I knew wakeboarding had a loyal following in the US and Australia, but I had no idea it would receive the response it did when Reef rallied up the troops for its inaugural year of Reef Wakefest in a three-part wake contest series across SE Asia. The whole concept was to grow the sport and showcase that Reef vibe we all love. The first stop dropped in Thailand at a cable park in Pattaya. There are only a handful of wakeboarders in Thailand that can ride behind a boat so they opted for a cable contest and added some fun boxes and kickers to make it more exciting for the crowd. Scott Byerly was there – the crowd freaked – I had never seen so many people mob a person and ask if they could take picture with him. He was even asked if he would hold a baby for a photo (no joke!). I felt like I was with the President of the United States, except Byerly is popular. There were 49 competitors at this stop, the most ever for a wake contest held in Thailand.

For the next tour stop in Hong Kong, Byerly and Brandon ‘BT’ Thomas jetted out to represent it for Reef and do a wakeskate demo alongside the two-day wake comp. BT is sick, he lands every single trick, parties like it’s his birthday, dances like a maniac, and has been known to jump up in the DJ booth and start spinning old school hip hop at any club. BT didn’t disappoint here, and for those of you at the Reef fashion show and pre-party at Cavern, BT was great performance both on and off the water. The crowd was definitely the wildest here with noisemakers and thunder sticks (think Lakers game) to cheer on their friends.

For more information on the competition and Reef Wakefest Series, visit reefwakefest.com