Drew Danielo and Sean Silveria are two of the most established and recognizable names in wakesurfing. With multiple championships under each of their belts and more hours on a board than most, we felt they were the right people to talk to about the State of Surfing. See what they had to say about it below!
PHASE 5: Hey dudes! So, you two have been around surfing for a while now and have seen a lot of trends come and go. Right off the bat, what are your thoughts on the current state of wakesurfing as a whole? Is it headed in a good direction?
Drew: Great question. Wakesurfing as a sport, I think is here to stay. I know when it was first getting started, we were like the side show for wakeboard events or water festivals. We heard repeatedly it’s just a fad, it won’t last etc etc. In some places they started to try and ban wakesurfing (this is still a battle that is being fought in places). But being a part of Phase 5 since the start and watching the number of boards sold grow each year was a strong indication wakesurfing was not going anywhere. And the reality is there are a lot of younger people wakesurfing and competing, but the majority of our sports are moms, dads and grandparents who are now enjoying these expensive boats and getting in the water and riding! You see all the boat manufacturers now starting to tune boat hulls and models towards wakesurfing specifically. I see nothing at all that shows wakesurfing going anywhere for a long time.
Sean: I think wakesurfing is in a really good spot right now. The level of riding keeps going up every year and the equipment just keeps getting better. The waves behind boats today are so much better than they used to be, which lets riders push tricks and progression way further. At the same time, it’s still a sport that someone can hop in and have fun with their first day behind the boat. That balance is really good for the growth of the sport.
PHASE 5: What about on the contest side of things? We have a lot of different entities putting on events and tours. Do you feel like that many events is a good thing or should they be more streamlined so riders aren’t having to pick and choose which events they can attend?
Drew: I have not been as plugged into the contest scene lately but have been around it since the start and with managing our team I get to keep up with it enough to see the changes. I think current state is headed in the right direction as far as events and organizing them. It is hard when there are multiple organizations running different series of events and I think it forced riders to have to choose which way they wanted to go. So, you end up with the top riders spread out in different organizations. Then you have multiple organizations running their own World Wakesurf Championship (which shouldn’t be happening in my opinion). From what I see now it appears The WWA has really gotten involved and are pushing to bring everything under one roof. They have the Nautique Surf series that has multiple events including the USA Wakesurf Nationals and eventually ends with Masters. More recently they have brought on the World Series of wakesurfing which has been organized by Centurion for a long time and ultimately ends with the Original and longest running World Wakesurf Championship. I think getting events organized all by one governing body helps bring some consistency to events. Having multiple events all over is great and gives more riders a chance to get involved, but you cannot have them all leading to a different World Championship. For Worlds there should only be 1, and everyone shows up and the best rider that weekend is the Champ.
Now the State of wakesurfing contest as far as riders goes - THE TALENT!! Kids are absolutely killing it these days. When I won my last worlds in 2013, we were doing a few 540 shuv it variations, but now a days, if you do not have at least 3 different 5 shuv tricks you can barely ride in amateur. My only hang up is the riding is so technical, everyone forgets about just going big. We still want to see the huge slowly rotated 3 shuv or big spin!
Sean: It’s cool seeing so many events happening because it means the sport is growing and riders have more chances to compete. The downside is when schedules overlap and riders have to choose which events they can make. Ideally it would be nice if things lined up a little better so the top riders could all show up to the same events and really push the level of competition. But overall, more events is still a positive sign for the sport.
PHASE 5: How has the judging at these events evolved over the years and do you feel like it’s kept up with the progression of the sport?
Drew: Judging is hard no matter how you look at it. When I was at the peak of riding, The judges were looking for Difficulty of trick, amplitude, execution and variety. At the time it wa shard because every event someone was doing a new trick and judges woudlnt know how to score it. Then at one point there was talk of a point per certain trick system in the works. REALLY GLAD THAT DIDN’T WORK OUT. Otherwise, it would just be a bunch of robots surfing for points. Judging an event now would be so hard with the tricks they are doing, the speed in which they go from trick to trick and difficulty of the tricks would be so hard to keep up with. I feel they are starting to do a better job with getting qualified judges in the boat. I know guys like Sean Silveira are really helping to impact the judging and educate judges etc. However, at the end of the day judging comes down to a person sitting in the boat watching you ride and giving their subjective score for it. If I am judging, I want to see your tech tricks but go BIG with them because that is what I like. A younger rider judging may like more quick combos from trick to trick etc. So have fun competing but remember including the judges we are all human, there is never a reason to argue or go at a judge or rider. Be respectful.
Sean: Judging has definitely come a long way. In the early days it wasn’t always super clear what judges were looking for, but now there’s a lot more structure with things like difficulty, execution, variety, and overall flow. As tricks keep progressing, judging has had to evolve with it. It’s not perfect and there’s always room to improve, but overall it’s kept up pretty well with how fast the sport is progressing.
PHASE 5: We’re seeing more and more talented riders popping up all over the world. What do you think this surge in talent can be attributed to?
Drew: I think with the growth of wakesurfing and social media we are now starting to see people all over the world that rip. You can go onto IG and type in wakesurfing and almost see someone ripping that you do not know. And some of them REALLY rip! We have a rider from Thailand- Songkrod Jomboon ( BM ) who absolutely kills it. Comes from the flow board background like Sean, and has taken his board riding skills to the boat. 10 years ago, it would have been hard to discover him. Also, I think with the growth in International Events, we are seeing more and more riders be able to get to events and get their name out there. The Nautique Series does 3 big events overseas, The IWWF has really gotten involved with wakesurfing the past couple years, and the CWSA is holding a lot of International events.
Sean: I think the level of talent right now comes from a few things. First, the waves and boats have gotten so much better, which helps riders progress way faster than before. Second, there’s so much content online now. Riders can watch clips, learn tricks, and see what the best riders in the world are doing. And finally, wakesurfing has just grown a lot globally, so you’re naturally going to see more talented riders coming up everywhere.
PHASE 5: Do you feel like this new generation of riders is too focused on “getting sponsored” and not just riding and enjoying the sport? If so, what can be done to try and change that attitude?
Drew: Great question! This could get long for me! HAHA I do not know that I would say they are too focused on getting sponsored, but I think a lot of them are so focused on the competitive side and not enjoying wakesurfing as much. When I was competing, I was riding at least 4 days a week. If it was the week of a contest, I would spend a few runs doing a contest pass and then back to free riding. While free riding I would bang through the contest pass and keep riding. Alot of those days were also spent on a wake skate and having fun behind the boat. Now I feel riders are spending so much of their time behind the boat “rehearsing” a contest run and jamming so many tricks in, there is no time for their own style to show. The younger riders who are watching Jett, John, Sean etc need to be inspired, use those guys for your motivation but always be sure to mix in your own style as well. All three of those guys have their own unique style that is an incredible mix of really tech tricks, cruising and going big. Work on contest runs, but do not make every session revolve around contest riding. Have fun, try tricks, try and do your tricks as Big as possible. As for sponsorships, yes go try and get sponsored. But be real with yourself also. If you are just getting started and have been to 2 events do not contact companies asking for free stuff. That is a turn off for the companies trust me! Also push to ride for companies that you believe in and companies who align with your likes and morals. I never rode for a company that I didn't 100% believe in and would have been willing to support with my own money. Also remember getting sponsored is a two-way deal. It is not you get a package of free gear and then wait a year to contact your sponsor again. It is an agreement that for the product we supply, you will in return actively be representing it in the right ways. Last thing for riders, do not ride for a company just because they will give you free swag. Those deals do not last long and then you look like as rider who just jumps to the next best thing.
And my biggest pet peeve is towards some of the wakesurfing brands - PLEASE STOP GIVING PRO MODELS OUT! Every rider that turns Pro DOES NOT instantly get a Pro Model. I feel you earn your name onto a board. Win a world championship, have a big and active Social media following, Be the rider everyone knows about because you are always willing to help out and be a positive reflection of the sport. A rider with no following and no influence on others will not have people walking into shops to buy their board, it doesn’t help the rider, the company or the sport.
Sean: I do think some younger riders get a little too focused on getting sponsored early on. It’s easy to look at the pro riders and think that’s the goal right away. But really, the best thing you can do is just focus on riding, having fun, and getting better. Sponsors usually notice the riders who are passionate about the sport and putting in the time. If you stay consistent and enjoy it, the opportunities usually come naturally.
PHASE 5: Thanks for chatting with us, guys! Is there anything else you’d like to say about it?
Drew: Wakesurfing is super fun. Get your crew, get out on the boat, crank up the radio and have a blast laughing, joking and shredding. Your best session will come in this atmosphere. Not trying to perfect your contest run! Take someone wakesurfing for the first time, teach them to get up and surf and watch the smile on their face. It will make you feel great and remember why you started wakesurfing. SURF WITH RESPECT TO HOUSES AND BOATS ON YOUR LAKES!
Sean: At the end of the day, wakesurfing is supposed to be fun. The contests and progression are awesome, but the best part is still just getting out on the water with friends and pushing each other to get better. I’m excited to see where the next generation takes the sport.
Leave a comment (all fields required)