top 5 riders ever

whose the top 5 riders ever?

murray
byerly
harf
shapiro
parks

the list is actually longer, but these names will come up in lists often.

ben greenwood makes all his tricks look easy and stylish(I know he's not top five but him and lyman are my favorites to watch)the only thing i dont like about B G is his redsox hat....haha

Hard to argue with Joe's list as they all have cross-over video/contest/magazine love, though I think Randy/Vandall/Randall Harris deserves mention as Top 6th Man. They are all well-rounded "riders." Harris could be the most-talented wake-rider we'll ever see.

My personal list would also include Collin Wright for showing that you can grab and spin, not just slap and spin.

no offense to you, bch, nor to harris, but what makes him the "most talented wake rider we'll ever see?" let's break it down a bit. how many mobes does he have? how many different versions of 7s and 9s does he have?

now, don't get me wrong. harris is one of my favorite riders. he has a lot of style and just goes super big.

Mark Kenney
Without a doubt.

harf
parks
shane bonifay
shapiro
byerly

i wish it was top 10 riders instead of the top 5. too many good riders to choose from

I don't think that the guy with the most mobes, and 9's makes him the better rider. Randall should be in the top 5....PERIOD!

Besides, I'm willing to bet that he has just about every mobe in the book under his belt.

I second Mark Kenney. Bates, good to see that your alive and kicking.

most of the guys on my list can do what harris can do, granted harris goes bigger than most. they also do the grabs that he does. so what makes harris the better rider?

again, i'm not disrespecting harris. the guy's riding is sick and is in my top 10.

and Umali is the first post again



Sorry, I had too... carry on

wakeboarding is about more than technicality IMO. If you're looking just at technical riding ability, I doubt Byerly would be in the top 5 anymore(don't think I've ever seen him land a 9). There are probably a ton of riders out there nowadays that have more technical ability.

However he would without out a doubt be in my top 5, so would the Vandall. I don't care how many mobes either one has...doesn't matter.

Joe, if you're talking just technical trick skills, doesn't Froggy belong on the list?

(Message edited by sperbet on January 12, 2008)

Murray
harf
shapiro
parks
byerly
Rusty
vandall
Mark Kenney
Phillip Soven
Shane
Lyman
Andrew

I think each has added their own touch to something in wakeboarding!

scott, let me explain my list for best rider ever. (please note the key word in there; "ever")

these guys all have 1 common denominator; they helped to shape the sport into what it is today. notice, i didn't say that it was just these 5 riders. like i said above, the list is probably longer.


murray - he's the perfect definition for a number of things; style, ambassador for the sport, and fun

byerly - he may not have ever landed a 9, but he's the inventor of many tricks, the godfather of wake

harf - the 2nd coming of murray; style, technical and has a lot of fun

shapiro - no bigger competitor in wake, very technical, goes bigger switch than most riding regular

parks - relentless, sick behind the boat and on the rails



you guys say that having technical tricks isn't necessary for being the best wake rider ever. so what is it? let's say for argument's sake that we all leveled the playing field and said that all the riders mentioned above all had the same tricks...nothing more, nothing less. what puts harris on the top of the list?

Murray, for sure one of the baddest riders out there, period. Coming off the knee injury in 04, steppin back up and kickin it, you've gotta respect him for that, plus he's a super cool dude!

Byerly, the man's a legend. Hung out with him today at the boat show, and he is by far one of the nicest guys out there, not much more to say, but he's an originator, another unarguable top.

Shapiro, more of the same, been around forever, still slams it, much respect! Love watching his old footage behind ski boats, etc., best Shapiro section IMO is updog!!

Randall, His story is as good as his wakeboarding, he's a machine, props for getting out of something he was so good at just to get his life straight, that alone takes balls, but to come back after 771 days of not riding, and to still be one of the top, go big, and have such an influence is amazing!

Rusty's just my favorite rider, I love the aggressive style, the balls out, go big or go home runs he takes make me squeamish. He is fearless, and has a wife and kids, more props!!

I love Soven, Lyman, Henshaw, Parks and Shane, Schwenk, and the others, but when it comes down to it, these guys not only originated the sport, but perfected it, as well as gave it a good name, and thst means alot!!

its so hard to choose but i'm going to have to go with (in no particular order)

shaun murray

phillip soven

keith lyman

dallas friday

parks bonifay

Murray, all the reasons mentioned

Byerly, broke the waterskier mentality and added style to the mix. Pushed the sport hard with new moves and rails. He was at the fore front of the progression. He even helped get wakeskating in the public eye.

Shapiro, contest machine. He made wakeboarding look so easy. So consistant and dominated the contest scene for years.

Parks, again a contest machine. Dominated everything he touched. Him and the pointless posse changed so much and brought wakeboarding to what it is today, they met tech with style and experimented with rails and brought rails to popularity. His intensity seperated him from all others as well.

Harris, he has inspired so many riders to step back from their crazy mobe tricks and get back to the basics and make it look right. His riding made people think about how they could add style to their tricks, not just another 180. Also, no one goes as big as Randall.

I'll go with:

Parks - inventor of various double flips, changed the way people attacked sliders and gaps. has two sections in many movies.

Shapiro - Went massive and tech at the same time. Dominated the competitions

Murray - Can do anything, As people have said.. he's the perfect ambassador, he's so great to watch ride.

Kenney - Could throw every trick, loaded the line to perfection, he worked so hard to get where he was.

Harf - Blind pete, 1080... smooth rider.

I dont mean to be barky but i also don't think Randall deserves to be top 5. His trick list is extensive but....
People like Murray have released instructional's and he lands basically every trick possible, randall would have to bring in so many guests.... that's just one way to explain why i don't feel like he should make it top 5.

I understand what your saying Joe, however it kind of contradicts this statement, "let's break it down a bit. how many mobes does he have? how many different versions of 7s and 9s does he have?"

The top 5 on the tour this year probably have more than the guys on your list. You made that statement stating why Harris shouldn't make the list. So it has nothing to do with the amount of 7s, 9's and mobes as you stated earlier? I would put Randy ahead of Harf on any list based on your statement,"they helped to shape the sport into what it is today." Randy has pretty mch been around since wakeboarding's infancy,way before Harf. Nobody else out there rides like him, he has since he was about 12 and continues to "shape the sport", IMO.

I think the bottom line is the best 5 ever are whoever YOUR favorite 5 are.

Dave, Randall can most likely do a lot more tricks than you think. There are a ton of tricks that don't fit his style so he won't even touch them. Doesn't mean he CAN'T do them, means he chooses not to. You ever seen him do a Raley? You really think he can't do one just because we've never seen it?

/end rant, sorry

Randall Harris

Randall Harris

Randall Harris

Randall Harris

Randall Harris

people keep putting harf in their list. hes just another stylie guy. yea hes invented a few tricks as of late but, i dont think anything really sets him above randall. randall is the reason you have a mini handle to wrap up with. hes almost the sole reason that westcoast riders have a different style. his whole demeaner is completely different than anyone else out there. like someone said above, harf is just the seccond coming of murray.

I don't see how shane b made a few of these lists, he's a sick rider but in the top 5 EVER? what am I missing?

Wakemitch's list but with Harris as number 1.

murray

lyman

malinoski

greenwood

bonifay (parks)

Murray would definately be on the list. along with harf and shapiro. but since we arent going with who has the most tricks and basing this on "best riders ever"(which imo, would include people who not only rip, but are/were great ambassadors for the sport) wheres dave briscoe?? he certainly has been around since the beginning and was a part of making wakeboarding what it is today. some of the people mentioned above would probably not be where they are today without him. and he has tricks that no one else can do. the wrecking ball for example..
just my .02

Maybe not top 5, but I would include Ike on my list for all he has done for the sport both in Australia and the US. Great ambassador and all around good guy.

I'd go with Joe's list minus Byerly, add Best before his injury.

Chris, i didnt have any order

Also with no disrespect to Randal or any of the other riders, but when i think of legendary riders who "go big!" I cant help to think of GATOR AND RANDAL equally. I am positive many guys knowledge of wake history is better than mine, but it seems Gator deserves more honorable mentions than he gets, not just on this thread but many others also. He started up one of the first rider owned industries and Gator Boards definately holds its own even in todays market.

so with that said I throw his name in with the contenders without any particular #

Go Gator!!

murray
shapiro
gator
byerly
lavell or weddington

Let's face it these guys were landing mobes, bat wings, and speedballs back before skylons, ballast, twin tip boards, and even boots (bungies - shapiro's 1st speed ball was in bungies and on a non- twin tip - directional board). that takes skill .

My list would go

Murray
Parks
Byerly
Shapiro
Harf

thats in no particular order.

My list in order:

Murray- "The House of Style" has been in the sport for so long, and has added so many different tricks, and has been throwin huge tricks for so long. He's been a great ambassador for the sport, and always avoided negative publicity and has passed along alot of his info through his boarding school. He's been dominant in both arenas, freeriding and contests. Met him in person, and while just about all the pro's in this sport that i've met have been real nice guys, murray is really a class act. Murray's the real deal, so as of today, i place him as the number one.

Shapiro- Darin is a contest machine. He's dominated every contest out there. Huge and tech, you cant argue with that. Lots of video sections. Invented so many tricks. Cant argue with that. Darin grabs my number two spot.

Byerly- Scott Byerly as mentioned above, brought a style mentality to the forefront. Lots of video sections, and also pioneered one of the largest growing watersport markets today, wakeskating. Thats pretty impressive in my book. Successfully marketing his own brand of wakeboards as a sublet of Hyperlite. He invented a laundry list of tricks, and anybody whose got the title of "Godfather" has got some serious weight in the sport. Byerly grabs my number three spot.

Parks Bonifay- There is nothing this guy hasn't done. Last time i checked, 5x Tour Champ, Honors at his own Double or Nothing contest, won the Carnival, invented some insane tricks, more video sections that i can imagine, and now a part owner of, arguably, the fastest growing board company in the sport. Met him a few times, really nice guy, always willin to BS with whoever wants to talk. Parks has dominated every aspect of the sport, put his own flare on just about every trick ever, and i'd say, probably capable of doing any trick thats ever been done when he's healthy. Style, Tricks, Contest Resume, Nice guy. Few people have put together the accolades that Parks has. For that reason, he's on my top 5.

Danny Harf- While he may not have as complete a contest resume as the rest above him on this list, he's still been a major player in the sport. Anybody heard of the 1080? He's done it. HS BS 720? Yeah, AND he grabbed it. Correct me if i'm wrong, but the only heelside one? Thought it was. He's won the PT and numerous other contests. His video sections are always fun to watch, mixin up some of the most difficult tricks into his runs with a such a relaxed nature. While it may not have as much promo as other videos, i thought his section in Innuendo was pretty dope. Mixing 9's and 7's together without a bobble. People are catching up with the bags of tricks, but i don't think theres many that can even come close to the ease at which Danny can throw these. Time i met him, he was super chill and cool. I think Danny's has got more to contribute in the years to come. That rounds out my top 5.

There are so many riders that i feel deserve recognition as the top of the sport. Lyman, Benny G, Randall Harris, Shane Bonifay, Rusty, Soven, Kenney (RIP), Zane and no doubt a few more. I think in the next few years Lyman, Soven, and especially Rusty will move into more peoples top 5's as their rap-sheets in the sport continue to grow. Thats just my take on the the top 5 as i see it. Lemme know what you think!

In Danny's part, "the heelside one" refers to the 1080.

What Scott said.

Lyman
Murray
Parks
Harf
Amber Wing

horrel,aubrey,randall,nelson,byerly....who cares about mobes?

Murray
Shapiro
Byerly
Parks
Harris

Murray
Shapiro
Parks
Soven
And the other guy I am thinking about his name scapes me. Geeez its late I should go to bed

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quote:

By grant (kampus96) on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 11:34 pm:

horrel,aubrey,randall,nelson,byerly....who cares about mobes?

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apparently, a lot of riders. 4 of your 5 top riders did/does them.

1.Shapiro
2.Murray
3.Randall
4.Parks
5.Zane

I think these guys have done the most as riders to promote the sport and have industry staying power.

Eric Perez!

In no order.
Shapiro.
Rusty M.
Soven.
Parks.
Harf

Now if you want to say top 5 influential riders then My list would be.
Murray
Shapiro
Randall
Byerly
Horrel


By Ben Axell (hawkeye7708) on Sunday, January 13, 2008 - 6:38 pm:
Scott Byerly "pioneered one of the largest growing watersport markets today, wakeskating."

I think Tomas Horrel would be considered the pioneer of wakeskating as he was the first rider to give up wakeboarding and only wakeskate.

Fairly certain I've seen Aubrey do a crow mobe in person before, so all five of Grant's riders could do them at one time. But, I don't think Nelson has ever done a raley, so he clearly doesn't belong on the list. Watching some of his clips recently, Mark Kenney was pretty amazing too. I bet Randall's list of technical mobes/spins would actually be impressive if compiled...I could probably come up with a pretty good list just based on older videos such as Mayday, My House, and Westside. His parts in NBT and Transgression were two of the best video sections I have ever seen.

1. Parks
2. Watson
3. Shane
4. Murray
5. Friday(for the ladies)

I'd say Watson is the sickest............ I guess you can call it love.

Shapiro did give us the cannon ball.

Speed ball, not cannon ball. And behind a direct drive to boot!

it sucks how theres so many different aspects of wakeboarding
i mean we could talk about style, technicality, going big, contest riding, influence.
the way i think of it, it should be how the riders compare to everyone else of their day.
i think then, the biggest wakeboarders would probably have alot to do with how much influence they had over other people. my list would be
byerly
parks
shapiro
murray
harris
also saying that harris doesnt have alot of tricks? i heard that in transgression he doesnt throw the same trick more then once. you have to have a huge tricklist to do that.

this is a side note because of the horrell mentioning. thomas deserves a world of credit because he took wakeskating to new levels in so many ways. but For some reason, everyone forgets about jason messer. This is the first guy, straight up, to commit to wakeskating on any significant level. He had the first company that was devoted to wakeskate anything (fresh water traction) and he pioneered the wakeskating industry. he did not use the excuse of "people are not ready for the product." He did a lot of work in helping people understand just what it was he was doing on top of a board without bindings. Jason actually had a fairly significant influence on thomas, and that is where thomas then picks up the torch and takes wakeskating where Jason OR ANYONE ELSE simply was not able to. He's truly one of a kind and on his own level.

anyway, I just needed to say that. jason was well ahead of his time in so many ways, but he is incredibly relevant. not too mention the fact that his boards were light years ahead of what anyone would be riding (specific flex sections incorporated into the design--there was a reason his first full on production wakeskate was msrp'd at 459.99, and also a reason why it didn't sell ;).

for wakeboarding, i cannot rank the top five riders ever. It's not even concrete--it's so subjective and personal.

EDIT: Does watson pee his pants? because you aren't cool unless you pee your pants.

Sorry, that's the quote that came to mind when I read the line "watson is the sickest." they're just so similar! but truly, watson IS sick!!

(Message edited by electricsnow on January 17, 2008)

I would be willing to bet that Randall can do pretty much EVERY trick out there, he just choses not to do some of them, not his style, Ive seen him learn hard crazy tricks in 1 session just messing around, will you ever see all those tricks, probably not but to say he can't do them is just plain stupid of people

hands down he is the best wake rider EVER along with Shapiro, Parks and Murray, they all are too close to call but in my personal opinion Randall edges em out by a little bit and I've seen hime do soooooooo many mobes and about every version of 7's and a couple 9's to let some of the doughters know....


TOP 5

Randall
Byerly
Shapiro
Murray
Parks
Gator (sorry top 6 have to have Gator)

Parks Bonifay
shaun Murray
Mark Kenney
Danny Harf
Keith Lyman

I honestly don't see how Randall cannot be on this list.
Randall
Parks
Murray
Byerly
Shapiro

Parks
Murray
Byerly
Shapiro
Gator or Ben Greenwood (too close to call)

mark kenney for sure...RIP


love his style

Best EVER requires longevity. Mark Kenney would have made the list otherwise, Harf will eventually make list but I don't think he has the longevity yet. I expect Phillip or Rusty might make the list 7-10 years from now but definitely way to early to place either of them on the list today. My top 4 would definitely include Darin, Parks, Byerly, Murray, and the 5th could possibly be Randall, but more for his influence on west coast riding than for his actual tournament riding.

1) VANDALL
2) Mark Kenney
3) Parks Bonifay
4) Shaun Murray
5) Keith Lyman

thats my opinion. no one compares to vandall. he is a legend. and RIP Mark Kenney, he was amazing...

1)Shawn Watson
2)Ben Greenwood
3)The Vandall
4)Keith Lyman
5)Murray

Mobes all kind of start to look alike. Style is what riding is about. Being different. Making everything look deliberate, easy, slow and smooth. Soven is one of the best tech riders ever, but I don't like robots.

I don't care what anybody says, Randall belongs in the top five if not the top spot because he pretty much defines wakeboarding, he rides for himself, he does what he thinks looks good not this, "what is good in a contest/no one remembers second best" crap and he is crazy tech have ever seen anybody grab longer on a seven...no you have not. If he is not on the list you are ridiculous and you apparently don't actually ride, you just claim to, because you should know if you can do once what he does every day you are good. If you attempt to do anything Randall does and you can make it look half as good as he does I have mad respect for you. He goes bigger and cleaner than anybody else in the history of the sport. I don't care about mobes and the Soven/Malinosky mentality, don't get me wrong, they are both extemely talented but, wakeboarding is about riding and how you can differentiate yourself, it's not about doing mobes and looking like every other rider out there.

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quote:

If he is not on the list you are ridiculous and you apparently don't actually ride, you just claim to, because you should know if you can do once what he does every day you are good.

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now there's a mature response.

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quote:

he rides for himself

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actually, he rides for gator, malibu, quiksilver, arnette, etc.


again, let me make it clear that i think harris is a hell of a rider; super sick, goes super big and super stylie. i didn't rip on anyone for what you consider is the top 5. i'm just asking the reasoning behind picking harris as one of the top 5. it's not that i don't think he belongs in the top 5 because he can't do mobes (i know he can do mobes). yes, he has done a lot for the sport and maybe on a different day, he'd be in my top 5. i just think the guys on my list have done more for the sport (helping the sport grow, progression in tricks and style), as well as being able to do more tricks. most of the guys on my list ride for themselves as well. they just choose to ride more contests than harris, with the exception of parks (injured) and shapiro (retired).

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quote:

wakeboarding is about riding and how you can differentiate yourself, it's not about doing mobes and looking like every other rider out there.

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i'm curious, could you honestly say that the riding of my top 5 all look the same?

btw, don't you ride for ccawakeboarding? doesn't ccaw do a lot of contests? do you ride for yourself?

Morty mate! Nearly everyone on here rides.

We all understand what he does, it's just that some of us don't get as stoked off it as you clearly do.

He grabs sevens longer than most because he usually does wrapped 7's. most of the guys in other peoples list don't do wrap sevens and hence can't grab for as long.

Parks
Harf
Murray
Soven
You

Haha this is funny I was drinking last night so my argument was not presented very well, I was just trying to say that Randall is amazing and probably my favorite rider, and that his riding is so different (and bigger) than others, and I just love that he can make a living off of mostly free riding.I mean who else could get an alliance cover in wakeboarding pants! Yeah I am in CCAW and we do occasionaly do contests and we do our own contest in the spring, but we mostly just ride for fun. Some people drunk dial I guess I go on wakeworld, my bad.

"Don't Drink and Post"