For years Hyperlite team trips have been associated with one location: Radar Lake. But with the industry changes taking place over the past 18 months that is no longer an option, so the new-look Hyperlite team had to find a new location to play host for their 2008 catalog shoot. The answer was the houseboating mecca of the world: Lake Shasta, CA.

I was fortunate enough to tag along for this trip as a member of the "media." As a member of the media let me tell you this, all press boxes at all events should be as well stocked as the Hyperlite houseboats during their trip to Shasta. The kitchens and coolers were loaded with everything from Sunny-D and Corona, to beef jerky and lasagna. Put it this way, Hyperlite knows how to houseboat.

The fleet for the week included two ginormous houseboats, two huge pontoon party boats, two X-Stars, an X-15, Super Air 236 and a Sea Doo Wake Edition. The crew, well that would take a long time to list, but think every pro team rider, plus a handful of groms and then some, and then add on photographers Joey Meddock and Rodrigo Donoso, videographers Sean Kilgus and Brandon Parker, and then add some more and you've got everybody. And who better to put in charge of this giant fleet than the one and only Dan-O? Dan-O came along for the week to kick it with his Hyperlite homies, and was put in honorary charge of the fleet. Basically he just hung out on the houseboats and did a lot of hiking.

Mother Nature tried to throw a wrench in the Hyperlite catalog shoot gears with some foul weather (including one full day of rain, thunder and lightning), but she couldn't hold back the likes of these guys for very long. Serious riding was thrown down by pretty much everybody (except for BT who managed to do some damage to his ribs on the first day), a huge autograph session was held at the Holiday Harbor marina, Greg Dick and Jacob Valdez climbed to the top of a serious peak, a helicopter shoot was conducted and some guys even made it onto the local news.

All-in-all it was a successful trip with some serious fun on the side, despite the downpours. The 2008 Hyperlite line looks amazing and they even have a few tricks up theirs sleeves that are definitely going to turn some heads. If you thought the changes Hyperlite went through over the past 18 months were going to be too much to overcome, then you were seriously mistaken. As far as I can tell, Hyperlite never even flinched.