2021 Season Recap | Jamie Lopina
This past season was totally unexpected. With Covid still around, nobody really knew if events were even going to happen, let alone where or when they would be. Luckily, I was fortunate to live in a place where we were able to ride throughout lockdowns and such, which meant a lot of riding for fun. Which was awesome! All throughout 2020 and most of early 2021, I was able to slow down and ride for me. Not for a contest or a video or anything else. It’s been such a long time since I’ve really done that and I think it helped my riding in so many ways.
The first event of the year for me was Red Bull Wake2el in Lithuania. It was my first time out there – I think all the other years coincided with boat events so I could never make it before. Honestly, I was just so excited to see everyone again! The last actual event I had been to was Moomba in March 2020 and it was now June 2021 haha. The stoke I had from being back with all my friends kind of took away some of the competition pressure. So many girls are just absolutely ripping now and seeing it in person after only watching insta clips for the last year and a half was epic. All of my head to head heats were against girls that I respect immensely and it was just really cool to see everyone throw down. Ended up with third place, stole all the huge champaign bottles, and left Lithuania feeling super happy!
Next came a massive highlight – Moxie Pro! After multiple video submissions, I was so pumped that Moxie Pro was happening in real life. The event couldn’t have gone off any better. The boat day coincided with the last stop of the PWT. It was actually my first time ever going to a PWT event so it was extra fun to also be a part of it! The conditions were a bit rough, but the wake was great (thank you Supra!). It was an absolute honor to stand on top of the podium at the end of the day. Winning a boat event has always been a dream of mine and I still can’t believe it actually came true!
The cable event the next day was just as epic. The morning started off with an all girls learn to ride session. So many of the pro boat girls came out to be a part of that (and also stayed to support the cable event) which was really cool to see. The turnout for the learn to ride was great! The whole dock on the beginner cable was full with young girls eager to get out on the water. The day really couldn’t have gone any better and it was an unbelievable feeling to get first. Overall, Moxie Pro lived up to the expectations. It was so beyond cool to be the final, main event of the day! The only bummer was that a lot of the international girls had to miss out due to travel restrictions, but hopefully by next year everyone will be able to come and take part in this monumental contest.
After Moxie Pro, I headed back over to Europe to finish out the season. The first stop I made was at this sweet event in France at Totem Wake Park. It was my second trip out there and each time has been incredible. The vibes are always on point and the crowd is so lively it’s crazy. Managed to end up in third place while out there which made me really happy! The level of riding at that event keeps getting better and better every year and I hope to keep making it out there!
The last event of the year for me was Red Bull Wake the City in Milan! This comp was so cool – I mean riding doubles in a contest was just completely unheard of until this summer. It was a rewarding challenge to coordinate the runs with your teammate! The comp was on a 2.0 and all the teams got three up and backs each which is a lot to plan for haha. Everyone did awesome and we all just had fun. Unfortunately, there were a few injuries but all those riders are working towards recovery now! Maryh and I landed on top of the podium and it was just incredible to be able to share that feeling of success with a good friend!
Shoutout to everyone for some epic riding this season, all the people who make our events possible, and the media outlets that cover them! Can’t wait for next year 🙂
