who landed the 1080 first?

I read this on wakeboard.com how true is it?

"Lukey, the first 1080 on UK waters was done by Mark Kenney regular toeside off the doubleup in 2001. (he actually did about 15 in the season he was here)
This was regularly ignored by the US magazines who were saying (up until Danny stuck one in september) that Parks was the only person to ever land a 10. While PB was the first, Kenney had that sh*t consistant & i personally saw him stick about four on Storm.
rip kenney'

I've never heard that before?? I would think that someone on here would have brought it up before now.

The argument always goes back to documented. I see no reason why Kenney would lie, but documented (film or pictures)always comes up in this discussion.

If he had them dialed in why didn't he get it on tape??

As 1boarder said it comes down to it being documented. However i have no doubt that Kenny could have been pulling them off fairly regularly.

I don't doubt that he landed one (or some) but 15 seems like a stretch. If you are a professional and can do something in your sport that nobody else can do...Wouldn't you think that you would let a few people know about it?

Mark went huge though and there's no arguing that!

Mike Ferraro says he saw Mark Kenny land several, at OWC in the boat lake, for what it's worth.

YES Mark was doing 1080's. Older news now. He had people witness them also. I remember back at national's around 2000 or 2001, a few people were going crazy because they were out freeridng with Mark and he landed several of them in a set. I spoke with Mark several times around that period and he claimed it too. I didnt read the beginning but I have no idea who landed it first. Im guessing parks did.

(Message edited by chris_williams on September 11, 2007)

I've heard that Mark had land some several times. And this always comes up in these threads so that's why I question this about Kenny. It hasn't been brought up before. I think I remember something that Mark tried to get them on tape a few times and wasn't able to but lot's of different people saw him do it so it is accepted that he did it.

Have no idea if this is true. But supposedly there is footage of his 1080s, his family just doesn't want to release it.

(Message edited by malibuboarder75 on September 11, 2007)

Leo, I have heard the samething from someone who was good friends with him.

You have to respect their desire on that.

Zapruder film and Kenney's 1080 film linked together forever.

He was a sick rider! and WENT HUGE!! I think he would have pushed the sport past were it is now a few years ago. Its sad that his life was cut short. RIP

Does any one have a link to the video that was on here a few months ago of him riding?

MARK KENNEY....THE BEST RIDER EVER!!
HE AND ALL THE OTHERS WOULD HAVE NO REASON TO LIE ABOUT HIS RIDING..

i definately believe that mark kenney landed alot of them, but parks landed it first in 97 i think it was! i may be wrong but thats what i heard.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bQ-UgRCTmc

I like this one...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGZAqnClj4Y

This one is cool behind the SAN...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuDSYHKtIwY

Then he tripple on the cable...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK9a4diF88g

what happened to him? he apppears to be the most amazing rider i've ever seen, i favorited the first 2 movies i saw

he died about 5 years back to an allergic reaction from to some medicine i think

In the video with the SAN it said that he died in his sleep.

From what I understand he passed away, and people are very touchy regarding how it happened and why. I never inquired further out of respect for him and those who knew him. I never got a chance to see him ride, but from everything I have heard and seen through the years, he was pretty much going to RULE! Great guy and insane rider! R.I.P. Mr. Kenney.

http://www.wakeworld.com/news/2002/kenney16.asp

wow this is the first ive herd of mark he ripped was he ever in any videos

He was very stylish guy -
http://wakepics.com/view_single.php/-quot;It-s-All-Good-quot;_wakeboarding-photos.html?medid=13516

(Message edited by borka on September 12, 2007)

that second trick he did on the cable was sick! what was that? a blind mobe?

Those videos are awesome!

I dated a girl for about a year that was really close friends with Mark and his family. He actually spent an entire summer with her family and rode at Lake Gaston pretty much the whole summer. I believe the letter she wrote after Mark passed is posted on his memorial page here on WakeWorld.

Anyway, I've asked her about it numerous times and she said he stuck a few 10's that summer while she was in the boat. I've seen a few of the videos she has of his riding and there is no reason to believe he didn't land a few. Amazing rider and sad that he isn't still killing it today.

Also, she has one of his CWB Absolute prototype boards and bindings. Scratched up from sliders and pretty cool piece of wakeboard history. He gave it to her after a bet that she couldn't get up on a wakeboard in the first three tries.

That second video is awesome. That Raley to blind and Tantrum to blind are both probably the biggest I have ever seen.

If he landed the 1080 in a competition, why don't we count it. If the judges count an 1080, it's a 1080. Otherwise you can stop wakeboarding, because of we don't believe judges.

bendow....if you're talking about the trick in the first vid, it's called a kgb...backroll with backside 3.

Did you see a TS/BS! 9 at 2:44 min (at my prev post here)?
We didnt see a landing, but he was really close. I think Shane was not first guy, who landed ts/bs 7.

Boris, I just watched it. That was a TS/FS 9.

damn, Leo beat me to it.


That Double up he hits right around 1:15 were he uncorks a HS/FS 9 could've easily been spun to a 1080 if he didn't float that first half of the spin.

If there is anyone that I think could've landed a 1080 before I'd believe Mark Kenney would be my bet. However, no one ever talks about how he was spinning it. TS/FS? HS/FS?

I bet someday there will be a video of him spinning a 1080 released.

How old was he?
I am not calling anyone a liar, but I find it interesting that you guys that had personal experience seeing him land them had to have been around 15 years old at the time. (Since you are in your early 20's right now)

He was either 19 or 20 when he passed away: http://www.wakeworld.com/Galleries/GetImage.asp?GalleryID=53&ImageID=12

he was 19. first Ive heard of him too and damn!!

if he was around today I would say the vandall would have some competition in terms of charging and style.

what a shame Mark isnt with us anymore. RIP buddy.

Zoah, Mike Ferraro said he was landing multiple variations in one issue of WBM.

in WBM it sasy Parks was the "First rider to land a 1080 (switch toeside) in 1999"

I got this from Alliancewake.com

"Have no idea if this is true. But supposedly there is footage of his 1080s, his family just doesn't want to release it."

Why the h>>> would you want to keep an achievement like that under wraps? How does it serve any purpose?

Cliff, if your son died, would you give a crap if people believed he landed a 1080 or not? If they do have video, I doubt they're making a conscious effort to keep it under wraps. They probably don't realize how big a deal it is to wakeboarders (nor would they probably care if they do realize its significance), so it's likely gathering dust somewhere. Appeasing wakeboarders is low on their to do list. I'm sure it's more important to them that their son is remembered as a good person and friend than as an awesome wakeboarder.

Cliff, the reason they don't post up the videos, is because someone on this site would be saying 'I would rather see a nice floaty bs 180 with a stalefish grab' or 'Rusty's was bigger' or 'Danny has more style'.

The family has every right not to post those videos.

Jeff,

That was my point. It would be strange to make a conscious effort to keep footage of your son's accomplishments hidden away from public view. I highly doubt they would deliberately keep such an achievement from public view.

Leo,

I don't doubt your point at all given the amount of pissing and arguing that goes on on here. I didn't say they have an obligation to post anything. I was eluding to what purpose it would serve to consciously prevent the public from seeing film of his riding.

Personally if someone that close died to me, I could really care less how the 1080 video impacts wakeboarding. Yes it would be cool to see, but dont the videos that are already out do him justice? I personally like the whole "mystery" thing. Every few months I see a thread like this, and it solidifies that idea. The mystery is what creates the talk, which continues to remind people of what a great person he was. If the video came out, people would be like "yah, there it is" and not talk about it anymore.

A couple weeks before he passed, he told me he made nine of them. Four regular and five switch.