So couple of weeks ago I got to watch Dean Smith ride and was thoroughly impressed with how huge every trick is. It got me thinking about Randal and Keith Lyman and how similar the two of them are in style and magnitude. Dean brings another element to the true "Go Big" riding. <BR> <BR>So it has me wondering who everyone thinks is the top dog in going "BIG"? <BR> <BR> Randal is the OG for sure but I think Lyman stepped it up. Now with him getting closer to riding I don't know if he will be riding with the same intensity since his last knee injury. Randal seems to bee a little less balls out compared to previous. Still going huge. Then Dean hits the scene with another look at going huge with lots of Tech tricks.

My buddy Taylor has been in the boat with all 3 at different times and says Lyman hands down goes bigger than anyone.

vandall all the way! they all three have different styles and different bags of tricks though

yep, hard to say, I've only ridden with Dean out of those three. <BR> <BR>Seen them all ride on the tour, not sure if that counts, but Dean's explosive riding just stands out. <BR> <BR>I would love to see Dean and Lyman throw down back to back. Tough call.

Dean goes HIGHEST <BR>Vandall has lateral coverage <BR>Lyman a mix of the both <BR> <BR> <BR>My vote = Dean Smith

Lyman doenst do all of his moves as big as he can, but i'd have to say the ones he does do he goes bigger than anyone, randall included. <BR> <BR>Dean does everything everyone else does w2w into the flats. i havent seen him in person but he looks like he BOOSTS everything not just certain moves. <BR> <BR>Randall charges the wake hard on every single move he does. All of them. <BR> <BR>if i had to pick one tho i'd have to say Lyman.

I'd say Randall Harris has more hangtime then all of them, Dean Smith has more of a Mark Kenney Style than a West Coast Style.

I have also been in the boat with all three at different times and it would be so hard to narrow it down to one, they all have such different styles that every trick looks so different. I think they all go equally as huge. As for who would be the biggest I guess Dean would get my vote. Something about a Indy Tantrum Backside 3 into the flats that just boggles my mind!

my vote! <BR> <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQS4sKaPROI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQS4sKaPROI</a>

Tomas is that Shapiro. It looks like him because he always through a grab on his Vulcan.

Check out Sean O'brien. He goes massive as well and executes amazingly well on even the most technical of tricks. He has an uncanny ability to take over a new trick, or a line of tricks, with people in the boat only to nail it within a few tries. <BR> <BR>Lyman gets my vote but they all throw down. Lets give Dean-O a few more years.

I think they all go a little bigger than me. I would probably believe Lyman might win this one. <BR> <BR>In the end, I say it doesn't really matter. All 3 pack an amazing amount of moves each time they attack the wake.

Sorry guys.....I gotta go with Dean. They all go big, but that kid is just insane.

Dean is the only one of those three riding an abrupt 3-stage rocker, and again I will say, Dean smith has a more vertical pop whereas randall and lyman both ride continuos boards and out on a further line, I break it down as simple mathematics, all three cut thier hardest, but randall rides farther out, so, randall gets more hangtime. easy, done.

DEAN IS FREAKING SICK

dean is sick and he definitely goes big and has technical moves, but i think lyman and randall go a lil bigger even in vertical pop. <BR> <BR>as for randall and lyman, both are great, lyman has a sick style and i love how he can gap from wake to slider... <BR> <BR>but i think ill have to give it to randall. i mean have you guys seen the pic of how much vertical pop he got on a backroll mobe...you would of have thought he hit a double up. and randall going over two boat wakes... winner of going farthest into the flats as well <BR> <BR>but thats just my 2 cents.

Stock 210 wake with 9 peeps and lyman is 2 weeks off of knee surgery...just a simple grabbed OA 360 <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/607835.jpg" alt="Upload">

randall really does go the biggest. lyman doesnt take every single trick out in the flats. and i dont think dean smith really compares to vandall or lyman, dean does go huge though.

what speed and line length does Dean ride at?

keith rode 2 weeks after knee surgery? that is pretty risky

correct me if I'm wrong but didn't randall start riding a continuous since he came back. his old mold was one of the most abrupt 3 stages i ever rode.

and trevor i have the lyman, it is an abrupt three stage dude.

much love for how big lyman goes but he doesnt seem to have the bag of tricks that the other too have. vid sections are always the same.

I think there should be a contest between all three and let them battle it out. Three men enter, one man leaves!!!

Their riding already is, "If I enter, I may or may not leave".

I'm kinda surprised at how many people are jumping on the Dean train. I think his "Set of the Week" did a lot for him as far as go big recognition. I never knew he threw hammers like that until I watched it when it first came out. One of my favorite work vids 4 sure. -Respect. <BR> <BR>My vote is still for Lyman though. When he's healthy and decides to go big...nobody can touch him.

Jason, his old model was ridiculis. I had to retire that board since it pretty much kicked my a$$ everytime I rode it. Only Randy could ride that board I think.

SHAPIRO!!! <BR>LARGE AND IN CHARGE!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQS4sKaPROI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQS4sKaPROI</a> <BR> <BR>beat that!

Dean Smith Kicker Session <BR><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa-h2gTLU68&amp;feature=related" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qa-h2gTLU68&amp;feature=related</a>

agreed that all three rip and go huge, but this link shows lyman doing a lot of w2w stuff. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2JB1nJLM7U" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2JB1nJLM7U</a> <BR> <BR>not to say he isn't capable...as a matter of fact, a lot of his stuff is booted to the flats...but as far as every hit being huge and way out there, I think Randall (although not as tech) is still the king of the flats. like many on here, i gained a whole new respect for dean after that set of week video....i had not idea that a nose crow mobe (1:02) could look like that!

If you had to make comparison from those two videos, Dean is going way bigger than Lyman.

I'm going with D. Smith...

shaun murray and parks bonifay can go pretty big <BR> <BR>i've seen shaun murray go rediculously huge on a doubleup 3. and parks 2:04 <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQeaWidmSZc" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQeaWidmSZc</a>

Hey thats not fair, Dan Smith can't nominate D. Smith! He's biased! <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/lol.gif" border=0>

Nicely done Dan.

Well, if you guys want to talk numbers - doesn't Chad Sharpe still hold the record for most film frames on that tail glide he did in Parks' Double or Nothin' contest a couple of years ago?

Yup ^^^ His Tail Glide was insane. I used to have the picture as my laptop background... i wish i still had it. Chad goes big. Bent Felix, and Counterfeit this definitely prove that.

lyman has the coolest wig

Well maybe we should start asking people to get a contest together with ALL PROS let them ride their way (speed, boat, ballast ect ect) and have the whole point be who can take just a straight grab the biggest. No raley based tricks or inverts, just straight grabs

What about murray's three at the spring ride?

Josh, I second that notion! Throw PWT rulebook out, just let the riders go as big as they can. My predicition, Harris walks away the victor!

Lyman all the way dude

Lyman 2 weeks off of knee surgery? Anyone care to explain what type of surgery or injury? I just had ACL reconstruction surgery and I'm still required to use 2 crutches. My doctor and PT would roll over laughing if I asked them if I could return to wakeboarding. I'll probably miss the upcoming snowboarding season!

Randall goes bigger and rides at 27mph and a 30ft rope or something close to that <BR> <BR>I've seen them all ride in person and even though Lyman and Dean go huge, Randall goes bigger than anyone else, Darin and Parks come a lot closer to going as big as Randall than Dean or Lyman do, not to say anything bad about those guys cause they all go so freakin big <BR> <BR>straight up height, distance and amplitude The Vandall all the way wins

Josh, I guess I need to do more research before I say something next time, but my point is, randall and lyman pop differently off the wake than Dean and Kenney.

2 weeks off of knee surgery...just tellin you what he told me

Thats' cool, I'm guessing he just had cartlidge / fluid cleaned or meniscus trimming. Obviously it was 100% orthoscopic or he'd be at a high risk for infection with any incision.

Lyman blew his knee more than a year ago I think. <BR> <BR>RE: Chad and Murray....we're not talking double ups, just wake riding.

is there some sort of contest or event that just focuses on non-tech, go huge style of riding? only thing I can think of that is close is double or nothing....

for all those throwing out other names...Rusty, Chad, Parks, etc......nobody is saying that on any one hit, these guys can't soar....but I think when you talk about consistently going large, lyman, harris, and now dean are the names that come up. I'm just sayin' we're not trying to take away from the others, but you really can't compare a dub-up contest to a guy who throws down on every hit.

They just have a different style of riding than most... Though if i had to pick one i would choose Dean that set of the week video was amazing

Can't argue with Natural born thrillaz.... Randall takes my vote, followed closely by Lyman. Dean Smith goes HUGE though.

Dean Smith is the next Vandell.

Someone else that I don't think gets enough credit for going big. Gerry Nunn.

yeah if we're talking about consistently going big than randall. no doubt. <BR> <BR>i've seen shaun murray go rediculously big without a double up. blind judge for instance. i'm just saying theres a bunch of guys that usually go w2w, but some of these guys can land so far into the flats (just as far as the guys originally mentioned) <BR> <BR>chad sharpes tailglide was redic

Lyman did blow his knee out a year ago, but he hurt it again in feb/march. I know he talked that he just came back too quick. <BR> <BR>I watched Nunn and Lyman on the same day. Nunn's raley based tricks are insane fo sho.

water dork, chad sharpes tailglides <i>are</i> rediculous. Randall Harris himself said that no one can hit a double up like chad sharpe. <BR> <BR>again, out of those three riders Randall is the only one that will always ride into the flats, dean goes w2w somewhat often, I've seen lyman ride w2w a few times, randall, never.

ahh bummer. I didn't know Lyman was messed up again.

yea trevor, they do a little thing called flattening out. they both flatten their board out going up the wake, while dean still keeps it on edge

I will definitely have to disagree with some of the comments on Randall taking everything into the flats. He definitely has some inverts that are wake to wake. I will say in the days prior to his break from wake boarding Randall went bigger than anyone and including himself now. I think Lyman picked up where Vandal was prior to his break with taking huge boosts and pokes into the flats. But I will be surprised if he comes back with the same intensity. D. Smith is just doing it all big. Tech inverts, lofty BS 180's, and super stylish pokes boosted into the flats. <BR> <BR>There are other guys that are able and do take some stuff big and into the flats but usually its not a typical day of riding for them. Shapiro also is a guy that goes big but most of his tricks into the flats were raley based tricks that should be into the flats. Hands down he is one of the most powerful looking riders on the water. Double up's just don't count. <BR> <BR>I think it would be awesome to have an event that was strictly geared to that style of riding. Might be something to consider in the future.

just watched Randall again in Drive. Everything is looking pretty giant. He does a lot of different stuff too. For example....a TS nose grab 180, reversed back to a TS, backside 180. Crazy stuff.

J-Rod - That trick is insane! It is on his Malibu boat promo too. I had to watch it again to make sure I understood what he is doing. He is all the way into the 180 that is really looks like a switch HS FS 3.

J-Rod looking at the stuff he does in "Natural Born Thrillaz" and then now in Drive, Do you think Randall is going just as big as then?

Murray goes big! <BR>Shot this one yesterday morning... <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/608924.jpg" alt="Upload">

That deserves a mention!

so where are we getting at with the question "who goes the biggest"? <BR> <BR>doubleups dont count, we're talking about riders that consistently go big out into the flats <BR> <BR>and the fact that shapiro did raley based tricks into the flats...doesnt mean he couldnt have done the same thing but instead do a hs fs 180 <BR> <BR>i dont know it may just be me, but i think we are getting a lil to specific about the question of who goes the biggest. but i will say that doubleups not counting is understandable while we debate

Murray has the best raleys in the business. If you came down from that height at that speed and caught edge you would likely die from breaking your neck.

That raley is sick! Murray is the man...

dean takes tech tricks big. ive seen a video of him taking a toe 9 off the wake out into the flats!!!

I could care less who goes the biggest, as long as they keep going big and pushing the sport in the right direction.

im gonna have to go with randall as well! <BR> <BR>no doubt that dean goes big but randall always goes big in every trick! <BR> <BR>Lyman would be my 2nd but right behind randall

I've seen Murray take toe 9s into the flats, same with Randall. I think taking a 9 into the flats makes it easier for some people because they have more time to complete the spins. Others go wake to wake cause they want a little bit more control.

Dean cause he is an Aussie

Shapiro goes pretty huge. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeA-Sys08eg" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeA-Sys08eg</a>

I vote for dean after watching set of the week.

Dean has my vote...but being an Aussie – I’m totally biased! <BR> <BR>I am a massive Randell fan and think Lyman is awesome. I guess it would be hard to pick who actually goes the biggest - too many variables.

Dean Smith cranked it up huge this year, with his riding and size of tricks. I voted for him as my fav rider this year. His hs method to 540 to the flats is just awesome to see.

crazy

Dang! That pic of Murray is insane!