BMR02854-2

ev·o·lu·tion of Aaron Rathy
ˌevəˈlo͞oSH(ə)n/

ev·o·lu·tion – noun – the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form

If evolution isn’t the most accurate word to describe Aaron Rathy as a person and a rider, I’m not sure what is. There is a reason this magazine has named him the Most Improved Rider of the Year three times in the past ten. There is a reason his video sections are highly anticipated and never repetitive. There is a reason he’s been seen as a boat rider, a park rider, a freerider, a contest rider, and everything in between. And it’s all because Rathy’s riding has constantly evolved. Over the years he has developed into one of the most well rounded wakeboarders in the world. Nowhere is that evolution and development more evident than in the 90 seconds of his Real Wake part. The minute-and-a-half section has it all, and therein lies the basis of what makes Rathy so special: everything. He has done it all and can do it all. But in a year where there were more contests to be battled through and prize money to be won, Rathy noticeably avoided the wake rat race. When others were globetrotting in search of standup passes, podium appearances, and big checks, Rathy was doing his own thing. More importantly, he was continuing his evolution, and in so doing progressing the sport at the same time. His freeride approach and focus were a breath of fresh air. While some might see it as a simplification of being a veteran pro, it’s much more complex than that. Without a doubt, because of Rathy’s evolution, wakeboarding is in a better place. And for that Rathy is the well deserved 2015 Rider of the Year.

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Alliance Wake: What’s it mean to win Alliance rider of the year?
AR: It’s huge. It’s probably the biggest thing I’ve ever won. It’s something I always wanted to win – it was sort of a missing link for me – but it’s also something you don’t think about regularly. It’s not like every day you’re thinking about trying to win Rider of the Year. But maybe at the end of the year when you see the award come out then you’re like, “Damn, I wish that was me. Maybe next year…” I’m hyped. It might sound cheesy, but I’ve always seen it as wake royalty, especially because a Rider of the Year for Alliance can be a wakeboarder or wakeskater, and I’m honored to be a part of that.

AW: What’s it mean looking back at 2015 and what you did and then getting the ROTY award?
AR: Honestly last year it was on my mind more. I wanted to get a cover of Alliance because I’d never had one and I wanted to win Rider of the Year. I told myself I was gonna go for it and it ended up not working out, but then this year I got a cover. I was really focused on Real Wake this year though.

AW: What was the Real Wake process like for you? Did you put a lot of pressure on yourself?
AR: I really wasn’t approaching it as my section and my tricks, if that makes sense, I was just trying to do wakeboarding justice as a whole. I knew I’d been given the opportunity as one of eight guys to film a part for X Games and if my part sucked I knew I probably wouldn’t be in it next year. So I felt a lot of pressure from just that, just from the sport of wakeboarding. Looking back I think I did a pretty good job and I think overall everybody did an amazing job and represented wake really well. The process was pretty crazy, we had three months to film, and it’s not like you’re filming every day for those three months. There’s a lot that goes into planning shots, thinking of new tricks, and a lot more. It was probably a month and a half of filming, but every other day was preparation, planning, and figuring things out.

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AW: This year you really seemed to do your own thing. There were more contests than ever it seemed like, but you didn’t really do them. Are you more comfortable with where you are as a rider now?
AR: To say I’m burnt out on contests is a massive understatement. They don’t get me excited to ride, so I pretty much just did the things that get me stoked to ride and the things I’m most passionate about. I’m still passionate about putting together a really good video part, I’m still passionate about trying to get really good photos; and I’m not passionate at all about going out and making sure I can do six or seven really tricks ten times out of ten. I’d rather go out and do something harder than that once, even if it took me a week to land it. The rat race of following around these events is just ridiculous to me; guys are doing the same ten tricks over and over and those same tricks have been winning contests for years. That’s not an exaggeration. Add a double tantrum here or there, or a 180 or something, but really I don’t see that as pushing our sport. And I don’t want to dog those guys that do it. If there’s room for it in our sport that’s great, and if people are making a living doing it, that’s great. But it’s just not for me. I don’t have a passion to do that anymore.

AW: What would an ideal contest be for you?
AR: That’s hard to say. Obviously with something like Real Wake – it’s a no brainer – I’m gonna put everything into something like that. I think what bothers me is that in a lot of contests these days guys are watering tricks down to make sure they stand up a pass and win. How exciting is that to watch?! How fun is it to watch all these top guys doing a lot of tricks that look the same? I’m not really sure what the solution is. I’ve tried setting up my own event in the past, but it’s always fallen through. Maybe we need more one-off events with big prize money and different riding/judging formats, but I’m not totally sure. There isn’t really a perfect match between the freeride mentality and the necessity of judging that comes with contests. Real Wake is cool because it lets guys ride however they want and then put that on the line to be judged and voted on.

AW: What’s more valuable these days, a killer video section or an awesome cover?
AR: The ultimate in our sport these days is a gnarly video section just because of how much goes into it and how much video content is created. If you make a section that stands out above the rest you’re doing good. But I know how tough it is to get a cool cover, too. They can both hold value over time, too, which is cool. Nobody remembers me winning Worlds in 2009, but they might remember a video section from years ago or they might still have a cover of their favorite rider on their shelf. I really like that a video part can be a summary of where your riding is at for a period of time, even a whole year. A cover is a snapshot – maybe of even where your riding is for just that day or week – but a video section can be a lot more and a lot more goes into it.

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AW: How hard is it to show where your riding is at in a 90-second part for Real Wake?
AR: Yeah, it’s only 90 seconds, but Real Wake is a video part, no doubt. It too just as much work, effort, and thought as a full length video part, you just had to get it to fit. No filler. That was my 2015 for sure. I love working with Spencer Norris, too. He knows me really well and was able to showcase me and my riding in a way that was me.

AW: Where have you been finding motivation and inspiration for your riding recently?
AR: That’s tough, it’s been a bit of an evolution for me. I don’t really take too much from wakeboarding directly anymore. I’ve found that I’ll think of something and then work on the idea for a while and envision it until it’s at a point where I think I can try it. Some of the stuff in Real Wake wasn’t much of a thinker; like I really just wanted to get a tail grab 10, so I went for it until I got it. I think that style of wakeboarding is the future; legit grabs on big tricks.

Part 2 of the Aaron Rathy ROTY interview coming Wednesday.