Rathy dropped???
 

Did rathy get dropped by byerly? His pro model appears to be no more or at least renamed, and he does not appear on the hyperlite web site. It still shocks me when riders of that level get dropped.

It is interesting that the Byerly line is drastically reduced this year to a cable board, a boat board, and a boot. There's also no longer any wakeskates between Byerly or Hyperlite which makes me wonder about their skate riders as well.

Byerly not making a skate.... what's going on?

whoa good catch!

Damn. Byerlyboards.com takes you to Hyperlite's website. Byerly is listed as part of the team along with Brenton Priestly and Cody Hesse. Byerly's profile shows him with a wakeboard; Grubb is shown wakesurfing. No skates listed on their product page.

Seems weird, but makes total sense if you think about it. How many wakeskates do you think Hyperlite was really selling? Most of the mega-brand wakeskate market was base model boards (foam grip) that pro shops sold as an accessory "to have one in the boat". That market is all but gone, everyone just wakesurfs now.

Serious wakeskaters have always supported the smaller, skate only focused brands, so once the already small recreational wakeskate market was gone, why would you continue to market one?

Back on Rathy though, it seems weird that he doesn't have a pro-model. I mean I get if you're gonna scale back the Byerly brand give him a Hyperlite pro model. I mean how does Noah Flegel have a pro-board and Rathy does not? Not to take away from Noah's riding cause he's sick, but Rathy is a legend. I'm thinking they are banking on some kind of wakesurf crossover appeal "oh you're buying Noah's wakesurfer? well hey for that 10% of the time you might ever wakeboard you'll need his pro model wakeboard too" Is there a Noah Pro Wakesurf binding strap coming soon?

I don't think it's just Hype though, it seems everyone scaled back their offering for 2018, fewer board models, fewer boot models, much higher percentage of cable boards. For example, Slingshot has only 2 boards in what they call the "boat" category and 2 in the "crossover" category. The rest are all park boards.

Wonder if it's an indication of wakeboarding slowing down, boat riding at least... the market for cable products seems to be going strong.

It does seem true across the board. Look at Connelly for example. They didn't make any board changes and half the boards they didn't even bother with new graphics. One of which was a signature board for a guy that they no longer support. Maybe there are enough small brands right now taking a bit of the market up that the big brands are feeling it.

Hmmmmmm lets see. New boats 80 to 150k. Wakeboards and boots almost hitting the 1k for a set up. Cable $25 to $30 for two hours. Ya think its slowing down???

I got a basically brand new code 22 and Watson both with bindings for sale way cheaper then a G

Idk how there's not more outrage on this forum about boat prices. the fewer people that can afford to do this the fewer people who'll be able to make a living off it.

I hope Rathy hasn't been dropped. Dude deserves to be set for life
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/245G-W3ic3M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Set for life for hucking a ugly off axis spinny thing? Ya....I disagree.

is the 78 at the end of your username to signify you were born in '78? someone so ancient should recognize what an achievement any 3-variant 1080 in 2009 was for wakeboarding, let alone backside, grabbed or wrapped. In 2006 Harf had just landed the first legit FS10 since the one Parks did in '99, and hardly anyone was doing them in the years between. Harley's banger at the end of his part for the 2011 film Momentum was a regular w2w BS10. Not here to debate Rathy's legacy.


Think before you speak
Or at least pretend to know something before you post

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/72566052" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/72566052">Aaron Rathy - The Tribute</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/wandermanmedia">WanderMan Media</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

We hope Rathy wasn't dropped, he's had a bigger impact than most people probably realize. His "basic" tricks have so much style they're just as impressive as the hammers he can throw... and he can throw a lot! It's all speculation since none of us know for sure but he could be restructuring his deal with Hyperlite or maybe going the Steel Lafferty route and taking a break from a board sponsor for a bit. He's still sponsored by Mastercraft and was heavily used in their teaser video for the new Xstar so I don't think he'll be going anywhere for a long time, and rightfully so. You definitely don't have to be old to be a legend, and in my book, Rathy is reaching legend status very quickly.

As far as why Byerly's line is trimmed down and there are no 2018 wakeskates... who knows. A change that big, I would imagine, would be due to money. As someone mentioned above there have been a lot of startup wakeskate companies show up over the past few years and maybe Hyperlite is okay with bowing out of that market to focus more on something like wakesurfing for a while. I know they're selling a new line of Varial wakesurfers which all start at over $1,000, so maybe they needed to reallocate money from their wakeskate division to fund that venture. Again, that's all complete speculation, but it makes sense from a timeline perspective considering how the Varial line came out around(ish) the time it seems they stopped offering wakeskates. We hope it works out for everyone involved.

I’ve been saying this for ages now-boat riding is dead. Cable is king. Wakeboarding is declining like snowboarding and that has done wonders for core snowboarders.

I hope it will do the same for core wakeboarders.

Really?? You can look back at water skis history. Where cable (invented for water skis) was before wakeboarding appeared? In the same place where were ski boats manufacturers - near cemetery. And will be again also - millennials generation is in VR. I saw on web cams in Germany with most advanced amount of Rixen cables 10 years ago a lines of riders at 9:00AM (open time) weekdays but now literally all parks start operate after noon at summer time!
And one more - you can't surf on cable, man ;)

Having been to Expo this year I can confirm that Rathy is no longer sponsored by Hyperlite/Byerly. I noticed that Jimmy Lariche no longer has his name on a board either. On one hand I agree that what Rathy has done on a board is legendary, but on the other I can see where the company is coming from. I'm sure that sponsoring Rathy was not cheap, and in all honesty, besides his Xgames parts he hasn't done anything to help promote his sponsors. He spends more time filming these days than wakeboarding, which is fine if you are not a professional wakeboarder. I wish him the best and hope he is able to continue riding and staying in the industry, but it is nice to see companies finally taking a stand against pro wakeboarders that don't wakeboard or do anything to help the industry grow. Same with Jimmy. He's done amazing things on his board, but I honestly can't think of anything he's done in the last 5 years that actually helped bring awareness to wakeboarding or his sponsors

@vinny lol ancient! Ole boy should be set for life for preforming a gymnastic huck off axis ugly twirl with fruit boots on! PAY THAT MAN...4 LIFE! But I'm the 1 saying stupid ****. Cmon man.

@red dog
If you can't respect professional wakeboarding you have no business on this forum. Guys like rathy helped build this industry

Agreed, especially with the whole Jimmy thing, but don't necessarily agree with some of the riders they brought on.

A lot of riders need to be let go that have been hanging on forever. I know they have done a lot for the industry in the past, but if they cannot continue to push for the brands they ride for, they need to be let go.

There are a lot of riders out there busting their balls that will never have the chance to be anything, because brands held on to past riders for so long.

Look at Liquid Force for example, Shane, Watson, Henshaw, Melissa, Alexa, Fooshee. There are 14-15 year old kids out performing these riders while they are all still sitting up there on an international team.

The list goes on forever with most of the brands. IMO they all should sit down and look who is promoting their brand most and re-arange their budgets. It would not only be better for the brands, but would be better for wakeboarding as a whole.

I apologize if I hijacked this thread in the wrong direction.

If I had a wake company I would sign him so quick! Hopefully there is a company out there that picks him up.

This is interesting.....I wonder what it costs to sponsor some of these OG's or any rider riding at a top level.

You have some OG's that are still getting their names on boards some of them have become a brand themselves, some have moved on to other focuses like shooting video and what not. But to see some really core guys (Rathy, Jimmy, Steel) ride with no board sponsor seems insane! I find it hard to believe that their names are not selling product.

A while back on The Golden Mic Podcast, Steel said he had offers from board companies but nothing was quite what he was looking for. I'm sure Rathy has probably received offers as well and is probably being cautious not to jump on something unless it's exactly what he wants.

"Look at Liquid Force for example, Shane, Watson, Henshaw, Melissa, Alexa, Fooshee. There are 14-15 year old kids out performing these riders while they are all still sitting up there on an international team."

I hear ya....but I also respect a company that doesn't just drop riders the minute they are no longer competitive and pushing the sport. Watson and Shane are guys that helped shape the sport. I think they deserve to stay on the payroll for a while. Hopefully this gave them time to figure out their next move.

On the flip slide, a lot of these guys could be doing more with photos, social media, and videos to keep pushing once their riding becomes outdated. There are many ways to pull your weight. Trever Maur has never been a pro tour rider, but has a pro model and a boat sponsor. He did it with innovation in his riding and making his own style, and by going hard at the video side of the business. He's driving sales.

come on dude.....that was dope.

Thats why I didn't put Trever Maur in that list.

Trever Maur, JB ONeill, Steffen Vollert and guys like this are pulling more weight than almost anyone else in the wake industry. They are putting out massive amounts of video content promoting the board brands they ride for. I would really hope that the brands see this. I find it much more valuable than a contest win any day of the week. I do not think any of the riders listed above riding is outdated FYI.

Although Rathy is creating content, most all of it revolves around Rockstar, which makes sense as a brand of that caliber is likely putting a lot more dollars in his pocket.

None of us can really know what the brands are doing, it is always fun to speculate though.

Rather is a dick. He is very full of himself and thinks he is owed something. He used to be one of my favorite riders but then I saw his personality. Also he never wears a vest, I am glad he got dropped. Kids look up to him and think it’s cool not to wear a vest.

I guess I'm pretty surprised rathy got dropped. He just placed in xgames real wake. Funny it reminds me of when tige dropped him right around the time he got ROTY. What else to you want from this man?? It's a shame, I think the Instagram instant gratification culture is robbing us of real substance. Here you have a well developed all around rider with style and everyone acts like just because hes not trending he should be dropped like a hot potato for the next kid trying triples or the first kid to hydrofoil wakesurf with a fidget spinner. So what if hes working on filming and riding at the same time.

You can be the best rider in the world, but if people aren't constantly seeing it, the people signing your checks don't care. All of the top riders post pictures and video clips daily, put out 1-3 short videos a year, and star in a major video every 1-2 years. That's what sells.

I want to say the Tige thing was very near his knee surgery. Or maybe that was his MB days.

Funny how some people forget that, at the end of the day, these are businesses in a niche industry, fighting for every dollar in the bank. The thought that Rathy should be set for life is extremely optimistic. He has definitely contributed to the progression of the sport, but has probably had minimal financial impact on any one company. Same with a lot of the others mentioned here. Crazy contribution to the sport, but trespassing, winching in a mud hole, etc. or only putting out crazy web edits isn't going to get mom to pull out the credit card for junior. Contrast that with Watson, Lariche, Murray. Clean cut, approachable guys, social media full of doing demos, posing for pictures with kids, etc. and now mom is opening up the wallet.

IMO, best bet for guys like Rathy is to follow Wes Jacobsen's example. Keep your long hair and excentric personality and start your own business.

This one was the most shocking for me. Here's a guy that was seriously short changed.

http://www.alliancewake.com/wake/vid...hat-never-was/

I'm not saying I think he should be set for life, I'm just saying that I thought he stays pretty exposed at the top of the sport. I always thought his graphics were sick too. "show me who deserves his place" I'm sure there are some young up and comers but its probably a short list.

I'm just surprised, when I think byerly I think rathy

Based on byerly 2018 product release I wouldn't be suprised if they are phased out in a few years.

Rathy is an amazing athlete and we can debate all we want about "who deserves to be sponsored" but at the end of the day the dollars are finite. The unfortunate reality is that wakeboard sales are down. With less revenue cuts need to be made and to recap some of the points above, there needs to be room for new riders that are sponsor and scene relevant. Companies are forced to make hard decisions.

Any of you guys try selling your used wakeboards? I tried to downsize my collection this year and they were at least 3 pages of ads of people trying to sell boards, I didn't get a single hit on a gently used 2 yr old package for $300.

It was dope. Don't worry about Reddog. He's a self-admitted troll and just likes to hear himself yapping like a Chihuahua. He's not clever (Fruit Boots, a homophobic term over ten years old being his usual go-to when talking about wakeboarding), nor does he have anything intelligent to contribute on any wake related subject. When he actually takes a position, all you have to do is point out the illogic of his comments and he makes the lame excuse of claiming he's just trolling.

As for the thing that actually matters in this thread, Rathy has always had tons of style and massive hammers to boot. I wish him the best in finding a new board sponsor. I have no doubt we'll still see and hear much more from Rathy.

[QUOTE=eternalshadow;1968279]Rathy is an amazing athlete and we can debate all we want about "who deserves to be sponsored" but at the end of the day the dollars are finite. The unfortunate reality is that wakeboard sales are down. With less revenue cuts need to be made and to recap some of the points above, there needs to be room for new riders that are sponsor and scene relevant. Companies are forced to make hard decisions.

Unfortunately I feel that this is what it comes down to. As wakesurfing gains popularity, it is often at wakeboardings expense. Most the boat manufacturers barely even market wakeboarding anymore compared to surfing. A lot of people I talk to, it seems that they have an entry level wakeboard package in the boat in case someone wants to try it but they really just surf. It's also the reality that often times the new up and comers are willing to sign for substantially less money than the seasoned vets are, yet with social media avenues often produce just as much brand exposure. I hope things work out well for Rathy and Lariche but the reality of the sport is that there is a limited amount of time that you can simply be so good at riding that you get paid to do it. Eventually you either move on or get into a position within the industry.

I have been involved in signing and setting up many pros over the years to boat and wakeboard companies. There are not hundreds of thousands of dollars to go around. In the older days, if you got a boat, your were at the top. That did not include money. Today's athlete will get money and the product, but now they are required to do X appearances, X boat shows, X amount of social media and it is spelled out. I can tell you that the bulk of professional wakeboarders are lazy and refuse to comply to the corporate requirements. That is why guys like Murray and Zane are still around - they are great athletes, but even better ambassadors. I am a 6'3 300 wakeboards that got free boats for almost two decades. That was never because of my skill set! It was strictly because I could sell boats and built a following on the West Coast. I went to every sale, every boat show, and spent countless hours promoting the brands that I represented. While it upset riders that were significantly better than me, they could not out work me or out sell me. At the end of the day it simply comes down to the all mighty dollar and who can sell! There are some amazing wakeboarding happening now, but does that make them good salesman? Probably not.

Wakesurfing does not take the same level of salesmanship. These surf boats are selling themselves with no pros to pay. Heck most people I know that wake surf, have no idea that it a sport or what the pros are doing.

We watched wake videos to see what the pros are doing and aspire to it. The first decade I rode, I lived and breathed those videos. Watched them thousands of times for instruction and inspiration. I will never be dong that for surf.

Is it a millennial thing? They are all so focused on themselves and instant gratification! The goal of a sponsorship is to have a partner out there repping your brand, I am not sure those two things match.

I am currently promoting my BBQ "business" and in less than a month have 3500 IG followers, free sauce and rubs to co-promote and know a knife company. I can sell and companies need people out there pushing their products. No difference in the boating world.

Well said Jason. That's where the rubber meets the road. At the end of the day its all about getting people into the sport and hopefully getting them to purchase the product you rep.

Another rider
 

I know this is a bit off the main topic, but talking about the OG guys, was there ever any more info about phil soven. I followed the thread on here but it only had about three responses. Did he just get tired of the lifestyle/sport? Anyone have any info would be cool. Bummer to hear about Jimmy lariche. He is one of my favorite riders, but haven't seen much from him in a few years.

Sort of back on topic... Do you find that there are too many boards on the market? I have felt for the last few years some of the manufacturers have so many different models, and update them so frequently that they probably aren't selling great numbers across the spectrum. Back in 'the good old days' I could name all the decks in the LF/Hyperlight/CWB lineup. It's a nice idea for every pro to have a signature deck but do they sell enough to warrant so many? Or is this why we are seeing Pro's dropped left right and centre? Are we going to see a return to a reduced lineup?Thought?

ooooooooooo

I kinda got the sense that was happening, since byerly boards was just a "signature line" on the hyperlite website.

They've always been a Hyperlite off-shoot,

Interesting thread. As a long time Byerly fan and supporter, I was extremely disappointed to see the Byerly line look like it's going to be discontinued.

People in here are saying Rathy deserves so much, but when I read this I can only think that it is Scott that truly deserves to be set for life. To see his company disappear out from under him is heartbreaking for me.

I can't think of anyone who is more innovative, more of a pioneer, or more of a contributor to Wakeboarding than Byerly. He has always been cutting edge and leading the front in the quest to keep Water Boardsports fun and fresh.

On the flip side, I am curious to see if Byerly is going to remain as a team rider for Hyperlite, and what his pro model will be like if he has one.

Just out of curiosity, can you point to 3 specific things that Scott has done in the past 5 years to push wakeboard and "lead the quest", as you put it?

I don't deny that he was that person, maybe 10 years ago. He's not that person anymore, from what I can see.

I think the same can be said for Rathy. Byerly has meant way more to the sport than Rathy. He is a great rider, but its not like he has changed the game or done anything that other haven't.

Byerly, Murray, Parks, and etc. were the pioneers of the sport and made wakeboarding what it became.

Out of curiosity, can you name any person at all that has done three things in the past five years that could be considered "pioneering" for our sport?

I can't comment on his personality, but I agree that he should be a role model and ride with a vest. Corey Kraut died for doing the same thing, and he was pro level. I swore to never ride without a vest again after that day.

https://vimeo.com/90244364

After reading this whole thread, bottom line is wakeboarding doesn't bring in the money like it did.

Unless your on the podium every event or your making youtube videos every month promoting your sponsorships your probably under the microscope and are at risk of getting dropped.

Boat companies are TRYING to sell boats for 150K. If they think your not contributing to that goal then your gone. Shoot, budget boats are creeping up to 100K now. Affordable pricing makes me laugh.

Rathy is an awesome wakeboarder that I have enjoyed watching over the years. I hope only the best for him.

Agreed. Every company needs one or two top tier riders just so that they can say that records/accomplishments have happened behind one of their boats. The rest of the team is unknown to anyone that's not in the industry, and with the price of boats, the people that are buying are not core wakeboarders.

Murray!

1- countless social media posts pushing wakeboarding

2- still travels for demos and events

3- coaches wakeboarding

Honestly, the only pioneers in this sport in the past 5 years have been delta force, Quinn Silvernale &the coalition, and shredtown.

Shredtown is kind of falling off the spectrum now but these groups are the only places I have seen much of anything “pioneering”.

Boat riding and wakeskatong are basically tapped out these days.


Actually now that I really think about it, Quinn is THE most influential person in wake right now. And he gets almost no recognition for it.

Quinn if you’re reading this: cheers! Keep on pushing

Quinn is rocking it. If you haven't been to Valdosta, you're really missing out on a rad time.

Lol what? 90 percent of people never heard of these guys and how do they help sell boats?

+1

None of which is pioneering. Byerly does all those things, plus was building a brand and a team, etc. Not to take away from Murray: He is an OG beast and still one of my faves. It isn't about a pissing match, all I am saying is that Byerly has done more for the sport than almost any other rider and deserves to be set for life.

All that being said, I spoke with Greg Nelson yesterday and he confirmed that they were reducing the Byerly line and that Byerly would always be part of the family with Hyperlite.

So I bought a new board, a 2014 Byerly Monarch 52" (132cm) because I'm kind of a collector and it was a super good price from The House.

You dont know much about business man just because you did something in the past doesnt mean you can just sit at home now and say im set for life thats not how it works if your not doing things in the present thats promoting and selling boats your gonna get tossed aside hate to break it to you but thats how it works. If your winning every stop and promoting the brand your set once you start losing all the stops and tours and your not on the podium you get tossed aside.

Shaun Murray is the OG hes gonna be promoting, giving lessons, endorsing the boat on social media for a long time thats why hes set till retirement. Plus hes involved with nautique making vids
on new boats etc.

Byerly has been out of the wakeboarding scene for a while now. You occasionally see a video pop up on youtube. thats about it.

You haven’t heard of them because you’re still wearing your extra long neon Fox boardshorts and have not left 2007. Put the monster down for a minute and relax.

And no wakeboarders help sell any boats to anyone anymore lololol.

LMAO taking a jab at me since Shaun is sponsered by fox haha i see you.

Well, a sport doesn't always need pioneering. It needs ACTIVE involvement, in some shape or form.

Shawn is awesome for our sport. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Quinn and Wesley Mark Jacobsen are awesome for our sport.

Two totally different sides of the sport, doing different things. Either way, they both keep people interested and motivated to ride their wakeboard. That's what it's all about.

If all of our idols spam our Instagrams with wakesurfing (I'm looking at you Scott Byerly) then you can kiss wakeboarding goodbye.

yep 100% agree.

David O'Caoimh imo is doing more than pretty much anyone for the sport these days. Pumping out great videos all the time to a huge audience, and keeping it super accessible. Super down to earth, not about being the coolest, and doing amazing tricks behind anything really; skiboats, PWC's... riding whatever is available and having tons of fun while doing it, and managing to transmit that to the viewers.
Crazy good rider too.
Respect.

Right on my thoughts exactly on David hes a real one.

I follow David O'Caoimh on Youtube. Centurion boats were smart on sponsoring him. I wish he was sponsored by Supra so I could see more footage shot behind a Supra.

I agree with the above statement that he is pumping out a lot of videos and reaching a huge audiences with boat riding, cable or even just silly stuff on a wakeboard.
I also follow The Wake Dude too. He has some boat reviews, wakeboarding and does a lot of go pro stuff.