Doing butter tricks

Do: Experiment.
Don’t: Take it too seriously, you’re just doing butters.

Traveling through Europe with Europeans

Do: As the locals do.
Don’t: Have a plan.

Living at VWC

Do: Have some hobbies besides wakeboarding (foursquare, disc golf, drawing, hoop em’ up, shitty tattoos).
Don’t: Make spaghetti with the same pot used for cooking wax.

Riding a skinny stance

Do: Have fun.
Don’t: Forget that you used to ride a wide stance.

Building a rail

Do: Come up with something new.
Don’t: Copy the shotgun rail at CWC.

Rocking a haircut with bangs

Do: Cut them yourself.
Don’t: Use a mirror.

Giving at-home tattoos

Do: Live in the moment.
Don’t: Think long term.

Finding the perfect winch spot

Do: Keep looking.
Don’t: Ever give up.

Making wax

Do: Innovate.
Don’t: Quit your day job.

The post Do’s & Don’ts w/ Wes Jacobsen appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Being landlocked in Orlando oftentimes doesn’t feel like being landlocked at all. With the vast amount of lakes and time spent on the water, it’s easy to neglect the fact that we’re completely shut off from the world’s largest entity: the ocean. The lakes provide us with a constant; they’re our comfort zones. So, what if we separate ourselves from that comfort zone, even if by only a short distance? What would we discover? On this particular adventure, we discovered Bimini, the Bahamas’ westernmost island. But our trip wasn’t simply about the destination; it was about the journey, about venturing out. Sometimes people forget that’s the half of it. When the last remnants of shore trickled out of view, that’s when the magic took hold.

Our journey began at Key Biscayne with the Yamaha 212X in tow. Danny Hampson, Collin Harrington, Bryan “Bear” Soderlind, Derek Cook and myself arrived at the launch, where Danny’s dad, Tim, met us in his Contender, appropriately named Reef Freak. He would make the trek with us, acting as a guide and rescue if something went wrong. It’s no secret that there was apprehension; there was a part of us that didn’t know if we could do it. Our plan did consist of crossing the Gulf Stream in a 21-foot jet boat, after all, and the weather hadn’t been ideal. Just the day before, we were cruising around the canals of West Palm Beach, watching 30 mph winds rip across the water while somewhat nervously making jokes about the journey that lay ahead. After countless weather checks, we had determined our window for making the crossing was narrow, and we set out a plan to leave early Tuesday morning. With Miami’s skyline behind us and only ocean ahead, we were off on our 50-mile cruise to Bimini.

As we made our way across the Gulf Stream, these three words resonated through my mind: Life is good. There’s something about being out on the open ocean that creates a sense of vulnerability that is almost comforting. I grew up on the Gulf of Mexico, where trips to the barrier islands were a weekly, sometimes daily, ritual. My brothers and I started ­exploring the Gulf’s coastline from the time our hands were big enough to operate the 25 horsepower motor on the tinny that sat afloat in our marsh. Being surrounded by salt water is where I feel most at home, so despite any previous doubts about our journey, I immediately felt at ease as we open-throttled across international waters and into the blue.

Eyes wide and mouths silent, we stared in disbelief at the beauty that surrounded us. It had happened so fast: Deep shades of sapphire swirled around us for the better part of two hours when, just like that, the water burst into a pigment that words cannot accurately describe. Cerulean ripples as far as the eye could see and a warm hue on the palm-clad sandy shores greeted us. It was as if the island were showing off with a display of saturation overload. You should have seen our faces — we were stupefied at the beauty of it all. The waters along the shores of Uluwatu, Tulum, Rio de Janeiro, Sardinia and Tamarindo would have had color envy at the sight of it. Yet, only 50 miles from home, there we were. We had arrived somewhere in between heaven and Earth, where the layers of intermingled greens and blues of the ocean almost didn’t seem real. And of course, we couldn’t get in it quickly enough.

The island of Bimini is revered for its world-class fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and pristine beaches. We came for this, yes, but we really came to test the salty waters and discover worthy lines. As you can see from the images printed on these pages, we succeeded in finding stunning locations, in which Bear shot incredible photos. Oftentimes, photos don’t fully grasp the beauty that’s present, but when you have Bear as the photographer, that isn’t the case. Bear has a way of capturing time and place in a way that evokes emotion — I think it’s because he so much values and respects what he’s shooting, whether that be a person or a destination.

Ten miles south of Bimini, next to the small island of Cat Cay, we discovered the most surreal riding spot. Surrounded by palm trees, rocky shores and white sand, the shallow, milky-blue lagoon was a photographer’s dream. The depth couldn’t have been more than 3 feet in some parts, but with the 212X, anything was possible. Perhaps that statement sounds forced, but truly, having this boat on the trip was the difference between can and can’t. Without it, these riding shots would not exist. The fact that the 212X doesn’t have a prop was a huge advantage. That, coupled with the built-in depth finder, made it easy to ­navigate the shallow shores of the surrounding cays and create unique, atypical lines.

As you can well imagine, the conditions weren’t the best. Choppy salt water mixed with shallow depths meant having wakes that many riders would turn their noses up to. For this, our crew couldn’t have been better. Danny, Collin and Derek are all the type that will ride anything, and they’ll ride it well. This was my second time on a ­Yamaha Boating trip with Danny and ­Collin, and being around these two and their dynamic personalities is incredibly amusing. As the face of Yamaha‘s wake division, Danny is the one to thank for this trip coming to fruition yet again. On a wakeskate or strapped in, Danny has an unmistakable quick-paced, explosive style. Apart from riding, Danny recently slipped into the world of real estate, and throughout our trip, we watched in awe as he closed deals while simultaneously strapping on his board, driving us back to shore, or casually sunbathing. The entertainment value was at an all-time high, and Collin, equipped with his drone, RED and multiple GoPros, came along to capture it all.

When searching for an additional rider to join us on this trip, Derek Cook was a no-brainer. Derek is an OG West Coast Rider whose unique style is representative of what boat riding can and should look like, and his down-for-anything attitude proved to be an asset in the ­not-so-perfect Bimini conditions. There are few riders who can hit double-ups as ­consistently as Derek; it’s safe to say that 75 percent of the hits he took on this trip were ­double-ups, and successful double-ups at that. He taught Danny the art of driving figure-eight ­double-ups, where you hit one after the other without waiting for the rollers to dissipate. This made for an incredibly entertaining viewing experience and even more ­visually appealing images.

When the guys had exhausted themselves from riding, we took advantage of the island’s other treasures with the help of Danny’s dad, Tim, who acted as our personal guide. Tim has been making frequent trips to Bimini for decades and knows the place like a true local. In fact, many of the locals actually know Tim. There’s no better way to travel to a new destination than with someone who knows it well, and Tim provided that for us. One of the many places Tim brought us to is a well-known shipwreck, the SS Sapona. Today, the shipwreck is a popular fishing and diving site, but legend has it that it was used during the Prohibition era for rum-running to and from Florida. Using a rope positioned above a vicious-looking piece of steel (sorry Mom), we managed to hoist ourselves up to the top deck and subsequently made the leap into the salty water below. When we felt we had cheated tetanus one too many times, we moved on to snorkeling, spearfishing, and swimming with the stingrays, and we ended each day pleasantly covered in salt with a Kalik in hand.

We each have our own idea of paradise. Upon setting sights on the perfection that is Bimini, we couldn’t argue that this mirrored our dream. We had entered a world so close to home but so far from the norm. Fifty miles — the distance from Miami to ­Bimini — is all it took. That journey — those mere 50 miles — catapulted us into a sort of utopia. Paradise is closer to home than you think. Sometimes all it takes is stepping out of your day-to-day and searching for it.

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In the fourth episode of “Into the Blue” the weather had finally caught up to us. We woke up to a strong wind that made it near impossible to find any good water for riding. Fortunately for us, right next to our hotel was a protected quarry with decent conditions. Although the turns were tight and the wind was blowing, we made it work and the guys had a really fun couple of sets.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into The Blue – Ep. 4 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In the third episode of “Into the Blue” we had a full day of activities and adventures in beautiful Bimini, the Bahamas’ western-most island. We spent the day wakeboarding, wakeskating, snorkeling, swimming with stingrays, spearfishing, and exploring the S.S. Sapona, a well-known shipwreck. And when the day was done, we headed to a local spot to grill up the fish we had caught earlier that evening.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into The Blue – Ep. 3 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In the second episode of “Into the Blue” our crew made the crossing from Key Biscayne to Bimini, the Bahamas’ western-most island. The weather held up for us, and the Yamaha 212X performed amazingly as we jetted across the Gulf Stream. As soon as we arrived and saw the crystal clear water, we couldn’t get in it quickly enough.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into the Blue – Ep. 2 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

The first episode of “Into the Blue” was shot the day before we made the crossing and features a really unique and not widely known riding spot in West Palm Beach. Despite 30mph winds, the protected canals provided us with really great riding conditions, and exploring this area was a great way to start our trip.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into The Blue – Ep. 1 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

For the full story on their trip, check out the feature story here >>

The post SHOREPOUND | A North Shore Adventure appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Wakeboarding is an escape for all of us, whether we’re just learning to carve or charging into double-ups. Part of that escape is also being captivated by what’s possible. What’s possible in terms of tricks? What’s possible in terms of locations?

Winching in Hawaiian barrels might be a pipe dream for most, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be dreamed about.

WBM: How did this trip come about? How long was it in the making?

Grubb: Parks and I have been going to Hawaii in the winter time for the last few years. Nick has a place in Maui so we’ve been meeting up with him to surf and do a bunch of fun stuff on the islands. We all talked about winching in the surf but could never line up a winch when the conditions were right. We all knew we wanted to get back out there this past winter and make it happen in some good swell.

In December we started working out all the details. Parks lined it up with Jamie O’Brien to use his winch, and we found a good place to stay.

We shopped the idea around but didn’t get much support at first, so we decided to just pay for it ourselves and make it happen. We would self produce it, and we knew it would pay off in the end. We got Bryan Soderlind and Austin Keen on board too, so our crew was dialed and made all the expenses cheaper too.

When word got out about the whole crew that was going and a great looking swell forecast, we got the support we needed!

WBM: What was the highlight of the trip?

Parks: I think the highlight of the trip was getting to watch the back door shoot out from Jamie O’Brien’s dad’s porch… It was some of the best pipe I have ever seen.

Grubb: The highlight for me was winching the shore break when it was big and just detonating on the beach. It takes so much effort to winch in those conditions. You only get 5 or 6 pulls an hour and the winch driver has to time it just right to get you in the perfect spot. I got a lot of waves but had two that stand out in my mind where everything came together almost perfectly.

WBM: Who caught the best barrel?

Grubb: That’s a close one between Parks’ cover shot and Nick’s backhand barrels. I love how Parks is dragging his hand on the roof and looking so casual but also loved watching Nick getting it on a wakeskate!

Parks: I think Nick Taylor did. He had some backside barrels that were insane. Grabbing his rail in big blue caverns… Bear got some great shots!

WBM: Favorite set… at Keiki Beach or Waimea Bay?

Parks: Keiki Beach for sure. I have never winched shorepound like that before! I have been to that beach many times, looked at it and said to myself, “How insane would it be to ride there?!” It was so scary and fun at the same time.

Grubb: Without a doubt it was the Keiki sessions. Everyday the waves were a different size and always changing, which we loved. We did Waimea mostly because we had time when the waves were too big and closing out at Keiki’s. It was a fun little rail at Waimea, but honestly, if the conditions would have been right at Keiki’s we would have been there all day everyday!

WBM: Who was the MVP of the trip?

Grubb: Everyone killed it on this trip. We had a great crew, but I’d probably have to give it to Bear. He obviously shot amazing photos the whole trip, but he’s got a great vibe and is high energy all day. He’d always encourage us to get one more if needed to make sure we nailed it. Those memories we made will last forever through his images and now in the pages of Wakeboarding Magazine.

Parks: I say Bear. He got some of the most amazing pictures I’ve ever seen. He even got a sequence of Koa Rothman’s wave of the year! He is the most talented photographer I have ever worked with. MVP… Or more like MVB.

The post A North Shore Adventure appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

The naturally occurring springs in Florida have been a longtime spot for Senior Photographer and friend Bryan Soderlind (Bear) to visit with friends and pro riders to collect epic photography in the surreal atmospheres the springs have to offer. He’s been doing it a bunch, but it seems like every time we run a photo or do something with one of his now famous trips to the springs, the photos continue to keep getting better and better. Over the past few years he has spent a lot of time underwater and has honed in on creating some of the most unreal images we’ve ever seen. His underwater shots have won Photo of the Year honors at Wake Awards, grabbed the cover of our Magazine last year and seen elsewhere in the media like Outdoor magazine.

This Fall, with the season in the rearview mirror and time on their hands to spare Bear took Reed Hansen, Parks Bonifay, Nick Taylor and Ben Horan out to a secret spring that he wanted to showcase and do some other ideas that he had rattling around in his head. Check out the full gallery below and take a peek into the constantly 73 degree underwater world that Bear lives in. Congrats to the winners of the Instagram contest and a special thanks to Supra Boats, Ronix, Remote Wakeskates and Fox.

The post Bear and The Florida Springs appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.