The Follow Up to Air It Out
Editor’s Note: This is Tom Fooshee’s response to the recent post of the Matters article he wrote for the April issue of Alliance. To read that original post and the passionate (often times inappropriate comments that followed, click here ). While we at Alliance don’t force anybody to register a real name or create an account in order to post comments, we encourage those of you who are passionate about a debate, whether on one side, the other, or right in the middle, to use tact and, God forbid, manners… And if you really believe in what you’re saying, log into this site via your Facebook account and make a post through that – with your real name behind it. Read on and shred on.
The Follow Up
by Tom Fooshee
Well here we are, fellow wakeboarders, it’s 2013 and it’s safe to say that summer has just begun. Of course all year long we dream of a time when we can spend less time indoors and more time outside hopefully shredding our faces off on the water, which is the reason that leads to my delayed response to everyone’s comments of all sorts of behavior to my “Airing it Out” Matters article. I have currently been on the road filming for perhaps the greatest full-length park video of all time “The Debut”. I have just now been able to read, digest and respond to everyone’s thoughts on the article. So here we go…
Kevin Wipplinger airing it out
First off I would like to say, let’s all calm down for a moment. I feel that most of you are more upset about the article than I am about all the derogatory comments you said about me personally. All of you that are upset most definitely did not understand my point completely behind the article. And there are even some of you that are so upset that you didn’t even read the entire article. I say this because I read reactions from you guys that got the idea that I said to not do air tricks at all. That was the exact opposite of what I meant. I am trying to protect flats tricks from the people that feel as if they should not be present in our sport. Most of you should know that I am a current advocate for flats tricks as I do them as much as anyone else does. Of course there are some flats tricks that I do not do as well as I would like to, most of those being toeside flats tricks, so I feel your thoughts there. They can be done right, maybe just not by myself. And then to the people that did understand what I was meaning, thank you for your support and taking the time to analyze in depth what I was really getting at. This article was not meant to bring so much negativity to our community and for that I apologize.
My apologies do not stop there. Originally I wrote the article almost double the amount of words that I was supposed to keep it within. So it was required to be cut down. One important paragraph was cut out after it was edited and I looked over it and approved it. That paragraph discussed essentially what the posted commenter named @wow had said. So basically I am going to reiterate it now. Raley/superman based tricks (i.e. blind judge, 313, 315, FS, BS, TS, HS, etc) is something that is very essential to the progression of flats tricks. So yes, I do encourage you to learn them. You have to learn them before you can move on to bigger and better things and then start to focus on maybe turning your collection of maneuvers to a more current form of riding. So I am not completely hating on these tricks, whether it be behind the boat or off the flats at the park, these are very needed for learning and getting your basics down for future tricks. So I am acknowledging that I did make the mistake to not make sure this was widely known in my previous article after it was edited down. So consider this my apology for any of you that took that offensively.
I was basically directing the article to the top leaders in this aspect of the sport that maybe we should try to make our riding appear a bit more modern. I never intended this to attack anyone nor offend them and again I offer you my apology if I did. The guys that created these type of tricks or were doing them back in the day, props to you because those are very hard tricks, especially for their time. Very appropriate for when they were originated. All of those maneuvers that I discussed previously were maneuvers that were very popular about 10 years ago in cable, so what I was requesting for was a change. A change to alter an older, practically 90’s appearing form of riding to a more modern form. Be creative. I am by no means telling anyone what is cool and what is not, again that is not my point. I was trying to bridge the gap between the people who hate on air tricks and the people that love them. I thought this would be a great opportunity for me as a rider that participates in both types of pulls regularly. The opinions I get from a ton of professional boat riders about their hatred for flats tricks are because they look like they are tricks that were performed in the 90’s, so in other words, outdated. I was just leaving my suggestion on what we could do to change their thoughts. Take it or leave it, no hard feelings. There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with me on this, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but this is just my suggestion to the top professionals in park that do flats tricks to make a change to help legitimize our aspect of the sport amongst our most respected professional boat peers. Of course floating a big raley around Corner 4 is always a good time, but it is not intended to showcase your high level of ability riding a wakeboard if you are a top performer in the sport. To put it in another way, if you do them its usually out of comedy or just the good ‘ol feeling of going large and there is nothing wrong with that.
I would also like to point out that I was very stoked to see all of the discussion that this prompted. Not that I am particularly amped on the way people responded, but I am glad to see all of the discussion. Let’s keep it rolling, but maybe in a more constructive tone. This is obviously a topic that needs to be talked about as we all can see. I really appreciate the way that Marc Shuster and Mark Griffin both responded. Even though they both disagreed, they proved some really good points and reacted respectfully. I was already a fan of these two guys and now I am even more. So props to you guys and lots of respect! You two were not the only ones though, there were many more too that responded both agreeing and disagreeing that acted maturely. Lets try to continue that. Instead of attacking each other (which is practically what the comments turned into) let’s dissect this and talk about it.
Thank you all again for your patience and participation in this. I am anxious to hear each and every one of your responses, let’s just try to keep it a bit more mature so that this does not turn into people battling against each other. That’s not what I want. And just FYI, I will not comment back on Alliance because this is the only way you will know that people posting under my name are really not me. Let’s face it, both you guys and myself have better things to do than to get worked up about what people say online. So let’s get a grip on ourselves, take a deep breath and just relax.
See you all at the park!
– Tom
Danny Thollander in the park
Phil Soven off the kicker
April 29, 2013
Ya Wipp!!
April 29, 2013
Yess Tom! Well said!
April 29, 2013
Haters gon hate. Preach on, my friend. You earned it.
April 29, 2013
Well said!
April 29, 2013
Hey, respect, I've changed my mind, I am going to buy a tex now;) nicely said Tom.
April 29, 2013
This is a debate that needs to happen every 10 years or so in every action sport to keep the progress going. It has been about 3 years overdue since the New Crew article was from 2000. Everyone just needs to remember that it's all subjective, and if you want to hate someone for their opinion, then you should probably keep it to yourself. Every article on this subject so far has been well thought out and written, lets just hope the responses on here, and industry wide in general carry that same level of thought. Thanks Tom.
April 29, 2013
I can't help but feel this is a sell out to the boat industry. First they started by just not doing cable events at all, but now that they see how much it's growing so they are trying to get into it. Instead of manning up and learning a new style of tricks they straight up ban them. Then you get someone like Tom who is mainly known as a cable rider to sell out and write something like this essentially shit talking a genre of tricks specific to cable.
I got news for you guys, cable is taking over. Each year more and more parks are made, plus its 100 times more economical then buying a boat so it can reach a larger audience. So you can either man up and learn flat tricks or get left in the wake.
Also no one does raleys out of humor, what are they butt slides or fashion airs?
April 29, 2013
I don't even know what all this means. I guess I've been out of the loop on the wakeboard scene. Good to see the discssion though. I just started riding cable again and look forward to boosting some raleys and trying not to rip out my ab muscles. I would like to say that double flips impress me way less than massive spins, unless you're landing blind. Has anyone landed any type of double flip blind?
April 29, 2013
I agree with Tom here, and in the original article. If anyone knows how to progress the sport and give great suggestions on where it should go, it's him. I remember watching him at TSR all the time and just being in awe of the skill and progressive ideas he brought to the sport. The guy is at the top of the sport and has more experience in the industry than most any of us. I think a lot of the haters misinterpreted what he was trying to say originally and got butt hurt about it. And either way, he has the right to an opinion just like all the keyboard cowboys do. Tom only wants whats best for the sport and what will make it grow and become even more popular than it's already becoming. Keep up the good work, Tom, you've got supporters for days!
April 29, 2013
Josh,
"Also no one does raleys out of humor, what are they butt slides or fashion airs?"
…yes, that's exactly what they are for pro riders.
If the future of the sport was left in your hands, wakeboarding would end up like rollerblading.
April 29, 2013
no pro will ever do just a straight raley in a competition, but saying those are similar to a butt slide or fasion air is just stupid. I highly doubt you have ever done an air raley cause if you did you'd know its no laughing matter learning that trick. So to say the only reason you do those is for shits n giggles is overboard.
No idea what you mean about rollerblading, but I definitely know the future of wakeboarding is on cable and some people are going to try and slow it as much as they can.
April 29, 2013
Over the past few years I have really noticed our sport becoming such a 'hater' filled place (as far as big talkers behind the keyboard, but probably can't ride an inch to back it up). At the end of the day aren't we still all just riding to express our view on what we like (or attempt to show) what we like to see out of riding?
Everyone is entitled to there own opinion which is what makes up different styles in wakeboarding that we all like in different ways today.
In other words, everyone just chill, at the end of the day it's just wakeboarding that most of us are just trying to push the envelope on til our knees fall off
April 29, 2013
Josh,
Raleys are stupid easy hahaha what are u talking about its not even a trick, prolly takes less skill than either a butt slide or fashion air, or both combined. The only time any of us who actually know how to ride do them is to make fun of how stupidly easy they are and how much you kooks love them. Thank you for proving your kookiness haha
April 30, 2013
The "king" of the cable Darin Shapiro…do some Speedballs aka double front flips or shut the f**k up! Also he's the king of pain management clinics aka pill mills so when you blow your knee out trying to 'be like Darin' he's the man to go to for your pain
April 30, 2013
This is in no way to sell-out to boat, he advocates air-tricks. All air tricks are derived from the boat, not the cable. Are raleys more prevalent on cable yes, but they still originated behind the boat.
And if you think raleys are hard, then it is probably the only trick you can do!
April 30, 2013
lol, saying raleys aren't even a trick and that they are easier is the problem with you guys, no respect for cable riders. I mean a Double S-bend to blind isn't good? a raley 1080 would be stupid? Those are tricks you will only see on a cable, and are IMPOSSIBLE behind a boat. So your just jelly of them and want to make them seem less skillful. Again the ignorance you guys have for these tricks is unbearable. I am not saying that Air Raleys are the hardest thing, its just they are a respectable trick, and here you guys are, most of you I know now for a fact can't even do them, saying its the easiest thing ever. Also everything is derived from the boat to some degree, but all you see air wise is roll to reverts on boats. Which is way easier then a raley. When was the last time you saw an Air raley based trick on boat. Never, cause they look stupid on a boat.
April 30, 2013
Raley's are not a hard trick, period. Yes they take some nuts to try the first couple times, but that is it, nuts not skill.
April 30, 2013
I think a lot of people are still missing the point. This is not a debate about one particular trick, but the overall progression and direction that is taking place in wakeboarding. Tom is trying to push the sport in the direction of style. Unfortunately with they way contests are judged it forces riders to do tricks they may not like in order to win. Contest riding has never been the prettiest and isn't the best place to look for style when exposing it to the media.
I have to agree and disagree with these articles. I think that wakeboarding has been pushed really hard the last couple of years and we have seen a lot of tricks landed that were never thought possible. I think this is awesome. If somebody can huck a new trick and pull it off props to them, but you cant expect them to style out the trick as they are learning, that takes time to do. I try to make my tricks looks better every day, there is no finished product on style and it takes time.
The problem here lies is that who decides what tricks are stylish? I dont think anybody can be the judge of that and the beauty of the sport is everyone rides different. Tom might think that a raley 7 is bad for the sport but I would argue a pete 7 as hard and badass as it is isnt the most stylish either. I would rather see a slow stalled out grabbed pete any day than a pete 5 or 7. Same with some boat riding tricks as well I would much rather see a grabbed crow mobe into the flats than a crow 7. Both tricks are respectful and both take a lot of talent and style to make look good. I appreciate the tricks for what they are and would never tell someone what tricks to do, my only concern is the tricks I DO and how they look.
I do not think there should be any limits on creativity when it comes to riding. Tricks will come and go. The sport is still very young and tricks that have been played out will surely come around again. Its all a cycle.
I was recently in a cable contest and they had the format setup where there was really only one section to do an air trick. I thought this was really odd and a waste of space to do tricks. I think that air tricks are a huge part of park riding. There are so many possibilities and they are so fun to do it would be a waste not to push the sport in that direction. We as riders should pushing the sport in every direction possible not just in one category or another.
There have been some very valid points made in between the keyboard warriors, but lets put an end to the personal attacks this is the internet after all lets not take it too seriously. I urge everyone to step away from the computer and go out and ride. Throw down and push the sport in any direction you can to help it grow whether its stomping a new double flip, hitting a rail a new way, or anything in between.
April 30, 2013
Josh…give it up.
If you edge hard, stab your back foot in the water, and have no idea what's going on…you do a raley. If you haul ass into a kicker, lose control of your edge, flail uncontrollably and some how land on your board…you do a raley. (and yes, I can do all sorts of raley tricks…they're easier than a straight air).
"No idea what you mean about rollerblading"…Rollerblading = kneeboarding
You're a kook. Enjoy your olay 720s on the fun box
April 30, 2013
Each time you repsond I understand just how little you know, and can probably actually do. If you edge hard and stab your back foot in the water you catch your front edge. I highly doubt you can do any raley tricks, and I have seen Kneeboarders at cable parks who are way better than you will ever be on a wakeboard.
April 30, 2013
I've gotta admit, I was sorta disappointed to see that the big "wake park showdown" at wake games this past weekend was features only. If you check out heats you'll see all of the top boat shredders, but none of the best cable guys… I mean, these guys kill it on the kicker and rails for sure, and I don't intend to hate on anybody's riding here, but without air tricks does that mean they're just riding straight through the short stretches? I just don't understand that. It definitely seems like a way to even out the playing field to give the big namers on the boat scene a chance on the cable too.
If you've ever seen guys like Davies, Shuster, Shaw, or Grant ride a full sized cable system, you'd know what I'm talking about here.. I have to believe that those guys decided not to compete in that contest for the same reason I don't ride my wakeboard in a three even waterski tournament…
April 30, 2013
And as far as raley's are concerned… It's a trick that the top riders just aren't doing because they've moved on to more stylish ways. But at a certain skill level it's just part of the natural progession, and it really shouldn't be hated on. You've gotta start somewhere, and in order to move on to more stylish stuff yourself, you're gonna end up doing plenty of raleys..
just don't do em off the dock, thats just gross man
May 1, 2013
"You’re a kook. Enjoy your olay 720s on the fun box"
That made my day
May 1, 2013
And once again the comments have become an argument between two little girls. If you want to argue with someone and call each other names like a couple of 12 year olds on a playground, do it somewhere else. If you have something valid to add, do so; if not, get a damn life and go on discussion board where shit talkers are welcomed with open arms.
May 1, 2013
The number one thing wakeboarders need to focus on right now is their health. Though "Go Big or Go Home" has been a mantra among the young extreme sportsman for the past decade, thanks to exposure and copious amounts of disney channel specials like Brink! and Johhny Tsunami, the truth is the majority of wake boarders drop out of the sport relatively young. Why? Because they get hurt. Wakeboarding is predominately a young man's sport (which can also be seen by the teenaged bickering going on in the comment sections) and this poses a massive problem when trying to mature the sport. How can we expect 18-20 year olds to take the time to learn stylish tricks when they could get laid by doing a raley? There are too many people like this in the sport riding to not push what looks good but to push their egos. It's time for these characters to "Go Home" and reevaluate what's important in their lives. If there was more of a push for taking care of your body, and learning good looking tricks rather than trying to go big, the kids now in the sport will be in the sport a lot longer. And with an older active generation there would be more focus on the sport and a higher level of professionalism, much like Tom and what, I believe, he has been trying to push for. To mature this sport we have to mature our riders and the best way to do this is to keep them healthy and active, giving them the time to learn difficult good looking tricks correctly.
PS- There is nothing wrong with going big, it is straight up fun (pun intended) and everyone appreciates it. I just want what is best for the sport and the riders, and destroying your body to go big is a problem I think we need to get past.
May 1, 2013
kevin whip is such a handsome
May 1, 2013
Would love to see Tom's reply to some of the questions posed! My question is – How do we progress if not for adding a grab or extra spin (including rewinds)? This line of commentary comes up every couple of years, but there seems to be no real answer as this is all we have available mid air.
Most people I teach move on from raleys pretty quickly, not because we consider them a bad trick, They just want to progress! 🙂 Others who are older or have fulltime jobs have simply aspired to being able to do one and leave it at that because they don't want to get injured. That's cool too.
Cheers for the debate guys. Air tricks get a fair share of hate which is a shame because they really define the sport and to anyone outside of wakeboarding – they look amazing and are often what get most people into the sport (especially me).
ps. Thanks for the awesome vids Tom.
May 2, 2013
Yo Skeet – check your facts, James Windsor is the current Men's Wake Park World Champion …. not sure you get more qualified as a "cable" rider than that. Also not sure that Raph Derome is considered a "boat" guy. The new level for a pro rider is to be able to do it all.
May 2, 2013
iKnow, you've got a good point for sure. And theres no doubt that James Windsor kills it. This is a guy that rides very well, but unquestionably would fare better against this lineup of riders with air tricks included in the judging. It's cool that with or without he's still gonna get out there and shred his best… and i definitely repect that. And his opinion on this issue would be really interesting to hear…
But now I'm rather interested to know what your opinion is on air tricks and the idea of eliminating them all together from a wake park contest. You mention that the new level for a pro rider is to be able to do it all… But aren't they doing it all??? Slaying the rails, boosting off the kicker, and riding straight through the short streches is that really "doing it all" ??
May 3, 2013
Firstly i want to say I,ve always been a big fan of Toms & always will be. Im kinda glad I came in on this discussion after Toms second reply other wise I to may have also misunderstood where he was wanting to go in this topic as I Beleive others did. I started riding cable around 17yrs ago back when in Australia Raleys were actually called a layout lol 🙂 I've had the pleasure of working & helping manage cable parks around the world for many years until 3yrs ago & i am currently building a new home for my family in between to new cables being built in mackay Australia as we speak. . I've had the pleasure of seeing many changes over the years with the most exciting one being kickers & features in our lakes. Until then we were very much looked down on by boat riders & I was so stoked to see these obstacles attract boat riders to cable & we all welcomed them with open arms. Until then We never really saw so much politics at a wakepark & where I have ridden it has always been about having fun, pushing each other to learn new tricks ,grabs etc & it has usually been a very encouraging enviroment . 99% of boat riders I have met when they have to come to a wake park fit in perfectly into this environment & have brought there own bit of flavour to the parks which is so sic! I really find it a shame that there is this minority group of pro riders often with great connections to media ( & im not talking about Tom here) Who imo & the opinion of many others i have talked to want to cross over to ride wakepark events but have realised that to do well this meant spending just as long on practicing water tricks as they have spent on practicing obstacles. Not to mention that will have to usually start of with the basic air tricks before they will learn a big grabbed front mobe or whatever other trick that they might find except able. Yes they are going to look as uncool as any other beginner when they learn there first Raley but to say that these tricks can never look cool is utter garbage IMO as u can find countless pics of cable riders doing the most stylish tricks on cable. Anyone who has ever seen a pic of Justin abbott or Daniel Pyne grabbing a huge roll to blind or many other tricks will know what I mean. And for those of u riders who think that air tricks never look nice on cable well why don't you do something to change that?? I think it is great how Tom has pushed our sport over the years & love the fact that he is taking it upon himself to try & keep air tricks in wakepark competitions. I have no problem with some comps not having air tricks but please don't try & take them totally out of all cable comps. Because deep inside we all still know that even if u are the best feature rider around if u can't do air tricks then u can never claim to be the best all round wakepark rider!! And like it or not riding features is only half of what a wakepark has to offer. So anyway in ending I just want to say thanks to Tom for always pushing our sport & for those of you who pay out on air tricks please either teach the rest of us how to make air tricks look better or just shut up & realise that many many people get a lot of enjoyment out of launching of the water & that there is enough cable to go around for all of us to enjoy together 🙂
May 3, 2013
You're the man Tom!
May 3, 2013
I have only become involved in this sport in the last few years so I cannot speak as to the history of trick progression. I am also primarily involved at an administrative level with riding skills that only see me just working towards a raley off the flat. However, as a parent of rapidly progressing cable riders and as a person capable of reading and comprehending an article there are a couple of things to say.
Tom is not commenting or passing judgement on freeriding. If you are riding for fun then continue to enjoy your sport in the way you choose. Progress at the pace you want, focus on the tricks you want. You need listen to Tom no more than you need listen to some random on the dock as you wait for a free carrier to come around.
Cable wakeboarding is a rider driven sport. Whilst there are organising bodies (there has to be… If you have ever seen four wakeboarders try and decide where they are going for dinner you'll know why) these exist to provide a framework for riders to do what riders need to do. Events, judging formats etc. will NEVER be able to please everyone. As you can see from the comments on Tom's two articles… One rider's black is another rider's white.
I agree that a features only comp can be won by a rider who may not be as "well rounded" as someone winning a competition that includes flat water tricks in the judging. So what? If you have ever watched the Decathlon at the Olympics you will see the Gold go to an athlete who is not the best at any particular discipline.
With the growth of cable parks (new site every 10 days in the last year) our sport has a growing number of events. Features only, two tower, full lake etc. there is now enough variety that riders can pick and choose the comps that interest them and suit their riding style. I see that as a good thing.
A rider of Tom's pedigree speaking out is also a good thing. It spurs discussion, it gets people thinking. Provided people do so in a mature way, it's all good.
Step 1 is to read the article. Actually read it. Don't just read the comments on facebook from the person who shared it with you and assume you know what it contains.
Step 2 is to think about what the article means for you. Are you a pro-level rider? Are you an event organiser? Are you a judge? Are you just an interested bystander?
Step 3 share your opinion if you want. But remember… as soon as you do, you negate any right you might think you have to tell someone else they have no right to an opinion.
I love seeing he passion that people display for the sport. Have your say, get involved. With cable wakeboarding growing as it is, riders need to get actively involved in making sure it does so in a healthy, sustainable and enjoyable way.
This is going to be a fascinating season.
See you on the water.
May 4, 2013
Flat tricks are a strange beast, being relatively hard to learn for beginners but then almost embarrassingly easy to land consistently after several successful attempts. So by their nature they become cliche and boring, executed with cookie-cutter likeness every time the carrier passes a corner, but usually the one nearest the dock 😉
Half-loaded tricks are different in subtle but important ways. They actually require much more strength then a full loaded trick, and the aim is usually to do something inherently stylish. Yet if one goes to any cable park, the number of riders one sees practicing or executing half-loaded tricks is miniscule. Frankly, go back and watch the original Statement video and the guys who made that special IMHO were Sam Collins and Scotty Green, both masters of half loaded tricks.
That said, I think there is an inherent weakness in cable wakeboarding with there being almost no variables to challenge the rider, as the cable just keeps going round and round at the same speed on the same path, for 9-10 hours per day! The conditions in a cable park are controlled and perfect on every single round which inevitably will attract criticism from athletes that have to contend with more realistic conditions, such as wakeboarding behind a boat or even surfing.
May 7, 2013
I think the world of wake boarding is far to small for all this Crap talking… especially the riders that know that they cant even do a complex air trick or have the nuts to try because they tend to bring the pain train when you mess up! everyone talks about how boat was the invention of the air trick etc. but just this weekend Hunter Hanson went for a Belair on the flat water (a trick that would not even count but was doing it for fun!) crashed and people were like what is he doing?!? right now it appears that the entire cable industry is living in a glass house with really thin walls! Let no one cast the first stone and realize that there will always be "Boat Riders" "Cable guys" (in the traditional sense) and then our "Rail riders" Cable is coming up and producing a whole crop of riders that are capable or riding pro, I don't necessarily agree with the "Pro Card" thing because its going to keep people out of divisions that they should be competing in, watch for the open division to have some serious action go down in! people keep your rocks in your pockets before this glass house we live in comes crashing down!
May 7, 2013
I just don't get how you can say "but then almost embarrassingly easy to land consistently after several successful attempts. So by their nature they become cliche and boring, executed with cookie-cutter likeness every time the carrier passes a corner". On a cable you literally have an endless amount possibilities to pretty much whatever you want. Crowmobe 5's Back mobes, Front mobes S-bends, Tantrums, WhirlyBirds 313, Hinterbergers etc. all with the possibility to grab the tricks. So saying that its cookie cutter means you have absolutely no idea what your talking about and probably haven't even watched real cable wakeboarding.
Boat is way more limited, its just a fact the tower will end up pulling you down at a certain point. Just expect that cable will progress the sport way more. How big do you need the wake to be before you can do a double S-bend, you can't so lets shit on that trick. Great thinking guys! Also Tom has 2-3 more years left till he is completely Irrelevant in the cable scene. There are so many up and coming riders each year, and with more parks each year that number will continue to grow.
Also unlike boat which rich kids playing around on their parents toys cable gives the chance for much more riders to progress in the sport even if they weren't born into the upper class. 120 grand for a wakeboard boat or 120 year passes, I don't think thats a hard choice at all. All around its better and the real direction this sport needs to take. In the future we will laugh about how stupid and wasteful we were being pulled by boats. I know the boat industry will do there best to stop this, but riding boat will be like riding a skurfer in 20 years.
May 8, 2013
@ Josh who said: "On a cable you literally have an endless amount possibilities to pretty much whatever you want. Crowmobe 5′s Back mobes, Front mobes S-bends, Tantrums, WhirlyBirds 313, Hinterbergers etc. all with the possibility to grab the tricks."
I agree but my point is how often do pro riders or even experienced regular riders fall whilst attempting those tricks at cable? I would argue very rarely because as I say, once they are learned, they are pretty easy to repeat given the conditions at a cable park NEVER change.
Sure, adding grabs makes it harder, and I would love to see more of that from pros, and more half-loaded tricks, and more style in general, rather than stock-standard moves such as a roll to blind, KGB, blind judge, s-bend to blind, double s-bend to blind, etc, etc, which I DO consider to be cliche and boring as these have been well documented on every cable video ever released in the past decade.
May 9, 2013
Derek, I have to disagree, if you go to a cable park frequently you will see all levels of riders falling on flat tricks all the time. It's just like any trick in Wakeboarding. When you first learn it then your consistency is low however the more you do it the better you get at it. The same applies for flat tricks, especially the higher level of mobe tricks you can always pop a handle, and then the fall is brutal. I don't see how the conditions are different to change either from boat. Wind is always a big factor if its gusting enough, and I think the fact that is more consistent is actually better as it will show how really has their stuff nailed down, since you take the random elements out of it.
You and everyone else here needs to take a look at Reach http://vimeo.com/54339619
It will show you a real look at cable wakeboarding now a days. Also be sure to watch the end with all the falls and tell me if those pros can land them every time
May 9, 2013
Okay. I watched Reach. Tom was making an effort to do lots of grabs, great to see. Marc did nothing that he didn't do in Statement 1.5 (but he does lots of half loads so I still love him), Daniel Grant, awesome, and Nick Davies, ditto.
As for the Friends, sure there were some spills, but also more than a few non-grabbed non-half-loaded old-school reverts.
May 9, 2013
Whoops…old school INVERTS I meant 🙂
May 14, 2013
Ray Fink still hates air tricks, more obstacles, longer lines, lower cables if possible. But can we please get rid of all these plane ass looking white plastic obstacles, at least color that shit blue make it a little sexier
May 30, 2013
To Tom here guys, setting it straight to what it intended to say about air tricks and the way the sport is moving. If you lie air tricks do them where ever when ever! But make sure you are progressing and showing the best of your ability! By watching Tom ride in cablestock, you could see that he never intended to take air tricks out of the sport, he still kills it! Throwing the biggest and most tech tricks! Everyone just do what you like whether it be rails, kickers or flat tricks! Just keep the tricks coming and make them your own!
July 1, 2013
Tom is the Man and always has been super down to earth and fun to be around. If it weren't for him I don't think the sport would be where it is!