Wake Magazine Profile: Reece Jordan

Date: Wake Magazine, Summer 2000
Interviewer: Kylie Froggatt
Photos: Adam Dodd

Reece Jordan was wakeboarding before the sport even had a name and has earned respect in Australia and the US for his innovative and stylish riding. His fiance Kylie Froggatt fired a few questions at him and good friend Adam Dodd provided the photos, so here is the Reece story.

Wake: Okay let's start with the basics. How old are you, where do you live and ride?

RJ: I'm 30 and I live in Sydney on the Port Hacking. I mainly ride on the Hawkesbury River to get away from the crowds. We go up there on the weekends - like a little road trip every weekend.

Wake: How did you get into wakeboarding?

RJ: When I started in 1983 there was no such thing as wakeboarding. It was freeboarding behind a tinnie. A mate of mine cut down a surf board and put sailboard foot straps on it which let us do jumps and stuff. That was the start of freeboarding for me. We did that for a lot of years.

Wake: When did you first ride a real wakeboard?

RJ: The first real one I rode was made by an Australian company believe it or not. It was called the McSki, and it was a plastic injection moulded board similar to the skurfer.

Wake: Back in the 80s?

RJ: Yeah, my brother was a big time trick skier and he met Bruce McKee at the boat show in Ô83 and got it for free to try out. It had crazy big fins on it but we put a jump ski fin on which loosened the board up heaps. Not many people realise that Australians were some of the first people to wakeboard and make real boards.

Wake: So you were doing tricks on that board?

RJ: Yeah, stoked on half cabs and methods. We only had a tinnie with no wake so we used to make a street course set up in shallow waters - with sliders, rail slides, jumps - anything that was bonkable. I was watching some old footage last year when Greg Nelson was out here and I was amazed at how much rad stuff we used to do without a wake. It just took imagination.

Wake: You're into freestyle bikes too?

RJ: Yeah I was. I started riding vert in 1980 and was part of a demo team touring all around Australia until the early 90s. We had the full sponsorship hook ups and media coverage. It was a rad experience. I still ride a little - when I can.

Wake: Who are you referring to when you say "we"?

RJ: That's Chief (Grant Gettens). He was in the bike team with me and we started freeboarding together. But he got married and is living in Canada now.

Wake: You make it sound so long ago!

RJ: It was! Some of the pro riders now were in nappies when we started riding! I know Jimmy Redmon in the States and some other guys were into it at the same time but all the others were just babies when we started riding.

Wake: You used to ride a Cordial board, what was that all about?

RJ: I think in like '92 we got one of the first HOs in Australia but we couldn't deal with those bungee bindings breaking all the time and the stupid big fins. So I started playing around and made my own board out of fiberglass and I modified some conventional ski bindings. It was a double ended, rounded tip and tail board but it needed more side cut and rocker to really fly, but it was better than the HO crap. We dumped the fins altogether - didn't need 'em, plus they interfered with bonking and sliding shit.
My best friend Chief was also playing around with designs. The fiberglass board I initially made wasn't changeable enough, so Chief made a wooden one to play with. He's a cabinet maker by trade which allowed us to make the boards out of wood so we could modify the design as we pleased.

Wake: So the first Cordial twin tip board was made in '92?

RJ: Yeah. The Cordials were the shit but it was too difficult to go into manufacturing against all the American companies. Chief made about 100 boards all up and sold them all over the place. Right up until when I started to ride a Double Up board in '97 I would've rather ridden the Cordial anytime. All the big companies were tossing on about how rad and innovative their boards were. They were still in the dark ages compared to Cordials.

Wake: So you knew that in the States wakeboarding was starting to pick up at the same time?

RJ: It wasn't until I walked into a store and I saw WBM - I freaked. It was the first issue so I grabbed it and subscribed. I started to get all the vids and check it all out. It was cool to see all the grabs and spins we were doing represented in a mag. I was freaked that the American's were doing flips and stuff too.

Wake: So that was it - you were into it?

RJ: Yep totally. Every day after work, weekend road trips, up down the east coast. Then Adam Dodd, who I met out on the water one day, started hanging around and taking photos of me riding and he got some shots of me in a few local snowboard mags. This was when the whole wakeboard scene was being spawned in Australia but nothing was really happening. I knew heaps of ski industry people from when my brother was a competitive tournament skier and the word was starting to spread about wakeboarding. I was always thinking about going over to the States where it was really taking off to ride and meet everyone. It was a daydream of mine.

Wake: Who were your idols?

RJ: They weren't my idols - I don't have those. Just dudes I wanted to meet and ride with. I could see guys like Schmaltz, Josh Smith and Nelson were doing exactly what we were doing. I knew they were the same type of riders and like minded. 

Wake: So you hit the '90s and everyone started to ride around you?

RJ: I met Marshall Harrington, who lives on the Hacko, in '95 when I first came back from the States. And then I met a heap of crew at the first comps. We went in the first big comp in '95, and then in '96 started organizing comps along with Neil Harris to get things happening, but we got sick of doing it and I was frustrated with the freestyle format and the boats not having good wakes. Also, going in comps got boring after a while, especially when everyone paid out on me for just spinning and not doing inverts. The format didn't suit my style. But I got to meet all the people I hang out with now like Paul Boyd, Natalie Taylor, Keenan Badger, Scotty Kell and the Pennant Hills kids. We all ride together and live near each other now. I've made lots of good friends out of wakeboarding all over the world.

Wake: You've been over to the US?

RJ: Like three times. The first time was in '95 for a snowboarding trip but I hooked up in Seattle with the NBN crew and they showed me Spray, which is still one of the sickest vids ever. They were stoked on my riding and we got together and designed some board shorts which they named after me and they put a photo of me in their catalogue - it was cool. Then in '97 I went back to check out Florida. We stayed at Shaun and Dean's place then with Shannon Best. Everyone was cool but it really was a lot of hype. It's only a small community of wakeboarders in a big country.

Wake: You didn't like Florida?

RJ: No, I liked it but, I just thought everyone took wakeboarding way too seriously, which I suppose they had to 'cause it's a job for them. I much preferred the West Coast way of riding and mentality. I went there last year with the Double Up team.

Wake: It's not a job for you obviously?

RJ: No, I run my own outboard repair business with my brother since I left school in year 10. That's my job, wakeboarding is my release.

Wake: Is the scene in the States different to Australia?

RJ: Very different. Here our top riders ride for the love of it and we all work except for the fortunate few. The only place in the States that I could really relate to was the Delta and Tahoe in California. Riders from the Delta like Corey Kraut, Rich Facciano, Darin Razer, Collin Wright and Igor up in Tahoe. They know what's up.

Wake: You're into spins?

RJ: Yeah fully. And not because they're cool - that's what I've been doing since the 80s. It's funny how I would bust my ass for a month to learn an invert and get stoked when I finally stuck it, but then I would only do that invert once in a set because they just don't feel as good to me. But I'll go out and do 20 360s and heaps of fives cause it feels good to me.

Wake: A lot of people, from your friends right through to the likes of Shaun Murray, have commented on your style of riding, that it's individual, very smooth and solid - what do you have to say about it?

RJ: Well I've never sat down and thought I want to ride like anyone in particular. I just try to do what feels good. Even if something looked like shit, if it felt good I would do it. Also I think because I rode without fins for so many years that my style is different. I was made to ride with fins in the first comps because the stupid waterski officials said my Cordial board was a big trick ski. That's so funny, here I was thinking my board was a big skateboard without wheels, and they couldn't see that at all. I wonder what they think of board shapes now. I was also told by the same "pro waterskiers" that my cut is all wrong and I flatten off too much at the top of the wake so I'll never be any good at wakeboarding.

Wake: They were obviously way off the mark. So where do you get all this inspiration to do so many different grab variations and spins?

RJ: Growing up riding vert on my bike I got to hang around a lot of skateboarders. They grab and tweak better than any wakeboarder ever will. That's where my ideas came from. My dream is to ride my wakeboard like Tony Hawk rides his skateboard. He's my inspiration. I've done demos with him when I was riding vert. He was really cool and down to earth. He makes everything look so easy and possible for anyone to do. But that's an impossible dream.

Wake: What about from other wakeboarders?

RJ:Not really. But I admire other wakeboarders for their individuality - whether it's Collin Wright or Darin Shapiro.

Wake: What don't you like?

RJ: Riders who can do all the inverts but don't grab them. I really hate fluoro wetsuits, short shorts, small wakes, traffic and being injured.

Wake: What tricks are you doing right now?

RJ:Well summer has just started but I'm working on getting all my tricks bigger and trying to stick 7s. I was in the States mid last year and I was stuck in a bit of a rut doing the same shit, until I rode with Collin Wright for a few weeks. That guy can do anything and everything that I have ever thought of doing. He makes it look like a lot of fun.

Wake: The word is you may go in a few comps this season?

RJ:Yeah, seeing that they have finally got with it and changed the format to free ride. It might be fun to do it again. I can go in Masters now and ride against guys more my own age, like Dale Carter and Rod Davidson.

Wake: What are you're hook ups for product?

RJ: I ride for Double Up and I wanna say it's not because I get it for free. I barred that whole deal a long time ago. Even if I had to pay for it I would. Double Ups are the best boards on the market for my style of riding. I'm just fortunate that I met Greg Nelson and he appreciated my style of riding. I do everything I can to help Double Up out 'cause they are my friends not just my sponsor. Concrete Bindings have been unreal as well. They featured me in some of their ads and I got the front cover of their brochure too. I am trying to get hooked with a clothing sponsor but a lot of them think I'm too old!

Wake: You have been getting lots of attention lately in the US mags, everyone seems to know who you are and what you're about.

RJ: That's because I've ridden with virtually everyone now, both here and overseas, and I'm fortunate to have Adam Dodd as a close friend - he rips as a photographer and wakeboarder. He can do more 180s in a set than anyone.

Wake: Do you think it's because you've always been around and haven't compromised your riding to be in with the latest and greatest?

RJ: Well whatever is the latest and greatest today is lame and shit tomorrow.

Wake: Thank yous?

RJ: Thanks to all the people in the States that helped me out when I was travelling - Ross Jurgensen, Dean and Sonja , Shaun Murray, Shannon Best, Bill McCaffery and Tony Smith at WBM. Greg Nelson and all at Double Up, Concrete Bindings - you guys are the shit. Thank you especially to all my wakeboarding friends. You guys and girls are always good for a laugh and fun to ride with. Also my mum and dad for giving me every opportunity with whatever I wanted to do in life.

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