WW: What are your full name, age and location?
Chris: Chris Peterson, 34, Denver, CO

WW: Married? Kids?
Chris: I am married, to a lovely lady named Holly, and I have a 2-year old son named Andrew.

WW: How long have you been riding?
Chris: We got our first board in '97 on a whim at the Denver Boat Show. It's a surf-style HL Big Gun. We tried it out that summer. We had no idea what we were doing. Holly still rides it.

WW: What board and bindings are you on now and what made you decide on that board?
Chris: I ride a '99 Phatty with Plush Pros. I chose it because, at the time, I think it was about the widest board around and I was looking for a soft landing. It does have that, but I've been ready to get something with a little more speed for a while now.

WW: Is there a particular board you're looking at?
Chris: No, not really. I'll demo a few and see what I think. I've heard good things about the Belmont.

WW: What kind of boat do you ride behind?
Chris: I have a '99 Response LX with a Wedge, Joystick pylon and board rack. I weight it when I can with 350 lb. side sacs and about 150 lbs. in the bow. When the family in on board, we just use the Wedge so there's more interior space.

WW: You get to ride often?
Chris: Not as much as I'd like! Every other weekend, on the average. It's kind of a short season here; early May, if you can stand it, to about the end of September.

WW: That leads to my next question. With the season so short in Colorado, what do you do in the off-season? By the way, bro, time to move!
Chris: I used to ski quite a bit, but I didn't go at all last year. I'll be back out this year, though. Move? Everyone's moving HERE!

WW: Do you have any other hobbies?
Chris: I think I used to before I had a kid. Now my hobby is running after him. Pretty cool hobby though.

WW: Yeah, it is. Are we going to see Andrew on a wakeboard?
Chris: If he wants to. I don't want to push him. He knows what it is now, at least. We put him in the tube last time out. We just idled along with him about ten feet out. He loved that!

WW: Sounds like a blast! Does Holly go with you every time you go?
Chris: No, not always. Sometimes I get out with the guys. That's when we bust out the sacs and fling ourselves around like drunken pole-vaulters! I pulled off a wrapped 360 early this year, but I haven't been able to land it again since. I want to pull off an invert in the worst way.

WW: So what tricks are you working on now?
Chris: I'm still working on some cool style, like some good-looking grabs and stuff. I don't think I have my mechanics down quite right yet.

WW: Do you have anyone teaching you or are you self-taught?
Chris: Nope, I'm pretty much self-taught and it shows. I watch Detention every now and then to remind myself of how it's supposed to be done. I was able to take a lesson from Brannan Johnson a few years ago. He was pretty good at explaining what I was doing wrong (the list was long). It was really cool watching him ride up close! You don't get a good feel for just how high and how far the pros jump on TV.

WW: So what do you do for a living?
Chris: I'm a technical writer.

WW: I should've known by your posts on WakeWorld Talk.
Chris: Now cut that out or I'll start editing yours!

WW: What do you think of the current state of the sport?
Chris: Hmmm...well, I'm not a big fan of the whole slider, fun box (is that what it's called?), etc. stuff, to be honest. I don't like the "two falls and you're done" rule, either. I think it forces riders to be too conservative. I don't get to see too many pro events, but, to me, wakeboarding is still the most fun I've ever had standing up. That will never change.

WW: Do you think the craze will die down anytime soon? How long do you think the rise of wakeboarding will last?
Chris: Maybe from a corporate standpoint, only because it doesn't really translate to television very well, but as a recreational sport, I think it will continue to grow for many years to come. After all, half the fun is hangin' out and havin' fun with your friends and family.

WW: What's the riding scene like in Colorado?
Chris: It has grown quite a bit, especially in the past few years. Boarders usually outnumber the skiers and anglers on any lake I visit.

WW: If you could, and not necessarily in the pro scene, what changes would you make to better the sport?
Chris: That's a tough one. Well, overall, it's a very expensive sport. You could easily spend $1000 on a board, bindings, rope and vest, or just a board and bindings. I suppose that's an argument you could make for almost any sport, though.

WW: Before we go, is there anyone you'd like to give thanks to?
Chris: We should thank Dave for giving us such a great site to visit. It's a real asset to the wakeboarding community. Thanks Dave!

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