It's good to be back home

I have really enjoyed being back home and having time off the water.   I grabbed my old Skateboard and have been hitting the streets letting off some steam and having fun with my old Skate Crew.  I'm amazed years later at how good I still am.  My coach John Henson from ProWake Academy has told me that Board Sports in general are great for my wakeboarding, so Skating and Surfing are doing me good - and I am hoping to hit the slopes for a Snow Board soon.

The latest issue of Wake Magazine came out with an awesome 7 page article on me in it.  I was really pumped and loved the ride shots taken by Jamie Brooks for the issue.


Today I got hooked up with Von Zipper Eyewear as a Sponsor.  They have an awesome roster of athletes in a wide range of extreme sports and some great wakeboarders in the USA.  Like Billabong, I become their only Australian Wakeboarder which opens up opportunities for me in marketing, branding and exposure.

Dad is working away on some other awesome deals that will support me over the Aussie summer and for my US Pro campaign in 2011.

I am in the process of setting and benchmarking my goals for 2011.   I pretty well ticked everything off my 2010 list long before the year ended, so hopefully I will have the same drive, passion and energy to make it all happen again.   I believe my goals are realistic, and as Mum always says "if it is to be, it is up to me".  I like that!

Early night tonight I am leaving at 3am with Mick Watkins for the Monster Energy Tige Tour.   We hit Clermont for a Mini Tige Owners Reunion and Mick 'Personal Touch' Watkins is delivering a new Z1 to some lucky family up there.   The tour heads West and then back towards the Coast in a couple of weeks where I will get few nights sleep in my own bed before heading to NSW, ACT, SA and VIC to finish off the tour.   Then back home in December where I believe we will welcome some US Junior Riders who will escape Orlando for some Summer Downunder!   I can't wait.

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!

Photoshoots and new ride gear

It's been a couple of big weeks for me getting out in my new ride gear.  Had a shoot with Daniel Watkins done by Adam Dodd.  Awesome photographer, but we just struggled with the weather.

Did a 6am start on the Tweed on Friday with Jaimi Brooks behind Rubber's Tige Boat.  We took ours as a chase boat and thought we had wasted our time.  Arrived at Fingal Head to white caps and black clouds.  Cruised upstream towards Tumbulgum and the sun broke through for about 90 minutes enabling me to get some great shots taken including some new sequence shots for a ProWake project!

High Performance Coaching Camp

I have spent the week with Jacob Horre and Lauren Bell who won the Aussie Junior Titles and Parker Siegle who was runner up to me at Nationals.  We are doing a High Performance Coaching Program that was funded by the Australian Waterski & Wakeboard Federation to develop an Australian Team.  We spend mornings on the water in the ProWake Academy Tige of John Henson and afternoons at Chek Australia. Chek train some of the best athletes in Australia - mind - body - exercise - mental preparation - nutrition - stretching - muscle recovery etc...  They trained Stephanie Gilmore and Mick Fanning in preparation for the World Championships and have an amazing record.  We have also done some media training too which has been awesome.

And I got a Crow 5 consistent along with a Toe Side Back 360 with a solid grab.  The camp was brilliant.

Off to Cairns next week for the Australian Cable Wakeboard Nationals - it's going to be fun!

So much happening

Smashed up my hand at Cable and need some time off the water.  Working this week at the ProWake Clearance Sale for Jet Pilot, Liquid Force and O'Brien.   It will be huge.

Have the AWWF High Performance Coaching Program next week, then back to Cable getting ready for Cable Nationals in Cairns.

Then I am hitting the road with Rubber Johnny and Mick Watkins for a couple of weeks for a North Queensland Tour.    Life is good!

ProWake Academy

I have been spending some great time with my Coach Johnny 'Rubber' Henson and Jacob Hore getting ready for the end of Season Comps States and Nationals.  

Have a few more days to focus on my technique and to work on my style.  Dean Smith said to me recently that most of the Juniors in Australia ride the same and there was an opportunity for someone to really develop their own style and I am working on that.

Have my Whirly 5 and Heel 7 pretty good and hopeing to take them to Nationals with me

ProWake Academy

I have been enjoying a great week on the Tweed River with my Coach Johnny 'Rubber' Henson.  Jacob Hore and Kuri Wickcliffe have come along and we have been having a great few days behind the RZ2.  We are all preparing for the Pro-Am at Stoney Park next weekend.  So stoked to be heading off for another comp!

Monster Energy Tige Tour

I was so pleased when the Monster Energy Tige Tour hit South East Queensland this weekend. It was a windy day on the Tweed but it was good to catch up with Daniel Watkins fresh back from the US.    The new Monster Wrapped RZ2  throws off an awesome wake, and it gave me a chance to spend some time with my Coach Johnny ‘Rubber’ Henson who drives for the ProWake Academy.

I will be joining the tour from now until Christmas replacing Scotty Broome who has done his ankle (tough break Scotty). Keep an eye out on the prowake.com.au site for details of our stops along the way.