Review - Good Ratio

image from Remote Wakeskates

I am about to watch Good Ratio, the latest offering from the Remote wakeskates team. I am very excited about this.

As the video downloads to iTunes I decided to do something a little different and talk about my mindset going in to the video, prior to viewing and my subsequent review.

Life's weird. It constantly throws you curveballs and just when you think you're getting things figured out, a new change takes place. After a couple crazy weeks at work and some unexpected turns,  my future career path is now somewhat of a mystery to me. My house is a disaster area with clean laundry piled-up waiting to be put away and supplies for a halloween costume strewn about my office. I'm feeling stressed, annoyed, a little worried.

So why am I still procrastinating? Why, when I could spend the time cleaning or planning my future, am I writing and downloading a new video to watch? Well, I'm not entirely sure. My best guess is that wakeskating (and wakeboarding) are such a staple in my life. That taking just a little time to sit and indulge will help keep me sane when life can get so crazy.

I may not be able to ride near as much as I'd like to and have been a little out of touch in the last year or so, but it's something I can always come back to.

The words following this sentence will be my first after watching Good Ratio for the first time.



Holy. Shit. 

I know more than enough good things have been said about this video already but there is no possible way someone could walk away from this being disappointed. Unbelievable riding, boundaries being broken, great tunes, and an awesome overall feel. This is officially going to be my new go-to when introducing someone to wakeskating.

It's hard to break the video down in to specifics because it was all so amazing, so I won't even try. Whether it's Yan Lecomte's opening section with aggressive riding and big gaps, or Leo Labaden's great flow backed by some killer French rap or the rest of the team (Josh Zentmeyer, Tyler Mangus, Matt Hooker, Ryan Leary) just dropping hammers; the whole video fuses style and tech in to a beautiful ooze of... "stech". (Terrible sounding word for something so awesome, but hopefully you get it.)

The montages and smaller clips really help tie the video all together and give a great feel of travel and a wandering spirit. Not to mention a fireworks battle that brought me back to the dozens and dozens of times I've watched Sfumato from back in the day.

Nick Taylor and Ben Horan's parts close-out the video with an amazing 1-2 punch of some of the craziest waterdancing you've ever seen.

Not only is the riding incredible, but you can tell the team has had time to perfect the art of winching itself. I'm not going to ruin the surprises for you if you have yet to see the video, but some of the new winch methods these guys have come up with will definitely open up doors in the future for what is possible with the ultra-mobile towing device.

If you've got $10 and 30 minutes, this is an absolute must-have for your collection. If you don't have $10, I recommend skipping meals for a day so you can put the cash to better use and buy this film.


Be sure to check out the official Remote site here and buy a download directly:
http://www.remotewakeskates.com/good-ratio/ 

Or through iTunes: 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/remote-wakeskates-good-ratio/id720964731

Gear: What to Look at When Buying a Used Wakeboard

Wakeboarding unfortunately is a very expensive sport and many of us are on budgets that limit us to checking out clearance items or even used gear. While clearance deals from reputable sellers makes it easy to know that you'll be getting an item in perfect condition, it will most likely cost more than purchasing used. Buying used from anyone can be a daunting task but I'm here to tell you what to look for when buying a wakeboard that's been 'previously loved'.

Rails & Tails

The first and arguably most important thing to always check for is damage around the edges of the board. Look for any major dings in the nose and tail, and along the sides (or "rails") make sure that the board doesn't look "split". 

Wakeboards are basically made by sandwiching a core of foam, wood, pvc blends, or other materials between a top and bottom 'sheet'. If you see that these two sheets are splitting apart at the seam, it means water can get in to the board which is not good. Some materials, especially older foam boards, can rot or take-on water. This causes the board to weaken and will drastically reduce the life and pop of the board. It can also be dangerous as a weak board can break while you're riding it. 

If you see a major split (roughly 1" or longer), you should probably pass on the board. If it's a very small hole you can point it out, ask for a better price, then do some simple cheap repair work and you should be fine. 

Boot Bolts

The next thing to check out are the screw inserts where the bindings attach to the board. There are a lot of stresses put on this part of the board so it's important that they are in great condition. If you notice that any inserts are loose, pulled up and not flush with the deck, or just plain missing; pass on the board. Not only will damage cause water to get in like the previous scenario, but there's a good chance it's already been made weaker and that you're one edge-catch away from ripping the inserts completely out of the deck, ruining the board (and possibly your knee!) completely.

All Your Base

We've covered the two most important aspects, but the next place you should look for damage is the base of the board. Are there any deep scratches or major dents? Minor scrapes that you may see from light slider use or from lying on docks/concrete aren't anything to be hugely worried about. But if you see any section rubbed-through to the core or chips taken out of molded-in fins that expose the material inside the board, keep looking for something else.

Also to note is that the condition of the graphics are not necessarily a sign of whether or not the board is in good shape. Sometimes seeing boards in person is a must as it can be hard to tell condition from photos. For example, I have a Liquid Force board from around 2005 where the entire graphic sheet ripped off of the bottom. To an average person they would think "that's broken", but the base of the board is still perfectly in-tact. As it turns out, the graphics were applied as a separate layer that was not structurally integral to the board and the actual base is in excellent shape underneath. 

The Details

Outside of the above, there's not much more left to check out. The only other area I'd suggest looking at are fin holes. These can be susceptible to damage if someone hit a kicker or slider with their fins still on the board. Again, you'll mainly be looking for any cracks or splits that could potentially be letting water in to the decks. Missing fins are not a big deal and you can probably pick up a set online for cheap, if you feel like you need them at all.

What NOT to Worry About

Don't hesitate to make a purchase if the graphic color is faded or if you see small scratches on the board. This is all normal wear-and-tear and will not affect the ride in any way. Even if you did get a pristine, new board, it's going to pick up scratches and fade no matter what you do. Remember, you're getting the board to shred, not to show off how pretty it is!

My 2013 Wake-Boat Fashion Review

Generally I just like to spread stoke. If someone has a 'dumb' question or is asking about something like gloves I'll be friendly and try to point them in the right direction for their own needs; there's no such thing as a stupid question. Negativity never helps the situation, but sometimes I'll have some fun. 

The below is a (slightly) edited (to protect the innocent and mostly for formatting) excerpt from a post I made on the forums in response to someone asking how to spend about $50,000 on a wakeboard boat that he did not want to use for wakeboarding or surfing. His requirements, and I quote, "I'm more concerned with looks, sound, reliability, and looks". 

With that in mind, I decided to help him out a bit in making his purchasing decision. You'll first see me recommend the boat, then suggest some key choices when it comes to looks.

Remember this is all in good humor and tongue-in-cheek satire. I love this sport and (most of) the people in it. So if you see something familiar or that you're a fan of, don't take it to heart. Hell, I dig the look of matte paint when used wisely and appreciate unique style if you can afford it; but I'd at least use the boat to ride if I could afford one at all. 

So here we go:


"X-Star is definitely the way to go if you're more in to image. Not to say it's not a great boat in its own right and awesome for wakeboarding but if you're going purely for image than X-Star is the way to go brah. 

Now for the wake-boat 2013 mid-season fashion report! 
As far as wraps go, skulls are definitely still the "in" thing as we move through the season. But if you want to be ahead of the game and prepared for next year, I really think that energy drink wraps are the way to go. With some room for a personal touch by selecting either Monster or Red Bull, you can really make your presence known on the water. The great thing is, they seem to always be a staple and will probably never go out of style, it's the 'little black dress' of boat wrap designs. In any case, barbed-wire, flame, and tribal designs are out and people will know you aren't legit, so stay far away from these dated patterns! 

Moving along to accessories and trim. Chrome is a major no-go! Get that early 2000's stuff out of here! The modern wake boat stylist utilizes matte colors for the tower, trailer, and trailer wheels; preferably black on black on black. Board racks are a MUST and should be packed full at all times. I suggest at least two racks on each side of the tower and a rough ratio of 3:2 wakeboards to wakesurfers. You might not ride them, but it's a necessary touch to get bitches turning heads. 

An often over-looked tower accessory is lighting. In my professional opinion, this is a HUGE miss and an easy way to really set your boat off and stand out in a crowd. While there are many options, a simple light bar set in the gap between the speakers and top of the tower is enough. Remember to never use it though, it just has to be big enough that people will notice it in the daylight.

The final fashion tip for the season is about sound, and it's a really handy trick. Make sure that whatever mad thumpin' system you get installed requires the addition of at least 20 batteries. Not only will it allow you to make sure people 3 miles away are listening to your fantastic taste in alt rock and pop-rap music but, and here's the great part, you won't have any need to EVER use the ballast system that comes in many high-end boats. Simply shift a battery or two and clean that wake up so everyone can look at it's beauty and admire it from afar."

New Shredtown Vid!!!! - TUBULAR!

The dudes at Shredtown finally released a new vid today! As usual, worth the wait. Peep it on their site at:

http://shredtown.com/tubular/

Some REALLY creative stuff (not to mention some mad System 2.0 driving skills).

Wakeskating on the Berrics!

Thanks to yet another fantastic post on the forums over at wakeskating.com, someone noticed some of our fellow water-shredders breaking in to the big time by being featured on the Berrics! The biggest and most-visited skate site just got a little more watery, and it's great.

Check out the original thread here, and the Berrics page itself here.

I love seeing wakeskating getting some more attention from the most legitimate skate site in the world. It shows to me that we're doing things right and wakeskating is headed in the perfect direction, a sport all its own from wakeboarding.

Countdown - 5 Questions to ask Yourself when Buying a Wakeboard or Wakeskate

Dude needs an update. Image: wwasp.com

The most common question I see posted on forums everywhere is "What board should I get?" It seems simple enough, but with the sheer amount of options out there it's a daunting task if you don't know where to begin. I'll go more in-depth in a future article for each wakeboards and wakeskates later, but I've put together a list of five things you should ask yourself before making a decision no matter which kind of board you're thinking of picking up. Think of this as kind of a 'Quick-Start' guide to buying yourself a new ride for the season, just general information. As I will always suggest though, do your research, ask questions. It makes the sport so much more fun when you absolutely love what you're standing on.

5. What's your skill level? This is a good starting point for a reason. If this is your first season your demands are a lot less than what a seasoned rider expects out of his gear. My recommendation is to pick up any board made in the last 5 years or so and save yourself a bunch of cash over getting a totally new board. You can find a great deal on used or closeout gear and while today's tech is much better than even 5 years ago, the board quality and durability will still be fantastic and you won't outgrow it skill-wise for a long time. I still occasionally hop on my 2005 Liquid Force deck because it's such a fun ride! Remember, the latest and greatest gear isn't needed to be a good rider and that at one point, those decks were pro-models too. Just because they're not the shiny new toy, doesn't mean you can't get far with them; be careful of marketing hype!

4. What's your Budget? Wakeboarding can be an extremely expensive sport. You won't be able to get a complete, high-end, 2013 setup for less than about $700 and a good wakeskate is not going to be cheap either. If you can afford that without batting an eye, then you're good to go on the latest and greatest, have a blast shopping! For some of us though, money is a limiting factor. Something I tend to do is look at closeout gear from the previous season. Call your local shops and ask or pop online to stores like Boardstop and there is usually a closeout section offering great deals on new gear leftover from the year or two before. You can save yourself hundreds but still be riding really advanced tech! The best thing to do is to give yourself a number to shop with, something you can afford. I guarantee that with enough looking, you'll be able to find the right ride for you without breaking the bank and can probably find a complete, last-season closeout for a few hundred bucks and the gear will be completely new.

3. What's Quality? This is always important when shopping for anything and while wakeboarding and wakeskating can get complicated if you let it, there are some key simple things to look for when you're buying. Browse forums like wakeboarder.com and wakeskating.com. It won't take long for you to see a pattern in the brand names that come up. Wakeboard companies like Hyperlite, Liquid Force, Ronix, and Slingshot are a pretty safe bet across the board. The same goes for wakeskating with the companies listed above, along with skate-only companies like Integrity, and Remote. If you're just starting out, pretty much any of their decks will work well for you and if you're a more experienced rider, you'll already know what you're looking for. With all of that said, do your research! There are plenty of trustworthy brands out there to find but the ones I listed are ones I find to be consistent across the line in quality (unlike O'Brien for example, who makes some great boards but also has low-end, low-budget, and low-quality boards as well that a beginner might get confused with). Also, stay away from companies that make a ton of watersports stuff. World Industries for example had wakeboards for a while but they were just hopping in to the game with cheap stuff to try and make a quick buck.

2. What's Your Pull? This is basically is going to come down to cable or boat for most people. While most boards cross-over well, there are a few extra things to look out for if you're going to be riding mostly cable. First on the list is durability. Most wakeboards and skates out there now are going to be absolutely fine to take on occasional trips to the park, but if you're going to be hitting the park a couple times a week, you'll need something with extra durability in mind. Companies these days are realizing that a lot of people are primarily shredding ramps n' rails, so keep an eye out for anything that has an added base layer as a durability feature. The tech is the same across most brands (P-Tex, a material used on snowboards) and is very effective, but most wake brands will call it something different, for example, Liquid Force's "Grind" base, or Hyperlite's "enduro base". Second thing to look for is base features. While boards will cross-over, if you really want to get in to pressing rails you will likely want a flex board with little to no shape to the bottom. Slingshot boards, for example, are completely smooth other than their removeable fins. Perfect for a flatbar session. At the same time, you may want something with a lot of bite behind the boat, so a ride with some decent molded-in fins may be more up your alley. In addition to molded fins, if you're planning to try and catch some big air behind the cable or boat, look for bases that are designed for soft landings. These will usually have some kind of a shallow 'v' design in the nose/tail to disperse the water a bit when you land.

1. What do YOU like? This is the most important question to ask yourself. You're going to drop a bunch of money on some new gear, you better like every last detail about it from the ride, to the durability, down to even the graphic. The good thing is, there are tons of choices for wakeboarders and skaters these days. Not only do the major companies such as Liquid Force and Hyperlitee have tons of options in their lines, but smaller companies like Humanoid, Remote, Integrity, and CTRL offer plenty of extra options that will make you smile every time you look down at your feet.

Shredtunes - The Limousines

In ShredTunes posts I'm going to introduce you to a new song that gets me stoked to ride and talk a little about the band that sings it. It might be old, it might be new, just depends on how I'm feeling that week. Fair warning: my music can sometimes get pretty out there, but hopefully you find something new that you dig.

What if I told you there was a song that's catchy as hell and the music video has bikini zombies? Right, figured you'd be stoked. After hearing it featured in the wake film "Defy", I immediately hit iTunes to get myself a copy. Fair warning, you're going to get this stuck in your head.

See? Now you'll be singing that chorus all day. The rest of the album this is on didn't really do much for me. It's not bad, but I just couldn't really get in to it. In any case, check them out, you might dig 'em!

Survival Guide - Free For All 2013

Visit The Official Liquid Force Free for All Page!

This summer, Liquid Force will be touring the country and spreading some stoke. Going for a few years now, the Free For All is a nation-wide cable park tour giving riders the chance to hit their local cable park for the low, low price of $0.00. Not only is riding at your cable park completely for free a great time, there's a lot of great Liquid Force stuff to check out. Demos, giveaways, company reps to answer questions; heck, they'll even feed you and have some free Monster Energy to keep you fueled for the day.

I know this sounds like a commercial for them, but I wouldn't be writing about it here if it wasn't something I recommend you go and check out. I've gone to past events at McCormick's cable in Tampa and it's always been a blast. I do have a few tips though for those of you who've never been to help you have the best time during your free day.

1. Get There Early - I can't stress this enough. The cable gets absolutely packed very quickly. If you want to get a decent amount of riding in, show up a little early and get yourself set to go as soon as the cable opens.

2. Be Patient - The line will be long, hopefully your cable enacts a '5 lap' rule to keep things moving. Don't worry, you'll get your turn. Remember it may actually be good to give yourself a rest in between runs so you can shred all day, just make the most of the runs you do get.

3. Be Social - We're a wake community for a reason. Bring some friends, chat it up with other riders. Find someone to play WAKE with, make some new friends. These events are awesome for this reason. While Liquid Force is a huge company, these events can feel very grassroots because of the people there.

4. Don't be a Complete Beginner*- I'm not saying this to be a jerk, I just want to make sure you have fun wakeboarding for the first time. Unless you have a LOT of patience, it really doesn't make sense to come out to an event like this if you've never wakeboarded before (honestly though, if you're reading this you probably have done it at lease a few times). I only suggest this because of how long the line is going to be and every time you fall, you'll have to wait again.

*Check your local cable first though and see if they have some kind of a beginner line. If that's the case, you will probably be better off and can learn how to ride within the day.

Tech Talk - The Future of Wake Design?

Image: MakerBot

Devices like the one above have the opportunity to change the world. Granted, they're a little ways off from where they need to be in order to do so, but great leaps are being made every day to get there. With each generation of machine, we're getting closer and closer to an unbelievable future. If you're still not quite sure what that is, it's a Makerbot Replicator, a 3D printer that is available for purchase by anyone willing to drop the cash. This device, and others like it print actual three-dimensional models using plastics. While this technology has implications for all kinds of applications, it could be an invaluable asset to wake-gear designers of the future if they're willing to adapt the technology once it matures.

Gear Design

Imagine this scenario. During an R&D session with the team, the riders give their designer some feedback on the new gear they're trying out that day, maybe a new binding tech similar the Hyperlite System. The riders want the binding frame tweaked a bit, it seems too firm and doesn't quite get them the range of motion needed to poke grabs the right way.Once everyone's off of the water the designer hits his laptop, makes the necessary tweaks in the CAD design and over-night a brand new custom pair of bindings are ready for the team to give a go the very next morning. Pretty cool right? It would help advance our gear in incredible ways, designers could do in a season what might take them 2-3 years of research and redesign in today's workflow. All because they can instantly prototype anything their minds create and develop the product exactly as the riders want it within hours of receiving the input.

Let's get even crazier. Imagine the same strategy is applied to an entire board. Granted, you'd need a much bigger printer, but the principle is still the same. The gear designer of the future could potentially have a mobile workshop in a trailer, making it easy to spend a week camping out at a cable park with the team. The first day out our designer passes out some boards he already made and are ready for testing. After a few hours, the riders can give feedback including anything from changing molded-in fins, the concave design, to even the flex pattern. Printing machines of the future can, in theory, print multiple materials, so all of this could be done on-site in hours. Let's take the flex pattern as an example. Maybe the designer wants to try and reduce the amount of flex in the tip/tail based on rider feedback. Well one way to handle it is to reduce the amount of flex core material the extends in to the ends of the board and replacing that with a stiffer material the next time he prints. After a few hours of letting the machine work its magic, a brand-spanking new and slightly stiffer board will be ready for the team to try.

Image: MakerBot

What About Now?
Well, 3D printing is a very long way off from the possibilities I mentioned above. But we're getting there. MakerBot for example, is releasing the "Replicator 2", their most precise printer ever.  People are doing some pretty impressive things with the new technology. From making simple small models with no moving parts to even wind-up toys requiring multiple, somewhat precise, mechanical pieces that move; a lot of things are possible now. Someone, controversially, is even trying to make the first entirely 3D printed firearm with existing technology. The next big steps are making bigger, faster printers and increasing the material types that can be used. Nothing right now is strong enough to hold up to the extreme stresses wakeboarders and wakeskaters put their gear through so a lot of development would need to be done there. But once those things happen (I'm a believer of "when" and not "if" with this technology), and if designers are willing to keep up with the new methods, it could change wakeboarding forever.

ShredTunes - Japandroids

In ShredTunes posts I'm going to introduce you to a new song that gets me stoked to ride and talk a little about the band that sings it. It might be old, it might be new, just depends on how I'm feeling that week. Fair warning: my music can sometimes get pretty out there, but hopefully you find something new that you dig.

Right now I want to introduce you to Japandroids. If you haven't heard of them, check them out. If you do know of them, you definitely know this song.



Loud, fast, and catchy as hell, The House That Heaven Built is a good anthem to get me pumped to learn something new and push myself for a day at the cable. I particularly am hooked on the second part of the chorus "....and if they try to slow you down, tell 'em all to go to hell!" This is a contender for my song choice if I ever get a video part put together. The rest of their Celebration Rock album is great too. The whole thing is worth a listen if you dig their sound.

System 2.0 Can Change the Sport (If we Use it Right)

Image: wakeboardingmag.com

Everyone who talks wake with me knows that I'm a huge fan of the System 2.0. One of my life goals is to own a backyard setup someday for anytime shredding. The advantages are obvious; no fuel (just plug and play!), easy setup, simple operation, and cheaper than a high-end wake boat. Your own personal cable park almost anywhere you want to put it.

But I want to talk about a different aspect. Something that can change the face of wakeboarding and wakeskating and make them skyrocket in popularity. We just need to make sure that things are done right. This is how I think 2.0's can help make the world of wakeskating and wakeboarding become a great spectator sport.

How it Should be Done
Contests are good. I think we can all agree. Nothing like the spirit of competition to help progress the sport. One thing we need to remember though is that not only are the riders are responsible to up their game, but also contest organizers are as well. They need to make sure they do it right. I'm a firm believer that using the System 2.0 correctly will help the masses understand the sport. For so long wakeboarding has been a long-distance spectator sport. You pick a spot on shore and hopefully someone does a trick in front of you as the boat drives by. Even as a huge fan, being a spectator at a boat competition sucks unless you thought to bring your binoculars.

Now, with two-tower technology, we have the ability to minimize that distance between the riders and the crowds, and that's great. They need to be close, think "have a section that's a splash zone" close. To the uninitiated viewing wakeboarding and wakeskating for the first time, they'll finally be able to tell one trick from another. A hard thing to do long-distance, where everything looks like the same trick to the untrained eye. That nose-press will mean more, a grabbed spin will show more style, and that heelflip won't look like a kickflip.

This is something that wakeskating does correctly now with winch contests. Everyone can get up-close to the stair/rail set and really see what goes down. If we can carry this feel over to bigger contests for both wakeboarding and wakeskating, then there's no reason it couldn't turn in to a solid spectator sport.

What's Happening Now
With all of that said, I do have to say that these kinds of contests are popping up more often, but sometimes they're done right, but other times they leave a lot to be desired. The right way to do it is exactly like this:

     Image: system2wakeparks.us

A swimming pool with bleachers on either side, a variety of obstacles, and the close-up action required to get people's attention.

Here's an example of what not to do. The (somewhat) recent Wake Open in Tampa. I was excited to see all of the marketing hype around the event and it was definitely a Red Bull-level experience, but the execution was abysmal. I even had access to the media dock that most people didn't get and had a hard time seeing what was going on. The setup looked something like this:

                                Image: Red Bull USA

WHAT IS THAT? This should have been held along one shore with people lined all the way down, and boats along the other side. Not way out in the middle of a body of water. It was a Red Bull event so plenty of people showed, but I have to wonder how many people actually went home excited for wakeboarding; digging for more information on the web when they got home, signing up for forums and learning more about the sport. This is not a knock on Red Bull overall, they've done excellent 2.0 comps (and arguably are the ones who kicked the whole thing off) and continue to support the movement. I can also see where they may have had some challenges with the venue, blocking waterways, and the number of people that were expected to show up; but we need to make sure that high-profile events like this are done correctly. Lets get them closer, lets get pro rider's faces recognized so people new to the sport have someone to cheer for. Lets blow wakeboarding and wakeskating up to a level they've never been by using this new technology in the best possible way.

Vantage Point

Thought I'd get some video up here to show a little of my riding and to get people stoked for the approaching season. Here's my first trip to visit the (then) new floating pool gap at OWC (Orlando Watersports Complex) cable park in Orlando, FL. This was my last filmed day out prior to a minor knee injury a couple weeks later that knocked me out of riding for a few months. Looking forward to getting back in to the swing of things and really progress my riding in 2013.

Soven Leaves Liquid Force

Some interesting news out of the pro world. According to a WakeWorld post yesterday; it was announced that Phillip Soven, one of the strongest competition riders in the world, has left his long-time sponsor Liquid Force for an up-and coming brand, CTRL. Soven has been with Liquid Force since 1995, that's about 18 years with the company. Up to this point, he's spent his entire career with the brand.

From the sound of it in interviews from WakeWorld and Alliance Wake, it seems like a lot of his decision was driven by the fact that he can have a lot more say in what the brand is going to be, something he cant do with something so established as Liquid Force.

Phil is among the most winning pro riders on the circuit. Claiming many titles including the King of Wake, and the PWT, among countless other competition 1st place finishes. He's even managed to break in to the mainstream with an MTV reality show, WakeBrothers.

Be sure to check out CTRL wakeboards and keep an eye out for them in the near future. With a name like Soven among the ranks, they're sure to make some waves on the pro circuit this year.

Countdown - 5 Reasons Why Wake Sports Will be Huge this Year

I started this blog over a year ago, and by started I mean that I created the name and address on my blogger profile and let it sit completely untouched until now. But this year I'm excited. Over 10 years in to the sport and I'm more stoked than ever. Why? This is going to be wakeboarding's biggest year yet. A lot of people say that every year, mainly the wakeboard company marketing departments hyping up their current line of gear, but I think it's true this season. These are my top 5 reasons why:

5. Board and Binding Tech - While we've seen a steady progression in our gear since the early days of the sport (directional boards anyone?), we've finally hit a place where everyone can find a board/boot that fits their exact need and riding preference. Whether you prefer cable, boat, a combination of both, or even urban winching that requires decks that can take a crazy beating like cement slides; you'll be able to find a board and binding combo that's exactly right for you. New advancements like Hyperlite's "System" bindings (handy for the cable or winching), or Slingshot's big introduction of flex boards in to the market are innovations that are constantly pushing the industry as a whole to think differently, and that's good for all of us.

            Rider: Matt Manzari

4. Wakeskating - This is a case of "Make enough noise and people will hear you". Hammers are being dropped left and right all the time, and the sport is finally getting some notice outside of the wake community.  Even the extremely popular website The Berrics (theberrics.com) has given the sport some love recently. Granted, they call it "wake boarding", but hey, can't blame them for trying. In addition, the vast majority of people who want to get out on the water can't afford an expensive wakeboard boat. This leaves the door wide open for them to pick up a wakeskate and have at it behind something as small as a jet-ski or even a small skiff (check out some sweet custom machines at this Wakeskating.com thread).

3. Down with corporations! - This is one that could have me eating my words later, but I think this is the year that we'll see a couple of rider-owned companies start to give some challenge to the big guys. For a while wakeboarding was stagnant. Boards were the same, technology was similar, nobody was making waves in the marketplace. With the introduction of more rider-owned companies like Remote, Ronix (sort of) and Slingshot, we've seen massive leaps and bounds in the industry when it comes to technology and availability of wake gear. As I mentioned before, Slingshot led the charge when it came to making flex boards popular, and Ronix has turned the binding market upside-down and continues to innovate and create some of the best boots in the world. At the same time, Remote and Integrity wakeskates have spent their entire existence making high-end wakeskates that meet the performance needs of today's riders.  Thanks to these companies, the landscape of wakeboarding and wakeskating are completely different than they could have been if just the big guys were in the game.

2. More Events Than Ever - With support from companies like Red Bull and their traveling System 2.0 competitions, wakeboarding and wakeskating will receive a ton of exposure this year. In addition to these big sponsor and tours, grassroots tours are popping up everywhere. The most awesome example of one of these tours is the Wakeskate Tour. An absolutely amazing event travelling the country and putting the best riders in the best spots to really push the sport in the right direction.

1. You Don't Need a Boat - This is number one on the list for a reason. Boats are insanely expensive not only to buy to to also run and maintain, and not everyone has a large body of water nearby. Modern wakeboarding and wakeskating are quickly turning to boat-free sports. Cable parks are popping up all over the US and new ones continue to be announced and developed. In addition to cables, winches allow riders to access literally anywhere that has water and can give you a full day of fun for about $2 in gas (and only about $2,000 in an initial investment if you don't build it yourself). If you haven't ridden boat-free, make it a goal this year to go out and support a nearby park. Grab some buddies and take a roadtrip to your nearest cable park or hit the forums and find someone to give you a winch pull (or better yet, build one yourself!). I guarantee it'll be a blast.