Throwback Thursday: Darin Shapiro – Six Pack
This is one of the many sections Sidewayz filmed with Darin Shapiro. Darin was never afraid to ride hard for the cameras. The Sidewayz crew used to always tell him how amazing Murray just rode, or what crazy trick Parks just landed. That would get him amped to go show what he could do. This was shot with 16mm on reversal stock.
Video from Sidewayz Films
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October 31, 2013
forever legend to me ..
October 31, 2013
For one reason or another, always a somewhat polarizing figure in wake. Regardless, few if any have ever matched his combination of amplitude and technicality. By far and away one of the best ever.
October 31, 2013
If you don't own "10,000 Miles of Film", you need it for your collection.
I always forget how hard Shapiro hits the wake. Still unmatched.
October 31, 2013
Forgive the ignorance but why was he polarizing?
October 31, 2013
#armssolong #legssoshort
October 31, 2013
Novapull-
Some loved him, some hated him, but the guy could compete. He knew how to win and won a lot. He dominated the competitive scene in the early days of wake like Parks and Danny did in the early 2000's, and like Phil, Rusty, and Harley do now. Some say he lacked style, others argued his amplitude and aggression was a style in itself. The dude went hard, you cannot argue with that.
October 31, 2013
Loving the throwback thursdays. Keep 'em coming!
October 31, 2013
Heard some rumors that he is riding again and killing it. He is supposedly going to compete next year. That would be awesome.
October 31, 2013
Jrod,
Thanks Man. Anyone who throws a tantrum to blind that far into the flats with that kind of height is a beast. The impact on every trick in the video is a knee buster. Really fun to watch. Even he himself looks like you wouldn't want to mess with him.
October 31, 2013
Also i he does a double front flip! We see a lot of double (cab) back rolls and tantrums but never front flips off the big wakes and kickers. I also wonder why that is, are they harder? I don't do front flips myself so i have no idea about their difficulty.
October 31, 2013
Long hair and he would be competition for todays riders. Soo sick!
November 1, 2013
Having the fortune of watching Darin freeride back in the day at Chet's old place or Okee was insane. The dude just straight killed it, you could feel the boat sway back and forth when he was cutting and he wanted to take everything as far into the flats as he could. My jaw hit the floor a few times while riding with Darin, the guy was on another level.
November 3, 2013
1:19 holy shit a banger for that time
November 12, 2013
This is lengthy but it relates strongly with Darin Shapiro's issue: Since 1987 I dealt with flexible & stiff coatings & manufactured composites before the term was popular. In the early 90's, in Oyster Bay, Long Island NY I discovered the skurfer. It was difficult to ride but I expected technology would alleviate that excess buoyancy. This followed my love of a new sport then called snowboarding. All I understood was skiing was fun, athletic but took serious effort to master. Also ski boots killed my feet, limiting abilities. It took tight, restrictive ski boots & long, stiff skis to handle speed. It required short, flexible skis to handle tricks or (shred) mogul fields. Still into snow & water skiing, just recreational I only knew then that boards blew away skis. First, snowboard boots did not hurt; a big issue I informed friends & family about.
Soon after Burton was born I located a directional wake board that was made of some composite called a Duval Vicory Assured Competition. It worked! I led my buddies with intense enthusiasm they couldn't believe until they saw me flying wake to wake. "Wow! Jules is getting air like those snow boarders do!!"; Funny now, how nerdy that sounds but looking back I was just an embryo then. In my 30's then; owned a chemical & coatings business so on weekends running to Vermont, usually Bromley & Stratton Mtns I couldn't learn air or 360's as those younger kids who went daily. So the fact that behind my poor ski boat (a Wahoo 21 ft with 200 Yamaha Outboard) I argued with skiers that my wake may in fact be, "a good thing". Us "boarders" then experienced that, skier vs boarder squabble, based on nothing more than resentful jealousy of ski-folks who were closed minded to new, better things. We now see how board technologies advanced skiing, discrimination or prejudice dissipating as stupidity. That's one of many reasons why its not a stretch of anyone's imagination to see how & why technologies associated with wake boarding as serious advancement; I mean to humanity. Do I sound silly again? Actually all "board sports", i.e. wake, snow, kite, traditional surfing notwithstanding had developed from a "creativeness" that was to me, more than just athletic. Did you ever compare the respect of competing boarders to other sports? Overall, boarders, competitive as they can be are usually true gentleman with a high appreciation for all players.
Parks Bonifay & Danny Harf, the great champs they are, became connected in this industry, partnering in ways while always competing directly against each other. Of course this occurs elsewhere but seemingly, board-dude behavior to me always seemed more brotherly, peaceful in ways more advanced than other venues. So how does the attitude of this sports champions or journeymen relate to the human race? … As a businessman with degrees in Automotive Engineering & Business Computer Information Systems I used coatings, chemical manufacturing & many recycled materials to create spray on bed liners made of composites. Field testing included repair or protection of valuable assets, not just pick up trucks but large equipment, construction & agricultural issues. Composite formulas I developed cure with Slip-Proof or Anti-Stick properties, profitable to clients and my companies. Yet I witnessed here some vicious competition, between growing organizations. Personally I experienced negative adversaries that hurt me in ways this post need not describe. I'm not saying I know everything or that all business is always vicious; it obviously isn't. Yet all I know is what I experience, read, study, contemplate & evaluate with interest.
Maybe you'll see what I always saw in snow boarding, wake boarding & related mentalities: A great form of "Radical Evolution". I look at Orlando Water Complex, OWC, where I'm re-learning to ride at 52 years old. OWC to a large degree competes with Performance Ski & Surf, a local shop selling equipment. But they are synergistic partners as well. I saw Ski Nautique, the boat manufacturer evolved from water skiing partnering as well. Related companies & spinoffs also following, sponsoring champ riders follow with advanced ideas also compete. Approachable pros like Darin Shapiro helps me, hardly knows me, Jules Lupowitz, just a riding dad with kids who ride at OWC. Darin is a highly established & busy man yet advised me & even applied some acupressure to reduce elbow pain that helped. Julian Cohen, another younger newer pro is so friendly & warm, unlike many famous champions. Julian's little Brother Yonel, an up-and-coming champ rider advised me (on elbow pressure bands) as well when I asked him. Established pros like Parks Bonifay & Shawn Murray, sponsored by big, powerful companies are more than available to regulars as my family at the cable parks not just for photos but just on friendly occasions.
So after relating chemical & coatings technologies to composites, many based on Green, recycled materials that created serious ROI for me, my partners & especially my clients. Then "Jules Lupowitz" (personally, my name) got so bashed in rotten ways by jerks with power, I must appreciate the goodness these athletes brought in a sport I adore. Their sponsors, investing in their ROI as with Hyperlite, Ronix and spinoffs use similar technologies to what used to be Hammerhead Bedliners before I dissolved corporations, Ocean spray Technologies, Inc & Clearline, Inc. Its still in use (the technology, that is) competing irrepressibly but to barely avail with conglomerates as DuPont, Carboline, PPG & smaller private powerhouses like Line-X, Rhino Linings & their spinoffs. In these powers, their reps, lawyers, writers & even clientele by comparison to the wake boarding industry are jealous & intolerant "against" anything or anyone who poses a threat to their control. There is minimal relation to the creators in big industry; fortunes & fame being owned by & for proprietary growth only.
Unlike other sports champions I've met, wake board pros have actual "leadership rolls" in industry (ies) that backs them & flourishes by them. Nothing is perfect so I assume conflict resides as it does in life. But with wake boarding especially, that "human" leadership seems to be exploding with peaceful forces I haven't experienced in recent history. I'd bet athletic ski people like Herb O'Brian, his followers & spinoffs, riders like Parks, Danny & Darin fought hard against powerful odds to achieve what I feel is the better ROI: Happiness. Health. Growth in a sport that to me, solicits & supports a peaceful existence. Now, I'm not sure if you board folks all get or agree what I'm feeling here; this relation I see between this sport, related board sports & issues related to composite technology appears much bigger than flexibility on our boards. All of this newer, especially recycling engineering to me as opposed to traditional, wasteful, hazardous, polluting materials appears to be a necessity overall to people in general. I cannot help but relate that to the productive but warm, hospitable attitude I've found in leading riders.
March 27, 2015
Thanks Darin Shapiro, for setting examples for so many riders. Thank you entirely for setting an ultimate example for me! You're definitely the dude with the biggest heart!
March 27, 2015
Hey all you young (younger than 50 ish) ladies! Free from that X now, Jules is available (by appt only, what with busy schedules of high-end attorneys on line for interview) !! And for those "in-shape" hotties who appreciate security and maturity, who is this guy named Jules? Well maybe not who but "what" was, is and will be Jules. First of all he's not so self-absorbed as this may seem. Nope, it's only a posting to clarify for those curious that Jules Lupowitz is a bit deeper than a silly method of bypassing unfairness (a ticket). Notwithstanding a competitor's (business) attacks upon his presence on the net (targeting the "net" reputation), any of you who know Jules also know he'll kibitz quite a bit. Squirting a little "Liquid Ass" which is an effective gag, fart scent liquid, onto inadvertent locations at OWC? Over the line? Oh for KRISE-SAKE its gone in a few minutes! Sure Jules can ride wakes and cables, not as great you super riders… Now while apologizing for using this forum, if any of you wish to smile a little more here please request a story or two from this misunderstood soul; they're veritably true.
September 26, 2016
Darin Shapiro not long ago advised me on handling my left & right knee issues. Likely issues of the meniscus Darin’s experience was spot on. Definitely a nice guy & as I witnessed at OWC, a great dad to his kids!
October 27, 2016
Ladies please do not fall for this moron Jules 3rd grade writing and grammar.
He is a lifelong conman who lost his wife , business and ANY respect he never had to begin with my legitimate businesses
He has been ripping off hard working people for years.
Hes the biggest POS Ive had the dis-pleasure of ever meeting
Do a quick search on him and seethe HUNDREDS of horror stories about him hurting people.
Of course, he will just lie and lie
Bye Jules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
October 27, 2016
Dont let this Jules Lupowitz guy infiltrate your community. He has hurt more businesses than Hurricane Katrina with this thieving
He is a cancer to EVERYONE around him.
Youve been warned
August 15, 2018
I guess you don't actually know Jules Lupowitz, do you? I certainly don't know you, Mr Gordon. I do know my flaws, mistakes and what I'm accountable for. Did I ever hurt you at OWC or Rixen or are you simply an angry guy? I also know what negative media does to most people. Unfortunately most people wouldn't judge a book by its pages. Thanks for trying to help, though.