Bailey Rush has been making a name for herself over the last few seasons. Hailing from Canada, Bailey trains as often as she can which means braving cold water a lot of the time. With such a short season up north, it’s impressive how quickly she has progressed! To the level of winning multiple contests and being named the 2023 WSWC Female Wakesurf Rider of the Year! We caught up with Bailey to see what she’s been up to and what she has planned for the future. Check it out below!
PHASE 5: Hey Bailey! How’s 2024 been treating you so far? It looks like you’ve been down in Florida escaping the cold a good bit!
Bailey: 2024 has been great so far! It was so nice to travel in February to the P5 Regatta, and then again in March for Spring Break!
PHASE 5: For those who don’t know you, tell us a little bit about yourself. Where you’re from, when you started wakesurfing, what other hobbies you have, that sort of thing!
Bailey: I am a teacher from Ponoka, Alberta! I first tried wakesurfing at the end of summer 2016 on a friend's boat and was instantly hooked! I used to be a competitive figure skater - I coach both figure skating and wakesurfing! I also love quadding, snowmobiling, and being outside.
PHASE 5: What’s the best thing about riding up in Canada?
Bailey: We don’t have any harmful critters like alligators or snakes in our water because my lake is frozen for 8 months of the year!
PHASE 5: I bet this answer is pretty obvious but what about the worst?
Bailey: My lake being frozen for 8 months of the year, of course! The ice melts in the middle of May, it finally warms up in the middle of June, July and August are nice, then September gets very cold and the boat has to go out by the end of the month.
PHASE 5: Wow, that’s a quick season! You took home top honors in skim and surf last year at the CWSA World Championships in Seoul, South Korea. How was that whole experience?
Bailey: Competing at and winning Worlds in South Korea was one of the best experiences I’ve had as that is always the goal of every athlete. The atmosphere was so positive and I got to meet so many incredibly talented people. It was an unreal feeling that I will always cherish being the first female to do it in both.
PHASE 5: What were some of your other highlights from the 2023 season?
Bailey: Definitely traveling to Switzerland and England with Jolene Allen and taking top spots in Pro skim and surf.
PHASE 5: What are your plans for the 2024 season?
Bailey: Competing and traveling when I can, along with continuing to coach!
PHASE 5: Do you prefer surf or skim? Why?
Bailey: I couldn’t decide which I liked more, which is why I do them both! I like them both for different reasons. I like how smooth and flowy skim is - the way I can connect my tricks. For surf, I like how different and complex the timing of tricks is due to the fins and how visceral it is.
PHASE 5: Thanks for chatting with us, Bailey! Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Bailey: Thank you so much! I am so thankful for the support of my Phase 5 family- they are truly the best!
Leave a comment (all fields required)