So this past weekend (18th-19th) Acworth will hosted the first stop of the American Pro Wakeboard tour, I can safely say I was both nervous as hell and excited.

I headed  up there road trip style  with Trevor Hansen, Parker Siegle, Massi Piffaretti, Gunner Daft and Ryan Anderson. The trip there took us about six hours, but it was a fun lengthy drive with good tunes, enough jokes to go around and good company.  We left on Thursday midday and got there in the evening on Friday with enough time to check out the competition site and register. Gunner, Massi, Parker and myself were competing in the junior pro men division while Ryan Anderson was entered into Pro Men.  After that we checked into our hotel, the Econolodge for a good nights rest.

Friday saw the qualifying rounds take place, and once again it was cut throat. The heats were stacked in Junior Pro men with 6 heats of 5 riders each and the top two riders advancing to a 12 man semifinal. I was in placed in the second heat along with my friends, Gunner Daft and Massi Piffaretti, as well as rippers, Mike Dowdy, and Keenan Allen. I was first off the dock in my heat. I had fun but was disappointed with my ride. Mastercraft debuted their new x-star for the first time and I didn’t quite know what to expect edging in for my first trick, but knew I’d have to throw down in order to make it through.  I fell on my second trick (a kgb) which was frustrating but I decided to put it behind me and comeback to it later, I felt I slid well, but was still nervous about falling on my second trick and feeling the pressure, I fellt I had to lay some hammers in to compensate, next up was a heelside 720 followed by a crow mobe 5 which I unfortunately also fell on. That rounded off my first pass. So two falls in my first pass and only one hammer to show for it. My second pass started off with a big worm into a moby dick , followed by a decent rail hit. Here I felt I needed the crow 5 in order to put any pressure on the rest of my heat so I decided to give it another go. Unfortunately I fell again and that was it for me. The rest of my heat killed it. Every rider had at least one seven in their pass. Mike, and Gunner both had 9’s.

The level of competition over here is very high, but I guess you learn something from every competition experience. I had fun and learned to keep a cool head and that sometimes a clean pass, that is not jam packed with hammers, can do better than one with a few hammers and unnecessary falls.

Either way, Mike and Massi qualified first and second respectively to advance to semi’s where Massi unfortunately just got edged out of competition and  Mike went on to win the event.

The rest of the tour stop was a great experience. Watching the Junior Pro Men division compete was almost as intense as the Pro Men division. The format of competition for Junior Pro men definitely seems more cut throat with only 4 riders making it to the finals compared to Pro men’s 6 finalists. It was sick.

Hopefully I’ll have some more things to tell you guys soon!

America has been Awesome so far, this past week a lot went down, although not all of it was spent riding as a front decided to pull through the whole of last week so the weather wasn’t playing fair at all. We had a few rainy and cold days and the wind has been reminding me of Cape Town! But other than that it was still eventful.

A photographer, Chris West came over to Dieter’s house to shoot Marc Kroon and myself, which was good fun and an awesome experience. After that I joined the Kroon brothers Nils and Mark as we went to downtown Windermere to enjoy some ice cream from Allen’s Creamery, the place had some awesome flavours (the bubblegum flavour had chunks of bubble gum in it and there was a cotton candy flavour) – it was pretty sick.

This Past weekend saw the Byerly Toe Jam take place, the first Wakeskate only event of the Season here in the US and at the same time the first stop of the Wakeskate Tour. Deter entered both boat and winch and killed it in both, but unfortunately just got edged out of both finals. The level was crazy high, with Wake to wake bigspins, 360’s and late shuvs being a standard trick for any pass behind the boat. The winch part was also very impressive. ( I am aware that this might sound very confusing)  Andrew Pastura got a frontside 270 shove into a backboard on the flatbar into a  bs 270 shove frontboard backside 90 out down the handrail. Ben Horan also killed it with a bs nose slide bs 270 shove out into a back tailslide shove out down the handrail. Austin Pastura took top honours with a bs tailslide 90 shove out into a fs tailslide front bigspin out.

it was an awesome event with a great vibe.

let’s see what the next week in America has in store for me!

Just thought I’d pop in with an update after my first week in Orlando so far. It’s been awesome staying with Dieter Humpsch and his fiancé Victoria. They’re hospitality has been great and they’ve shown me a whole bunch of proudly American things.

The first day I was here they brought me to a Mexican take out place called Tiawana Flats, which was awesome. I couldn’t believe that “soda’s” are bottomless at all restaurants here -How cool?!

After that we headed back home and I took my first shred in Orlando. It was a quick one but a goodie! Dieter’s Tige RZR is a sick 20ft boat that still puts out a gangstalicious wake.

My first weekend here  saw the Nautique Wake games take Place in Orlando as the first stop of the King of Wake Series. I’m not gonna lie or try to be mucho and say that I wasn’t nervous, because I was kakking myself. I entered the Jnr. Pro Men division which contains some big up and coming names in the sport. Guys I’ve watched videos of on alliance wake and other websites for the past few years were all there standing on the dock competing in the same division. The heats were tough. With 10 heats of 4 riders each and only the top rider advancing into the next round without the possibility of a last chance qualifier. So either you dropped bombs or you fell trying to drop bombs. There was no such thing as sandbagging it as every heat was boasting riders who were laying down a handfull of mobes, the odd mobe 5 and a few 7’s.
I was put into a heat with Irish David O’caoimh the European Jnr. Men Champion, Gordon Harrison, a ripper from the states and Canadian Anthony Cote. All of whom shred! Since I had never before ridden in a WWA event I was seeded last which meant I was first off the dock. So it was balls to the wall and the pressure was on already.  The New Nautiqe G23 was the official Tow Boat of the Wakegames and I hadn’t ever ridden it before but after my first hit I understood what all the hype was about, the wake was huge and I needed another extension on my line, but had foolishly taken all extensions off to avoid confusion with the rope jockey (Rookie error). Although my line was to short I carried on with my pass, unfortunately going down on a big worm and a ts 9. The rest of the riders in my heat rode like kings and it was David from Ireland who managed to take top spot and advance to the next rounds where he killed it and finished in an impressive 3^rd place.  So that was Wake Games for me, even though I did not ride the best I could have I had a great time meeting new people and of course riding against some riders I look up to.

Today is rest day, but i am excited to see what my next week in America will bring!