Nikita Martyanov : “ I N GR E E N L A N D TH E R E AR E INCREDIB LE R E LI E FS TO TH E I CE BE RG S , B U T W E COULD N ’ T R I D E E VE RY WH E R E . ICEBERG S T UR N OVE R FA I R LY OFTE N , AN D O N THE F RESH O N E S TH AT H AVE J US T TU R N ED OVER YOU GE T TH I S S MOOTH I C E , IT’ S REALLY D I FFI C ULT A N D DA N GE RO U S , IT’ S ALMOS T I MPO S S I BL E T O TI LT ON T H EM .” ©Serge Shakuto
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future
talks with louis floyds pict : Jon Shrimpton
Tell us a little about yourself? Hey, I’m Louis Floyd, 26yrs old, born in the UK and currently living in Orlando, FL. I ride for Slingshot and Ride Engine.
Why? So the H5 wing is perfect for my style of foiling as I like to ride mine more like a wakeboard which I need faster speeds for and with a smaller surface area I have less drag when I want to do tricks like grabs, spins and flips. But then I can also just go cruise wake-surfing with it too at the slower speeds. Then the H2 wing which is a bigger version of the H5 allows you to ride the 2nd and even 3rd wave back behind the boat give you a sensation of being in the ocean. I can still use the H2 wing for everything I do behind the boat but I guess because I started on the 5 it just feels like home.
Why Orlando? For me, the sun is always shining and I pretty much get to live in shorts for the whole year. Don’t get me wrong, I love England as it will always be home but there’s more things to do in the US. So people are talking and saying that you’ve given up wakeboarding. Is that true? No I haven’t, I know it may look that way with my Social Media but I still strap in a few times a week. I’ve just got the bug for Foiling right now.
So you had the pleasure of Hosting Mantis Pro Media a few months back? Yes, I did. I’ve known Jon and Sam a few years now and they are like family. They get on my nerves but we work really well together and they just get my way of looking at things. They came over to Orlando for 10 days and the idea was to shoot and video every day and hopefully piece together a video of everything you can do on a foil and have a collection of images to go with. The boys did not disappoint even though there were some early mornings and long evenings we put the work in and came out the other end with what we set out to do.
Foiling! Tell us a little. So I’m lucky enough to be riding for one of the Leading brands in the Foiling market right now, Slingshot Sports. Foiling consists of a wake surf style board that is attached to a Hydrofoil. A hydrofoil is made up of a front wing, back wing and shaft which glides through the water. You seemed to pick it up fairly quick? Yeah I guess. My dad, when I was younger, brought home an air chair which he spent a lot of time on with his buddies and when I was finished wakeboarding, I would strap in and cruise on the air chair. So going from a seated hydrofoil to a standing hydrofoil was pretty easy for me.
Where do you see foiling going? It’s still early days yet and people have a lot of mixed views about it but I’ve found once they’ve given it ago their views soon change. I’m excited to see where it’s going as the surf-foil scene is blowing up because you can finally surf the crappy waters at the beach and still have an epic ride. I’m going to keep pushing my wakeboard style side of it because I’m still a wakeboarder at the end of the day and a lot of my wakeboard tricks I can crossover and put on my foil.
How often do you get out and ride? As much as I can! \When the family is in town I drag someone out every day and when it’s just me here I get out with Dylan Miller in Clermont a bit and ride cable as much as possible. What setups are you riding? Coalition 149 with Shredtown boots and the Hover Glide Foil Package which comes with an H5 wing but I like to change it sometimes for the H2.
Thanks for your time Louis. Any final words? Anytime guys and yes, big shoutout to Slingshot Sports, Ride Engine, Mantis Pro Media, you guys at Unleashed and anyone that hasn’t ridden a foil yet should try and get out and give it ago. You won’t be disappointed! 25
Rail to Roll
to Revert Indy Grab Maxim Van Helvoort
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pict : Phil Sirech
1. Come in with a progressive edge. 2. Back board up the rail. 3. Push straight up in to a roll to revert. 4. Spot the grab, around the knee and in-between the bindings. 5. Pull the grab towards your back. (Japan grab) 6. Let go and spot the landing. 7. Absorb the impact and bend the knees. 26
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To wrap up a summary of what is, in effect, your step by step tutorial on what an event should consist of (all-be-it in a snapshot form - please contact me for the full breakdown) there is the grand finale of the whole weekend. This was the best prize giving I have ever been hosted. Off the back of two days on the mic with Dan Williams, the both of us chatting wakeboarding and an awful lot of banter with the crowd, we basically had the biggest of podium parties. Mexican waves, non stop flossing (look it up adults), walk on music and tunes throughout, all officials involved with each podium shot and every one in the crowd getting fully behind the party on the deck. It was unreal!
Thank you Malibu and all sponsors, thank you Tattershall, thank you Wakeboard UK, thank you officials, boat drivers (Phillips brothers), all volunteers, Glen Tortolano (DJ), thank you Dan Williams (my MC’ing P.I.C.), thank you Mantis Pro Media and thank you all riders friends, family and anyone I have forgotten for making this the best National Championships we have ever had. ....Bigger and better people, bigger and better! Check out Wakeboard UK on Facebook and @UKWake on Instagram to relive the good times or see what you missed.
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Lauren Hilder-Darling text & photos by : Karen Button
Stance: Regular Local Park: Gold Coast Wake Park Sponsors: Slingshot Australia
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plastic playground By Redbull Media
Plas tic Playground is wor ldwide this year with three s tops around the globe. Enjoy the photos from those fir s t two stops. The first one was at Thai Wakepark - Bangkok and the second one was at Liquid Leisure London. The third one will be held in Bali from October 24 to 27 and will be repor ted in the future issue of the magazine. Because pictures are wor th more than a thousand words, we give you this photo galler y of the event to enjoy.
DA N IEL G R AN T TR AN S F ER IN DY B AC K T O WAL L PLA S T IC P L AYG RO U N D T H AI WAKEPAR K Titikorn Atichatpong
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Marilyn Pr u i t t Photo : Antony Kennedy-
What makes a wake park session cool? The atmosphere and people you ride with. Also if the park has a good feature set up.
What makes friends cool? They always have a fun time on the water and are always down for random spontaneous adventures and road trips.
What makes a wakeboard trick look cool? Properly grabbed and if you throw your own style into it.
What makes a boyfriend cool? If they also wakeboard!
What makes a wakeboard boat session cool? Good friends and lots of laughs
What makes a huge fall cool? If it is caught on video!
What makes a winch session cool? Teamwork and not getting kicked out.
What makes you finally land a huge new trick? The time and dedication of practice that no one truly sees.
What makes a video edit cool? How it is edited together and the music used. Really cool edits can capture the vibe and tell a story when it was filmed. Steffen Vollert and Formats do a good job with that. What makes a photo cool? A cool photo not only shows the trick, but it also captures the little details like the path of how the rider got there. Also, the location is important and having a sick background. What make music cool? When it matches and lines up with the tricks in an edit. Also if it can get me pumped up to ride! What makes a rider ( Man, or Woman) cool? The creative lines and style they put into their riding. Also, they can’t be too cool for school, you know?
What makes a ride cool ? Having fun and learning something new. What’s the most important thing in order to progress? Not having any fear to try something new. Having a good coach is also important. Ask around at the cable for help! Any shout outs? My sponsors of course for always helping me; Liquid Force, STZ, and Terminus Wake Park. Also, Callaway Ford for always being my riding buddy and going on road trips. Finally, I would like to shout out to everyone who has let me crash at their place; Courtney Angus, Deanna Hatten, Lauren Hilder-Darling, Conrad Macintosh, Amanda Sadowski...to name a few. Many thanks!
What makes a board cool? All wood and big with a sick graphic. 60
Name: Marilyn Pruitt Birthdate : May 1, 1995 Hometown: Marietta, GA - USA Sponsors: Liquid Force, STZ Stance: Regular
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riding one of the 5
UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES By Redbull Media
Wakeskater, Brian Grubb, has tackled snow streams in Sarajevo and Filipino rice fields during his amazing career on the water, however his latest adventure is the best yet after he traveled to Jordan to take on the mighty Wadi Al-Hidan canyon. Here is all you need to know
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THE H A R D E S T PA RT WA S O N THE FI N A L DAY WH E N TH E NE W H A MPS H I R E N ATI VE NEED E D TO PA S S T H ROUGH A T I GH T CR ACK R A PI D LY, WHI CH H E ACC O MPLI S H E D BR I LL I A N T LY.
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HOW WE MOVED
icebergs THE SIZE OF FOOTBALL FIELDS By Helga Shoshina/ Photo : Serge Shakuto
1 3 t i m e R u s s i a n N a t iona l Ch a mpion, Ch a mpion o f E u ro p e ( s f ) a n d Bronze M eda l is t a t t h e Wor l d Ch a m p i o n s h i p s , N ik it a M a r t ya nov h ea ded off t o t h e l a r g e s t i s l a nd on t h e pl a net t o surf in icy wa t e r s a m i d s t i c e ber g s , on iceb er g s a nd over i c e b e r g s . I n s h o r t , t h ere were a l ot of iceb er g s .
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Name : Jackson Axford Nationality : Australian Age: April 2, 2005 Stance : Goofy Home Spot : Naga Cable Park Sponsors : Mum & Dad but would love to have others.
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JACKSON
AXFORD Photo : Benjamin Cans
Where do you ride? My home park is Bali Wake Park but I have ridden at other cables in Australia and Thailand. What’s your favorite food? I like most food but my favorite would probably be Thai food. How did you get started wakeboarding? I got started by hearing about a friend of mine going to Bali Wake Park and really liking it so I really wanted to go, I ended up going a week or two later and loving it and I have been riding ever since. Do you do any other sports? I like to trampoline and skate a bit, but I mostly wakeboard. What do you like the most about wakeboarding? For me, the best thing about wakeboarding is learning new tricks with my friends and having a really good time. What do you dislike? I really don’t like front and back edges. Who is the best rider? I think the best rider at the moment is Daniel Grant. 2nd and 3rd? 2nd would probably Aaron Gunn and 3rd would be Busty Dunn. Your favorite rider? My favorite rider is Guenther Oka because I love his style on kickers and rails. Name a trick you would like to do one day? A trick I would like to do one day is a double half cab roll. Which do you prefer, Rails or kickers? I probably prefer kicker because I really like doing flips on a wakeboard and on a trampoline, I also like being in the air and going high. Tell us a bit about your home spot? Bali Wake Park is a nice place to wakeboard because it is good weather all year round 89
(apart from sometimes in wet season) the crew there is really nice and I love riding there. Its going to be even better in a few months when the new Unit features arrive. Do you ride alone or with friends?: I sometimes ride alone but I prefer riding with friends because we always push each other to try new tricks and have a lot of fun. Do you like competing against each other? We don’t really compete against each other a lot but when we do it is usually when we are trying to land a trick first before the others or if we are in an actual competition. Favorite tricks? I’m not quite sure of my favorite but I really like doing really big tantrums and I like transfers. What are your best competition results?: In 2017 I got 1st in the gravity wake open at Phuket Wake Park, 2nd in the nationals division and 4th in the international division at the King of Benoa at Bali Wake Park. In 2016 I got 4th in the nationals at Bali Wake Park. What board are you riding? I’m riding Lior Solfer’s 2018 Dup Atlas with 2018 Dup Costa bindings. I really like the board and meeting Lior at Thai Wake Park during the first stop of the 2018 plastic playgrounds. What is your plan for future competitions? I will be competing in London for the 2nd stop of plastic playgrounds in July, I will also be competing at my home park, Bali Wake Park, for the 3rd stop of Plastic Playgrounds. Life outside of wakeboarding? School, skate a bit, trampoline & friends. Thanks to anyone? Thank you to my Mum and Dad for letting me travel to different cables and getting me into wakeboarding, and of course, thank you to Unleashed and Benji for the chance to be interviewed for this mag.