WTF Wakeworld?
 

You deleted the Randall being a jackass thread??? People should know who their "role models" are.

Are there any listed rules/regulations on the forum? Wonder what the reasoning for deleting it was.

Sponsor money.

Video is now blocked and made private by user on youtube hmmm....

I Wouldn't Have Noticed Without This Thread...

What did you expect Randell is Mr. Wakeworlds nephew!



What up Dave.......ever heard of Oasis Camel dairy?
Its my cousins joint.

Tell babygirl I said what up at SpringRide for Me....lol

Thread deleted in 3...2...1...

The thread got deleted just as it got really interesting. The last post was from some obviously emotional individual that had joined wakeworld minutes prior to his post (I'm pretty sure it was one of the fine gentlemen in the video with Mr. Harris). He was quite upset and calling out everyone that had made a negative comment about the vid. Giving reasons like "you don't know what we've been through". I literally almost fell out of my chair in laughter. Just as I was about to reply with some smart*** comment, the thread was removed....:confused:

That was one of the most entertaining threads we've had here. What a shame....

So it was one of the "wanna be gangsters" who forced the thread down? Interesting........

You know you're gangsta when a wakeboard forum can force you to hide your rap video on the Internet.

I gotta say I was always one of the biggest fans of the Vandall but as others mentioned, his super negative interviews and this video changed my views of the guy. He can charge a wake like no other, it will be interesting to see if he films any video parts this year or if he sticks to the rap career.

You can slam the president of the US all you want on WW, but you better not say anything negative about Randy Harris.

I remember the song said something about a shotgun with a bible on his chest and demonically posessed. Not a good image in my opinion

The video was bad enough but then put up stillshots of him holding a gun up towards his head is a not needed and has no real place on WW.
And Im sure it didnt matter what pro it was it would still have gotten nuked!!!

that was just a screenshot from HIS stupid video. That HE posted on youtube. Youtube, not his own personal friends and family picture sharing site.

It absolutely belongs on wakeworld unless wakeworld is just a place for us to pat these guys on the back. I'd just got teamtalk if I wanted that.

It's Dave's site to do what he wants with. It was a stupid video of what I now am to believe are stupid people, acting stupid. The young people who are either active members or just lurkers in this site don't need to see it on here.
I applaud Dave for taking it down. If you disagree with him, send him an email, or just go to the other wake boarding forums.

Well said. I want to see this vid

I'd kind of like to know the logic of this video NOT belonging on WW.

He is a pro wakeboarder many people look up to and even idolize, and has been in the industry for like 20 years. This site is about discussing Wakeboarding, wakeboarders, boats and wakeboarding in general. If a video of a pro rider and ambasdor of the sport is embarassing and the pro put it online for the world to see, it's HIS fault, no someone elses, and hiding it from the public doesn't do anyone favours.

Remember when a few of the Canadain guys made that video at the cable all dressed up as gangstas with guns? It wasn't banned or removed because it was a joke and everyone knew it. What's the difference? These Cali guys are no joke, they are the real deal. True West Side gangsters. I guess WW and the rest of the internet wasn't ready for the realness.

Talk about censorship....we're practically in North Korea!!

I agree he is free to delete it if he wants, but to say that the young people dont need to see it on here is an ignorant statement. Kids will find it on youtube or anywhere on the internet if they want, however when they saw it on here they would have seen all of the posts pointing out how bad the video and it's content was and not glorifying it. Plus it was an entertaining thread!

Yeah, but it's prob a good thing for Dave and the rest of ww to not have that garbage on his site. Kids are going to find this kinda crap in other venues, but it's nice to see that ww has some sort of decency. Especially when it comes to some of the athletes it has covered in the past.
IMO of course.

This is a privately owned business/website. Dave has the right to delete what he will, it's his site. While I respect that, I don't always agree with it. This site, however, is run very cleanly and lots of the trolls and internet BS is kept off it, and I salute Dave for that.

As for the Vandall. Hope he didn't relapse but he's a character... hope we see some sick riding from him soon and not anymore of that nonsense...

I agree its a pro so it has to do with wb'ing. But the content of the video had nothing to offer this site other then to make Randell look questionable. Therefore I can see why it got nuked.

Its Daves site his decision end of story.

And if it can be found other places go see it there. Then you can comeback here and discuss it.

Pretty sure he relapsed.....that didnt seem very Godly...lol

FYI... Dave isn't the only mod here. In fact there are at least half a dozen mods if not more, so all you people hating on Dave I suggest you relax on him a bit. You guys forget that there is a very large common sponsor with a lot on the line here. With a reckless athlete doing things like this video under your wing you have to make things disappear to save some face. I can only hope that said sponsor was smart enough to set a clause in the contract to save themselves from certain events like this.

Who is the sponsor? Rock star?

Theres a saying ,there is no such thing as bad publicity. Randall has basically fallen off the radar. He lost his company, has no wakeboard sponsor(unless we count mutiny who has done basically nada) hasn't had an edit or photo in a good long while, at least since last summer or early fall. He looks like a douchenozzle here but we're talking about him which is probably part of the point...

And guess what. It's working, wakeboardings BAMF'er is back on our brains...

What words should I type to find the video?

The video is gone. Marked private on YouTube

And no rock star isn't the sponsor

Then who is it?

Dang what was in it? or what was it about?

The video on which the thread was based was no longer available, not to mention the fact that it was peppered rather generously with obscenities, so I deleted the thread. Easy on the conspiracy theories. :)

Ha! Just Like The Time He Deleted The Nautique G23 Thread!!

No sponsor has such a clause. Nor would I allow them to sign a contract with such a clause.

I respect your decision.

Well played Dave! :)

Are you his agent too, or are you speaking to an advertiser on the site?

(not trying to be obtuse, just not sure if you are speaking of RH signing a contract which would allow the sponsor to break said contract based on silly video of sponsored rider with ski mask and gun to the head, or if you are saying that you wouldn't let an advertiser sign a contract allowing the advertiser to demand certain content be deleted?)

I may have said the thread should have stayed, but if I owned Axis or WW I would have deleted it too, just not "good" for business. Every sport seems to have it's bad a$$, this is ours.

I don't think the Northern California version of LON constitutes 'bad a$$'

But he's a level 10 badass......or wait was it a level 10 dumbass?????
I lost track.......
Wonder how Axis feels about it? Or is he already done with them?

this is the kind of thing us website owners hate...something so insignificant suddenly becomes a question of free speech, advertiser contracts and conspiracies.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qx56Bj7zgco" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Is Randall Lon?

EEEEFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF i knew i should have watched that video on friday!!!!!!!!! I hate when i miss the good stuff

People's heads would start exploding if that were to be true. It would be like a WW Da Vinci Code.

Nothing but respect for this guy when he is 85ft+ behind the boat, but hanging out with him is brutal. He'll wear jeans, board shorts, boxers; beater, button-down, sweatshirt; bandana, hat, hood up in 100F weather--seriously. The whole time you just scratch your head at about every word that comes out of his mouth too. If you met him for 5 minutes you would think he was a live parody show, a few hours later you realize that it is no act...

He is an example of a guy who's image overshadows his talent. Think about how hard that is to pull off when you can boost wrapped heel 9s 30ft into the flats.

Well that was fun while it lasted

so, what you are saying is that he is like a white-trash version of an NFL athlete. makes sense.

aint nothin too it gangsta rap made him do it.

Ray Lewis would show him what a bada$$ really is, stab him, and the suit would never be found. Ray would then attend his funeral and cry and proclaim God commanded it.

Hmm. If this video was so interesting why nobody downloaded this one from YT?:confused:

Ha!

Didn't you win that Arnette contest a while back? How was it?

I am totally grateful for Arnette and Alliance hooking that up. I have always had the highest respect for Mr. Scott Byerly and it is always a great time when he relaxes and drops a little wisdom. I also believe that Randall's section in Natural Born Thrillaz was earth shattering. To watch him in person is insane. He doesn't even use normal equipment. He rides a board as tall as he is with 3 1inch fins on each end.

Off the water, he is a strange dude.

Opinions are like a$$holes. Everyone on this threads got one. I've know Randall for over a decade and he's a stand up guy. Misunderstood at times yes but a great human being and good friend. Y'all need to back the F up!

Remain calm, sir, or I'll have to ask you to step away from the keyboard.

It's lame the thread got deleted. I'm glad I got a chance to watch the video.

And if you don't want to get mocked, don't make a white boy rap video that is a near parody. Of course it's not the first time an athlete thought he had more talent in music than he really did...

http://youtu.be/alLR58G3w18
http://youtu.be/KJWSm13LBh8

/end

I cant speak to Randall on a personal level, only on what I see. What I saw was a pathetic "rap video" in which he is wearing a ski mask and flashing a gun. People dont do that unless they plan to rob someone or shoot someone, or as probable in his case just glorify that behavior. You can't get a more prime example of the worst of society than that. Plus the song sucked balls. So when people point that out you want us to back the F up?! You can make excuses for bad behavior and a video that looks like Jamie Kennedy made it simply because you know him, but dont get bent when we wont.

The latter.

Don't forget pro skateboarder Jereme Rogers, who quit skateboarding to become a "rapper"

We have skaters/wake boarders quitting to do some rapping. Rappers quitting to skate. What is going on in...

What's there to make excuses for if it looks and sounds like a Malibu's Most Wanted video?

Don't be hatin!

'Hey yo, traffic traffic lookin for my chapstick, gettin kinda carsick theres a Ford Maverick, see theres a million dolla song right thurr.'

'Shrink shrink, blinkity blink, try to make me think, make me wanna vomit, clean it up with comet. Earth is my plonet.'

"cocaine is a helluva drug"

Ha! Mali-boooooooo!

I always miss the good stuff! I feel some deja vu though, wasn't there a similar thread about RH that got taken down 6 or 7 years ago? It wasn't about rapping but about smoking crack or something.

Remember his hot pink SAN that was super gansta.

The guy can shred and has no doubt left his mark on the sport. Thankfully we have true ambassadors like Murray and Zane to name a few that have grown wakeboarding on and off the water.

I think it is a bomb proof carrer move....I mean nobody made fun of Joaquin Phoenix when he started spitin hot fiya.:o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3GyM0ss-TY

You "applaud" it? If you knew Randy Harris's history you might not be so quick to dismiss it as stupid people acting stupid. Did you see it? I can't tell if you did or did not.

ok. well....

You know what, it's Dave's site yes, his web address and internet domain, but it a discussion forum, and this idea that it's "his site" with all this language indicating the discussion here is like a personal possession of his is just not something I agree with whatsoever. He doesn't own my contributions to the forum, and he doesn't own that of anyone else. You don't delete something unless it's actually offensive or NSFW. Super cruddy move, one that makes me question spending time here anymore. So if it was Dave or another mod, rotten move. I know Randy Harris is kind of a darling to this site but it should have remained open. It makes me sad to say this but in this day & age we can just take this all to Facebook just as easily now. Now I just wish it had been posted there instead, because someone would have mirrored the video it and the discussion would at least still be open. Keep doing crap like this and there really won't be a user base here to care to even contribute.

And yes, to the person who mentioned it was on YouTube and not embedded on some personal site or fan page makes me think that the people behind it went "hey let's put this up, it's awesome"... immediately followed by "RETREAT! RETREAT! RETREAT!"

Back the f* up nothin'.

How about y'all tell Harris to come explain some stuff to his fans, many of whom (me among them) feels embarrassed to have been a supporter. This was a breaking point for many people.

I'm sorry to hear that we disagree on the definition of "offensive or NSFW." I thought the video fit into both categories. I like to keep WakeWorld as chill as possible so that younger riders can come on here and their parents don't have to worry about them being exposed to a bunch of crap. That's why we have a no profanity rule. It sounds like you'd run a discussion board differently if you had one and that's great.

After doing this for about 15 years, I happen to think the amount of moderation we do strikes a pretty happy medium between being overly restrictive and having a discussion board that's completely out of control. Obviously, it's nothing new for somebody to come on here and call our moderation "sucky" and to have all the answers on how to run a successful discussion board since we get that every few weeks or so. And I can't really blame you because it probably looks like a pretty easy job when you've never done it before, but I point to the success of these discussion boards as a pretty good reason to continue as we have...but thanks for the advice.

I did run message boards, for years, and I took near constant beatings for it. So I learned what to tolerate and what not to. My decisions got questioned all the time which is why it's hard for me to even bother you like this but seriously. This isn't a kiddie site, there is boat bun, there is all sorts of political f**ing nonsense in the non wake - but this that thread flamed out - just lock it then!

Why didn't you just delete the post that had the YouTube video in it? It was, after all, on YouTube. Plan ol' vanilla YouTube. Access from anywhere on any device YouTube. Non age-gated too.

Which leads me to this question: Do you have stricter content policies than YouTube?

Yes, we're much more strict! If you have any questions about what is appropriate to post, please consult the Code of Conduct (http://www.wakeworld.com/help_tos.php) and our Terms of Use policy (http://www.wakeworld.com/news/terms-of-use.html).

Juniorhawk.....didnt you run the2001.com site?
I could see the video and stills being yanked.
I just wish I couldve seen all the ppl trying to defend RH's actions in the video. I also wonder if it was new or old.....becuase I know he used to rap before he got sober.

We all do stupid crap we regret......maybe this is the case for RH.

Erik,

while I never should have called those guys stupid, (I apologize) I stand by the statement that their actions in and words in the video were definitely stupid. I have known about "Randy" since he was a clean cut little kid in Huntington Beach, whose parents used to pay Darin Shapiro to come train him at Canyon Lake. I have seen him in his best times, and thankfully, never personally witnessed him at his worst. although, based on who he was hanging out and idolizing as a grom, you could see he was going to be in trouble if he did not mellow out a bit. he did not.
either way, I stand by Daves decision to delete this garbage from WW. its nice to be able to hang out on forums and not have to be inundated with profanity at every turn. I swear as much as the next guy, but I like to think that when I am around those who are most impressionable (my kids), I keep my swear words to myself.

sorry, not really sure where this is going. but yes, I still aplaud daves decision. good for him on trying to keep the vulgarity out of WW.

good thing nobody ever posts stuff like strippers in dental floss bikinis on here. Boy would that go over poorly at work. Thanks for keeping me safe, mods!

@Greatest Ever- There were some pretty decent reasons, your logic is faulty. Also, I would appreciate being threatened in a language that I can understand. Welcome to America.

heres english for you.. you guys sit on your computer and hate on others all day.. get a life and if you have an issue with somebody don't hide behind your computer

Keep in mind this is lil hommie's first post...I wonder who is ironically HIDING behind that screen name....

Hey, we are all on a"discussion board". That's a place you go to while on your computer and discuss things. This one happens to be about wakeboarding and wakeboarders mostly. So aren't we supposed to be doing just that?!

I'm good with the video being gone, but all the half-nude pictures on here already make it an unsafe place for kids. I appreciate the effort to keep it clean and realize it's hard to be consistent, but let's not pretend this site is a good or wholesome place for kids to browse. That being said...I love this site and have been on here for 13 years. Dave and the crew must be doing something right.

On topic...that video was disappointing to say the least. I don't know how long ago it was filmed, but having seen RH attend a local Wakeboard Church event and share his testimony, it's sad to see where he is today. I pray that he hasn't fallen away but it's hard to not want to draw conclusions from that video.

What do you say we look at things in a little different perspective. We all have the immediate instinct to judge someone when we see something we don't like, or approve of right? How many of us judgmental individuals are in the entertainment industry, and understand how it works? My guess is very few, if any at all.
Now, lets take the TV show, "Sons Of Anarchy" for example. Really heavy show. Right? Lots of bad language, sex, and violence. "Jax Teller", is the main character along with others who deal guns, kill people, blackmail individuals, make porn, racketeer etc. These guys are as nasty as they come, yet America loves them right? Why? Because its just a television show, and what they do on the show, isn't real life.! In real life, these guys are actors, parents, sporting enthusiasts, etc. They grocery shop, go to the park, take their kids to school, hug their mom and dad, and work in their garden, just like you and I. When Jax Teller is at home, he's not Jax Teller. He's Charlie Hunnam. He goes to work in the entertainment industry, and becomes Jax Teller, The Biker.!
Now picture Charlie Hunnam as an actor in a show that you didn't like. Say he played a slime ball rapist or child molester, and the show was not your cup of tea. You probably wouldn't be a fan of that show right? You would say, "this is crap, that guy sucks" etc.!
Now lets move on to the topic of Randall Harris. Randall Harris is a talented individual. He's a successful athlete who has gained popularity among a particular genre of people, wakeboarders. When held accountable to his wakeboarding, he is nothing but spectacular in your eyes. He is extremely entertaining to watch and he leaves you in awe when he is done doing what he does on the water. As an entertainer, Randall has other enthusiasms as well. He's not only an athlete, but a musician. Now the music entertainment industry is completely different than the wakeboarding entertainment industry. In the music industry, like television and movies, you play a character and play a role. You create a fictional individual and make the public believe that its real. Its entertainment to those who enjoy it, and to those who don't, they have the option of changing the channel and watching something else which suits their particular desires.
Randall didn't make a rap video, so wakeboarders could enjoy it. He made it ,to entertain individuals who enjoy that style of entertainment. People who like Rap.!
To get to the point, when you are musical entertainer, your time on stage, and in videos, is a portrayal of a fictional character you have created for entertainment purposes. Another solid example would be Ozzy Osbourne. He would apparently bite the heads off of birds, and kill puppies on stage but he's actually just a family man. If you don't like what Randall does with his musical entertainment, you don't have to, but if you make the ignorant mistake of co mingling his real person character, with his fictional one, it only makes you seem like someone who cant decipher the difference.
El Viejo Van Cleef signing off.

Then why did he make the video private?

Does the Vandal have an english accent in real life like that sons of anarchy guy? Dang man I am glad you posted this because I've totally fallen for his gangstar persona, you are right.

Bring back the2001.com!

/end offtopic

Reef stated 'You create a fictional individual and make the public believe that its real'
-Really Bro? Come on...thats the route you're going with it? We are just musically challenged dults that dont understand the musical genius behind this dude? Ok......:o

As long as you understand that its entertainment, then you are free to feel whatever emotions you may come across in the process .

I cant teach you how to be cool. I can only show you the door. You have to walk in, all by yourself.

I'm guessing you're a die hard Creed guy. In the cool department you must be a pro.

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
Lifes Good. Try to Enjoy it,

This thread has made me laugh more than once....your posts are included. It's odd how many brand new profiles, along with first posts are on this thread....almost creepy.

Wasn't going to comment but this thread has made me laugh. I don't see any reason against the first thread being deleted, wasn't really "family friendly".

And Van Cleef....... I have almost 2 decades of experience in the entertainment business working with some of the biggest entertainment establishments in the world, and let me tell you, you're a little off base ;)

Wakeworld = Westside4life .... which means you don't bad mouth the king! #Vandall ;)

That was my whole point. I have been a part of this industry for 13 years now. A lot of people were making assumptions about his character. While his video, which I have not seen, may have offended wakeboarders, it was not intended for our industry. While assuming a role in a fictional music video may have not been to your liking, it doesn't change the nature of Randall's character. He's an incredible person. The keyboard cowboys on this site never change. Keep up the good work, at the very least it's entertaining...

Great post, Viejo.

so that was sort of like a flight of the concords kinda thing? It just didn't feel like parody to me... seems like they really "meant" it.

And if they really meant it, even if it's all "just acting", isn't there some hazard in doing so? From the backlash that ted danson got dressing up in blackface at woopie's frier's club roast to the "never go full retard" admonition in Tropic Thunder, I think it's pretty clear that the entertainment consuming public will, for right or wrong, judge "entertainers" based on their work.

FFS do none of you remember the backlash Ice-T got from "Cop Killer?" But hey, it turned out OK for Ice, eventually. Maybe there'll be a law n order franchise for RH in another couple decades.

Solo, I think more people were:
A. Laughing at the toolishness of the video. :D
B. Curious why was removed from WW. :confused:
C. Wondering why HE REMOVED the video from youtube. If in fact it were a parody ;)

D: I have an alternate link to the video, but dont want to get arrested for sharring it.
- I dont think he is a bad person, nor has he offended me in any way. I'm just a normal guy that is amazed at the Super Try Hard Mode theses dudes are in. I'm from Cali, and find true humor in this.

-I would post it in the 2013 playlist thread, along with some of the other "potty mouthed" songs that are listed, but I think that would be pushing it and you guys would see the end of wakdirt on WW :)

I understand rap music (don't laugh). If rappers did half of what they claim as flagrantly as they claim, most would be in jail for life. It is an art form and particular styles glamorize drugs, sex and violence. You can rap about "Thug Life" without being a thug. Look at TuPac. He was a formally trained dancer not a gun toting gangster. I don't have a problem with white kids rapping about the hard life and honestly not all of the rhymes were half-bad.

The problem is that Randall has been hocking boards and boats from the high road for a while now and people have been swallowing it hook, line and sinker. You can't profit from your testimony and also profit from glamorizing a life of sin. I am happy to pretend (because I really don't know differently) that the gun, purple drank and ski mask was an act, but it is in direct conflict with the "firey-pheonix raised from the ashes" mythology his second go-round (or third) has been based on.

A. I can understand people not liking the video or it's content.
B. Dave had every right to delete a post if it had offensive language in it.
C. The video was not posted by him or taken down by him.
D. I'd still like to see it. :)

Exactly! Considering that it was taken down he obviously cares what the wake boarders think....

This is so true. I've always found the hypocrisy of it to be super annoying.

Solo. I can't help but feel that you're perhaps a little biased as you have to buddy up to these guys to gain shooting access.
While he may well be a great guy one on one we don't know that thus are amused/ judging him on his public persona.

Wakeboarding is a conservative family sport. Sure there are a bunch of kids that would look up to and try to emulate this kind of behavior.
The problem is the the significant bills that come along with the sport are almost always taken care of by more conservative middle aged parents. People who likely didn't behave this way and are thus successful enough to pay the said large bills.
No one wants their kid to look up to or act the way RH is currently behaving. That's why this is all relevant and should not have been removed.

First of all, after working in this industry for over a decade, I don't buddy up with people to gain access to them. I choose to call Randall my friend because of the support I've gotten from him and his family over the years. I agree that wakeboarding is a conservative family sport. It always has been. The video was not posted by him nor taken down by him. As a parent myself I respect your opinion but I also teach my children not to judge a book by it's cover.

Live by the gun, die by the gun.

This thread is great. we have not had an all out battle rooooooooyyyyyyalllll in a bit!

I dont know who said it but I second the notion! That video was not made for wakeboard fans. Its was made for Rap fans. I have a good buddy from Minnesota who has made pretty bigt name for himself in the rap game -- (think "god loves ugly.") At any rate, he would be the first to tell you that 75% of rap is made up, taking on a persona just like an actor does in a role.

enough from me, back to my pop corn! I still got mad respect for randall, hell I still got mad respect for THE SCUD Shaprio. Lets not make him the Michael Vick of wakeboarding!

Are you saying that you're friends with Atmosphere? Because that's one hell of a name drop, Andy! :-)

Duh everyone in Minnesota is friends with Slug