Steel Lafferty: Tail Grab Scarecrow. Clermont, FL

The release of the July issue means only one thing: Summertime has arrived. The sun is hot, the water is warm, and the time has officially arrived to take your riding to the next level. There will be no excuses and no “warming up.” It’s time to pull the trigger and rail into the wake for that frontside 720 into the flats you were claiming all winter long…This new issue of Alliance features rookie Steel Lafferty Boosting off of the double up at his new stomping grounds in Clermont, Florida. Steel has created a name for himself in the past year as one of the most prominent wake riders in the industry and also a strong advocate of double ups, so for this cover shot we headed out to his home and set him loose on some double up mayhem behind his brand new Mastercraft X-Star. Let’s just say we were pleased with the results.

 

Keith Lyman’s final ride as a professional wakeboarder captured by Alliance’s Garrett Cortese and Patrick Wieland

 

This issue will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest issues in 2011 as it marks the official end to the professional career of one of wakeboarding’s greatest, Keith Lyman. Keith has decided to walk away from the sport to answer a different calling in life: Serving in the U.S. Military. Keith has been a fan of the armed forces since day one and after 9 years as a professional wakeboarder he has decided to wear a different pair of boots from here on out. In a 9 page exclusive interview with Alliance Keith reflects on his career, the sport, and most importantly the friendships that have resulted from his time spent on the water. You can also find out about his new board releasing with Slingshot which will be part of a charity project in which donations to the Wounded Warrior Project will be made for each board sold. We wish Keith the best of Luck in this new chapter of his life and couldn’t be more proud to have worked closely with him throughout his entire pro career. Congratulations Keith!

 

You may want to think twice before lending your car to these Hooligans…


Also in issue 11.6  Danny Harf, Sean Kilgus and the rest of the Defy crew travel to Australia as they look to capture some epic shots for the video set to release at the end of Summer 2010. The seasoned veterans pulled a few rookie moves on this trip, but were able to pull through in the end and produce some epic shots for the video. Bridge jibs, Boat Jibs, and tow in’s were some of the highlights. A word of advice from the guys: Always double check the fuel type before filling up at the gas station. There are way more diesel cars overseas than there are here in the states. Sorry Watkins!

 

Matt Hooker and Marc Rossiter Framed in Classic Form

 

Finally in the Dustpan Oliver Derome and JD Webb head to camp at Rusty Malinoski’s place with one goal only: To land the 1080. If there’s one guy in this sport who’s qualified to lead the quest for a 1080 it’s Rusty. He’s landed more 1080’s than any other rider including over 8 in contest. We expected a long day on the water, a huge bill for fuel, and two riders beat to hell by the end of the day, but there was something magical in the water that day because both riders stuck their first 1080 ever within 10 tries! It was an unbelievable day on the water and by far the most positive impact The Dustpan has ever made on the sport. Look out for a full video and photo sequences posting to the site on this friday, June 17th.