To get a clearer picture of Clear Lake’s colorful past, we spoke with some of the pros who currently call it home, as well as a few other experts. Current residents include Erik Ruck, Shane Bonifay, Jimmy ­LaRiche, Jeff Langley, Marc ­Rossiter and Collin Harrington (who ­recently moved out in January after living there for 14 years), and experts like former editor of WBM ­Kevin ­Michael, wakeskater Aaron Reed, and photographer Joey Meddock have spent countless hours on its water. The stories are hilarious, but the sentiment remains the same across the board: Living on Clear Lake has a certain vibe unlike any other lake in Orlando, or any other lake in the world, for that matter.

Jeff Langley

THE RESIDENTS

What makes living on Clear Lake particularly unique is the neighborhood built around it and the sense of community that neighborhood gives the riders who call it home. Much of the lake’s residential area is comprised of a series of canals that connect to the lake. From above, the canals look just like streets of water, giving residents backyard access to the main body. By boat or by land, if you live on Clear Lake, your neighbors are literally around the corner. For nearly 20 years a lot of riders have called those canals home — so many, in fact, that naming them all is probably impossible. But when you get a directory as long as Clear Lake’s past and present pros, it’s bound to have a significant impact on the sports.

Erik Ruck

ERIK RUCK:

“I’ve lived on Clear Lake for over 15 years now, and I think one of the coolest things about it is that it’s always been a worldwide refugee camp for wakeboarding and wakeskating misfits. A lot of dues have been paid, and a lot of guys have worked really hard to push themselves and the sport. It’s been really cool for me to watch; I’ve gone from a young rider pushing things myself, to a lake regulator trying to make sure guys are following the rules and staying in their lanes, to an elder statesman enjoying the show. The best part, though, is that everybody living here in the ’hood has always had each other’s backs, and we’ve had a lot of fun along the way.”

Jimmy LaRiche

JIMMY LARICHE:

“It’s pretty crazy to see how generations have come and gone over the years. Even Adam Errington has moved out now and on to other things. Younger guys are starting to move in too. When I first moved to Clear Lake, I was intimidated about doing it because of the pros who’d been living there before me. I was looking at buying one of Daniel Watkins’ old houses, but before I bought it, I called Ruck to basically ask if it was cool if I moved onto the lake. He was the leader of Clear Lake at the time, and I didn’t want to piss him off by being the new kid in town poaching his turf. It was definitely funny going from living in Rusty Malinoski’s pool house in the country to living on Clear Lake. That’s how I learned about wakesurfing and lake parties!”

SHANE BONIFAY:

“I think I’ve lived here 13 years. … Sometimes I lose track — I spent a few in Clermont with Parks — but Clear Lake is part of who I am. The friends I’ve made and the sense of community that is here can’t be replaced or duplicated. Everybody is friends, and wakeboarding is only a phone call away. Or you do what I do and just drive your Jet Ski out to Jimmy’s G23 and make him pull you whenever you see his boat out on the lake.”

Marc Rossiter

THE ‘HOOD

One of the defining characteristics of Clear Lake has more to do with where it’s located rather than who lives there. Just south of downtown Orlando, the main residential area of Clear Lake is less than 1 mile from the Orange County Jail, and much of the surrounding neighborhood is affectionately called “the ’hood.” While we’ve never heard stories of riders feeling totally unsafe or sketched out, let’s just say you wouldn’t want to get lost finding your way to Clear Lake at late hours of the night.

COLLIN HARRINGTON:

“Your view of Clear Lake all depends on which way you come into the Isle of Catalina where most of the houses are on the canals. You either come in the main entrance off the main road, and everything seems fine, or you come in off a side street and you pass some really sketchy gas stations and shops, and you feel like you’re in the middle of the ghetto.”

JIMMY LARICHE:

“If you ever have any industry people over to Clear Lake for the first time, like at Surf Expo or anything, they can get pretty wigged out. It’s funny, ’cause on one side you’ve got the ghetto, and on the other, just a few minutes away, is one of the nicest malls in Orlando with a bunch of great restaurants. The worst part is that Carl (Jimmy’s yellow Lab) howls at police sirens, and we hear those a lot …”

Tony Carroll

THE LIFE

Because of the structure of Clear Lake’s neighborhood on the canals, life there for the riders is tight-knit and fun-loving. There are always guys to hang out with, and there is always something to do. But beyond hanging out and neighborhood vibes, Clear Lake is famous (and infamous) for some of its extracurricular activities. Much of the shenanigans in recent years have been documented via social media but, truth be told, the parties of today don’t hold a candle to those of yesteryear.

KEVIN MICHAEL:

“Clear Lake is notorious for its parties, more so than any of the other Orlando lakes with multiple riders living on them. Shane Bonifay has had at least 40 birthday parties on Clear Lake. He’s not even 40, but he’s had at least 40 parties.”

SHANE BONIFAY:

“My birthday has always been the kickoff party of the season, of sorts. And it’s somehow become legendary. I don’t even invite or ask people to come anymore, it just happens every April 4. It’s my ­favorite things all combined in one day: Clear Lake, ­wakeboarding, friends, sun and partying.”

ERIK RUCK:

“The early days of Clear Lake are lucky there wasn’t social media to document the shit show. I’m glad that we can just keep those as memories. But there have been some epic get-togethers out here. Feet on Fire was an annual barefoot contest Dan-O used to host when he lived with me. He and Watkins would get athletes from the wake, water-ski and show-ski worlds to come out, compete and have fun. Everybody looked forward to them, and it created a cool sense of community. And the after parties — and during parties — were pretty all-time.”

JIMMY LARICHE:

“My favorite party ever anywhere was the goodbye party we threw for Daniel Watkins when he and his family were moving back to Australia full-time. He was a legend in wakeboarding, obviously, but also a huge part of the Clear Lake community. We wanted to surprise him, so I had 50 or 60 people come hang out at my house while a couple guys took him out on a pontoon boat for ‘one last hangout cruise.’ Of course, the pontoon broke down while they were on the lake, and he arrived at my house two hours later than planned, so everybody there was already in full party mode, but when he came in, he was so surprised and started crying. We had a hell of a celebration that night. I’ll never forget it.”

THE RIDING

What it always comes back to for our sports, though, is the riding, and Clear Lake has seen more than most. In fact, it could easily be argued that Clear Lake has more media coverage than any other body of water. From covers of magazines to video sections to dumb ­Instagram posts of bass fishing by riders not riding, Clear Lake has been part of everything. In fact, Clear Lake has played a more important role than most casual fans probably realize.

AARON REED:

“Thomas Horrell was the first rider to move onto Clear Lake, and that was right as Cassette was getting started and growing in the early 2000s. We spent a lot of time out there. The majority of ­Sfumato was filmed on Clear Lake, and a lot of firsts went down there, so there is a lot of wakeskating history there. Danny Hampson did the first frontside flip, Thomas did the first frontside big spin, I did the first backside big spin — all the lines in the video, all on Clear Lake. What was funny looking back is that was right when all the Pointless guys were in their heyday too. They’d all come out onto the lake to party and wakesurf and send rollers everywhere. Thomas would get so fired up, and in typical Thomas fashion, it was pretty comical.”

SHANE BONIFAY:

“A lot has gone down on Clear Lake over the years. All the rails, all the photo shoots; there’s too much to list. But two things that stand out to me are Parks’ Double or Nothing and filming for Box of Fun. Double or Nothing was right at a time when guys were really charging off double-ups and doing cool stuff. That contest was fun and really progressive. And Box of Fun was just like it sounds. Making that video with all the Clear Lake crew was a blast.”

There are a lot of factors that come together to make Clear Lake the special, weird, iconic, fun-loving, ghettoish place it is. From its location and construction, to the riders who have ridden on it for the past 20 years, Clear Lake has seen a lot and provided even more for the progression and fun of wakeboarding and wakeskating. While generations of superstars and grind-it-out riders come and go, one thing will never change, and that is the lake itself and the sense of opportunity it provides for those looking to chase a dream in the Mecca of wakeboarding.

ERIK RUCK:

“Clear Lake can do two things for your career: It can either catapult it quickly, or it can trap you in the downtown scene. From there, you have a choice about what you want to do. Some guys have chosen wisely. Others, not so much.”

The post Clear Lake appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Being landlocked in Orlando oftentimes doesn’t feel like being landlocked at all. With the vast amount of lakes and time spent on the water, it’s easy to neglect the fact that we’re completely shut off from the world’s largest entity: the ocean. The lakes provide us with a constant; they’re our comfort zones. So, what if we separate ourselves from that comfort zone, even if by only a short distance? What would we discover? On this particular adventure, we discovered Bimini, the Bahamas’ westernmost island. But our trip wasn’t simply about the destination; it was about the journey, about venturing out. Sometimes people forget that’s the half of it. When the last remnants of shore trickled out of view, that’s when the magic took hold.

Our journey began at Key Biscayne with the Yamaha 212X in tow. Danny Hampson, Collin Harrington, Bryan “Bear” Soderlind, Derek Cook and myself arrived at the launch, where Danny’s dad, Tim, met us in his Contender, appropriately named Reef Freak. He would make the trek with us, acting as a guide and rescue if something went wrong. It’s no secret that there was apprehension; there was a part of us that didn’t know if we could do it. Our plan did consist of crossing the Gulf Stream in a 21-foot jet boat, after all, and the weather hadn’t been ideal. Just the day before, we were cruising around the canals of West Palm Beach, watching 30 mph winds rip across the water while somewhat nervously making jokes about the journey that lay ahead. After countless weather checks, we had determined our window for making the crossing was narrow, and we set out a plan to leave early Tuesday morning. With Miami’s skyline behind us and only ocean ahead, we were off on our 50-mile cruise to Bimini.

As we made our way across the Gulf Stream, these three words resonated through my mind: Life is good. There’s something about being out on the open ocean that creates a sense of vulnerability that is almost comforting. I grew up on the Gulf of Mexico, where trips to the barrier islands were a weekly, sometimes daily, ritual. My brothers and I started ­exploring the Gulf’s coastline from the time our hands were big enough to operate the 25 horsepower motor on the tinny that sat afloat in our marsh. Being surrounded by salt water is where I feel most at home, so despite any previous doubts about our journey, I immediately felt at ease as we open-throttled across international waters and into the blue.

Eyes wide and mouths silent, we stared in disbelief at the beauty that surrounded us. It had happened so fast: Deep shades of sapphire swirled around us for the better part of two hours when, just like that, the water burst into a pigment that words cannot accurately describe. Cerulean ripples as far as the eye could see and a warm hue on the palm-clad sandy shores greeted us. It was as if the island were showing off with a display of saturation overload. You should have seen our faces — we were stupefied at the beauty of it all. The waters along the shores of Uluwatu, Tulum, Rio de Janeiro, Sardinia and Tamarindo would have had color envy at the sight of it. Yet, only 50 miles from home, there we were. We had arrived somewhere in between heaven and Earth, where the layers of intermingled greens and blues of the ocean almost didn’t seem real. And of course, we couldn’t get in it quickly enough.

The island of Bimini is revered for its world-class fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling and pristine beaches. We came for this, yes, but we really came to test the salty waters and discover worthy lines. As you can see from the images printed on these pages, we succeeded in finding stunning locations, in which Bear shot incredible photos. Oftentimes, photos don’t fully grasp the beauty that’s present, but when you have Bear as the photographer, that isn’t the case. Bear has a way of capturing time and place in a way that evokes emotion — I think it’s because he so much values and respects what he’s shooting, whether that be a person or a destination.

Ten miles south of Bimini, next to the small island of Cat Cay, we discovered the most surreal riding spot. Surrounded by palm trees, rocky shores and white sand, the shallow, milky-blue lagoon was a photographer’s dream. The depth couldn’t have been more than 3 feet in some parts, but with the 212X, anything was possible. Perhaps that statement sounds forced, but truly, having this boat on the trip was the difference between can and can’t. Without it, these riding shots would not exist. The fact that the 212X doesn’t have a prop was a huge advantage. That, coupled with the built-in depth finder, made it easy to ­navigate the shallow shores of the surrounding cays and create unique, atypical lines.

As you can well imagine, the conditions weren’t the best. Choppy salt water mixed with shallow depths meant having wakes that many riders would turn their noses up to. For this, our crew couldn’t have been better. Danny, Collin and Derek are all the type that will ride anything, and they’ll ride it well. This was my second time on a ­Yamaha Boating trip with Danny and ­Collin, and being around these two and their dynamic personalities is incredibly amusing. As the face of Yamaha‘s wake division, Danny is the one to thank for this trip coming to fruition yet again. On a wakeskate or strapped in, Danny has an unmistakable quick-paced, explosive style. Apart from riding, Danny recently slipped into the world of real estate, and throughout our trip, we watched in awe as he closed deals while simultaneously strapping on his board, driving us back to shore, or casually sunbathing. The entertainment value was at an all-time high, and Collin, equipped with his drone, RED and multiple GoPros, came along to capture it all.

When searching for an additional rider to join us on this trip, Derek Cook was a no-brainer. Derek is an OG West Coast Rider whose unique style is representative of what boat riding can and should look like, and his down-for-anything attitude proved to be an asset in the ­not-so-perfect Bimini conditions. There are few riders who can hit double-ups as ­consistently as Derek; it’s safe to say that 75 percent of the hits he took on this trip were ­double-ups, and successful double-ups at that. He taught Danny the art of driving figure-eight ­double-ups, where you hit one after the other without waiting for the rollers to dissipate. This made for an incredibly entertaining viewing experience and even more ­visually appealing images.

When the guys had exhausted themselves from riding, we took advantage of the island’s other treasures with the help of Danny’s dad, Tim, who acted as our personal guide. Tim has been making frequent trips to Bimini for decades and knows the place like a true local. In fact, many of the locals actually know Tim. There’s no better way to travel to a new destination than with someone who knows it well, and Tim provided that for us. One of the many places Tim brought us to is a well-known shipwreck, the SS Sapona. Today, the shipwreck is a popular fishing and diving site, but legend has it that it was used during the Prohibition era for rum-running to and from Florida. Using a rope positioned above a vicious-looking piece of steel (sorry Mom), we managed to hoist ourselves up to the top deck and subsequently made the leap into the salty water below. When we felt we had cheated tetanus one too many times, we moved on to snorkeling, spearfishing, and swimming with the stingrays, and we ended each day pleasantly covered in salt with a Kalik in hand.

We each have our own idea of paradise. Upon setting sights on the perfection that is Bimini, we couldn’t argue that this mirrored our dream. We had entered a world so close to home but so far from the norm. Fifty miles — the distance from Miami to ­Bimini — is all it took. That journey — those mere 50 miles — catapulted us into a sort of utopia. Paradise is closer to home than you think. Sometimes all it takes is stepping out of your day-to-day and searching for it.

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In the fourth episode of “Into the Blue” the weather had finally caught up to us. We woke up to a strong wind that made it near impossible to find any good water for riding. Fortunately for us, right next to our hotel was a protected quarry with decent conditions. Although the turns were tight and the wind was blowing, we made it work and the guys had a really fun couple of sets.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

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In the third episode of “Into the Blue” we had a full day of activities and adventures in beautiful Bimini, the Bahamas’ western-most island. We spent the day wakeboarding, wakeskating, snorkeling, swimming with stingrays, spearfishing, and exploring the S.S. Sapona, a well-known shipwreck. And when the day was done, we headed to a local spot to grill up the fish we had caught earlier that evening.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

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In the second episode of “Into the Blue” our crew made the crossing from Key Biscayne to Bimini, the Bahamas’ western-most island. The weather held up for us, and the Yamaha 212X performed amazingly as we jetted across the Gulf Stream. As soon as we arrived and saw the crystal clear water, we couldn’t get in it quickly enough.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into the Blue – Ep. 2 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

The first episode of “Into the Blue” was shot the day before we made the crossing and features a really unique and not widely known riding spot in West Palm Beach. Despite 30mph winds, the protected canals provided us with really great riding conditions, and exploring this area was a great way to start our trip.

Be on the lookout for the full story on our Bimini trip with photos from Bryan Soderlind in our August 2017 issue.

The post Into The Blue – Ep. 1 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Check out the other Coastal Cruising episodes!

Episode 1 >>
Episode 3 >>
Episode 4 >>

The post Yamaha’s Coastal Cruising – Ep 2! appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Video by Collin Harrington.

The post Daniel Grant appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Shot on the GoPro Hero4 Session

Produced: Collin Harrington

Music: Jonathan Tyler “Hallelujah”

Other wakeboarders: Chris O’shea , Adam Errington

Other skydivers: Carlos Briceno, Pepe Colombari

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The post Pick-A-Trick and Grab It: Collin Harrington appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.