I recently got the chance to catch up with Ben Horan after a whirl wind winching adventure with REMOTE Wakeskates team up the east coast for Alliance Wakeboard Magazine. Which I heard was absolutely mind blowing by the way. Ben has been busy running his company, killing it behind the winch and just living life all summer. I had to find out what Ben’s been up to exactly all summer.

Photos courtesy of Ben Horan himself.

PW:You’ve been doing all kinds of wakeskating and business ventures this year. Whats it been like being a pro wakeskater and working with Silas running REMOTE?

BH:Man this year has gone by pretty quick. Couldnt have done it with out silas forsure. Every year keeps getting better for me and wakeskating I feel like its starting to happen remote has a sick MFG now and we are really making it happen. Now I cant wait to for this time next year when you look back and see whats happend.

PW:Where in china are Remote’s made? Are you afraid of manufacturer using children?

BH:Our boards are 100% made in the USA and they are made by moonshine MFG. This is the first time I can go on a trip and not worry about bringing a backup board! I cant wait for people to get there hands on them! This year we wont be such a limited brand. We have made some good moves and I back it up with everything I got.

PW:The world wide economy is on the brink of what some call a global meltdown. Do you think it has hurt wakeskating in its infant years to loose sponsors and money that would of been there if the economy never crashed?

BH:Yeah we are melting our globe but we cant help that we’ve gone to far. Now they are going to have to control all this water and make spots for us to hit. Nothings wrong with the way things are going,they are just going. Its evolution things are changing and people are losing there bindings (pun intended). Sponsors are still here where we need them. New companies are building around wakeskating that is going to help our sport grow and mold to what it really is. Its not just wakeboarding anymore. Its what we have been calling it for years wakeskating.

PW:You recently put on a wakeskate contest called “RETENTION” at your house. It looked insane by the way. All of your friends and fellow wakeskaters threw down some insane tricks. Does it even feel like a contest when its just everyone riding and progressing?

BH:Yeah it does and it doesn’t, but it was the best weekend I had all year. I stayed up till 4 in the morning every night of the contest partying with all my friends. The 2 months prier I got to build the sickest ramps and pool gap at my house. It all just built up to that weekend, thats all still out side right now. Me and the duff man shredded today! All the people who show up to. You wouldnt think that many people would come to a wakeskate contest but they do and seeing that and how good everyone was riding. Man telling you this makes me so hyped for the next one!

PW:If you had to describe your teammate Matt Hooker, what would you say about that guy? His win at Toe Jam was pretty big for him huh?

BH:Hooks yeah hes like the captain of the team. Its whatever he wants! Really though he’s the the shit! I love the man. When he rides he puts everything he’s got into it. Just go watch his MTM part! When he’s not riding he is well not so powerful haha no we just give him a hard time sometimes he’s an easy target. Him winning toe jam winch, that awesome! All of his banger tricks I don’t even think about trying. If its something gnarly Hooks is doing it!

PW: Wakeskating has been constantly evolving and changing since the beginning. Boat and Jetski used to be king but as of late it seems that Winching and Cable are taking over. Cable is growing so fast as new cable parks are built and people try wakeskating for the first time. The opportunity for riders to ride all day at the cable is surely going to increase the learning curve. Where do see yourself and your brand REMOTE’s involvement with Cable in the future?

BH:We have the sickest cable rider in the world on our team! LEO! Cable is a big part of making it happen for me and Remote thats where alot of people are going to be riding our boards so with that we added a new rail system to our boards. So now our wood boards are cable friendly. Remote is good when it comes to cables but me on the other hand I need to get out there and do some more laps soon!

PW:Wouldn’t it be easier to use a System 2.0 for an event like Retention?

BH:Yes and No. You still need a driver for both and still have to walk back. You cant ollie up a 5 foot drop and Im not going to put some big piece of plastic out there to ramp back up on. Its like a spot you would roll up on with your friends winching. The winch is a more earthy environment and the cable is more of a plastic environment. They are both super fun.

PW:You recently added Tyler Mangus to Remote. Hows that guy doing?

BH:Yeah mango is the man! He has been helping us with our graphics,design stuff and the time came for us to put him in the family. His riding is like no other. One of the sickest styles out there! Now me and him are starting a company together. Look out for that soon!

PW:I know you have talked about this before but Skateboarding plays a huge role in your life and influence your style in wakeskating. Is Skateboarding still having a big impact on your Wakeskating these days as much as it did in the beginning?

BH:For sure I still skateboard more than I do wakeskate. Its just easier to get out and do. Now I am at the point where everything I do has skateboarding pushing it in some way. Insert famous saying “skateboarding doesn’t always consist of skating”.

PW:Think its possible to flip into a lock in?

BH:Yes its going to happen people are trying to flip out of noseslides and stuff now. Soon for sure.

PW:Whats next for Ben Horan? Any plans for next year? Another video part?

BH:Yeah to many plans really! Winch trips lots of them remote trips, filming non stop, me and Tyler’s hardware company, go on skate trips, build more shit at the hotel nahunta, drive across america, take way more photographs get a van to live in and do all of this!

Make sure you check out the Remote wakeskate’s blog to see whats new with Ben and crew this winter.