unleashed#67 2015 back to school issue

PROGRESSIVE WAKEBOARDING

L I G H T E R | S T R O N G E R | B E T T E RW W W. H Y P E R L I T E . C O M / S Y S T E M B I N D I N G S

I n t r o d u c i n g .

L O W B A C K E N G I N E E R I N G

The LowBack allows for maximum range of motion, making it the perfect choice for riders looking for extra mobility and flex. This new one-piece construction is extremely durable while allowing for natural board flex. This is accomplished by the integrated flex zones in the rear of the binding ankle support.

_Facebook_dupwake _Instagram_@dupwake _vimeo_dupwake

For your nearest stockist please email _ [email protected]

_Facebook_dupwake _Instagram_@dupwake _vimeo_dupwake

For your nearest stockist please email _ [email protected]

A N T I - P R O100% Paulonia Wood Core | Dyna 2 Base360º Polyurethane Side Walls | 3 Stage RockerSizes: 136 | 139 | 143

Pics: Maui Hidalgo

AN

TO

NI

V

AN

D

ER

W

EK

KE

N

@miamiwatersports

Miami Watersports Complex

@aktionparks

401 E 65th StreetHialeah, Florida [email protected]/miami

Unleashed Wakeboard Magazine World Headquarter France 2 rue Dorbesson31100 TOULOUSE

Issue 67 –July August September 2015

FOUNDER, CEO, EDITOR & DIRECTORPhilippe SIRECH

PUBLISHERPhilippe SIRECH +33(0)7 87 95 37 40 Europe+1(407)800-3567 USA/[email protected]

MARKETINGPhilippe [email protected]

ADVERTISING MANAGERPhil SIRECH [email protected]

P.R (PRESS RELEASE)Stephanie PROTET+33(0)6 11 11 25 [email protected]

CSO , MARKETING & STATS Sophie Sirech-combettes+1(407)[email protected]

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Elise Fougere +33 (0)6 99 10 62 [email protected]

WORLD REPORTER AND PROOFREADINGVicki Hernandez Dill+1(832)[email protected]

SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHERHector Urzaiz Calpe+34 69 725 [email protected]

CONTRIBUTERS PHOTOGRAPHERS Hector Urzaiz Calpe , Dominique Granger, Karl Herman , Bryan Soderlind, Justin Stephens , Daniel den Bardos, Max Hunt, Todd Watson, Justin Teich, Justin Worral , Ydwer van der heide, Greg Weatherall

CONTRIBUTERS WRITERSBuckman Fergusson , Vicki Dill, Dom Granger ,Joseph Matthew , Katia volkova

TRANSLATIONDominique Granger

COUNTRIES

UNLEASHED FRANCE Jérôme Macquart+33(7) 60 89 76 [email protected]

UNLEASHED INTERNATIONAL SPAINHector Urzaiz Calpe+34 69 725 [email protected]

UNLEASHED JAPAN Nagahisa Matsukawa+81 9 016 752 [email protected]

UNLEASHED RUSSIAKaterina Yuerieva+79 25 26 304 [email protected]

UNLEASHED CANADADominique Granger+1(514)[email protected]

UNLEASHED USAPhilippe Sirech +1(407)[email protected]

PRINT : EVOLUPRINT France and Sundance Solutions Orlando USA

DIGITAL : ISSUU.COM

Unleashed Wakeboard Magazine is published nine time- sannually 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 Hel- met and a life vest !!!!

Jeff

Mck

ee ©

Slin

gsho

t /

Bry

an S

oder

lind

14

Step Number Two of Unleashed Wake Mag Evolution is in your hands.We hope you enjoyed the last issue of the magazine.

Step 2 - What does that mean? Again Unleashed Wake Mag is searching to find the best ways to make the magazine attractive for ALL of our readers. That’s why we make a few changes, in each issue, for your enjoyment and to ensure that you have a pleasurable reading experience.Step 2 ”Changing format” Our focus was to make the magazine more square, classy, and easy to take anywhere and we think we’ve reached our goal with this issue.

One more time September comes with Fall & New stuff. Everyone will be really excited to discover all the fresh 2016 gear & equipment presented during SURFEXPO, an awesome industry show held in ORLANDO, Florida. During the show all the brands meet with their retailers to share their new innovative products for the upcoming season.

In this issue, #67, you will find all the most impressive event reports of this season. There are the interviews with Carro Djupsö from Sweden and Nikita Terskov from Russia. You’ll tag along on the awesome trips of the Ronix crew through the USA as well as the last 3000 kilometers of the European Road to Ropes Van tour held by Dom Granger. You will find the traditional headings of ”How To Wake” with James Windsor, ”What Matters” with Bernie Hinterberger, and ”And Now” with Dom Hernler, the incredible winner of ALL the European wakeboard contests this season (Fise, Plastic Playground and Harbor Reach!!!).

All of us at the magazine hope you will like the new format of UNLEASHED WAKE MAG International Edition. Enjoy this brand new edition - enjoy the EVOLUTION.

Philippe

Yonn

el D

amaz

an

WARMESTWARMESTWARMESTWINTERWINTERWINTEREVER.EVER.EVER.

WAKE SWEAT

A super comfy jacket to wear while you shred the cable or to keep you

warm in between sessions.

#INCONTROL | MYSTICBOARDING.COM

FRONT BACK

KANGAROO SIDE POCKETS

POCKET WATER OUTLET

VELCRO WRIST STRAPS

HOODIE WATER OUTLET

ELASTIC WAIST STRAP

1616

18 / NEWS PORDUCTS

22 / NEWS INNOVATION

24 / ARTY

26 / SENSITIVE / Scotty Broome

28 / MUSIC

30 / INDUSTRY INTERVIEW / Niek Huiskes

32 / BRAND PROFIL / Bomber Eyewear

34 / INTERVIEW / Carro Djupsö

40 / CONTEST / p las t ic playground 2015

46 / ROAD TRIP / Tood Watson

52 / WHAT MATTERS / Bernhard Hinterberger

54 / AND NOW / Dom Hernler

56 / GALLERY

66 / INTERVIEW / Nik i ta Terskov

72 / NEW SPOT / Pointe’s Wake Park

74 / ROAD TO ROPES

72 / CONTEST / Wake fes t 2015

76 / LOCAL HERO / Tanar P igrenet

78 / HOW TO / Toeside, Backside, 450 to Front Board

34 /

46 /

56 /

72 /

78 /

18

//// MO4 \\\\

The 2016 Bad MO4. A bit lighter, eco-friendlier with optimized flex, to bring your park game to the next level. This beauty is the first one out of three bad shredding flag-ship sticks that MO4 Wakeboards is introducing for the next season.To find out more go to mofourwakeboards.com and follow @mo4wakeboards on Instagram

//// HYPERLITE \\\\

HYPERLITE SYSTEME LOWBACK BINDINGThe new System Low Back provides the ultimate wakeboard connection while granting free riders the freedom and flexibility they desire. hyperlite.com

//// BEAST MOUNT \\\\

The new revolutionary GoPro camera support allows its users to shoot from an angle never seen before. Attach the accessory on the handle bar and ride hands free and without any movements. Behind a cable or behind a boat the Beast Mount remains easy to use. Secure it in a matter of seconds and ride. With the Beast Mount the rider remains at the center of the action.

pidiviwakeskate.comboardprotect.fr

20

//// RIXEN \\\\

50% cotton / 50% Polyester - 279 g/m² More prints and colors available online at

www.rixen-cableways.com/shop

//// SINNER \\\\

HYLAND ZIP BACK PACK The Hyland is an urban street-style inspired zip backpack. Made of tarpaulin: a strong, flexible and durable material that is waterproof. It is a multifunctional bag: vertical board straps at the front make this bag skate and snowboard compatible. And thus easy to take with you; to the beach, up on the slopes or wherever.Customize the bag for a perfect fit with the adjustable chest strap and waist belt, increase the comfort by positioning the high density foam padded shoulder straps and cushy back panel. The main compartment contains an inside pocket to store valuables like your phone, money or passport, while the front pocket is easy accessible by a waterproof zipper.

//// LAMES & TRADITION \\\\

Lames & Tradition has developed a range of 100% natural products from France for professionals as well as for individuals. Their products are dedicated to the maintenance of beards and traditional shaving. A few things they offer are an oil, a shaving balm and a styling mousse which is very nourishing for the maintenance of the beard. They also offer a beard shampoo soap with donkey milk, honey comb and shaving oil. The selection of products are enhanced with a woody fragrance and fresh ingredients based with vetiver and patchouli. All of our containers start from 15 ml and go up 50 ml and all are suitable for travel.lamesettradition.com

22

//// HERCULES \\\\

HERCULES WAE OUTDOOR 04 PLUS

Wireless speaker designed for riders! Perfect for experiencing all of your rides with even more intensity, accompanied by your favorite music. The ideal companion for getting psyched up or training.

IP66-CERTIFIED: resists water, and provides total protection against dust, sand and mud.

SHOCK-RESISTANT: reinforced rubber end-pieces.

Clear, very powerful sound for optimal audio rendering in outdoor conditions (in the wind, on the street): single-unit 2.0 speaker + passive decompression driver.Bluetooth® 3.0 A2DP wireless technology. Compatible with Bluetooth® devices: telephones and smartphones, tablets, computers (Windows® Vista/7/8, Mac® OS X).More than 12 hours of battery life.Can be connected to two Bluetooth® audio sources at the same time: switch from one to the other incredibly easily.

Control buttons: volume + and -, next and previous tracks, pause and play.On/off switch and auxiliary line input.USB charging cable included. Compatible with 5 V micro-USB chargers.Secure hoop for wrist strap.Standard-size screw thread for easy mounting (examples: bike mount, tripod, suction cup mount, etc.).Custom Android and iOS app for your smartphone.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONSRMS power: 2 x 2.5 W RMSPeak power: 10 WFrequency response: 130 Hz - 20,000 HzSpeaker dimensions: 61 (H) / 151 (W) / 61 (D) mmWeight: 280 gRechargeable 3.7 V 1500 mAh Li-ion (lithium-ion) batteryMagnetically-shielded system won’t disturb your surroundingsRoHS compliant productwebsite: http://www.hercules.com

24

Luis “Kuky” de Dios is an ar t is t blessed with many talents and a huge pass ion for waterspor ts .He loves the ocean, the waves and surfing, s imply the whole l i fes ty le. With projects l ike “SkeletonSea”, in which he creates mind-blowing sculptures with t rash found in the oceans, he gained attent ion in the surfing- as wel l as in the ar t scene. Kuky shared his creat iv i ty wi th ION r ight f rom the brand‘s fi r s t s teps , so i t was pretty obvious to ask him for another Ar t is t Col lect ion in 2015.

KUKYde dios

The idea of the ION Surf Boxing Club - Gentleman Style arose from situations Kuky experienced at the beach and in the water. These are tough times for surfer, too many people like bodyboarders, stand up paddlers & longboarders also would like to catch a wave. Therefore there is more and more potential for conflicts, which sometimes explodes and is noticeable by screams, fights & discussions in the line-up.

With this input from the beach he went to his studio and started drawing the club of surf-boxing with the old gentleman fight style. The root of classic boxing is to kill the enemy with style, rules, honor and respect for your opponent. All ethic codes which are hard to find lately. Its about a big lack of gentlemen in life and a big lack of „boxing style“ in the water. It reveals the conflict of the big grow in surfing.

C A S T O R C R E W ´ S D A I L Y W O R K W E A R

ONYX S E R I E S

D A I L Y

W O R K

W E A R

SURFING ELEMENTSION-PRODUCTS.COM

26

Konnichiwa! (Hello!)During this 25th anniversary year of the WWA, The Malibu Tokyo Pro, presented by Rockstar Energy Drink, was held at Odaiba beach, Tokyo, in the middle of the most well known city in Japan. The event is a part of the WWA World Series 2015 and the biggest wakeboard event in Japanese wakeboard history. 24 international riders visited Japan to compete, including WBWS leader Harley Clifford, who was competing for the first time in a Japanese competition. In addition 30 domestic riders were in the line up, like Malibu rider Toshiki Yasui, who brought local excitement to the audience. The typhoon was coming closer to the area and it was a bit windy but the water conditions were great with perfect wakes behind the official boat, Malibu wake setter 22MXZ, driven by Brian Grubb. The game broadcasted on the NBC network in the USA and the total cash prize giving $55,000 - made the riders push each other even more.

On August 22nd, during the opening ceremony, WWA’s Shannon Starring and Malibu boat CEO Jack Springer received “Japanese Kabuto” as gifts from JWBA chairman Katsu Susukida. He sincerely thanked the WWA regarding the long term relationship between WWA and JWBA, as well as Malibu’s great support for this event.

In the quarter finals 12 qualified riders plus WBWS series top 6 riders competed together and it included: Harley Clifford, Phil Soven, JD Webb, Austin Hair, Mike Dowdy, Noah Flegel. Unfortunately, Japan’s biggest hope, X-Games Silver medalist Shota Tezuka, couldn’t get enough points to beat Raph Derome and Stephen Pierce. However, Malibu Japan representative, Toshiki Yasui received an 85.00 from the judges and it was enough to go through to semi finals and the audience was very excited about this advance.

Pro Women’s Semi final was a raging battle. WBWS point leader, Meagan Ethell, couldn’t get enough points to go through. Malibu boat rider, Tarah Mikacich, Nicola Butler, Melissa Marquardt, and Tayor McCullough all proceeded to the final. Japanese young hopeful, Yuzuki, needed only 5 points more to ride in the final.

On August 23rd during the men’s semi final, 18 riders were reduced to only 6. Raph Derome received 91.33 points and it was one of the most exciting moments of the day. Of course Raph proceeded to finals but unfortunately his brother, Oli, did not. Toshiki Yasui’s run was really great but it was not enough to beat Steel Lafferty and Harley Clifford.The Pro Women’s Final was a very exciting heat. Dallas Friday won by a fraction of a hair with 97.00 points. Raimi Merritt was awarded second place with a 92.67, Tarah Mikacich managed third place with an 89.33. Melissa Marquardt was named female with the best trick (wrapped toeside backroll to blind).Pro Men’s was also a hard battle and kept the area crowded with a huge audience as well. Dean Smith finished his run with 93.33 points. WBWS points rank leader, JD Webb, and Phil Soven followed him closely. Dean Smith added to his win the award of: “Pro Men Double Up” with his regular heelside frontside 900.

Tokyo will host the Olympics in 2020 and the city has been renovating itself to be known as an athlete friendly city. We hope this World Series will continually take place in Japan and would love to watch the world’s best wakeboard competition every year!

Arigato!(Thanks!)

Malibu Tokyo Pro p r e s e n t e d B y R o c k s t a r

by Nagahisa Matsukawa

© Rodrigo Donoso

28

RDX A Your Life

Vybz KartelDo Di Maths(Wha do you)

FUTURE Dirty Sprite 2Full Album

Busy SignalTamara

Aubreyus X Dej Loaf

Money On The Flo

PopcaanNever Sober

30

NIEK HUISKES

Hi Niek - Can you introduce yourself in a few words?Hi Unleashed - My name is Niek Huiskes! I am 35 years young, living in the Netherlands and my biggest passion in life is wakeboarding. Everything I do is aimed at sharing this passion with the world. In my free time I am an active wakeboarder and during office hours I am working at Jobe. I am blessed that I have been able to turn my hobby into work and that’s why I am sharing my passion with the entire world. What is your function under JOBE? Sharing my passion for wakeboarding translates into my current function at Jobe: Product developer. More specifically: I am the one who is responsible for the development of wakeboards and bindings at Jobe. What are the developments and trends for the next year?My mission is to constantly improve and innovate Jobe wakeboards and bindings. I want everyone to be able to step up their game and improve their skills. Because I believe your gear is an important factor in this process, my focus for 2016 is on improved control, more playful boards and on different flex layups.

How does the design process work?The design process contains several steps, making sure the best possible outcome is achieved. The first step is finding the perfect materials for our products: I check what’s currently available and I am also always on the lookout for new materials that are useful for our market. The second step is all about innovating and deciding which board and bindings suit current needs: I am getting all Jobe riders together at the lake to feel and test different shapes, cores and flex layups. Once we have decided which board and bindings feel good, we open a mold to actually create it. We then thoroughly test it again and make the finishing touches. The same process applies for the bindings: We test different stiffness overlays, different insoles and high and low density foam liners. The feedback during the testing process is important for us to finish the final collection and come up with the best possible product. Because we think getting feedback on our products is an important way to stay innovative, we came up with a brand new concept: Jobe Betatroopers. We invite people to sign up as a Jobe Betatrooper and be part of our brand. They get

31

the chance to exclusively test our newest products and give feedback on them. That way people actually influence the design process of these products! We are really happy to see people willing to give feedback as we have welcomed many Betatroopers from all over the world already! Tell us more about JOBE and the EVO Project:The EVO project has been a really big project and has had some challenges along the way. It actually started on my first day of work, which was 4 years ago. There was a need for a new binding, something that could take the sport to the next level. The first challenge was to convince people internally of this need. Once I managed to do that, the second challenge arose: Creating something that didn’t have a patent. Because Jobe’s mission is to get as many people on the water, we do not believe in patents because it is a restriction for this mission. Therefore, we did not want to make use of current patented binding construction methods. Instead, we collaborated with the Dutch Technical University of Delft, which has a special Sports Innovation Department, to come up with our own method. From this moment on, the pieces of the puzzle fell together: The combination of an enthusiastic team at Jobe HQ, great team riders and the unique insights from the collaboration resulted in the EVOlution of wakeboarding! Tell us more about who developed this new project under JOBE and how it works?Once all the challenges were overcome, the project moved to the next stage. Just like every other design process, this meant deciding about current needs, getting the right materials, a lot of testing, getting feedback, and testing again. The EVO project started from scratch because it had to be something completely new. Current needs from the market and our team riders resulted in the fact that the EVO evolved to a modular binding. The binding is completely customizable with different skins and it has direct control and extra flex control. Separate from the binding is the lightweight & fashionable sneaker, which also means this more expensive sneaker is less likely to wear out. It will save you a lot of money in the long run. Once the final testing round was done, I knew it was worth the 4 years of hard work!Being the one responsible for the project, I worked with many different people: The other Jobe product developers, designers and team riders. This also meant I had to take many different opinions and feedback into account, which resulted in the final version of the EVO.

How has the company grown and changed during the 4 years since you arrived?The mission of Jobe is to get everyone on the water. Every day we are working hard to make that happen. And every day we are working hard developing new products. This means innovations and improvements are an important drive for our company. For wakeparks, this resulted in the fact that we started making boards with our own shapes and open molds. We also assembled a team which is 100% dedicated to wakepark riding: A team captain, a graphic designer, a marketer and of course me, as product developer. We are always trying to step up our game and this leads to many changes and improvements all the time. Tell us more about sales and marketing all around the world. I know it’s not your main role but everyone wants to know?Once a product like the EVO is finished, it is certainly not the last step in the process. That is where sales & marketing

come into play, because we want the world to know about the EVO. After all, if nobody knows about it, we cannot improve the sport! At Jobe, we think it is important to be completely transparent to

everyone and do not promise something we cannot deliver. I think this should be important for every brand! What cool things are on the horizon for next year besides the Jobe Evo one?For 2016 we added various new products to our collection. We have added new shapes to our collection and one of these shapes is made for Dominik Guhrs. Then there are new wetsuits that are specially designed for wakepark riding and special vests that can be worn inside out. Does JOBE have plans to sponsor big events in the future and do more marketing to improve your “PRO” image?This year we sponsored the WWA and it was a success. Therefore we are looking to do the same in the future. Also, the Jobe Betatroopers concept is an example of getting in touch with fanatic wakeboarders and using the feedback to innovate our products. After all, the products itself are what is most important in our sport! Thanks for this interview NIEK - any last words or thanks?I want to thank everyone I am working with, especially the Jobe team riders, because I believe we can only step up our game if we work together!

I AM BLESSED I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TURN MY HOBBY INTO WORK AND THAT’S WHY I AM SHARING MY PASSION WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD.

33

BOMBER EYEWEAR

Tommy “the Bomber” Bonacci founded Bomber Eyewear back in 1997. The four-time World Champion Jet Ski Racer made his first pair of floating sunglasses from torn off pieces of foam padding from jet skis. Now, their family-run company uses a patented foam lining technology to offer water sports enthusiasts, fishermen and everyone in between eyewear that is comfortable, durable, stylish and able to float. All of their eyewear comes with patented flotation technology and hard coatings to protect them from scratches. Their flexible frames, coupled with Bomber’s patented foam lining technology is what makes their eyewear ideal for comfort while keeping them lightweight. They also have wrap-around styles that provide protection against debris, wind and glare as well as polarized options, bifocal lenses and a large variety of custom lenses are available. In addition to offering innovative eyewear BOMBER EYEWEAR BENELUX organized a competition series unlike any other. The 2015 Bomber Cablepark Battles were a series of team battles between the 5 cableparks in Belgium. 5 riders from each park competed in each battle representing their very own cablepark. Each park hosted a battle making it a 5 stop tour. The teams competed against each other and were judged on their skills in 3 different disciplines: Freestyle/Airtricks Battle, Rail Battle, and Kicker Battle.

For being such a small country - Belgium has 5 full sized cable wakeparks. The 5 parks are Terhills Cablepark, The Spin - 1st Belgian Cablepark, Lakeside Paradise, BCP Belgium Cable Park, and the newest park, Goodlife Cablepark. The competitions took place within 2 months and it was great way to bring together all the riders, both French speakers and Dutch speakers, from every corner of Belgium. By gathering everyone five times for the events it created a stronger wake boarding community for the entire country. The world needs to watch out - there’s some hardcore riding going on in the little

country known best for their chocolate, beer and waffles!The 1st stop of the event was at the very well developed, Lakeside Paradise. Lakeside offers all the bells and whistles that anyone would want from a cablepark. They have several technical rails with the most well known being their Unit pool gap. Not surprisingly Lakeside also won the event for that day. The 2nd stop was held at Terhills Cablepark, a park set in a very natural environment with high class accommodations and the most amazing food. Terhills Cablepark shared the top spot with Lakeside Paradise. The 3rd stop was held at The Spin, a very lively park with a spirited partying ambiance. The first place position at that stop went to the Terhills team with Victor Salmon, a Bomber Eyewear Team Rider giving the team a strong edge. The 4th stop was at Belgium’s newest park, Good Life. It was a sunny day in Belgium and the crowd enjoyed Goodlife’s beach like vibe while watching Lakeside take the win. The 5th stop was at Belgium Cablepark, a park that offers the advanced Unit Henshaw rail and Lakeside dominated on the water that day.

At the end of the 5 competition series the winning team, Lakeside Paradise, brought home victory & honor to their cablepark thanks to the innovative competition series created by Bomber Eyewear Benelux. Kevin Crombez, Bomber’s charming importer & distributor, presented the winning team with their awards and 1000 euro check.

Bomber Eyewear Benelux has taken on some of the best riders in the world to be a part of their respected team. Expect to see well known wakeboarders like Lior Sofer, Victor Salmon, Sanne Meijer, Tommy Swaan, Antoni van der Wekken & Joachim Bertelsen wearing their stylish shades on and off the water. “Like” them on Facebook at We Are Bomber, follow them on Instagram @we_are_bomber and check out their website for all the latest styles, www.bombereyewear.net.

How many pairs of sunglasses have YOU donated to the lake, r iver or ocean? We’ve all been there unfor tunately. Finally there’s a solution to this di lemma…Bomber Eyewear - a l ine of floating sunglasses that they descr ibe as “a mesh of fun, function, safety, and water”. They are perfect for r iding on OR behind the boat…and can even be worn on those extra sunny days at the cablepark.

BOMBER CABLePARK BATTLES

andTHE

Written by: Vicki Dill

34

carro Djupsjo

Interview by: Vicki Dill

Carro is 24 years old and born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden but for the past five years she has been living in her board bag all over the world. Wakeboarding is her passion but she also loves tr ying things she’s never done before and discover ing places she’s never been. Rock-climbing in Thailand, surfing in France, and exper iencing the exhilaration of trying something new are an important par t of being happy in Carro’s point of view.

35

© @

Arl

ingt

onla

ne

36

So we know you were originally a boat rider and just recently you started being more visible in the cable world - tell us about that transition:I’ve always loved riding behind the boat. It’s just such a great feeling being on the water with all of your friends and a juiced up wake. Unfortunately I have one problem: I don’t own a boat. To make up for this and the rising gas-prices in Europe I spent last season in Orlando riding behind my friends’ boats. Being a Hyperlite-rider, I got a season pass at the cable so anytime my friends didn’t want to go out, I’d just head there myself. It wasn’t until this winter though, when I flew to the Phillippines and CWC that I got really hooked on cable riding! I’ve always loved hitting kickers but I’ve been kinda stuck with my rail riding. Being out there I would hop on the cable behind JB O’Neill or Maxine Sapulette, who are both amazing rail riders, and try and try to copy them. Day by day I got more and more daring and by the end of the month I started to see so many possibilities and I fell in love with the creativity rail riding brings. In the future I definitely want to try and compete more behind the cable as well as the boat!

You’re known as the Barbie of Wakeboarding...how did you get that name?Oh geez.. haha well, besides loving wakeboarding and adventuring I also have a side for high heels and eyeliner. One night my friends and I went to downtown Orlando and I finally had an excuse to put on some new shoes and dress up! I guess people weren’t used to seeing me look like that (since most of the time I wear no makeup and my uniform is a bikini and flipflops) so I received many comments from my friends. I jokingly blurted out ”yeah I know, I look like Wake-Barbie”. They all died laughing and ever since then the nickname stuck, especially if I freak out because there’s a spider in the boat.

Which areas of wakeboarding do you think girls could/should progress in?I think wakeboarding in general is going to progress in a more creative way like Chris Abadie’s realwake video and I think girls should follow. Hitting more gaps and adding even more style to rail riding is something I would love to see from the female pros and I definitely think it’s going in

that direction. Just look at Jamie Lopina, Courtney Angus and Sophie Hogben! Behind the boat I think women are going to go bigger and bigger and I can’t wait to see which tricks the women of wake will throw down next. I know a lot of the riders have their eyes set on mobe 5’s and doubleflips!

Who are a few people that really push you to be your best and bring out the most in you with your riding?Lately JB O’Neill has been helping me tons with overcoming mental blocks and pushing me to try new things. I’ve learned so much from him by saying to myself ”Yes you can” whenever my mind is screaming that I can’t do something. Also contests really push me. It’s so inspiring to watch other girls kill it and it makes me

want to keep up with them. Watching riders like Nicola Butler, Melissa Marquardt and Meagan Ethell land gnarly contest runs fires up my competitive side and makes me want to step things up.

Which other sports have you done actively?I come from a background of gymnastics and swimming so I guess those turned into a good wakeboarding combo - haha. Lately I’ve been loving spending time at the Xtravel Surf houses in Bali and Hossegor along with some weekends snowboarding in the mountains.

If you could only ride in one place for the rest of your life...boat or cable...where would it be & why?Wow, that would be so tough! I think it would have to be BSR Cable Park since I love being in Texas and that park has so many fun features to progress on. They also have a boat lake with a G23. It’s too hard to choose between boat and cable so I’d just have to do both.

It takes a lot of stamina to wakeboard so much and stay physically healthy...do you do anything special to keep you in tip top form?I try and eat healthy but I’m not on a specific diet and I practice yoga almost every day. During the off season I like to go to the gym a lot but I want to try and do more off water. It’s hard when you travel as much as I do to get into a workout routine since you never know if there will be a gym or access to a running track. Thats why I like yoga cause I can bring my mat anywhere.

BEHIND THE BOAT I THINK WOMEN A RE GO IN G TO GO BIGGER AND BIGGER AND I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE W H I C H T R I C K S T H E WO M E N O F WAKE WILL THROW DOWN NEXT.

37

Any really bad habits you can admit?Umm.. Coffee-drinking and ice cream!

You’re pretty daring with your kicker hits...how do you deal with fear?When it comes to kickers I compare the crashes to the crashes behind the boat. The cable runs slower than what I ride behind the boat so it feels less scary to try new things. I’ve been knocked out falling behind the boat a lot of times. Committing to a trick on a kicker is easier (hopefully) knowing that those back edges won’t hurt as bad as the boat crashes - and I survived those right? My biggest mental blocks, when it comes to cable, is rail riding since it’s so different to boat…but I love it nevertheless.

One thing that annoys you the most when riding cable? And boat?Falling on the far side while thinking about something you wanna try off the kickers! And on the boat; when it breaks!

Favorite riding outfit?Wakepants!

Tell us about your year - your travel - the big highlights:This season has been my busiest one yet! I’ve already visited twelve countries and three different continents but there’s still many more to come. I started off this year by getting third in the Boat World Cup stop in Australia and then I’ve been focusing a lot on filming as well as winning my first cable contests in Europe! I’ve been spending a lot

© K

aren

But

ton

38

R I D I N G AT T H E C A B L E PA R K I N S T O C K H O L M A N D W I T H BREDDAS, WAS SO FUN. I GREW UP WAKEBOARDING WITH THEM AND T H E Y ’ V E A LWAY S B E E N R E A L LY G O O D AT P U S H I N G M E I N T O TRYING NEW THINGS

39

of time in Texas this past season and it’s such a great place to progress my riding and I’ve been filming some projects there for Monster Energy on Lake Austin. For the first time in five years I spent over a month at home in Sweden during the summer which was epic! Riding at the cablepark in Stockholm and with Breddas, in their backyard, before competing at their event Battle of the Backyard was so fun. I grew up wakeboarding with them and they’ve always been really good at pushing me into trying new things.

Wakeboard guys...what’s hot & what’s not?Hot: when they know how to drive the boat for you Not: When they think because you’re a girl you can’t drive the boat for them.

One thing most people don’t know about you…?When I was 15 I dyed my hair red and was the lead guitarist of a punkrock band.

Any big plans for 2016?I’ve got some plans in the making but

you’ll have to wait and see! I can’t wait for them though!

Any shout outs you’d like to make?Big thanks to everyone who helps me live my dream! First of all my family, who are the whole reason I pursued wakeboarding to begin with. Also none of this would be possible without my amazing sponsors: Betsafe, Monster Energy, Xtravel, Hyperlite and Froggy who have my back and support me in so many ways. I’m lucky enough to be working with the Swedish Waterski and Wakeboard Federation, who also helps me out tons with getting to events and access to some of the best personal trainers in Sweden. And last but not least all my friends who have spent endless hours driving boats, taking photos, filming, motivating and keeping me happy. Sorry for not naming everyone but JB O’Neill, Nicola Butler, Melissa Marquardt, Trudi Andersen and Breddas, you guys rock my world!

Vas

tera

s C

able

Par

k ©

Pet

er V

ahlfr

idss

on

© @

Arl

ingt

onla

ne

40

Plastic Playground

Text + photos: Phil Sirech

41

Dom Hernler

42

Mat Montor

Manu Rupp

43

Yonel and Julian Cohen, Daniel Grant, James Windsor, Aaron Gunn, Brenton Priestley, Nico von Lerchenfeld, John Dreiling, Dominik Hernler, Victor Gallego, Antoine Allaux, Matt Montoro, Bobby Carne…these names are only a few of the riders who came to shred in the event to try to win what they could of the $30k cash purse. In addition to the international cable scene riders, even some of the best boat riders like Mitch Langfield, Sam Carne, Olivier Derome and Brenton Priestley came to battle against the rail specialists to try to win a sought after place on the podium. Most riders arrived just a few hours before the start of the event on July 14th, but still spent every minute they could to train and enjoy the Liquid Leisure Park just outside London, England. The training sessions were already showing what kind of riding level would be seen in the main event. All the riders were taking full advantage of the park, which was set up to give everyone the best possible lines - and the best show to the crowd. With quite a few kicker transfers on the sides of the big features, it promised to be an entertaining and spectacular few days! As the event started, everyone was ready to ride and chill on the premises built exactly for that purpose. Stuart Martson, Liquid Leisure’s big boss, knows how to put together an event – great camping area, gym, jacuzzi, restaurant, pro shop and even the possibility to take a ride behind the boat on the latest G21 by Nautique. How could we have asked for anything better? Maybe a better exchange rate, but that was definitely not under anyone’s control! As the weekend approached, the partners worked hard to put their kiosks together – everything had to be ready for the big day

on Saturday! Bullitt was a main sponsor for the event alongside Ministry of Sound, followed by Acer for all things electronic and technological. O’Neill represented sportswear and set up an amazing bus with a roof top patio and Nautique and CTI Knee Brace were also in attendance. The Vendors’ Village went all the way from the boat lake to the cable lake, catching the attention of all visitors to introduce their novelties.But that wasn’t all – Bro!, a new surfwear brand for tie-die

lovers, came to show their colors. The last few stands, aside from the wake brands, were those of SunGlassix and Antic Video. Enough touring, we were ready for some riding! Everyone was ready for a long qualification day: first start was at 8AM! 62 riders, 10 spots in the quarterfinals… things were heating up! There were a lot of good riders on the water during the qualifications. A bunch of pros, who weren’t there in 2014, still had to go through qualifications, like Scotty

Broome, Manu Rupp and Oliver Breumlund. The 4 riders heats linked up at high speed and the battle was a tough one – only the best 2 of each heat would move on to the main event. Some were disappointed, but others were stoked like Matt Montoro, Bobby Carne, the Peacock brothers and mostly Joe Battleday, 16 years old, who performed amazing runs in the qualifications with some incredible tricks. During the quarter finals the 10 qualified riders showed what they could do against the 20 invited riders. The surprises kept coming since the most known riders were not necessarily the ones getting the highest scores. The prequalified riders quickly realized that just because their name was in bold on the poster it didn’t mean that the event was going to be an easy one for them. The qualified riders were extremely motivated to go as far as they could in the event!

YONEL AND JULIAN COHEN, DANIEL GRANT, JAMES WINDSOW, AARON G U N N , B R E N T O N P R I E S T L E Y, N I C O VO N L E RC H E N F E L D , J O H N D R E I L I N G , D O M I N I K H E R N L E R , V I C T O R G A L L E G O , A N T O I N E ALLAUX, MATT MONTORO, BOBBR CARNE… THESE NAMES ARE ONLY A FEW OF THE RIDERS WHO CAME TO SHRED IN THE EVENT AND TRY TO WIN WHAT THEY COULD OF THE $30K CASH PURSE.

For the second consecut ive year, L iqu id Le i sure, the biggest wakepark in England, organized one of the most impor tant events on the European calendar : P las t ic Playground. Coming from 21 nations, 62 r iders registered for qual i f icat ions on top of the 20 best r iders f rom the 2014 edit ion, who were pre-qual i fied.

44Nico von Lerchenfeld ©Dom Granger

45

With only 2 riders out of 6 in each heat advancing to the semi-finals, the boys pushed hard on the water and the following riders made it straight through to the semi: From Heat 1, it was Jobe and Hyperlite pros Julien Cohen and Nick Davies; from Heat 2, the new generation riders Victor Salmon and Ryan Peacock; from Heat 3, the other Peacock brother Liam as well as Australia’s Aaron Gunn; from Heat 4, no one was surprised to see Daniel Grant go through, alongside Florida boy John Dreiling; from Heat 5 German riding machine Dominik Hernler and Oliver Breumlund, who came all the way from qualifiers; and finally from Heat 6, Slingshot’s very own Oli Derome and James Windsor. But it wasn’t over yet for the others! Because everyone likes to make the fun last as long as possible, the organizers had planned the Last Chance qualifiers. Basically, all the riders who didn’t make it through to semi finals had another chance. There were 3 heats of 8 and only the top 2 in each heat went through and it ended up being Yonel Cohen, Matt Montoro, Chandler Powell, Kaesen Suyderhoud, Freddie Carter and Jeremia Hoppe who joined everyone else in the semi-finals. The day kept on going, the sun kept on shining and the crowd was becoming more and more dense as the semi-finals started. The riders knew it was time to give it all they had if they wanted one of the 9 spots in the finals. With all the big names on the dock, it was extremely tough to predict who would go through to the next round. After three heats of madness, the following riders made it through:From Heat 1, three pre qualified riders, Dominik Hernler, Oli Derome and Victor Salmon; From Heat 2, the two Florida buddies Julian Cohen and John Dreiling as well as the young Liam Peacock who climbed his way up from the qualifications, followed by his brother, Ryan Peacock in Heat 3 as well as Daniel Grant and local rider Nick Davies. What a line up we had for the finals and mostly: what a show!! The riders truly gave it all they had on the water, going as big, technical and stylish as they could. But the judges had to do their job and pick a winner. So they did, crowning the German Dominik Hernler with the Plastic Playground Winner title, and by the same occasion giving him the impressive first place prize of $10,000.Just behind him was Thai prodigy, Daniel Grant, who went home with $7,000 followed by the ever technical Julien Cohen, with a nice $4,000 check.

Final Results1 - Dominik Hernler2 - Daniel Grant3 - Julien Cohen4 - John Dreiling5 - Victor Salmon

6 - Oli Derome7 - Nick Davies8 - Liam Peacock9 - Ryan Peacock

The day wrapped up with well deserved party time, mixing riders and their fans on the Liquid Leisure premises. Fun times indeed! We are looking forward to next year’s event, which promises to be even bigger and better with a $40k cash purse as well as the introduction of a Women’s Pro Category, and an FMX show. Mark your calendars for July 14-16, 2016 and make sure to come check it out! Once again, we can’t thank Stuart Martson enough and the Liquid Leisure crew for organizing such an awesome and important event, and we are definitely looking forward to come back next year!

47

Todd Watson RONIX Across USA road tr ip from the East coast of the United States, to the West coast. Two smelly dudes, a bus that barely worked, a trailer with a full rail jam setup hardly latched on the back, it was sweltering hot, no A.C., no brake l ights, over 80 hours on the road, and a couple of Ronix Wakeboards. It was pretty damn awesome. Only Just in Teich and I were leading the ship, but we ran into many amazingly great people along the journey.

by: Tood Watson

Tood Watson © Justin Staphens

48

We didn’t waste any time. We kicked it off with a heavy bang in a little town called, Las Vegas. We put together a rail jam demo at the Professional Bull Riding championships. We were the side show, but by the end of the weekend, I think we turned into the main s h o w . A t least that’s w h a t t h e Monster girls were saying about Justin Teich. If you know what i’m sayin’. We got a surprise visit from Danny Harf and he rode with us. The one thing I’ll always remember is him telling us “The best thing about Vegas is leaving Vegas”. Man he was right. I would go into more details about that stop, but, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

Next stop, Bloc Wakepark, in St. George, Utah. The place of beautiful canyons, and beautiful Mormon woman. I don’t care what Justin’s Tinder said. There’s only one other place I’ve ever felt more at home, and that’s Bloc. It has 3 system

2.0’s , and talks about a full size cable within a year or two. The family that owns it

completely loves wakeboarding and they are some of the most amazing people. 5 hours from the California beaches, 2 hours from Lake Powell, 2 hours from Vegas, with snowboard mountains down the road. It’s incredible. The one thing we did notice there, was every single customer that came was trying to swindle a deal on their passes. Who does that??

NEXT STOP, BLOC WAKEPARK, IN ST. GEORGE, UTAH. . . . THERE’S ONLY ONE OTHER PLACE I’VE EVER FELT MORE AT HOME, AND THAT’S BLOC.

Dany Harf © Tood Watson

49

Justin Teich _ Bloc Wakepark © Tood Watson

50

After Bloc we headed down to the grand opening of Hangar 9 Wakepark, in Conroe, TX. The park was put together by some of the most genius and hard working individuals I know. If you know the names Pat Panakos, Bryan Dahl, or Sam Adams, you know what I mean. The shape of their full size sesitec cable is perfectly built, and like no other. Every turn you take, you are hitting a different Unit obstacle.I took 2 laps in a row and I was beat. That’s 14 hits total. They built the park with longer rope lengths, and suitable towards rail riders. I can’t wait to see the destroyers to breed out of Hangar 9 one day. Parks Bonifay came out and did a Ronix clinic with us. Pat asked me how many autographs I signed during the clinic. I told him not a single one, but I had about 80 kids come up to me and ask where they could get Parks’ autograph.

The Wake Effects Rail Jam was the last stop, at the beautiful Lake of The Ozarks, MO. It was one of the coolest shops I’ve ever visited. I took one of the first boat sets I’ve taken in 5 years. They really took all the riders in and showed us a crazy awesome time. I felt like it was Vegas Round 2.

There were more stops we took throughout the journey including my family in Missouri, Justin’s family in Arizona, and a bunch of skateparks. But the ones I mentioned are the ones that really stood out. We also had 2 major breakdowns. One being in the middle of the desert in Nevada. It’s really cool going from one side of the country to the other, and seeing the change in riding style, board brand favorites, food, clothing, accents, and ways of viewing life. We’re back at home now in Orlando, FL, and had a blast during our trip. Thank you; Ryan Davis at Step Up Productions, Ronix Wakeboards, Bloc Wakepark, Hangar 9, Wake Effects, Marine Products, Ski Shack, Lucky, Brad Smeele, America, last but not least Unleashed Magazine, and anyone else we forgot.

Todd Watson

H A N G A R 9 WA K E PA R K WA S P U T TOGETHER BY SOME OF THE MOST G E N I U S A N D H A R D W O R K I N G INDIVIDUALS I KNOW.

Justin Teich _ Hangar 9© Tood Watson

parks Bonifay Hangar9 counterweight

51

Tood Watson _ Bloc © Justin TeichBloc WakeparkHangar9 counterweight

52

Infinite Wakepark © Daniel Deak Bardos

53

BERNHARD HINTERBERGER

What makes a wakepark cool? The most important aspect for a wakepark are their employees and the local riders that make a park alive and create the cool atmosphere. But of course the cable and the features give every park a different touch. And don’t underestimate the food at a park! If you have great food and drinks, people will love to hang out!

What makes a trick look cool? This one is really hard to determine, as each person prefers something different. Of course grabs and presses make tricks harder and look stylish. But they can also look cool without this, it really depends on the rider and how he expresses himself. This may take some years for each rider to explore…My personal favorites are grabbed tech tricks!

What makes a board cool? At first sight it’s for sure the design and the shape. It’s absolutely cool when you love your new board from the first lap! But most important for me is the durability, nothing is cooler than the trust in the strength of your board when you travel! #hellomynameiswilliam

What makes bindings cool? When you step in the first time and they feel like home! Matching to your board a course!

What makes a video edit cool? There are a few things that make an edit cool. This can be the rider and his tricks but also the spot he rides. A cool edit for me is a combination of great colors, music, and the quality of the pictures.

What makes a photo cool? When the shot is super crisp and has great colors & lighting.

What’s the most important thing in order to get a sponsorship?Be yourself and be professional!

What’s the most important thing in order to progress?Travel the World and meet new people!

What Makes a Rider Cool ?His past!

We meet the Wakeboard Legend In Munich and grabbed the oppor tunity to do the ”What Matters Interview”.

54

HI DOM ! IN EACH ISSUE OF THE MAGAZINE UNLEASHED GIVE VOICE TO RIDERS LIKE YOU HAVE A SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE IN THE SPORT.

55

d o m i n i k hernler

In your opinion which event has radically changed the sport?For me it changed when Sesitec brought out the system 2.0. When all these contests started I basically stopped riding boat and fully focused on cable. I think Wake the Line has definitely changed the sport. I love riding the 2.0 contests. They are always in sick locations and the setups are different at every event.

From your perspective which rider has a clear market on the sport in the last 10 years?Raph Derome has been crushing it. He kills it on every aspect of our sport.

For you which brand and new shapes have made their impact on the sport in the last 10 years?Ronix has been killing it with their product and getting lake Ronix has given us riders the opportunity to shred and build whatever we want.

It seems that cable wakeboarding has become more common than wakeboarding behind boat. Do you feel that this is really the case? It’s probably because riding cable is way cheaper and easier to access in most parts of the world.

What does your dream wakeboard contest look like?Shredtown Jamboree was fucking sick. Thats how all the events should be done. Have a crew of the top 20 riders’ sessions, include a never before seen setup for a few days, shoot and film

everything to get some web videos and then have the riders decide who was ripping the hardest.

Did the FISE victory last month change your life? Oh of course it did. That $2000 changed my life. I bought a Ferrari and a big villa in California!

Has wakeboarding in the USA changed since you started? No. Nothing has changed there. Riding there with my friends is just awesome.

Over the years and the injuries that have happened to you, did it change the way you ride ? Not really. I still ride the same way I think. I have definitely learned not to send it too hard if I’m not feeling alright or comfortable with what I’m doing. I’m not a big fan of boosting off kickers anymore.

How long will do you think you’ll be able to keep up your level of riding? Until i die or my knees are so fucked up that I can’t ride anymore.

If you want to add any last words those lines are for you!Big thanks to everyone that makes wakeboarding such a rad sport. Also a big shoutout to my sponsors Red Bull, Mystic, Ronix, Dragon and my family and friends. And a big thanks to you Unleashed for the opportunity. I love ya’ll!

Photo / inteview : Phil Sirech

56

trendy

Photo : Andy Kolb

DOMINIK GUEHRS TRANSFER GAP TO NOSE PRESS THAI WAKE PARK BANGKOK.

Photo : Karl Herman

MR DANIEL GRANT AKA TURTTLE, TAIL LIPSLIDE ON THE BLACK PIPE THAI WAKE PARK BANGKOK .

Photo : Ben Switson

DONATIEN BILLAUD LIPSLIDE ON THE FLAT BAR CASTOR WAKEPARK FRANCE.

Photo : Ydwer van der heide

YONEL COHEN XTREM TAIL PRESS , UP RAIL LA SOURCE FRANCE

Photo : Antoine Jacquiaux

BOBBY CARNE , NOSE GRAB REVERT ON THE UNLEASHED KICKER OF CABLE WAKE PARK TNG 32 FRANCE.

66

by Katia Volkova

N I K I T A T E R S K O VSay HELLO to Nik i ta Terskov, 18 years old, the most s ty l i sh wakeboarder f rom Saint Petersburg, Russ ia. When Nik i ta was 16, he won the Wi ld Card at WTL Qual i f icat ion in Moscow and las t year became Rider Of The Year at the Russ ian Wake Awards .

68

Hi Nik! How are you today? How’s your 2015 season?Hey Hey! All is great! This season is tough because this year I am competing in the Open Men’s category. All season I’ve trained hard to prepare for the Wakeboard European and World Boat Championships and I’ve also been riding cable a lot.

Where is your home park?My home spot is 30 minutes from my apartment. It’s a small lake with our DROP park and boat.

Any special memories from your wakeboard experience?I have one - when I was 7 or 8 years old I fell off the wakeboard, behind the boat, and when I came to the shore I told to my parents that I was never going to ride again. But as you can see, since that moment 10 years have passed and not for a moment I have stopped wakeboarding.

What do you love most about wakeboarding? The freedom, the feeling of flying, the joy of doing something crazy and of course parties with friends.

So if wakeboarding is number 1, what is your number 2 and 3? In the second spot I would put playing different types of musical instruments: guitar, piano, vinyl scratching. In the third position I would put video games. I like to chill and play PSP after riding.

What is your goal in wakeboarding? Nikita in 2025 - coach, businessman or politics? I haven’t been thinking about it yet. In 2025 I’ll be 29 years old and I suppose my riding level will be higher. What I know for sure - I’ll still be wakeboarding.

What about girls in wakeboarding - LIKE or ? Of course I like, especially when a girl has a good shape and she is in a short wetsuit. Seriously, now girls are actually really good at cable wakeboarding and some of them even have style.

© Niko Tsarev

69

I N WA K E B OA R D I N G I T ’ S V E RY IMPORTANT TO NOT BE AFRAID TO TRY NEW TRICKS, KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

© Roman Nazarov

© Kirill Umrikhin

71

AND NOW SOME SIMPLE QUESTIONS:

Cable or boat? Boat.

Tail press or nose press? Nose.

Rails or kicker? Both.

St. Petersburg or Moscow? Definitely Saint-P.

Germany or Philippines? Actually I haven’t been to Philippines yet, but at the end of this year I plan to go there. In Germany I’ve been to many wake parks, so right now my choice is Germany.

Full size cable or System 2.0? System 2.0 or full size cable like The Bricks.

Any advice to the young guns that are on their way up? Wakeboarding is growing very fast and a lot of kids do tricks. I learned only at a later age. In wakeboarding it’s very important to not be afraid to try new tricks, keep your head up and believe in yourself!

Who would you like to thank? Thanks to my parents who have spent their entire lives supporting me and helping me to grow! My coaches and friends! Thank you to my sponsors: Quiksilver, Liquid Force, Traektoria Boardshop, which also made a huge contribution to me! Thank you all! © Niko Tsarev

72

Pointe’s wakepark

After riding the park for years, they got to know every inch of it and the boys finally had the opportunity to create their own playground! They could finally create, design and build the new features of Pointe’s Wake Park with their own two hands, keeping the local riding style in mind. The features’ dimensions, materials and ideal positioning make it a one-of-a-kind park. Pointe’s wake park is unique and different from any cable park you could have visited in the world. Pros and beginners alike will enjoy the ride and find their favorite amongst the 12 customized features. Add to

that a sandy beach, some of the best DJs in the world performing a few meters away, a snack bar, an apparel shop and more and you have a experience that is certainly out of the ordinary! The vibe is always good at Pointe’s! Supported by Liquid Force, PWP offers high level rental gear as well as a wake school. You will be able to feel the passion, the experience and the love of the sport behind each person in the PWP team. Yan and Alex have a very precise vision for Pointe’s Wake Park and have a LOT of motivation, so keep an eye out because this is only the beginning!!

BY YAN TIBO /PHOTO DOM GRANGER

Pointe’s Wake Park (PWP) Located in a small town cal led Pointe-Calumet on the Nor th Shore of Montreal is the very fi r s t ful l -s ize cable park in Canada. This cable park was instal led over 25 years ago on the premises of the biggest outdoors Club in Nor th Amer ica, the Beach Club. This year, the management of the wake park was taken over by two local r iders , Yan Tibo and Alex Savoie.

74

The last 3000

“The fi r s t 3000 km of this t r ip were nothing less than awesome. To get you s i tuated, the Road to Ropes tour s tar ted in ear ly May of 2015, in Bordeaux, France. But real ly, the whole project s tar ted at the end of a long, bor ing winter, with the desi re to do something adventurous for the summer. L ike, let’s say, L ive in a van. Go from cable park to cable park. In Europe. For 3 months.”Wel l , that is exact ly what happened.

After spending many hours on Google maps and on “The Guide” to try to find the most awesome cable parks as well as the ones that would make sense in a tight-ish itinerary, we finally had a general plan of where I would be going and when.

If you have an impression of Déjà vu, well that just means you paid attention to what you read in the last issue of Unleashed Wake Mag. These were the sentences opening our last article about the first half of the Road to Ropes Road Trip, and we could actually start the second article pretty much the same way: The last 3000 km were nothing less than awesome. There were mountains and beaches, heat waves and cold nights, cable and wakesurf, euros and pounds. The second part of the trip really had it all. So let’s pick up right where we left off, which was in France, as I left from TNX, just outside of Marseille.

The Spin during a Garden Party

BY DOMINIQUE GRANGER

75

Annecy Area

I cannot even start to describe the love I have for this place. When I planned the trip, I had decided to do a long “pit stop” in Annecy, to take a little bit of a break from living on the road. I knew I had good friends there and it would offer other activities than wakeboarding. Not that I didn’t like it anymore, but you know, too much of a good thing can make you forget how good it is. I spent a good 10 days in a fascinating city full of old architecture and canals but it is also surrounded by nature and all that goes along with it. The Annecy Lake, an aqua-blue mountain lake, is the epicenter of the city. Needless to say that for boat riders and wakesurfers, the scenery is pretty idyllic! Add to that endless hikes and trails, without even mentioning the amount of activities that can take place during the winter… you have pretty much the perfect spot for any active, outdoorsy person. AND, if despite all the fun stuff there is to do, you still have an itch for wakeboarding, there are now a couple 2.0 parks about half an hour’s drive from Annecy. Isn’t that awesome?

Turn Cable, Germany

I almost feel bad to have Germany only once on the list: It’s the country with the most cable parks in the world, yet I managed to only go to one. At least it was a pretty awesome spot. Everyone I met who has been to Turn Cable had the same impression of walking into a Wakeboarding Paradise when they arrived there. Not only do you go through a well designed clubhouse and facilities, but then you get right on the central dock, pretty much in a straight line with the main entrance. Why central? Because there is not one, but TWO full size cables, side by side, as if they had installed a mirror in the middle. The cables, spinning

Annecy Lake

Turn Cable, Germany

© Florent Chouzy

in each a different direction, offer an amazing variety of features and opportunity to learn and progress, and most of all, shred. That’s without talking about the 2.0 system, perfect for beginners or even for a lit up nighttime session! And with a camping spot right on the premises, you can’t ask for a better set up!

76

Terhills, Belgium

I was happy to see the distances between cables starting to get shorter and shorter, and it took me only a couple hours to get to Terhills Cable, at my friends’ Elke Venken and Dirk Van Esser’s spot. I had only heard good things about that place, and I guess since the last time I heard about it, it has gotten even better. Located in a quiet area on a old mining lake (like many cables in Europe, by the way) in the middle of a little forest, Terhills seems to be the place of choice for people to go hang out at in the area, even if they are not wakeboarders! The man-made sandy beach links the big cable and the little bro cable, with a lot of spots to chill and enjoy a nice cold beer, of course. A pretty cool mini ramp adds an extra fun thing to do, as if there was not enough. The clubhouse also serves really good food (and more cold beers: you are in Belgium after all!)

Down Under, Netherlands

I left Turn Cable in the middle of a heat wave, and let me tell you, I don’t believe I have sweated that much just sitting down in my whole life as I did in the camper van (without AC!) while driving to the Netherlands. 35 degrees in the shade makes the road much longer, especially on an inland highway! But the drive and the sweat were definitely worth it, as I had one of the warmest (Ha Ha. Pun intended) welcomes when I got to Down Under, in Utrecht. The staff and local riders there were SO helpful, always motivated to ride and very generous as well. The best thing that happened during my visit to Down Under was definitely the local, friendly competition that was organized for the Tour’s venue. It was so great to see such motivation to ride from people of all ages and backgrounds, and being just competitive enough while supporting each other and cheering for everyone on the water. I have to say, I think Down Under wins the Best Crew award, for the constant “Stoked” vibe that floats in the air at that place.

Tommy Swann and John Broer - Down Under© Dom Granger

© Dom Granger

Terhills Cable

77

The Spin, Belgium

Total change of vibe from the previous few parks: The Spin brings us a super laid back, everything eco-friendly, borderline hippy (in a good way!) atmosphere, while keeping the bar high in terms of facilities. Once again, this place is surrounded by cool spots and fun activities: The lake is part of a lake network, where the levels are controlled by a dam that moves the water around to create electricity to power the region. So if Down Under wins the Best crew award, The Spin definitely wins the “Best Party Crew” award! Always up for a few (very strong) beers, a beerpong game or to dance all day during one of the monthly Garden Parties, everyone is still very motivated when it comes time to go shred on the water. If you like to dance under the sunshine and hours and hours of music and partying, you HAVE to make it to one of The Spin’s Garden Parties! And if you still have some energy (of course you do!) you can session your brains out on the cable…

Lakeside Paradise, Belgium

The last stop in continental Europe brought me back to the beach, on the coast of the North Sea. The weather may not have been very cooperative during my stay, but it just proved to me that people in Belgium just don’t seem to care about the rain. Why would they? If they go wakeboarding, they are going to be wet anyways, right?Finishing my stay at Lakeside was a fantastic idea, the park being a very nice place to stay for a couple days! Once again, I was welcomed like royalty and had absolutely amazing food, prepared with love by the Lakeside chef. Once more, local riders were more than motivated to ride and shred for my camera, which is always appreciated! One very noticeable thing at Lakeside was the number of kids practicing sports: No matter if it was wakeboarding, sailing, windsurfing or even surfing (at Surfers’ Paradise, just a few kilometers away), kids always had massive smiles on their faces. That is exactly how we can make sure our water sports keep growing and evolving, and it was nice to see that theory in practice!

Now time to cross the Channel and drive on the left side of the road for a few days…

Aurélien Dolhet - The Spin© Dom Granger

© Dom Granger

Louis Eggerick - Lakeside Paradise

78

Liquid Leisure, UK

For the last stop, I was going into known territories: Liquid Leisure, in London UK. I took the ferry and arrived just a couple days before the beginning of one of the biggest railriding contests in the wakeboard world, Plastic Playground. The event, well known for the amazing park it takes place on as well as its interesting prize money, brought riders from 21 nations to come and compete. Local up and coming riders had stars in their eyes as they would see their idols take the handle right before them on the dock, and the atmosphere was definitely charged with a lot of energy.

Now that the dust has settled and I am back home taking a look back at what just happened in the last 3 months, I realized that this project was just meant to happen.

Everything went so well, it can’t be anything else than something that was just meant to be. I already miss my house on wheels and the sound of the carriers going through the motor tower, but I shall find all this again very soon, as I always have a crazy project in the back of my head.

MASSIVE thanks to everyone who helped making it happen:� Phil Sirech from Unleashed Wake Mag, who believed in my project the second he picked up the phone and without whom it wouldn’t have happened; � Stu Martson from Liquid Leisure and organizer of Plastic Playground for his support and sponsorship of the project� ION for their support as a project sponsor� And to my personal sponsors to support me and follow me in my adventures: June Swimwear, Shelter and MADE Eyewear

© Dom Granger

Matt Montoro - Liquid Leisure

79

As seen on Road to Ropes .. .

Ever dream of the perfect pair of glasses, just the style you want? MADE eyewear gives you the possibility to create the pair of glasses, prescription, sunglasses or both at once, that perfectly fits your needs (and your face!). The online tools are very simple to use and you can even upload a photo of your face to virtually try them on. The glasses are also very affordable.www.madeeyewear.com

The wooden sunglasses are in right now, but very few brands have the quality, workmanship and edgy, yet classy look of the Shelter sunglasses. All made in Annecy, France, these shades are made of recycled wood, sanded by hand and designed with love and passion. Light, comfortable and stylish, Shelter sunglasses will make people talk!www.shelter.shop-online.comPROMO CODE: Dom Granger being an ambassador for them, you get a 20% discount if you use the promo code DOM before check out!

Travel has always inspired people to create: art, photo and also fashion. Someone Shoes are made with travel in mind, and each model is inspired by a trip or a destination. Based in Bordeaux, France, the young brand is always looking to create unique shoes that will please the style lover.www.someoneshoes.com

Guys just as much as girls are going to like this swimwear brand. Based in Montreal but tested around the world, the June Swimwear suits are cute and flirty while staying functional and comfortable. The simple and clean designs, combined with trendy prints are a true eye-catcher. Make head turns at the cable park, on the boat or at the beach!www.juneswimwear.com

81

by: Buckman Fergusson

WAKEFEST

2 . 0 . 1 . 5Every year there are many small pro wakeboard competitions held throughout the world that are not associated with the WWA or the IWWF that can be fun to go to if they’re close to your hometown. It’s rare however, that one of these smaller competitions can rival the intensity of the other elite pro competitions. Wakefest, based in Smithville, Tennessee, USA, is one of those competitions. It’s a unique pro and amateur boat competition held in the middle of Center Hill Lake, and cannot be observed from the shoreline. As we arrived by boat, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of boats and fans who had already created a large flotilla that only grew larger throughout the day.

This year’s Wakefest was one of the largest in history with over 350 boats and well over 2,500 fans in attendance with a flotilla that literally stretched from start buoy to end buoy. Saturday included a Pro Men’s and a Pro Women’s competition while Sunday included an amateur competition with divisions for every skill level. The pro competition included elite riders such as J.D. Webb, Austin Hair, Dallas Friday, and more. With one of the longest wakeboard runs in any competition, riders were able to fit 12 to 15 tricks into a run, making it almost impossible to stand up a full run. The only rider to do so was a lesser known pro rider named Stephen Pierce who threw down one of the best runs we’ve ever seen him do, earning him his first ever win in a Pro competition. Stephen has been competing in the Pro Wakeboard Tour and other WWA events for the past few years but has yet to make his mark until this event. It will be exciting to see how Stephen does for the rest of the year and the years to come. Jeff Langley took second place followed by Austin Hair in third and J.D. Webb in fourth.

Dallas Friday also threw down an impressive run, taking the win in the women’s division over Tarah Mikacich and Taylor McCullough respectively. It was an outstanding event and it’s one you won’t want to miss next year! For more information about these riders or this event visit www.thewakeboardsite.com

82

I JUST FOCUSED ON MY NORMAL SCHEDULE. WORKING AND RIDING EVERYDAY, AS HARD AS I COULD.

83

TANAR PIGRENET

Since the day I started working at Velocity Island Park, we have always talked about and wanted to have a Monster Energy Wake Park Triple Crown event at the park. It was important to us to bring a respected competition to the West Coast. When we got word in January about hosting the second stop, we were all AMPED! At that point in time we still had a lot of cosmetic work to do to the park, but as a park crew we were able to help add a beach, a food building, a volleyball court, and heaps of concrete.

The month leading up to the contest was pretty hectic for me. Bro Stock probably didn’t help. (haha.) I think with it being so crazy during May, it kept my mind off of the contest and my runs. I just focused on my normal schedule consisting of working and riding everyday, as hard as I could. The week before and the week of the contest, I had the opportunity to house some riders from Florida and Australia. (Dillon Dreiling, Yonel Cohen, James Windsor, Grayson Dannecker, and Chandler Powell). Having those dudes in town, at my house, were epic times for sure! (haha.) Just meeting, riding with, and hanging out with all the awesome people that are involved with this sport, was easily my favorite part of the contest. It’s a really rad community of riders.

I can’t wait to make it out to Terminus Wake Park, in September, for the third and final stop! I already know it’ll be one for the books! ©

Ben

Can

evar

i

84

Toeside Backside450 to Front Board

Take off: You want to come in with a fairly hard cut, knees bent so your ready to explode off the top of the kicker. Trick: You want to make sure your arms are dead straight out in front of you when you hit that kicker. As you leave the kicker you wanna pull that handle as hard into your hip as possible then you’re ready to start your rotation. Reach for the handle behind your back. Once you have that handle you want to be looking over your shoulder to try and spot the rail. When you feel yourself do a complete 360 you want to be pulling that handle towards the back of your hip with your left hand. This will make you land in a front board position. Landing: Once you have completed the rail in the front board position you want to pull that handle back in line with the front of your hip. Keep your knees bent to ensure a soft landing.

Good luck to everyone on this trick!James windsor

We met with James Windsor dur ing the Plast ic Playground and shot him on this s ick transfer.Ja m e s g i ve s t o yo u h i s s e c re t s t o p e r f e c t execution in 3 s teps.

James WindsorPhoto : Phil Sirech

70OVER

COMBINATIONSPOSSIBLE

CREATE YOUR STYLE!MORE DETAILS ON WWW.JOBEWAKEPARK.COM/EVO

evo ad.indd 2-3 27-08-15 14:07

w w w . r i x e n - c a b l e w a y s . c o m

WORLD MARKET LEADER IN FULL SIZE CABLEWAYS - with more than 240 full-size cables and over 140 two-pylon-systems, we made important contri-butions to boost wakeboarding and waterskiing worldwide. Bruno Rixen´s revolutionary invention of the cableway back in 1961 made it all possible.

The evolution of some main cable-parts from beginning to today

Rixen_unleashed_1_Singel_2015.indd 2 17.08.15 20:35

unleashed#67 2015 back to school issue

Documents