Back in U.S.A

My girlfriend joined me for the endless summer tour to Orlando and I am so stoked to be back in paradise.  My friend Freddie Wayne picked me up from the airport and took us back to his place for the night.  The Wayne family have always looked after me so well, Freddie’s Mum Darlene is like my US Mum!.

Mike, Freddie & I - Acworth Podium

First stop to settle in was Nick Galotifiore’s house.  Nick won the 2010 Jr Pro Tour and he has probably the best weighted Super Air Nautique 230 I have ever ridden (including my own). Staying at Nick’s gave me a chance to get some serious riding time in before the first stop.  I also had a session with Harley the day before I left for Georgia and I rode well.  I got 3 w2w 9's and a couple of other fun things.  Feeling pretty stoked on how my riding is at the moment and how this season will play out.

My Gold Coast mate Corey Turnbull has been helping me car hunt and we tracked down a pretty new Ford Explorer for me to use this year in the US.  Some of the stops are close enough to drive through, and its a chance to see more of this amazing country.

Acworth - Photo by OLLI Photography

Acworth is one of my favourite sites, the set up is awesome, huge beach, you can see all the riding from everywhere, and of course, how could I forget, the party island that all the boats make every year, the party gets bigger and bigger each year.  I  was really nervous about this one, after missing Wake Games due to other commitments it was my first contest in America.  I got 3^rd at the event last year and I was pretty nervous about the event.  In the heats I went out and had a solid ride and did my thing, then the semis were a bit better, I  had Italian Massi Piffaretti in my heat and he is a shredder! I had a solid Semi ride and got my first perfect 100 in a US pro Event.  In the finals I had me and all my mates and the riding level was insane! Dirty Mike Dowdy came out on top and I got a close second and Freddie and Kyle rounded out the podium, respectively.  Dowdy looks in great form this year.

Right now I’m at Callaway Gardens in Georgia for the US Masters which is aout the biggest event in the world.  I was so thrilled to get an invite for it. It’s my sponsors event (Nautique) and after winning their Moomba Masters Event 2 years running I had my mind set on doing well.  I was going to finally ride the Super Air Nautique G23 for the frst time. I was out in the boat on Clear Lake with Tony Carroll the other day and I saw Jimmy Lariche out in his G23 with Phillip Soven and Oli Derome, and the Wake looked unreal and I can see why the boat has got so much attention.

The comp didn’t go well for me, I didn’t get the result I was hoping for and Dowdy once again went home with the silverware.

Callaway is beautiful, it has a big golf course with so much stuff to do here.  My good mate Tim Mossop has just arrived from Australia to stay with me for the rest of the tour.  Tim is my personal photographer and is pretty pumped to be following me on the tour this year and coming everywhere and seeing what all the fuss is about wakeboarding and join my on Our Endless Summer

After this weekend at Callaway me, Tim and Jillian will be making our way back to Orlando to start house hunting, but first there is a massive road trip to Fort Worth Texas and Branson Missouri for stops 2 and 3 of the Pro Tour.

Weekend on the Tweed

I was invited down to hang out and do an exhibition ride at the Nautique Owners Reunion on the Tweed River.  My good mate Corey Turnbull and his family just purchased a Super Air Nautique 210 and I had a lot of rides behind it that weekend.  

The cable boys who usually ride in my boat where there to hang with Corey, so Damo Cox, Nick Horatis and I took the opportunity to have some quality sets with Corey and his family.

It was nice to hang out with my mates, and the hospitality provided by Steve Gescke was awesome.  The big bonus was getting to hang with Hayley Smith.  Hayley has a new 210 Nautique with Ronix Branding and has some really cool programs and events lined up.  Hayley looked after me at the Wakeboard Camp at Clermont and it’s always good to hang with her.

World Championship here I come

After my first Pro Tour ride, I couldn’t wait to get back to Orlando and get ready for Worlds.

I went back to the Wakeboard Camp at Clermont for a couple of nights to chill with my good mate Corey Turnbull.  I t was also good to see all the staff again and the Aussie Girls Crew of Amber, Hayley & Bec.    My new Watson Classic got shipped in from liquid force in time for me to get used to it before the Worlds and we headed straight out behind one of the camp boats Malibu v-rides and rode awesome the board had so much pop it was actually surprising and that board has now seen me through to landing a bunch of new tricks that I can do now.

Mid week I went out with Aaron Brown for a couple of  days having fun little jet ski sets at night hitting his rooftop and see what stupid stuff we could do off the little wake that the Seadoo put out. I also got to ride with Bennet Spartz behind his Nautique 230 on Lake Minnehaha which was awesome.  Then it was off to chill at Nick Galotifiore’s house on Lake Irma.  Nick was pretty pumped fresh from his US Pro Tour Win.  Mick, myself and Tony Carroll spent a lot of time adjusting the ballast to try and replicate a Supra Wake behind Nick’s Nautique 230.  I think we did a pretty good job and over the next 2 days we knocked out about 5 or 6 sets.   I just grilled myself on my pass and some of my bigger tricks making sure I was riding confident enough and consistent enough to be able to do my run at worlds.

Arrive in downtown Orlando and checked in to the Hotel for the main event – the WWA Wakeboard Worlds at OWC.  It was a crazy event; there were people everywhere and a lot of familiar faces especially from the huge Aussie contingent that had travelled over to Orlando for the competition.

WWA Wakeboard Worlds at OWC

When the heats for the Quarter Final were published, I had been put up against 2 good mates, and 2 of the best Junior Pro Men in the World.  US Pro Tour Champ Nick Galitifiore and Freddie Wayne.  I didn’t ride my best falling on my first trick and struggling to recover after that.  Nick & Freddie knocked me out of contention for the Semi’s, but Nick went on to win and Freddie also got to ride in the final, so it was a couple of quality riders to get rolled by. 

It was so thrilled to see a legend in the Australian wakeboarding world Dean Smith take out the competition for his first US competition win. And what a place to do it, at the last event of the season with every Australian there to see. Dean was just going insane when they called Phillip Soven’s name out for 2nd place.  Every Aussie and everyone else for that matter forming a circle around him clapping and whistling and yelling his name, it was just unreal!  Dean is a super nice guy, and as he said “for the next 365 Days, I can say I am the World Champion”.

I learnt a lot in my two big Pro Tour Events.  As a rider I am not far off the pace and have enough tricks to be a serious competitor.  I just need to learn to be a better competitor.  These two comps are the first 2 I have ever been in without my Dad there.  He is a great influence on me and always gets my head right for events.  However, I need to learn to do that on my own.  My plan is to be back next year, to do all 5 Pro Tour Events and the Worlds again, and Dad can’t spend 5 or 6 months over here with me.

Just chilling and thinking!

For the next couple of weeks I will be chilling with Nick, Tony and Freddie and continuing to ride every day.   We are planning to make a nice little video before the Surf Expo.   We will film on Lake Irma on Nick’s Nautique 230 and on Lake Whippoorwill on Freddie’s VLX.   Freddie has a psycho rail which is the same dimensions as the Pro Tour rooftop and he has an amazing trampoline to practice new tricks on before taking them to the water.

Freddie has the best wake on the lake and it is really cool to ride the same boat on the same lake where I landed my first Moby Dick 5.   I am missing my family and friends back home, but this journey will end soon enough.   Straight after the Surf Expo, it’s back home from some sleep and then off on the Monster Energy Tige Tour!

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go.....

The countdown is on. Saturday morning I fly out with my good mate Corey Turnbull to Orlando - the land of dreams! Only a couple of quick stops in Auckland and Los Angeles along the way. I arrive on Sunday Morning at about 5am and will be met at the Airport by Wakeboard legend, and my number one mentor Daniel Watkins.

I will be based at the Wakeboard Camp at Clermont where fellow Liquid Force Riders Ben Greenwood and Amber Wing are based. I'm also looking forward to catching up with the Billabong Crew!

I have had a great week and have done so much riding doing between 2 and 4 sets everyday. I have my pass real consistent and just have to decide which 7's I am going to run with in the Worlds...

My old mate I grew up with in Echuca Jordan Uren has been at my place this week and he is riding real well too and will be heading back to Melbourne on Saturday with a few new tricks.

Have a big media day tomorrow on my last day starting with a Channel 9 News Crew meeting me at ProWake. Had to choose somewhere and thought it would be great to take them to Mick & Daniels to film. Then I have a crew from the Gold Coast Bulletin doing a set in the boat with me...

After that there's just one more sleep - I wonder if I will get any?

A big week of wakeboarding..

Wrapped up a pretty solid week behind the boat this week with some nice consistent runs of my pass for Worlds. The Junior Pro Mens category has been super competitive in the US this year judging by the Pro Tour stops so I really need to focus on consistency.

I am out in the boat today with my Coach John Henson. We are taking out a group of Executives from Schweppes the Australian Distributors of Monster Energy Drink. They are going to see what Rubber Johnny and I will be doing on this years Prowake Monster Energy Tige Tour. It's a beautiful winter day on the coast with blue sky and very little breeze so I am looking forward to taking my Watson out for a shred.

2 weeks today I am off to Orlando. My main man Daniel Watkins is going to meet me at the airport in Orlando. Daniel and Chris Heffner from Billabong are hooking me up for my trip and I am so pumped to be doing the trip from Brisbane - Auckland - Los Angeles - Orlando with my good mate Corey Turnbull. It's going to be so much fun!

Cable Wakeboard Nationals

Really excited to be in Cairns this week for the Cable Nats.  It's an awesome Cable Park and a great climate for riding with ideal water temperature.

I flew up on Tuesday with my folks and Cameron Edwards.  My Logan mates Damo, Corey and Nick arrived today and they are all set for tomorrow.   Have spent a lot of time with the Oxlade's from Singapore. Jaimi is 12 and just rips at Cable.  Her older Brother Aussie broke his Femur on Sunday just after arriving so I haven't had a chance to watch him ride.  He was released from Hospital today and has been able to hang out for the afternoon watching the crew ride.  With Sam Gunn,  Matty Denitis and James Windsor riding the event is legit - so much talent all set to go off.

PS Love the free wifi at Cairns Cable - updating my blog on the balcony watching the cable right now!