Name: Chad Thompson
Age: 21
Home: Safety Harbor, FL
Years riding: 4
Sponsors: Distortion
Boat, PWC or Winch? Winch or Honda PWC
Wake or sliders? Sliders
Film or photos? Photos
Skateboard or wakeboard? Skateboard
Vest or no vest? No vest
TV shows or Movies? Movies
Metal or rap? Hip hop
Home or away? Home

Since we grew up within skateboarding distance from each other, I’ve known Chad for quite a long time, but if you ever ask him why the two of us are friends he’ll tell you the only reason is because he has a PWC. A very nice one at that, might I add. About four years ago, during his junior and my senior year of high school, his family purchased a new Honda turbo PWC and I told him about wakeskating. We’ve been riding together ever since, and his Honda is still running like a champ.

When Chad graduated he came up to Orlando where he and I got an apartment on Lake Nan. Chad really began to polish his skills as a rider. Chad’s riding is very skateboarding influenced, with huge poked ollies and an affliction for finding gaps. Together he and I hit the Metro West and Cypress Gardens gaps before we had ever seen a winch. With him working full time, finding time to ride has gotten more difficult, still Chad has been getting out on the water a lot lately and has been riding better than ever. P.S. He’s not too bad with the ladies either.