Darin in his home studio

WW: Let's talk about your music. In 2000 you released "Acid Cascades," a project you had been working on in your studio for two years. How would you describe your sound?
DS: That was the first time I ever really tried to put any kind of project together doing music. It was kind of like my first effort. There are really no vocals and it is kind of scattered with different styles of music. The new album I'm working on is guitar based and has vocals. There are still a lot of different styles and electronic but this new album has more feeling.

WW: How would you classify your first album if you were to walk in to Virgin Records? What section would you find it in? Is it at Virgin records?
DS: No, no, it's not at Virgin, but it would probably be somewhere in the Electronic, Alternative, Lounge section if there is an area like that.

WW: So if someone was confused between the three sections they would just go straight to the middle to find it?
DS: (laughing) Yeah, it would probably be laying on the floor somewhere behind a rack. Just look under there. It's under something.

WW: Do you have a name for your next CD?
DS: I think I might actually call it "Cytochrome and Sunbeam" because I feel it has two sides to it. Cytochrome feels more technical and mechanical, where as Sunbeam is more down home groove. Nobody really knows, but all these album names like "Acid Cascades" are functions of the body. It is an alpha acid cascadic reaction when your brain sends a healing signal to the other part of the body.

WW: That sounds deep.
DS: Isn't it?

Darin Shapiro and Mike Schwenne

WW: I would say that deep is a good definition. There are a lot of different mixes going on in the music. Does "Cytochrome" have a meaning?
DS: Cytochrome is when your brain tells a part of your body that's resisting to let go and relax. It's like a different charge that your brain sends off. You know what though, I just like the words. When I go to my doctor, I ask him what happens when this happens and that happens. He spits these words out like acid cascades. I said, "Dude, that would be a sick name for a CD." Then he said Cytochrome one day and I thought, killer, dude that's awesome!

WW: Is he going to get a cut?
DS: Nah, (embarrassing laugh) I haven't even given him a disc yet. I will, but he tells me to go buy Crosby, Stills and Nash and what a great album it is. I don't think he gets it. But yeah, you know, I just thought the words sounded cool.

WW: Do you know how many copies have sold?
DS: Several thousand.

WW: If someone would like to buy your CD, where can they get it?
DS: They'll have to go online to DarinShapiro.com. I am having high hopes for this next album. I hope people will be able to go to any record store and grab it.

WW: When can we look for the new album?
DS: I could come out with it right now, but I'm too much of a perfectionist, so I got to do a bunch of stuff before I'll do that. But hopefully it will be out this summer. I'd really like it too. I've been passing some copies of it out and getting good reaction.

WW: Where do you see yourself in ten years, when you'll be 38 years old?
DS: Probably right here (laughs). Yeah, probably doing the same thing minus the competing. I feel like where I'm at, my set up in Orlando, is the kind of thing some people work all their life to have. The more I travel and see other places, the more I want to be here.

WW: How many injuries have you had?
DS: There has been a lot of minor stuff; real typical sore lower back, maybe a sore this or sore that. I have been banged up probably all over, but nothing real severe with the exception of some right ankle damage.

WW: How did you do that?
DS: I was riding a promo board for Hyperlite back in late '95, took off on a switch front and ripped one of the boots off the board, so it was still on my foot. I was coming around and my other foot was still in the boot attached to the board and I landed on that. It was just in a really bad position. I didn't break anything, just really severe bruising in the joint teamed with a lot of cartilage and ligament damage. The kind of stuff people usually don't come back from. I was out for an entire year and I was told by eight doctors I would never wakeboard again; by insurance company doctors, specialists, sports doctors. That's when I went to Lynn Teachworth and a month later I was riding.

WW: How have you managed to stay relatively injury free?
DS: One thing I think a lot of the kids are overlooking these days is cross training, doing other types of training so you don't get hurt. I think it's a key thing being overlooked in most alternative sports. I'm 28 and I'm definitely in better shape then I was when I was 18. I may not be as rubbery, but I'll tell you what, doing different training programs will make you so much stronger and ride that much better, making all the tricks that much easier.

I've been through injuries and the only way to recover is to spend time on yourself. Doing the eating good thing, the gym thing. I know it's a bit corny. I'm not talking about being a power lifter, but spending some time in the gym just to get healthier will reflect on your riding. It's just good for you. So if anyone tells you going to the gym to be a wakeboarder is cheesy, well it is pretty cheesy, but you're going to feel better and ride better, so it's worth it.

WW: But whether you're a wakeboarder or not, that is something you'd do anyway then?
DS: Yeah, well, there is something commonly known as "wakeboard back" and I've just been beat up so much that when I go and do the workouts I just feel so much better. So riding or not, I'm going to be doing that kind of stuff. It's not about pumping up, just about being healthy and being able to jump that much higher.

While I'm on that, I would like to thank Kai Fusser, the one that's been training me on all that stuff.

WW: Anyone else you want to thank? Sponsors? Can you remember them all?
DS: Yes, Definitely. Yeah, there's a good little list. I'm going to get married at the end of the year, so there's Heather to thank. My mom and dad, Travis and all my sponsors for all their support. O'Brien, Malibu, Smith, Freestyle, Boss, Kicker, Rainbow, No Fear, Nevin, Performance and Steve Thompson.

WW: Steve Thompson is your agent, right?
DS: I've had four agents throughout my wakeboarding career and they've all done zero. I've done all the negotiating and everything myself. I've always had a bit of business sense growing up, so I would never recommend one. However, the sport's turning some corners now and it seems like a lot of athletes could use some representation. I'm using Steve Thompson now and he's going to try and put a lot of riders under his roof, so if you think you need somebody look that guy up. Steve Thompson at Mfive.

WW: Steve has some broader things in the works for wakeboarding as a whole. I'm not sure how much you can reveal, but if I asked you what you'd expect to see for next year in wakeboarding, what would you say?
DS: I would just say that I think your gonna see a lot of changes next year regarding the media and different types of tours probably. Just a lot of things changing that should really blow the sport up more then it ever has. This year I'm just gonna hang in there, do what everybody else is doing and say as little as possible 'cause when I'm opinionated, it just always seems to bounce right back at me.

WW: Anything else you want to say? Any bones to pick? Controversy to cause? Tabloid headlines?
DS: You know, I'll say one thing, and this really cracks me up, and you can decide whether to put this in or not. When I hang out with people, they always go, "Dude, you know what? You're a pretty good guy." And I'm like, "Really why do you say that?" And they say, "Because everybody says you're an a**hole (laughing). So I have no idea how that came up. I got some real bad press from World Pub and Heather what's-her-name a while back. But, yeah, I got some real bad press in the past from people who really didn't know anything about me. I'm really easy going, just a pretty determined guy and I think that...

WW: So you want to go on the record that you are not an a**hole
DS: Please (laughing)! I'd like that to go on the record (more laughing). But I think people misinterpret me. I'm a pretty competitive and determined kind of guy and I think a lot of people misinterpret that as being too serious. How the hell am I supposed to take anything seriously when I wakeboard for a living (laughing)?

Okay, so for any last remarks? I couldn't be any happier for what I'm doing or how my last ten years have turned out, so for that I thank the whole industry.

Previous  Return To WakeWorld Interviews