Nestled atop a hill overlooking the Carnation Valley region of Washington state, Radar Lake was one of the first private, man-made ski lakes in the world. The land was ­originally bought and developed by Herb O’Brien in 1972, and since then, the legend (and envy) has only grown exponentially. Because Radar Lake is most often described as indescribable, we figured it would be best to hear about it from the lucky guys who have been able to visit it over the years. Oh, and if you’d like to ride there one day, you’re probably going to have to keep dreaming …

“There is this special feeling when you’re at Radar that’s unlike anywhere else I’ve been in the world. Once you go through those gates and you’re on the grounds, it’s like time stops and nothing else matters. Whatever you had going on in the real world doesn’t become a concern anymore; you’re just at this magical lake, taking advantage of everything it has to offer. Of course, you can’t say enough about everything that’s gone down there: the video sections, the photos, the progression. But for me, Radar is about that feeling.” — Parks Bonifay

“Radar Lake is a magical place with a lot of nostalgia. It has had a profound impact on all of towed watersports, not just wakeboarding. I consider myself really lucky to have been able to go there as much as I have over the years. My favorite memories are usually just the vibes that come with being there with the boys, but one that really stands out is when I won Trick of the Year in 2011 with the step-up gap we built. Herb was there watching all of us ride, and he was really in tune with what was going on. After any of us hit it, he would talk to us about how it felt and what we were thinking. That was really special to me.” — Erik Ruck

“When I first went to Radar Lake, it was nothing like I expected. Photos don’t even do it justice because of how unique it is. The trees, the views … it’s unreal. ­Radar Lake is really Herb’s dream lake that he created out of nothing. Its story is really almost unbelievable. Knowing the history of Radar and what it has done for watersports over the years, it’s really special for me to have been a small part of that. We’ve done a lot there to push wakeboarding — all the crazy rails, gaps, stunts and stuff — that is really cool to look back on.” — Danny Harf

The post The Dream: Radar Lake appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

ORLANDO, Fla. (September 4, 2014) – Every year the best riders around the globe descend upon Orlando, Florida, to find out who are the best in wake. Fans and pros alike gather to find out who and what will be celebrated as the most noteworthy accomplishments of the past 365 days.

Full-length videos made a huge resurgence and new tricks in the sport were abundant as the season progressed. Athletes gave it their all to show the world and each other what they are made of, hoping to take home one of the coveted awards at the ceremony boasting the best in the business.

“Each year the Wake Awards bring everyone out to celebrate accomplishments, have fun with friends and hand out some hardware in the process,” said Shawn Perry, editor-in-chief of WAKEBOARDING___ Magazine. “Obviously, this year has been exciting and heavy for the entire sport and we were thrilled that everyone here at _WAKEBOARDING Magazine could put together this event and give back to the sport.”

The list of winners in their respective categories include:

Check Out Award – Ben Leclair

Best Women’s Rider – Meagan Ethell

Best Wake Park Rider – Daniel Grant

Best Rail Rider – Graeme Burress

Best Photographer – Bryan Soderlind

Best Video Part – Wakeskate – Andrew Pastura / Aaron Pastura – Human Rocket

Best Video Part – Wakeboard – Chris Abadie / Patrick Wieland – Drop The Gun

Best Web Video – JD Webb / Spencer Norris – Another One Down

Best Wakeskater – Andrew Pastura

Industry Icon – Herb O’Brien

Best Video – Drop The Gun – Patrick Wieland / Shredtown

Best Wakeboarder – Harley Clifford

Indmar Trick of the Year – Wakeskate: Ben Horan, Varial Heel

Indmar Trick of the Year – Wakeboard: Brad Smeele, Double Indy Tantrum to Blind

Special thanks to our 2014 Wake Award Sponsors:

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This last week we lost a monumental figure in the water sports industry. Herb O’Brien passed away after a long battle with kidney complications. Herb was one of water sport’s biggest visionaries from slalom skiing, wakeboarding, the endless amount of revolutionary products, and the wonderland for all water men known as Radar lake.

I was lucky enough to be able to work with Herb on many boards over the years. Just watching his eyes light up, and the excitement in his voice when you would report back about a new shape or a new core, new bindings or any R&D related matter. You could just feel the passion that he had for this sport and it radiated through out everyone he worked with. Creating cutting edge technology was his game and he was on top. It was an amazing experience when the whole team got together and you could see the admiration that we all had for Herb, we all knew that it was a privilege to call him a boss and a friend.

One of Herb’s greatest, and most legendary creations is Radar Lake. Greats like water skier Bob Lapoint, all the way to Danny Harf, have changed what is considered possible on the water at Radar. One thing I will never forget is when we were filming for Defy and we were hitting the step up pool gap. Herb was out there pool side up in the mix getting as pumped up as all of us watching wakeboarding’s limits being pushed. It was awesome, when you were done riding he would walk up to you and ask, “so what did ya think”? You just knew he was enjoying it as much as we were.

So thank you Herb, for being the dreamer who’s dreams have enabled all of our dreams to come true!

Words: Erik Ruck

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