In this video, world-renowned, multi-discipline athlete, Brian Grubb dishes about the evolution of watersports. Having been riding for team @malibuboats  for over 20 years, Grubb started waterskiing, transitioned to wakeskating, performs at top levels at wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and now may be best known for his exploits riding foils. Check out what Brian Grubb has to say, and enjoy some great footage of Grubb doing what he does best.

The post Brian Grubb on the Evolution of Watersports appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Like a lot of aspiring watersports athletes, Brian Grubb traded water skis for a wakeboard in the late ’90s, but it was a picture of a pro riding skateboard-style that would prompt him to trade bindings for sneakers and grip tape. Grubb would go on to be a driving force behind the burgeoning sport of wakeskating, capturing National and World Championships in his rookie year on tour and forging a career that would last for decades. It’s his relationship with Red Bull, however, that’s thrust the now 43-year-old into the national spotlight. Grubb’s recent drone-towed wakeskate session across the rooftop infinity pool of a Dubai skyscraper—followed by a 77-story BASE jump to the beach below— has become the energy drink behemoth’s all-time most viewed clip on Instagram.

Why wakeskating?

I grew up water-skiing and wakeboarding in Florida. I saw some shots in the mags of (wake pioneer) Scott Byerly riding with no bindings and had to try it. I loved the freedom of it and hitting rails and kickers was super fun for me. It was such a new sport that we were doing tricks no one had ever done and that was very rewarding.

Still, it was a pretty niche sport. How did you attract Red Bull?

I got connected with Red Bull back in 2001 with some help from my friend Parks Bonifay who was already on the team. I was getting a lot of exposure in the mags and doing pretty good competing in wakeboard rail contests on my wakeskate. It was a new sport, but Red Bull took a chance with me and together we helped grow wakeskating into what is it today. Red Bull is the best sponsor in action sports and goes above and beyond to help its athletes achieve their dreams.

Your career has lasted longer than most. How have you managed to stay popular?

I’ve dedicated my whole life to watersports, and it has been very good to me in return. I’m always trying to do new things and ride in places no one ever has. I’ve had some amazing opportunities to do this with the help of Red Bull and my other sponsors. I don’t turn down opportunities and am always on the move. I have a friend group that also lives like I do and we are always chasing the next adventure.

The latest stunt in Dubai was crazy. How do you dream up something like that, and what goes into making it happen?

The wakeBASE was my dream project. It was just a wild idea for a while, but started really coming together after we built the drone and now had a way to tow it. Red Bull has an amazing team that helped with the logistics in Dubai and with the Address Beach Resort. It’s a 79-story building and the pool is the highest infinity-edge pool in the world at 965 feet. It’s an awesome BASE jump with about 7 seconds of free fall.

Read Next: Brian Grubb and Cleopatra’s Pool

So what’s next?

I’m always looking for the next adventure and traveling around the world to find it. Lately I’ve been chasing big waves on the e-Foil and looking forward to going on the road this summer with Malibu Boats on the Just Ride Tour.

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Thomas Herman won Rookie of the Year on the 2021 Pro Wakeboard Tour. Competition for the honor was tough this year. As this video shows, it takes a lifetime to be a winner. In this video, John Dreiling shares Thomas’s journey of how he became a professional wakeboarder and took home this prestigious title.

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Watch the five-time Full Scope Award winner Guenther Oka ride with pal Jeff Langley on a glassy Florida session.

The post Guenther Oka December Sessions Featuring Jeff Langley appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Check out Ronix team rider Mary Morgan Howell’s new board design and what women wakeboarders are asking for in the new board models.

The post Mary Morgan Howell’s New Rise Board appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Follow Mikayo Mundy, the newest Liquid Force family addition, as he rides through Cairns Wake Park, Bli Bli Wake Park and Blackspot in Australia. The up-and-coming rider is back on the water after spending almost a year off recovering from shoulder surgery and he is riding better than ever!

The post Mikayo Mundy Welcomed to Liquid Force appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Take a look behind the scenes of Nico Von Lerchenfeld’s #spacetapes “The Apollo Missions” and find out what it takes to dig a wake park scene and more!

“It’s been a bit more than a year since all the #spacetapes videos came out. We had so much fun shooting for our video submission and wanted to share with you how cool Lake X looked. I mean, it’s a dream to dig up your own little wakepark, right? This video takes you through the tries to get the tricks, through the work that went into building everything and lets you be part of the great vibes we had. Team MoNiMaToNi” –Nico

Riders

• Momo Dudzinski
• Nico von Lerchenfeld
• Manu Rupp
• Tom Vanhauer
• Nico Schneier

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Leave it to the one-and-only Daniel Grant to blow minds with what’s possible on the water. In celebration of ten years of his signature TAO wakeskate with Liquid Force, Daniel – from Bankgok, Thailand – has created “Obscure Decade,” a year-long edit with tricks that have never been seen.

The post Obscure Decade is Daniel Grant’s Celebration of TAO appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

“This season was one single trip which was more complicated than any past season, with all the Covid regulations. I made a 6 week trip to Europe and quarantined back in Phuket for two weeks. My younger brother Bobby has been progressing with his editing skills. I passed him a hard drive of my only trip of the season and this is what he did with it. Thanks to Rip Curl – Thailand for supporting this project and of course all my other sponsors that let me continue to live the dream. ” -Daniel Grant

Edited by BobFilmS5

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The latest short film by the copycatsclub comes a year and a half after Sewer Cats. This time the girls spent four weeks urban riding via winch through Czechoslovakia. The brave and talented squad has improved impressively, the riding and edits are definitely next level! Meowmeooww!

Staring Sina Fuchs, Joelina Gerards, Luca Glinski Anne Freyer and more.

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