rain, but the sunshine came through just in time for the pro finals in the afternoon.

In the pro wakeskate category, it was no surprise to see the young Daniel Grant take the lead ahead of Aaron Reed, Brett Little and Danny Hampson.

Next was the pro women category. Ange Shriber did a really solid run and managed to take the lead ahead of Courtney Angus who was really agressive on the kickers, but her lead wouldn’t last very long and Courtney soon fought back to take the title.

Ange came second, followed by Jamie Lopina and Canadian rider Erika Langman.

In pro men cable, James Windsor came fourth after falling twice, which was a little disapointing as he absolutly killed it in the semis. It was Tom Fooshee who took the lead with a his classic textbook run ahead of kicker master Aaron Gunn and Chandler Powell.

The pro women Features only format consisted of a 15 minutes free ride with 4 riders on the cable.

The park was divided into several sections and each judge was in charge of a section. The 5 judges were connected by walkie talkies and gave their scores directly to the head judge Rob Corum so the results were available as quickly as possible.

Becky Bond, from Orlando unfortunatly finished 4th despite some really clean tricks on the rails.

Courtney Angus proved to everyone that she’s an absolute machine when it comes to features only and took the lead hands down ahead of Sophie Hogben « Awesome crew » and Nikstad Anne.

There was a little hick in the pro men features only category as the top 2 leaders Graeme Burress and Tom Fooshee didn’t make it past the semis.

This left an opportunity for young riders like Chandler Powel, Aaron gunn and Yonel Cohen to show everyone what they’re made of.

The battle for the top spot on the podium was fierce and the riders needed to do a 1080 minimum to win the title. At the end of the 15 minutes, it was Chandler Powell who came out on top with a 1080 and a really clean run on the rails. Yonel Cohen finished second despite trying for a 1260, and Aaron Gunn took home the 3rd place.

Congratulations to all the winners and a massive thank you to the WWA who made sure the event was a success, and the team at BSR who were directed by Derry Malloy and Stuart Parson. BSR is a wonderful cable park that once again welcomed the best riders in the world in the best conditions ever. I hope to see you all in 2015 for the 6th year of the WWA Triple crown.

Photos: Nora Poulain Itw Raynald Tanny

OMG t

WINCHING tttttt

WITH ttttttttttttt

VINCENT SUDRAT Hey Vincent. So, it looks like winching has been your great passion this year. You’ve been shooting heaps of gnarly spots lately, can you tell us how you find all these cool spots?

Hey Raynald! Yeah this year we’ve really tried to get out there as much as possible and we managed to organize some good and not so good weekends. We usually find our spots by using Google map or just by walking around some of the streams that are not too far from my house, but sometimes the visibility isn’t that great and you can get some nasty surprises…For example, we found a cascade with a perfect wall but there wasn’t anywhere to set up the winch…

Do you look for big gaps or do you prefer more technical spots with nice ledges?

I usually hit whatever I can find, but it’s much more common to find big gaps so I get super stoked whenever I find a nice ledge. I always try and motivate everyone to set everything up so we can all hit it as soon as possible!!

Can you ride a spot by just putting the winch down and hitting it, or does it need wax and kickers to be rideable?

You need to put some wax on the ledges depending on the type of concrete they’re made out of, because sometimes you can get surprised or do the best nose press of your life.

We find all sorts of spots, some that don’t need anything and others that just need a kicker to make all the difference. A rail and a kicker are always necessary if you want to hit as many spots as possible.

When you find a spot, do you go and check the bottom first or do you just go for it?

It depends which spot we’re ridding at, but it’s always safer to go check the bottom!

Does winching really destroy your boards?

Yep it really does, but I guess that’s the price you have to pay!

Have you ever heard of a skater complaining because he destroyed his deck on a gnarly concrete ledge?

Some people compare the Castor Crew with the famous American riders from Shredtown. They must be a massive inspiration to you, is it their video edits that motivate you or have you always had a ‘street’ vision of wakeboarding?

Yeah of course, Shredtown are a huge source of inspiration for me, just like Raph Derome is. But ever since I started wakeboarding, I’ve always gone winching with the hopes of finding that perfect ledge or gap.

Given the choice between a session on a concrete curb or gap and a session at a wakepark, which one would you choose?

I love both equally, but the adreline rush you get when you arrive on a spot that you just spent ages looking at on google map…well you don’t get that at a cable park.

Is the pull that you get on a winch really different from the pull you get on a cable?

Yeah they’re really different. The pull you get when you’re winching is really irregular and it’s quite rare to find a spot where the rope doesn’t get caught on something.

And when all goes well, the difference with winching is that it goes much faster than in cable and the rope is much stiffer and much lower.

Do you think you would have the motivation to go winching all year round? Or is it way too much effort and riding cable remains the best way to jib?

Winching all year round requires way too much organization and energy because it’s a lot of work! I think that riding cable and system 2.0 is the best way to progress in jib, and winching is the best way to progress in cable.

Who do you shred with the most?

We always ride together, there isn’t a single person I ride with more than others, apart from my girlfriend of course!

Who goes first ? Do you play paper-scissorsrock?

No, we don’t play paper-scissors-rock. Either one of us is ready to hit it before the others and just goes for it, or I’ll go first if the spot is a bit too ghetto.

Our friends at the local police aren’t big fans of seeing young people winching. Do you often get kicked out of spots?

Oh yeah, the cops are definitely not our biggest fans and we recently had to pay a 1300 € fine!!

All because we set up a few obtacles in a pond...

Have you ever decided not to hit a spot because it was too challenging?

To be honest, no. I’ve never found a spot that was too hard to hit.

Have you considered doing a big 100% winch tour of Europe?

Yeah we would love too, but we need a bigger budget!

What type of winch do you use? Is it homemade or is it a brand?

It’s a monster winch.

What does a winch need to be considered good?

I think that a good winch is a 13 inch winch that’s powerful, light and takes up the least amount of space possible.

Thanks for your time Vincent! Is there anyone you would like to thank?

I would like to thank my sponsors: SOORUZ, HUMANOID, OZED, TONA, REMOTE and I WAKE PARK Lacanau, Izon and Hourtin!

Kanard, samy, lavaza, yun that let us ride for free.

My riding buddies: Clem Nadal, Arthur Chichi, Nori Bouzi, Dona Billaud, Matt Montoro and of course UNLEASHED for this article!!

Photo & Text: Philippe Sirech Rider: Daniel Grant

COMP tttttt

TERMINUS TRIPLE CROWN ttttt

WWA CHAMPIONSHIPS ttt

After an 8 hour road trip from Orlando, we finally arrived at Terminus Wake park in Georgia which is located 1 hour away from Atlanta. The second stop of the WWA triple crown was held in this awesome cable park which was built in 2013 in Cartersville, and a cash prize of $20 000 was split between the winners of the pro wake and pro wakeskate divisions.

The event was held over 3 days with the trainings on Thursday, the qualifications on Friday and the semis and finals on Saturday.

The pro divisions included pro men features only, pro men cable, pro women features only, pro women cable and pro wakeskate. Over 80 riders came to Terminus Cable Park including our friends from Quebec Ben Leclair, the Besner brothers and Alexis Roy who drove down from Montreal in a minivan.

The qualification rounds seemed to go on forever as there were 9 heats of 5 riders for the pro men feature only division, plus 2 heats for the girls, plus all the other amateur categories…I won’t go into detail but let’s just say that it was a really long day!

The cool part about that day was definitely the atmosphere between all the riders. They kept challenging each other to go higher and higher and do double and even triple rotations which was really fun to watch.

There isn’t much to do around these parts at night so my buddies Sophie Hogben, Olivier Derome and I headed back to our hotel for a good night sleep before the finals.

Our MC Shane Bonnifay declared the finals open and the pro women featured only were the first off the dock despite a bit of rain in the air. There were only 4 girls left fighting for the title and after a really clean run and some epic tricks on the rails, it was Sophie Hogben that took the third place.

Hyperlite rider Courtney Angus did a back mobe on the kicker and came second, and the title of pro women features only went to Ange Shriber who did a massive backside 720 on the kicker and took home a $1500 cheque.

In the pro men features only category, there were only 4 killer riders left: Chandler Powel, Graeme Burress, Aaron Gunn and Chad Worral. Chandler fell on his tricks and ended up fourth. Chad Worral with his backlip out of the pool and impressive 9s on the kicker earned himself a third place. Aaron Gunn and Graeme Burress were left to battle it out for the top spot on the podium. Graeme did a massive rail to rail transfer on the Raph obstacle, but in the end it wasn’t enough to beat Aaron who went much higher on the kickers and had more style on the rails. Aaron took home a $3000 cheque.

Daniel Grant won the pro men cable division with a perfect run and the longest trick ever landed off a kicker in wakeboarding history. The second place went to this year’s revelation Chandler Powel, and the third place went to Tom Fooshee who is still here after all these years.

Courtney Angus won the pro women cable division in front of Ange Shriber and new comer Michela Philips.

The wakeskate division was well represented this year and it was Josh Zentmeyer who took home the bacon ahead of Daniel Grant and Nick Robinson.

The sun came out just in time for the award ceremony and it was time for us to hit the road as we still had 8 hours of road ahead of us. Thanks to Terminus Wake park for holding such a cool event and a big thank you to Terminus marketing manager Adam Silio for offering us such a warm welcome. See y’all in 2015 for exciting new adventures.

Photos & Text: Philippe Sirech

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2014 SUPRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS ttttt

FORT LAUDERDALE - FLORIDA ttt

Fort Lauderdale, located on the Atlantic coast between Boca Raton in the north and Miami in the south is a dream spot for an international wakeboarding competition.

This beautiful spot was chosen for the last stop of the KING of WAKE 2014 and the world wakeboarding championships which were held at Mills pond.

Over 200 professional and amateur riders were present for the competion, and the event started on the Thursday with the amateur qualifications.

The WWA came with their staff in order to organize the event and make sure that everything ran smoothly and on time. The timing was extremly short as there were over 200 riders competing in just 4 days.

Supra, the main sponsor for this event, brought their biggest boat to Fort Lauderdale for the competition, the Supra SE 550. This boat can make gigantic waves and the riders were all super happy to be able to play on such a fun wave.

The organizers did their best to welcome the riders in the most pristine conditions. Robert W « Chip » Lafferty , who is none other than Steel Lafferty’s father, owns the « HILL YORK » air conditioning company and installed massive tents with air conditioning for the riders and VIPs. The tents were equipped food and drinks for the riders, and there was also a grand stand installed on the outside so the spectators coud watch the runs and enjoy the show in the best conditions possible.

The Rockstar stand, with their lovely hostesses and free drinks, were also packed out during the 4 days of competition. They even did an authograph session after the finals with all of the Rockstar athletes.

Young fans could get their posters signed by their favorite athele, and everyone went home with a Rockstar hat and a massive smile.

Supra also presented their 2 latest models and installed a stand with free drinks and food for the spectators. The performance shop put on display all of their 2015 models that are already available in their shop in Orlando.

The first 2 days of competition were reserved for the amateur categories and finished on the Saturday night with an exceptional award ceremony held at the Harbour Marriot in Fort Lauderdale. Over 150 amateurs joined the pros for an award ceremony that looked more like a TV show than a dinner.

The semi finals and finals for the pros started on Sunday morning and the junior pros were the first riders off the dock at 9 am. The under 18s were really impressive and the battle was really fierce between the two leaders of this category Cory Teunissen and Parker Siegel.

Cory took the lead with a run that included Switch toeside 900, Back mobe 5, switch spins in all directions and ended his run with a switch mute mobe. Parker came in second, and it was Robby Holihan who came in third position. Well done juniors, you’re now ready to become pros!

The pro wakeskaters entered the competiotion with wave to waves, spins, shuvits, flips and varials flips. It was a tough exercise for them as the wave created by the Supra SE550, who is equipped with a indamar ROUSH 575 horse power motor, is simply gigantic. Team Supra rider Reed Hansen is used to riding behing this type of boat and had no trouble winning the final ahead of Danny Hampson and Canadian rider James Blazer.

The next category off the dock was the pro women category and there were only 6 riders left after the semis. The girls had 2 runs with the best run out of the two counting and no falls were allowed. At this game it was Australian rider Bec Gange that took the lead in front of fellow Australian Amber Wing, and it was American rider Raimi Merrit who took the third position.

Contour, the famous water proof camera brand, organized the Phase Contour Kicker at every single stop of the tour. Every single rider can participate, but only the top 5 riders are selected for the finals.

This is one of the most impressive contests as riders are propelled over 20 feet in the air and are pulled at 23 miles per hour. The winner of this ultimate stop was Adam Errington who flew through the air and did a super clean BS indy 180. Dean Smith came second with a BS 720 and Chad Charpe came third with an Indy Glide.

It was now time for the much anticipated Pro Men final, who will be the world champion for 2014?

There were only 6 riders left after the semi finals as only 1 rider out of each heat was chosen to go to the finals. Harley Clifford, Philippe Soven, Josh Twekler, Tony Iacconi, Shota Tezuka and Massi Piffareti from Red Bull Italia were there to give it their all.

Run after run, passage after passage, the tension was building up between the contestants but in the end it was Harley Clifford who took the title with a super solid run which has allowed him to stay on top of most of the podiums this year. His run included mobe 5, switch 900, Bs 900 and double flip. Philippe Soven did a really clean run but it wasn’t enough to beat Harley, and the big surprise of this contest was Shota Tezuka who came in third position and won a well deserved bronze medal for Japan.

The overall ranking of the 2014 King of wake was: Prince of Wake : Cory Teunissen Queen of Wake : Meagan Ethell King of Wake: Harley Clifford This was a great final stop of the world championships 2014 in Mills Pond Fort Lauderdale. The organization was fantastic and a special shout out goes to Robert W « chip » Lafferty for keeping everyone cool during this event.

A big thanks also goes out to the team of organizers of the King of wake for their excellent work, and to the WWA judges for getting the results out on time and making sure that the contest ran smoothly.

The boat season ended greatly and I hope to see you all at the 2015 edition of King of Wake.

Junior Pro: 1-Cory Teunissen 2-Parker Siegele 3-Robby Holihan Pro Wakeskate: 1-Reed Hansen 2-Danny Hampson 3-James Balzer Pro Women: 1-Bec Gange 2-Amber wing 3-Raimi Merrit Contour Big Air: 1-Adam Errington 2-Dean Smith 3-Chad Charpe Pro Men: 1-Harley Clifford 2-Philip Soven 3-Shota Tezuka

Rider: Oli Derome

Rider: Harley Clifford

Photos & Text: Philippe Sirech

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WWA CANCUN PRO ttttt

25 YEARS ANNIVERSSARY ttt

PRESENTED BY MALIBU Going to Cancun is a dream for most people on this planet. It has the reputation of being a party town thanks to « Spring Break » which occurs at the end of the American school year.

The WWA chose this magical place to celebrate their 25 years and they organized one of the coolest boat stops of the year, the WWA Cancun Pro presented by Malibu boats.

25 years of existence, 25 years of passion, 25 years since wakeboarding has been invading the planet…That’s what all the WWA staff were there to celebrate. Every one there has the same passion and only one saying: « choose freedom choose WWA ».

Jimmy Redmond, the founder of this wonderful association, said during his speech that we are here for the sport and only the sport…politics has nothing to do with it. The WWA is a big family made up of riders that is growing every day.

The WWA is represented throughout the majority of the planet in places like the USA, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Japan, and Australia and continues to expand by gathering a maximum amount of riders in the 3W: Wakeboard , wakesurf , wakeskate.

The WWA staff, the pro riders and the VIPs were invited to stay at one of the most beautiful resorts of the Mexican riviera, the ME by Melia.

It was with a complete sense of wonder that we discovered what this amazing resort had in store for us; a huge pool with a water fall, pool bar, sofas, beach area, jaccuzi, plus a Spa and a gym! There was also gorgeous beaches with white sand, a sea tainted with different shades of blue, quality service and all round happiness provided especially for the best pro riders on the planet.

But lets get back to talking about the event… 60 pro riders came to Cancun to compete for the $ 40 000 worth of cash prize. The official sponsor Malibu boats came with their best boats for the occasion, and also brought all of their executive staff. The CEO of Malibu boats Jack Springer was also present in Cancun to confirm his trust in the WWA, but also to present the MALIBU EVOLUTION , a world series that will be held in 2015 on the three main continents : America, Europe and Asia .

The first edition of the WWA Cancun pro was held over 3 days. The first day was for the local amateurs, the second day was for the pro men and women qualifiers and the third day was for the finals.

The Mexican representatives for the WWA worked really hard to make sure that everything ran smoothly. The riders could rest beneath a huge tent filled with food and water as well as a very professional catering service and Red bull provided hostesses and a DJ that mixed throughout the 3 days.

The mayor of Cancun Paul Michell Carrillo de Cáceres, Jack Springer the CEO of Malibu boats, and Shannon Sterling the president of the WWA officailly launched the event by cutting the ribbon. Mr Dany Hampson who was speaker for the event then went on to launch the Pro qualifiers on the Saturday.

4 heats of 5 for the pro men, and 3 heats of 3 for the pro women, with the top 3 men going though to finals on the Sunday.

It was no surprise that Andrew Adkison, Austin Air and the winner of the junior pro tour 2014 Cory Teunissen won the heat 1 and went through to semis.

Danny Thollander

Heat 2 was a lot harder and it was Steel Lafferty, Shota Tezuka and Raph Derome who went through.

Heat 3 was surprising with the elimination of Canadian rider Olivier Derome. The winners of that heat were Danny Thommander, a very impressive Tony Caroll aka Mr Grab, and Rusty Malinoski who took the lead of this heat.

In heat numero 4, it was Jeff Langley, Kyle Rattray and Phil Soven with a perfect methodical run that made the cut.

For the girls, there was only one person eliminated out of each heat. Tarah Mikacich, Bec Gange, Meagan Ethell, Amber Wing, Melissa Marquardt, and Dallas Friday were qualified and went straight through to the finals.

After the qualifiers, all the riders went back to the Me

by Melia and headed the pool bar to listen to WWA world president Shannon Sterling’s welcoming speech and sip on some delicious local cocktails.

Sunday morning started with a gigantic breakfast at the hotel and everyone then went to catch the shuttle bus to go to the event site at port Cancun which was located 15 minutes from the hotel.

Everyone was ready at 10 am, and the semi finals pro men were underway. Because a boat run is really short and its only possible to do 3 tricks per pass, an extra trick was added in double-up for the semis and finals.

After the 2 runs in semis, only the best riders could go through to the finals. Tony Carroll is pretty skilled at this game and did a really impressive run and managed to grab most of his tricks . Austin Air also did 2 really good runs and Shota Tesuka flew through the air on the double up, but not as high as Rusty who was by far the rider with the highest amplitude on the double up.

Raph Derome did a perfect run for his first contest of the year, and ended up coming first in his heat just like Philippe Soven.

There were no semis for the girls, the top 6 riders went straight through to the finals. And it was the very impressive Dallas Friday who took home the title, followed by the Queen of wake 2014 Meagan Ethell, and Bec Gange in third place.

The riders were ready for the pro men final and they had 1 run each plus a double up.

Rusty Malinoski finished 3rd despite his heelside frontside 1080 on the double up, Raph Derome finished 2nd with a perfect run, and Philippe Soven took home the title despite injuring his biceps with a Switch toeside nosegrab crow mobe 720 on the double up .

Those who drive boats on salt water know that it can be quite a challenge, but our pilot for the competition Brian Grubb drove the Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV perfectly thanks to the brand new wedge that was espacially designed for Malibu and is equipped on all of their 2015 range.

The winners were given a beautiful Mayan type of throphy at the award ceremony and then headed back to the hotel for the ceremony for the 25 years of the WWA. Everyone was dressed to impress and Mr Keith Allan, who was the first guest speeker thanked everyone for all their hard work in making this event in Cancun possible. It was then WWA founder Jimmy Redmond’s turn to speek, and he gave an impressive speech about sport passion and about the WWA family which we’re all a part of.

It was then time to reward all the representatives of the WWA in the world. Everyone received a commemorative plate to reward each person for their implication in the association.

Mr Jack Springer, the CEO of Malibu boats, then took to the stage to thank the WWA and to also announce the 2015 Malibu Evolution tour with 3 boat stops throughout the world and reassure his trust in the WWA through Malibu Boats This anniversary night ended with a delicious meal and a drink at the bar to celebrate 25 years of friendship.

I will see you all in 2015 for the rest of the tour, and to quote Mr Jimmy Redmond, « Choose freedom, choose WWA ».

Rusty Malinoski

Photos & Text: Philippe Sirech

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NAUTIQUE ttttt

WAKE OPEN 2014 ttt

ORLANDO t

The city of Orlando and its world famous OWC (Orlando Water sport Complex) hosted the « Nautique Wake Open » which is the 4th and final stop of the Nautique wake series and the 7 stop of the King of Wake series.

Rusty Malinoski won heat 5 and managed to put some distance between himself and Joshua de Palma and Keenen Allen .

And last but not least, it was Harley Clifford who once again took the lead in front of Daniel Powers and Italian rider MasThe event was held over 4 days, with the amateur categories si Piffaretti, it was intense! competing on the Thursday and Friday, the amateur award ceremony on the Saturday night, and the pro categories com- It was then time for the wakeskaters to take to the water. peting on the Saturday and Sunday.

There was no semi final as there were only 8 riders in the competition. The format was 1 run with 2 falls authorized.

Nautique once again provided their two best boats for the It was quiet a challenge as the wave from the G21 is just competition, the G21 for the wakeskaters and the G23 for massive, but it was Danny Hampson who took the lead of the wakeboarders. the wakeskating category with a really impressive run just after having won the masters category. Brian Grub came in After 2 days of intense competition between all the amateur second and Reed Hansen took the third place. categories, it was time for the pros to show us how its done.

The qualification rounds were held on the Saturday, and the In the pro women category , Meagan Ethell, who was really day started with the junior pros and followed on with the wa- impressive in the qualifications, pulled out the big guns for keskate category, pro women and pro men. There were over the final and earned herself a spot at the top of the podium.

80 pros competing for the title and the $10 000 cash given Melissa Macquardt was super happy with her second posito the top pro man et pro woman. tion, and wakeboarding legend Dallas Friday, who has inspired so many women in wakeboarding, got a well deserved The day started at 9am and finished at 6pm, and the format third place. for the qualification rounds consisted of 2 heats of 4 wakeskaters, 3 heats of 4 junior pros , 3 heats of 4 pro women and The Contour Kicker contest took place just before the pro no less than 9 heats of 4 or 5 pro men which goes to show men finals. Dean Smith won this contest hands down with just how many riders came to Orlando to try and win the Nau- heelside backside 720 ahead of Chad Sharpe with a indy tiques Wake series 2014 title. The day ended with the award glide and Aaron Rathy with a tail grab backide 360. ceremony for the amateur categories in the heart of Orlando.

On Sunday morning, all the riders were on the dock at 9 am for the semi finals. Rob Corum and his staff from the WWA were already in place as time is precious in this type of competition and there isn’t a minute to lose. The junior pros were the first riders off the dock at 9:30 am and they had 2 runs each with the best run counting and no falls. Jason Soven, the youngest brother of the famous wakeboarding family did 2 really clean runs and earned himself a 3rd position. Parker Siegle landed all his tricks perfectly, but it wasn’t enough to beat Cory Teunissen who really dominated this category all year with his toeside fronside 900, heelside frontside 720, and mobe 5.

Its finally time for the much anticipated pro men final. The spectators were all holding their breaths as the 6 finalists took to the dock. The 6 finalists were Tony Carrol (USA), Noah Flegel (USA), Philippe Soven (USA), Shota Tezuka (JPN), Rusty Malinoski (CDN) and Harley Clifford (AUS)…the competition was tight!

After the first round, Harley Clifford knew that he was way ahead of the rest as his first run was epic, but the race wasn’t over just yet and every single trick had to be perfectl executed. Luckily for him, the leaders of the race all fell on their second run so he decided to give it his all and try a heelside double back which he landed, and a double back which In the pro men semi finals, only the top rider from each heat he unfortunatly fell on but it didn’t matter, he had already made it through to the finals. In heat 1, it was Philippe Soven won the title! who took the lead with his classic run.

Harley was crowned champion, followed by Rusty Malinoski Tony Carrol won heat 2 after a fierce battle against Jimmy and Philippe Soven.

Lariche and Dean Smith.

This hot and intense weekend ended with an award cereNoah Flegel , the junior who only just arrived in the pro cate- mony for the final of the Nautique Wake series Tour which gory took the lead in heat 3, and Japanese rider Shota Tezuka was held in 4 different stops. I hope to see you all in 2015 at came first in heat 4 despite the fact that he had some really different competitions and I’m looking forward to witnessing tough competition in his heat. our sport grow even further.

Rider: Aaron Rathy

Rider: Rusty Malinoski

WORDS

Photos: Pierre Marie Caminati Interview: Raynald Tanny

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with Wes Gumpel ttttt What makes a wakepark cool?

A small but tight cable with lots of different types of obstacles. And if the staff is cool then that’s just the icing on the cake!

What makes a trick look cool?

Obviously for me, it has a trick on an obstacle. The board has to be in axis and well pressed.

The rider should be relaxed but also in control, whether you’re doing the trick yourself or watching someone else do it.

What makes a board cool?

A large nose and tail a full wood board thats not too flex and has a nice rocker and killer pop.

What makes bindings cool?

Something simple yet effective, but no boot liners. A pair of Odyssey from Humanoid pretty much sums it up.

What makes a riding session cool?

During summer, a day when the sun is completly hidden by the clouds, there’s no one on the water a part from your friends, and you get to ride the last rope of the day.

What makes France cool?

The food, the wine, the cheese and my friends.

What makes a wake trip cool?

Going overseas with a friend (and/or your girlfriend) to a warm country, having the time to film, do touristy stuff and enjoy the moment but also ride a lot!

What makes a video edit cool?

The image must be in a good quality, filmed from not too far away with some lifestyle shots and some funny moments in it so it doesn’t end up being too serious.

What makes a photo cool?

I think that the location of the photo is becoming more and more important, there has to be something unusual about it. Both the rider and the photographer should be in exactly the right place at the right time.

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

I think the most important thing is to be yourself. Do your best to send photos that reflect who you are, take the time to do edits and take photos and enjoy yourself. The rest will come naturally.

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

Riding with a buddy, someone who isn’t afraid to tell it how it is and knows when to tell you that the trick you just did was shit in order to push you to do better. Try and try again so that your style evolves « step by step ».

Photos: Hector Urzaiz Calpe Words: Leo Labadens

TRICK TIP

HOW TO O

NO COMPLY 360

O

With Leo Labadens

Location: Spain Rider: Leo Labadens

1

2

3

4

5...

1. Coming in toeside is easier to learn this, and pick the smallest kicker thing you can find. Bend the knees, using both hands on the handle can help too and always keep the handle as close from your hips as you can.

2. Coming in toeside is easier to learn this, and pick the smallest kicker thing you can find. Bend the knees, using both hands on the handle can help too and always keep the handle as close from your hips as you can.

3. When you get on the kicker try to feel your board sliding then go tail heavy and drop the front foot (the latest the better).

4. At this point I always stare at my board to make sure it’s moving the way I want it and not too quickly, it get’s tricky to put your front foot back on the board but you did #1 well it should come back on it. Dare with the split, always look at the board and push it away if it has a wrong momentum!

5. So now you board should be under your feet and ready to land, but make sure you front arm is close enough to catch the handle when you touch the water so the ride away part will be nice and easy.

Interview: Raynald Tanny Photos: Slingshot - Bryan Soderlind

EVOLUTION

AND NOW J

with Oli Derome J When you started your career of wakeboarder, What do you see as the evolution of wakeboading what did you think about the pro wakeboarder in Canada at the moment? lifestyle? Was it true or totally wrong?

Canada has always had a pretty good participation The lifestyle of wakeboarding definitely helped me behind the boat, it has also given rise to it’s fare want to get into it. I first started riding because some share of power house riders, and that since the beolder kids on the lake did it and made it look rad, the ginning. As park riding has been expanding quicfact that I skateboarded and snowboarded only made kly all over the globe, Canada is right up there in sense for me to wakeboard. It was only later on that the mix. It’s a bummer that there is only 2 full size I saw my first wake video and saw the lifestyle of a parks, but on the other hand, there is close to 20 pro rider, my mind was blown! haha The guys that two tower parks which has shown to be a growing rode on my lake looked like they had a cool lifestyle, number every year. when I saw the BONUS footage from movies I thought it was the ultimate. Now that I’ve been involved I guess, before,especially in Canada, kids used to in wakeboarding for about 10 years, I can say that the snowboard or hockey instead of wakeboarding, lifestyle is what you make it. Some guys do every- right? What about now? Kids don’t snowboard thing that you can imagine and more, others like to be or hockey just because they chose wakeboarmore reserved and live a normal life. I personally like ding? Or wakeboarding is still the same small the navigate in between those 2; I guess I choose my sport just a few are involved? moments to get wild more than I use to, but I have had the chance to live this «lifestyle» and wouldn’t want I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t take part in any other sport because they are too busy wakeboarding. it any other way.

As Canada has 4 drastically different seasons, eveYou think it was easier for the first generation to rybody has to adapt. As our winters last much lonbe on the TOP and it’s way harder now due to the ger than our summers, there are much more hockey, ski and snowboard enthusiast. On the other hand, huge number of sick rider? they have to keep busy in the summer so spend time I think it is proportionally the same, just on a bigger on the water. scale. There was a smaller pool of riders back in the late 90’s but also less brands and spots on teams. As And now, would you prefer to have a licence in far as being «on top», I think it is the same as well. medicine or a wakeboard world tittle?

Competing against Byerly, Murray, Darin Shapiro or Parks while they were in their prime would be just as I wouldn’t of had it any other way! I am grateful for difficult as being in a final with Harley and Phil. Also, where I am and what I have today. The experienthe sport has grown and open the doors to park riding ces that I’ve had along the way, the places that I’ve which has given the opportunity to other riders to dis- seen, the people that I’ve met, the things that I’ve tinguish themselves; being in a heat with Raph and learned and especially all the fun that I’ve had makes it hard for me to regret the path that I’ve chosen.

Daniel Grant doesn’t give much room error either!

Sure being a doctor would have been a lot easier on Do you remember your first rail? Do you regret my body and would offer a much more stable career, but I wouldn’t be the person that I am. It would that «sketchy» construction sometimes? be easy to say «kids, don’t become a pro wakeboarI remember them all; 1st I hit, 1st my dad help build, der because you won’t have the financial stability 1st I build on my own… most of these firsts were ba- that most people want» but then again, if you get sically the best way to realize that lengths and angles into wakeboarding for the money, you have chosen appear totally different on land during conception it for the wrong reason. Possibly in the future, wathan on water while riding. All that time thinking you keboarding will rise to the level that snowboarding, were building the sickest rail with all of the crazy skateboarding and surfing has reached and it will tricks you were going to do, only to realize it was too offer a career that is more supported. short and transitions too steep to actually do what you had hoped for. It was the best way to learn. There has Until then, it is our job to keep growing and pushing been some sketchy ones along the way for sure, but the sport in that direction whether it is by teaching that only made become a better rider because you had newcomers or showcasing our riding through it’s best form. to adapt and be ready for anything.

Photos: JOBE Text: Robbin Mazurel

SHOOT

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JOBE 2015 ttttt

CATALOGUE SHOOT BREAKDOWN ttt

BEHIND THE PHOTOSHOOT t

So here we are. The gusting winds caused by the annual Surf Expo in the United States have settled and all major companies have presented their 2015 collection of wakeboards, wakeskates and bindings in their brand new catalogues. As an end consumer you only get to see the “final result”. But there’s a lot more behind the catalogue than you may think! Jobe wanted to give the readers of Unleashed an exclusive insight in how their catalogue came to existence, including the development of the original catalogue idea, the photo-heavy style they’ve worked out in the 2015 Wake Park catalogue and the choice of photographers and locations.

The original idea: When you look at the 2015 Jobe Wake Park guide you immediately feel the link it has with the internet.

The guide has a stylish interface which has great similarities with the navigation you find on your average website. The guide is “2.0”, but why?

‘Jobe Graphic designer Ivo Rietveld was looking for a way to really stand out with a paper catalogue when comparing it to the competition. Most catalogues are 100% focused on showing the new products as much as possible, which sometimes leads to forgetting the interest of the reader’ says Robbin Mazurel, creative marketeer of Jobe . ‘The online era we live in, where everybody is scrolling through thousands of Instagram photos to find the gems shot by high profile photographers, Ivo felt the catalogue should be an extension of this. It should be something to scroll through and enjoy, a guide filled with killer photography which people can enjoy looking at. A catalogue you want to collect and keep in safe to get inspired by every time you read it’ This vision of getting people to enjoy scrolling through the catalogue is very well executed. Going through the catalogue, we find product pages filled for 90% with one large photo which could as well be the cover of a magazine. Saying that, the cover of this edition is in fact the photo of the Jobe Pitch product page, a completely new shape handcrafted by Jobe’s own product developer Niek Huiskes!

Yonel Cohen

John Dickey

Picking the right photographer: With making the catalogue so photo-heavy, it’s hard to pick a photographer you feel confident enough with to get the idea and fill it in the way the graphic designer has in mind. Ivo and Robbin discussed a lot about this and went through hundreds of magazines, catalogues and portfolios to come up with the perfect combination of high profile photography.

Because two photo shoots were planned, one in France and one in America, they chose to go with well known and Wake Award winning photographer Chris Garrison and well known kite photographer Ydwer van der Heide. Both experienced in high speed action photography, they were up to the task to shoot game changing photos for the 2015 Jobe collection. And they sure delivered!

‘Having worked with both photographers, I can surely state these guys know exactly what they do and even more important: know how to catch the moment! These guys see stuff normal people can’t see and will blow you away with the innovative photos they take. They have their own vision of what a photo should look like and can be recognized in a second by their personal style.’

On the set: Being on the set of a photo shoot is something you have to really experience to get an idea of the work and effort that is put into it. There’s a strict schedule that’s made to make sure all products and all riders are shot and because we’re shooting outdoors, a minor change in the weather can have major setbacks in the schedule. Riders have to ride all day long to get the perfect set of photos for their part in the catalogue which means injuries are a common thing on a set. Apart from this, riders have to be on top of their game at all times to really show their level of riding.

‘The photo shoot period was an insanely intense period of time in which we were praying everything would go according to plan. We made a realistic planning in which we had time for each individual rider to show their tricks and capture them in a way we were stoked to show in the 2015 catalogue. The only thing that could go wrong was the weather.

And it did. Starting the photo shoot at the annual FISE in Montpellier, we captures great images of Julian Cohen riding all the way up to the finals and finishing in third place. Two shots of this are featured on the Home page and the product page of the Conflict, which are crazy if you ask me. Having great weather we were confident the shoot at TNG in France would go the way we imagined it to be. Little did we know the next day was full of rain making the signature green water at TNG grey and boring. Because we planned the photo shoot really tight, we had to shoot anyway and photographer Ydwer came up with the idea to use the bad weather in our advantage with the use of multiple strobes. This shot eventually made the cover of the 2015 catalogue!

After this rainy day, we were blessed with several days of sunshine!

Starting very early every morning we eventually had just enough time to round of the shoot one hour before the end of the trip. All shots were made for the European part of the guide and all Ivo had to do from now was crossing his fingers for the USA shoot by Chris Garrison.’, so says Robbin.

‘That’s the part where I started to feel the pressure a bit. I’m a perfectionist and am normally at every shoot to make sure the end result matches the idea we had in mind. For the USA shoot this wasn’t possible however. Giving such a task to Chris (in which I have great trust to do a perfect job), or any other pro photographer is always a bit scary because you don’t know what goes on in his mind during the actual shoot. Would the shots match the photos of Ydwer and would they fit in the catalogue? This was the question that kept me awake for a few days until Chris delivered the photos. Oh. My. God.’ ‘The shots Chris delivered are just straight out magic. Ivo and I chose Jibtopia to be our USA location because we wanted to show the mass the beauty of rail riding and in general 2.0 parks. Having Jobe riders as Yonel Cohen, Jon Dickey and Austin Hair who eat rails for breakfast made this even more beautiful. Nicknamed Flash Garrison, this guy knows exactly what he was doing and put out a photo series that exceeded my expectations. I couldn’t be happier with the result.’

The end result: From original idea and being on the set, we’ve gone through the whole process of making the 2015 Jobe Wake Park catalogue come to life. The work that’s put in by the guys at Jobe and the photographers they’ve worked with has paid out great and resulted in what we think one of the greatest wakeboarding guides up to date. Are you interested in the end result? Pay a visit to the Jobe Wake Park website at www. jobewakepark.com or get one at your local cable park next season!

Yonel Cohen

GALLERY

«A photography is the fragment of time that will not return...»

Martin Franck

Jesse Darflinger - Atlanta Georgia - USA - Photo: Jeff Mathis

Yanick Paton - Spain - Photo: Hector Urzaiz Calpe

Marc Besner - Canada - Photo: Jdeux

LĂŠo Labadens - Clermont - USA - Photo: Raynald Tanny

Matthieu Montoro - Lacanau - France - Photo: Pierre Marie Caminati

Mattias Hoppe - Breddas Backyard - Sueden - Photo: Daniel Deak Bardos