I think Dave Williams will be putting up a gallery from the contest, here is a few I got from the first 2 days. <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701398.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701399.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701400.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701401.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701402.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701403.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701404.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701405.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701406.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701407.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701408.jpg" alt="Upload">

great shots!!

WOW! what camera/lens are you using? very nice!!!

nice shots randy!!!

Awesome Randy!! Wish I was there.

Thanks Eric. <BR> <BR>Michaelspsp, Canon 40D, 70-200 f4 L. <BR> <BR>Missed you Robyn. <BR> <BR>Few more: <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701582.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701583.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701584.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701585.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701586.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701587.jpg" alt="Upload">

Great shots!! <BR> <BR>Looks like the tower of a 2.0 System in the background of one of the first shots.

thanks Randy. i bought a canon d20 when it came out. do i use it? of course not!going to knoxville the end of the month. maybe ill bring it... <BR>anyhow you take great pics!

SICK SHOTS RANDY!!! Dude I got a grip of house stickers ready to mail you today!

Randy What are you feeding Alex? I thought he looked fit in the Norcal Pics. He looks like he is in great shape and ready to rip the pro's. <BR> <BR>Do you heave more shots of Alex and his run?

How come no one knows how to grab the board right? Almost every grab in those photos is a boot grab or just out side of the boots. People wonder why other board action sports athletes laugh, and this is why!

I do not think this is just a boot grab.<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/uhoh.gif" border=0>vv <BR> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/701971.jpg" alt="Upload">

What is a "boot grab"?

It's what all the other "boardsport" purests call grabs on a wakeboard due to their lack of self confidence

A-dub, check his profile, one post wonder.

@ "mr truth": see Rusty's grab. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by denverd1 on June 01, 2009)

Randy, <BR> <BR>How was the crowd this weekend compared to years past?

he means that the grabs are not between the boots, in a slob, tindy or tailfish kind of grab. Mr. truth all you have to do is watch randall harris ride and you will see nothing but legit grabs. When will people stop doing nuclear grabs they are ridiculous. Rusty should have done a legit method rather than a nuclear glide and it would have been way more stylish. Believe me rusty is a beast but I am just tired of seeing nuclear grabs. If you watch Lyman, Benny G, Randall, Watson among others who are always stylish you will never see them throw in a nuclear grab. <BR> <BR> <BR>(Message edited by jsweat on June 01, 2009)

Eric the crowds were great both Saturday &amp; Sunday, larger then the past two years I think. Weather was fantastic, riding level was the best I've seen, good time. The retail booths were down sized I thought, you should have come out.

I happen to think nuke grabs are very stylish. Why are they ridiculous? They are a more difficult grab also. <BR> <BR>There were more people there this year yet I personally know more than 7 people I ride with that live close that did not even think about coming. Wakeboarding is just not a pure spectator sport. Most of the great tricks are so far down the course it makes them difficult to see, especially for the average person who does not know much about the sport. It would be nice to see a Jumbotron setup to show runs and replays of runs. Should be a must for this sport where the action is so far away.

exactly why i didnt go for more than 30 mins gene. i went last year and stayed for a bit but got bored due to the slowness and not being able to see most of a run. this year was the same so i left, dont think ill go back next year...just to hard to watch in texas heat!

Agreed KDuff, I didnt even bother going this year because of that. I love wakeboarding but can't stand to watch the events. I have been going the last 5 years but skipped out this year and went riding instead.

I think lymans nuke nose tantrum is badass<img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" border=0>

Couple more "not legit" grabs <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/wink.gif" border=0> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/702436.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/702437.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/702438.jpg" alt="Upload">

Randy, nice pics, you have really developed an eye for good timing and focus. <BR> <BR>Any chance you got a pic of Phil on the podium?

George, I din't shoot any podium shots at all, sorry. I do have a couple of riding shots of Phil from the Simi that I will send to you. Congrats to Phil he rode good all weekend.

maybe im too old. i dont understand what this grab BS is about. it all looks good to me! and randy, once again, great pics!

Randy- nice shots. Your timing is great. I know how much riders hate it when the shot misses the grab but yours are nice. I really don't know much about the grab debate but I think doing any trick with having to hang on to a handle would increase the difficulty level. And these grabs look pretty legit to me. Are you going to Wisconsin?

Thanks David, Alex is, not sure if I can swing it, still working on it, you?

There is two different meanings of legit that everyone is using. Yes a full grab is more legit than a slap type of grab. But if you talk to any snowboarder a legit grab is also in between the boots (whether it be on the toe or heelside of the board) or on the nose or tail. I personally just don't like the look of nuclear grabs especially if you could just do a tweaked out method. Which if you ask anyone a well done method is way more stylish than a nuke grab or glide

I don't care what the snowboarders think about how Wakeboarders grab, it's wakeboarding!! My son rides on the PWT and is also a snowboard instructor in the winter and rides with a lot of Pro snowboarders and they don't dish on him about it. My 2 cents.

Randy. I think you take some womens pics and podium pics and you save dave alot of time...... I still got yer sixpack. <BR> <BR>(Message edited by supradoug on June 02, 2009)

Heres one just for you Doug <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/wink.gif" border=0> Tell Ryan were thinking of him and good luck at the doctor tomorrow. Shoot me an e-mail and let me know how it went. <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/702782.jpg" alt="Upload">

Randy- Yes I am going. First one in a while. I have some business in Chi Town I can mix into it. Alex is a snowboard instructor? Now that is nice-waking it in the summer and snowboard in the winter. <BR> <BR>Doug- What did Ryan do to his shoulder and how serious is it?

David, Ryan dislocated his hip in Texas, same injury that knocked him out last year. <BR> <BR>Yep, living the dream, teaching wake in the summer and snow in the winter. The Mt. is only 25 minutes from his college. Hope I can get to WI. I like that site.

randy I wasn't saying that snowboarders were dishing on the way some people grab their board I was just saying what a legit grab to them is. Just watch randall ride and every grab the kid does is a legit grab. Like he said he wants people who have never seen wakeboarding to watch him and be like damn that looked good. I feel that that is the attitude that a lot of pros need to have. in turn it will gain our sport more recognition within the other action sports which in turn could bring more income and opportunities to pro wakeboarders and the companies that sponsor them. I just want to see this sport get as big as the other action sports, and the best way to do that is to make it look good. So if you are going to grab the board try and poke it or tweak it out a little bit and add some more style rather than just trying to get a few more points to your pro tour run. <BR> <BR>If you look at snowboarding they have pros that just do rail jams and make a hell of a living. they also have pros that just make videos and make plenty of money. Then they have the pros that do just pipe or slope style or even both contests that make a killing whether or not they make the podium. Look at their prize money at some of the events and it is ridiculous. Some rail jams the first prize can be 10 to 20 gs, wouldn't you like to see those kinds of cash prizes for a rail jam for wakeboarding. I know that the 25gs that can be had at brostock is a hell of a lot and the most that one event may put up but it also is an invitational so the unrecognized guy wont even really have a shot at winning that. I am just ready to see our sport get the recognition that it deserves and to stop being thought of as a bunch of rich kids that can do acrobatics.

As I mentioned in the other thread, great work Randy. <BR> <BR>I don't want to get into the grab discussion but I do agree with Jeremy, if we were talking snowboarding every kid on the tour, in the mags/vids and riding local events successfully would be making a nice little living right now from their sport.

how many snowboarders are there compared to wakeboarders? anyone know?

its not about how many snowboarders there are compared to how many wakeboarders there are. Snowboarding has been around a lot longer so of course it has more participants. What I am trying to say is that if pro wakeboarders made it their job to make things look good every time. Rather than just doing it to get a higher score, because the judges judge that particular way, it would open up the possibilities for more positive recognition from companies that sponsor other action sports to sponsor or throw more money at our sport if they already sponsor it. Plus it could help bring in athletes from snowboarding or skating that would be like "now this is sick its not all acrobatic like it used to be it has steeze." If and when this happens you will see our sport blow up and there would be a lot more revenue thrown around to make a nice living, like snowboarders or skaters.

in 2008 and there were more than 5.1 million snowboarders. i cant find any info on wakeboarders but i bet its closer to 250k if that. with those numbers, snowboarding will always pay more i dont care who or where you grab. its simple business....

Finally some common sense.

Wakeboarding will explode when there are several hundred cable parks around the country that make it affordable for masses of people. There is just not enough market for sponsors to go after when you limit to people who can afford a wakeboard boat and thousands of $/year in gas.

Majority of people who control the money at sponsor companies have know idea of the difference between heel and toe side, regular or switch, flip, spin, slob, mellan, nuclear, whatever grabs. They only care about market potential to reach customers.

yes I do agree that the cable parks will definitely help this sport blow up a lot. But as far as getting companies that deal with other action sports and continue to push us aside cable parks won't have any effect on them. We have to make things look good in order to catch their eye is all I am saying. Obviously some of you just don't understand what I am trying to say. Go to this address <a href="http://www.rockstar69.com/athlete.php?ath=89" target="_blank">http://www.rockstar69.com/athlete.php?ath=89</a> and watch his profile video and just listen to what he says about making his riding look like art. Now after that, go and watch a snowboarding video and they all make their riding look like art. If the riding starts to look good and not all flailed out acrobatic maneuvers then it will gain respect and draw attention from some people that otherwise would never even think about trying it no matter how accessible it is to them. Don't get me wrong I love wakeboarding and will continue to ride until I no longer am able to. I honestly just want to see our sport gain more recognition and provide more of a financial opportunity for people to make a living, rather than the small number of pros now that make a living off of their riding alone. So gene don't sit here and act like I do not have any common sense. There are reasons why companies that deal with skating, snowboarding and surfing that are not involved in our sport, and I would like to see that change and these are just my thoughts on how to help push us in the right direction. If you look at a lot of the newer kids that come from a snowboard background i.e. kids like the derome brothers, henshaw, jo ferguson, didier godbout, dustin o ferrall, yan tibo among other canadian transplants just watch their rail prowess and the way they poke grabs and just float their spins and it just looks clean and smooth. This is the public professional image I feel our sport needs to put out. I feel that this year a lot of pros have started to realize this and have started to slow things down a bit grab longer, poke harder, starting to do more wrapped tricks which allow for more unique and longer grabs. If things continue like this tricks will be more appealing to the eye and attract more attention from other action sports in-turn more corporate backing which could also help open more cable parks and who knows help with boat prices.

if this is all because of that pick of rusty, i actually think that grab loox sick. probably my fave pick in this thread. super styly in my opinion.

Jeremy is right only if more people would look at it like that. <BR>Randy, come on with the hooting of your sons horn, not yours. The hole thing is just over how it would be nice to see more legit grabs all around in contest and in free riding.

thank you very much mike I am glad somebody has more of an open mind and looks at the big picture. you have to look at our sport how the outsiders see it. of course us that wakeboard don't care but we should in order to get the more respect among the other board sports.

the reason that I personally dont like the nuke grab and probably why most snowboarders dont like it is because it looks very similar to the iron cross grab. people used to pull this grab back in the late 80s early 90s and as you can see when style and steeze came to the table that grab got phazed out. the only difference with the nuke and iron cross is that wakeboarders cant grab the board with both hands so your front hand is still on the handle. I wish a snowboarder would come one here and shed some light why we dont get enough respect and are looked at like the red-headed step-child of board sports. I bet you that they would agree with me.

shane but is it more stylie than a well done method? In my opinion the most stylish and best looking trick is a well done method. Which is a trick that not everyone can do properly.

FYI, boardsport respect is in linear reverse and has nothing to do with how you grab. Its about taking a talent and figuring out a way to do it easier. Surfing came first. Skateboarders mimmiced the fluid movement. Surfers thought skaters were kooks because they werent on the water. Snowboarding mimmiced skateboarding. Skaters thought snowboarders were kooks because they were attached to the board. Wakeboarding mimmiced snowboarding. Snowboarders thought they were kooks because they were being pulled by a boat and had a handle. Kiteboarder mimmiced wakeboarders. Wakeboarders think they are kooks because of how easy it is to dangle tricks. <BR> <BR>So, if being respected by someone else is sooo important, just go to the sport behind yours and take in all the worship you want.

I agree, this is wakeboarding. Not snowboarding or anything else. <BR> <BR>I disagree that by changing the way we ride, we can gain acceptance from other sports, and this will help the sport grow faster. BS. <BR> <BR>I'm glad we do our own grabs, as a different sport, and as individuals. And I'm glad new grabs were introduced just like new tricks are constantly introduced. I personally don't want to see everyone do the same "in between the legs grabs." That would be weak! <BR> <BR>Nuke on!

Preach it man! Preach it! lol

i tell people everyday i wakeboard. and everyday, everyone of those people say....oh,what's that? ... thats been happening for 4 years....when my friends who snowboard tell people that they snowboard, everyone knows what that is. never does anyone say...what's that? to them. im sure its different in orlando but in the rest of the country.....so no one cares who or where they grab because the majority of people dont even know wakeboarding exists. when i gave my daughter a wakeboard at her communion, everyone was like...what is that???

Thats great every one gets to share there opinion. Main point is that it rare but sometimes does look good to grab outside of the legit grab areas, but for in contest at a pro level event more of those shots should be right. <BR>And no one is saying any sport is better then wakeboarding, but it would be nice for wakeboarding to get the recognition like one of the bigger board sports sometime.

Mike I am glad you and I are on the same page

how many pros and joes go out there, ride and think, "i'm riding to gain the respect of other boardsports." <BR> <BR>just stfu and ride. who gives a flying eff about what other boardsports say? i don't. they don't pay my bills, my gear or my gas. so eff 'em.

jeff weatherals nukelear tantrum to blind are sick as.

please stay in school. thanks.

I guess I will never state my opinion in here anymore. I personally just dont like the look of nuke grabs. I was just describing what mike said was a boot grab. Then I guess I got off tangent and said stuff that nobody other than mike agrees with so I will just keep my opinion to myself.

Jeff Weatheralls Nuke TS BS 180 is also sick. <BR> <BR>Jeremy, I think it's fine for you to state your opinion. I have met people that share your feelings on the grab thing. But the next generation of riders doesn't seem to share your views like the old school guys do.

I know a few new school guys that grab how I have been talking about. Most of them come from a snowboarding background. Then there is vandall and he is in a whole nother class when it comes to making everything look sick. If there is ever any of my friends who have never seen wakeboarding before and want to know how it should be done I show them either his section in natural born thrillers or in transgression. He does every grab the way it is supposed to be done and make everything look so sick.

The thread is titled "PWT Pics" so let's see some more pics Randy. I know you have a bunch. <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/kiss.gif" border=0>

David- Here's a couple of Austin <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/703421.jpg" alt="Upload"> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/703422.jpg" alt="Upload">

Nice Randy!

that helmet is something else.

What would respect from other boardsports look/be like anyway? <BR> <BR>Are they going to start writing articles in their respective magazines like: "Our respectable brothers, the wakeboarders"? <BR> <BR>And then would the artcile say something like this: "Wakeboarders used to do nuclear grabs. Us snowboarders didn't think they were legit. Now wakeboarders only do legit grabs so now we like them and want them to know that we bestow coolness on them." ? <BR> <BR>I could care less whether anyone thinks I'm cool because I wakeboard.

Hahahaha not the grab discussion again. <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/rofl.gif" border=0> <BR>Nice pics Randy, the riding was so sick at the first stop, looks to be a great year.

The helmet makes him go faster <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/proud.gif" border=0>

David, do you know when finals videos are going to be posted. Wanted to see how AA beat Ollie to the podium.

Chris- I know Austin stayed in TX for a couple days at TSR but I think he has sent them to Dave.