WW: What is your name, age and where are you located?
Alex: My full name is Alexandra Scott and I'm 23. Oh, and I live in Nova Scotia, Canada.

WW: You were a water skier before you started wakeboarding. Tell us more.
Alex: Yeah. I started three-event water skiing in '92 and was always competing in local and regional competitions. I even ended up representing my province in '93 and '97 in the Canada Summer Games, which was a totally amazing experience. Our team trained so hard. My Dad ended up driving the boat both summers and I got strep throat because the weather was just terrible.

WW: So then how did you start wakeboarding?
Alex: After the Canadian National Water Ski Championships in 1998 I had kind of burnt out from training so hard. That past February I had gone to train with my coach Matt Rini in Florida and he had a bunch of guys training for wakeboarding. They convinced me to take a break and try it. I had a blast! Even though the board and bindings I used were like ten times too big for me, I still had so much fun. Not long after I bought a board.

WW: What board do you ride?
Alex: My first board was a Hyperlite Murray 137 which was such a great board, but in hindsight a little too big for me. Now I have a 2000 Belmont 128, which really works well for me.

WW: Are there a lot of riders in Nova Scotia?
Alex: I don't think so. I mean, there's one surf shop here but last time I was there they had maybe three boards and they were really old. And there's also a Hyperlite rep here, but he just started this year. I've never heard of anyone training for wakeboarding here. I think a lot of people just do it recreationally, which is great. I wish there were a lot more wakeboarders, but our season here is so short that I think a lot of people shy away from getting the boat and the gear because you don't get nearly as much use out of it as people in places like Florida and California.

WW: Where else have you ridden?
Alex: Other than in Florida, with Matt, I went to a ski school in Mont Tremblant, Quebec with my husband and my dad for a few days to work on some things. It's pretty hard to advance in the sport when you only learn from one other person and a few videos. Mostly I ride at my parents' home because First Lake is so beautiful and that's also where our boat is.

WW: You got married August 18, 2001. Give the readers some details.
Alex: We got married in my parents' backyard in an amazing garden ceremony on the lake. It was pretty special to get married next to the lake because I had spent so much time there over the years either water skiing or wakeboarding. We had our honeymoon in Florida. We had planned to go there anyway, but it worked out really well because the Vans Triple Crown was on when we were there. Neither of us had ever seen pros ride before, so it was quite an experience to get to go on the dock and meet some of the top riders in the field.

WW: What do you think of the state of women in wakeboarding?
Alex: I am really impressed. When I started wakeboarding there were only a few girls like Tara Hamilton ripping it up. But now there are girls like Dallas Friday raising the bar that much higher. Seeing them ride at the Triple Crown was a pretty big eye opener. I just wish the television networks would give them more than 30-something seconds of coverage.

WW: What tricks can you do?
Alex: I can do most of the grabs and some of the spins. I love doing ollie-to-blinds, but when I catch an edge, does it ever rattle the brain!

WW: Is that all you are working on?
Alex: No. I really want to do a backroll and a Raley, but with a 1984 Mastercraft and a makeshift weighting system it's pretty hard to get the air you need. I guess I'll need to order a weighting system so that the only thing I'll be able to blame my riding on is me!

WW: Any major injuries?
Alex: Not really on the water, but I had a pretty brutal one off the water. Before my first season wakeboarding I found out some people train on trampolines. So I went to a local gymnastics club and started putting in some time there. I was working on a flip and took a nasty fall. Since the hospital was only five minutes away I drove myself instead of calling an ambulance. Probably wasn't a good idea. I spent most of the night waiting the get x-rays by myself until my dad could get there. Allegedly I only badly sprained my ankle, but I think the ER doctor was a little whacked out or something because it still hurts me today when I am out on the water and the mobility in it is not as good as it could be. My knees hurt sometimes too because I used to water ski jump a lot and that is pretty harsh on the knees.

WW: Who are your influences on the water?
Alex: I would say Shaun Murray because he has a lot of style. When he rode, Brannan Johnson was a great rider too; he has inspired me to try to ride very smoothly.

WW: What do you see yourself doing with the sport?
Alex: Next year I would love to compete in at least once tournament in Quebec. I didn't have any time this year because I was too busy with wedding plans! I would love to place at the Canadian Nationals in the next two years, I just need to work really hard.

WW: What do you do when you aren't wakeboarding?
Alex: I graduated from a digital media school a few months ago and now I am doing some contract graphic design work. Aside from work, I love to watch movies. I have done some work as an extra, and got to meet Harrison Ford on one set which was great. I still like to water ski, especially slalom and jump. In the winter I love to downhill ski and snowboard.

WW: Any sponsors?
Alex: I wish! There aren't too many people offering sponsorships around here, but I am definitely interested in seeking some out.

WW: Any shout-outs?
Alex: I would like to thank my dad for being my boat driver and both my parents for putting in so much time and money so I could do the sport I love. Also, David Williams for having such a great site and letting me contribute to it. And even though I haven't seen him for a few years, I would like to thank Matt Rini for being such a talented rider. He has been the only coach to really get through to me. And of course, I would love to thank you for encouraging me so much!

 Return To The Rider Link Front Page