3 types of people you should have in your circle

 Let's face it, we are drawn to people like us, to remain in our so called "comfort zone." While I think that this is great and that most of these "comfort zone friends" will be some of your very best friends while other may not, is it possible that they may be holding you back from reaching certain goals in your life?? Kind of a tough question to answer, huh?

Well, take a moment to think about your closest friends, work colleagues, etc. Now, do they fall into one of these 3 categories?

1. Dreamers and the Doers

2. Believers and Thinkers

3. Those who see greatness within you, even when you don't see it yourself.

I'm glad to say that some of my friend would definitely fall into one or more of these categories and I can confidently say that these people are the one's that have had the most positive impact on me and my family. I've got to admit, there's nothing better than a true friend! 

Remember: "It's very important to surround yourself with people you can learn from." ~ Reba McEntire

Keep the dream alive #WildChildStyle ~The Wildchild

Face Your Fears... It's Good for You!

What almost kills you makes you stronger.Extreme sports and dangerous physical challenges boost your mental makeup, finds a new study in the Journal of Health Psychology.

Australian researchers defined extreme sports as those activities that involve “the potential destruction of the physical self”—basically, your ass is on the line. (Think BASE jumping, waterfall kayaking, and big-wave surfing.)

Travis Rice during the Art of Flight

Here’s the good news: You don’t have to jump off a building or surf Mavericks in order to experience the fulfillment outlined in the research. Whether you’re quitting your job to start a new business or simply signing up for a Tough Mudder, if the activity scares the hell out of you, fighting through that fear will provide psychological benefits similar to those observed in the study, Brymer says. Just don’t be reckless. “Do your homework, and make sure you’re physically and mentally prepared.” 

After a series of interviews with 15 experienced extreme athletes—that is, not dead—the study authors found that overcoming intense fear leads to “transformational” changes in confidence and sense of self. Put simply, overcoming physical terror increases life-fulfillment and psychological well-being, the study shows.

When you get down to it, fear stems from a lack of faith in yourself and your ability, explains study coauthor Eric Brymer, Ph.D., a psychologist at Queensland University of Technology. And so when you defeat your fears, you’re proving to yourself that you’re capable—an experience that has major psychological advantages that will ripple throughout your life, he adds.

(Courtesy of Markham Heid http://news.menshealth.com/why-extreme-sports-make-you-a-better-man/2013/04/14/) 

TOP INFLUENCERS IN ACTION SPORTS - WHO DO YOU THINK IS #1

After much debate, the No. 1 spot was awarded to surfer Kelly Slater, the youngest and oldest world champion in ASP history. Though he fell just short of winning a 12th ASP World Tour title when Australian Joel Parkinson earned the coveted award in the second-to-last heat of the season at the Billabong Pipeline Masters in December, Slater still has 11 world titles to his name, which is a full seven more than the next-closest surfer, Mark Richards. Slater has the most event wins in ASP history (51), and in 2012 alone, he notched three tour stop victories. The ASP lists his career winnings at $3,425,705. Not bad for an action sports athlete.

On top of that, Slater is involved with international efforts to conserve ocean ecosystems, and he's donated time and money to help poverty-stricken communities around the world. Slater's list of competitive accolades is innumerable, but perhaps most poignant, at one month shy of his 41st birthday, he shows zero signs of slowing down. He continues to dominate at the highest level of surfing and proves year in and year out that age really is just a couple of digits

Slater may not be world champ this year, and even amid rumors that he's retiring, his influence over surfing and the broader action sports industry is undeniable. Visit a beach, a surf shop or a high school in Southern California, Florida or Brazil, and you'll see hints of Slater's reach. Long after he's done competing -- if that ever happens -- Slater will still be the one people are talking about, the one setting the benchmark for others to follow.

You may not agree with everyone on this list. And certainly, there are names we are missing. But hopefully, we can all agree on this: Action sports would not be the same without the presence of these 50 talented and inspiring people. (Huge shout out to ESPN X Games for creating this list) To check out the full list of action sports athletes visit: http://xgames.espn.go.com/article/8793102/50-most-influential-people-action-sports 

The New 2013 Lineup for Ronix Wakeboards

Check Out Some Sick Deals on 2012 Gear and the Freshness of 2013!

For those of you that may not be too familiar with the Ronix Wakeboard Family, here's a quick history... 

Ronix wakeboards was founded in 2005 with some of the biggest pioneers and riders in the world of wakeboarding. Ronix wakeboards has a Research & Devleopment (aka Shred Crew) with over 100 years of experience in the watersports manufacturing industry and is responsible for much of the cutting edge technology that we see in the sport of wakeboarding, wakesurfing and wakeskating worldwide and most importantly in the Ronix product line. 

Ronix Wakeboards

Ronix wakeboards was founded in 2005 with some of the biggest pioneers and riders in the world of wakeboarding. Ronix wakeboards has a Research & Devleopment (aka Shred Crew) with over 100 years of experience in the watersports manufacturing industry and is responsible for much of the cutting edge technology that we see in the sport of wakeboarding, wakesurfing and wakeskating worldwide and most importantly in the Ronix product line.

Click Here to Check Out the entire Ronix Wakeboard Product Line

Ronix Pro Riders Include: 

• DANNY HARF
• PARKS BONIFAY
• CHAD SHARPE
• ADAM ERRINGTON
• DEAN SMITH
• REED HANSEN
• HAYLEY SMITH
• ERIK RUCK
• MARC ROSSITER
• DIETER HUMPSCH

Wakesurfing Trick List

The following Wakesurf Trick List was compiled by the World WakeSurf Association.

Listed in order of difficulty. Some of these tricks can only be performed on a skim or trick style board, while others can only be performed on a surf or conventional style board. The style of board appropriate for each trick is noted at the end of each line.

Pumping- turning up and down the face of the wake to gain speed. (Both styles)

Stalling- Applying pressure to your back foot to slow down or "stall". (Both styles)

Floater- When a rider and board "floats" on top of the wake. (Both styles)

Lip slide- Just like a floater but the board is sideways. (Both styles)

Spray- gouging into the face of the wake to create the water under you to explode and spray. (Both styles)

Fire Hydrant- Placing one hand on the board and taking your front foot off. (Both styles)

Posing- doing hand and body positions while riding for cool style points. (Both styles)

Hang 5 - Rider extends front foot (toes) over front of board (Both styles). More credit by judges the further forward the rear foot.

Rail Grabs - Grabbing the board's rail while the board is on the wake - one or both hands. (Both styles)

Cutbacks - Bashing off the lip of the wake with the board - the more extreme and risky the better. (Both styles)

Paddle back in - Going to the extreme rear of the wake, throwing down on the board and paddling back in to the power zone. This can also be done by pulling the outside rail of the board to bring it back to the power zone. (Surf style)

Tubing It - Throwing down on the board and sliding back into the tube until covered up - the deeper the better, and then popping out and standing back up on the board. (Surf style)

Switch Stance-Riding with the opposite foot forward. (Both styles)

180 spin - Spinning 180 on the wake - Board and rider spin. (Both styles - more difficult surf style) The video shows first a toeside 180 and then a heelside 180. Both show a regular turn. A blind turn is more difficult.

Airs- Launching off the lip with board into the air and landing back on the wake (toeside or heelside). (Both styles)

One Hand Grab Air - Grabbing one rail of the board while the board is airborne above the wake. (Both styles - more difficult surf style)

Double Grab Air - Grabbing both rails of the board while the board is airborne above the wake. (Both styles -more difficult surf style)

Hang 10 - Rider extends both feet (toes) over end of board (Surf style)

360 spin- Spinning 360 on the face of the wake - Board and rider spin. (Both styles - more difficult surf style)

540 spin - Rider spins continuously 1 1/2 times until he is riding switch stance forward (Both styles - but extremely difficult surf style)

720 spin - Rider spins continuously 2 complete 360's (Both styles - but extremely difficult surf style)

Alley oop air 180- doing an air while spinning 180 the blind direction. (Trick style)

180 air- doing and air and spinning a 180 in the air and landing in with a switch stance. (Trick style)

180 shuv-it - spinning just the board 180 under your feet and landing with the board "backwards". (Trick Style)

900 spin - Rider spins continuously 2 1/2 times until he is riding switch stance forward. (Both styles - but extremely difficult surf style)

360 shuv-it - same as a 180 but you spin the board a full 360 under your feet. NOTE: rider does not spin only the board spins. (Trick style)

Big Spin - Same as a 360 shuv-it only the rider spins a 180 at the same time the board does a 360. (Trick style)

Tricks List Courtesy of:

Go Pro HD - Ride the Wake

There is no way that I couldn't post this footy with the new Go Pro HD! So Sick!

Learn to Wakesurf - Part 2

Wakesurf Tips Part 1

The Takeoff

So where do I begin if you have never tried wakesurfing? Well, if you have ever participated in other board sports, chances are you are going to be able to pick up this sport fairly quickly. As with any board sport, it is going to take some practice before you start rippin' it up in the water. In any case, here are a few tips that might help.

1. First you need to know whether your stance is goofy or regular. Goofy is right foot forward and regular is left foot forward. This is very important because determining your stance is going to determine which side of the boat you are going to be riding on. Riding toe side (aka your toes are facing toward the wake) is the easiest way to start learning. Later on down the road you can switch to riding heelside (aka your heels are facing toward the wake). So if you are goofy footed then you want to start towards the right side of the boat. If you are regular footed, then you are going to want to start towards the left side of the boat. Now that you have your stance figured out and you know which side of the boat you are going to be riding on, you are ready for the next step.

2. The next thing that we are going to look at is the takeoff. I recommend starting about 5 to 10 feet away from the platform. You want the rope to be tight by the time you in this position. If you still have a lot of slack in the rope in this position, you are going to find yourself too far back from where you need to be on the wake. The takeoff itself is very similar to that of wakeboarding. Position your feet in a comfortable position on the board. You want your heels to be resting near the edge of the board and your toes pointed up. When the boat begins to pull you up, you want to put pressure on the board with your heels to bring the board to your feet. As the board flips to the bottoms of your feet, point the nose of your board towards the boat. Staying on your back edge will only cause you to wipe out. Now that you are facing forward on the board being pulled by the rope, edge out into the flats (away from the wake) to get your feet in a comfortable position. Once you are comfortable, begin edging in towards the wake by putting pressure on the board with your toes. As I mentioned earlier, most people have any easier time learning when riding toeside. Once you get the takeoff down, now the fun begins. It's time to find the "SWEET SPOT".

Wakesurf Tips Part 2

Finding the Sweet Spot

The first thing that you have to get used to is the power of the wake. During your first couple of runs you might feel that the board is a little bit unsteady. That feeling will start to go away after you work on your balance and weight distribution on the board.

1. While continuing to hold onto the rope, start to get a better feel for the wake by doing some little carves up and down on the wake. You will notice that as you edge up onto the wake that it will start to push you towards the platform and then as you shift your weight to avoid hitting the platform, you will then notice that you end up on top of the wake or even behind it. Finding the balance in between these points is key. Use the rope to help to pull you into the position where you feel the push from the wake. Ultimately, you want to be able to ride without using the rope but the rope is very helpful when you are first learning to ride on the wake. Once you have a good feel for the power of the wake and the responsiveness of your board, you are probably ready to start working on finding the "Sweet Spot."

2. Pull yourself back in close to the wake where you begin to feel that push forward. Keep in mind that you are only about 5 feet or so away from the platform of your boat. Now is probably a good time to emphasize that wakesurfing should NEVER be done with an outboard motor, only inboard boats specifically designed for wakeboarding and wakesurfing. As you place the board in that spot where you notice that the rope gets some slack in it and you begin to feel that push forward from the wake, you have found the sweet spot. As I said earlier, this is where you want to practice riding while continuing to hold onto the rope. Once you are able to ride for a little while without any help from the rope, throw the rope into the boat and let your endless wave riding experience begin. This is where practice makes perfect. Balance and weight distribution are everything when learning to ride in the sweet spot. If you are constantly blasting towards the platform, put more weight onto your back foot. On the contrary, if you are finding yourself getting pulled to far back on the wake, put more weight onto your front foot. It is a game of balance and is just going to take some time to get it right.

Wakesurf Tips Part 3

Learnin to Shred Like the Pros

Well, my little grommet you have progressed quite well. My only remaining bit of advice that I have for you is Go Shred!!!! I can't tell you enough how great it is to have my own endless wave right here in AZ. Every single person that I have ever taken out on our Malibu becomes instantly addicted to this sport. Give it a try and I'm sure that you too will know exactly why this sport is here to stay! GOOD LUCK!!!!!!

Here's a quick video to take a look at as well:

Learn to Wakesurf - Part 1

Finding the Right Board

Well, when you are first starting out don't worry too much about the board. Howtowakesurf.com does a great job of describing the different types of boards. There are 2 basic styles of wakesurfboards, skim board style and conventional style.

Skimboard style wakesurfboards are thinner and smaller than surfboard styles.

Advantages: Easier for a beginner to get up on. Easier to spin (180s, 360s etc.). Easier to do shuvits. Easier to stow on the boat. More likely to fit into a wakeboard rack. Less tendency to roll and nose dive.

Disadvantages: More difficult to learn to freeride. Boat typically has to go back to get a fallen rider.

Conventional style wakesurfboards are thicker than skimboard styles and have greater buoyancy.

Advantages: Easier to freeride. Will freeride in a smaller wave than a skimboard style. Easier to recover from far back on the wave. More adept at classic surf moves that require bigger turns and cutbacks. Fallen rider can paddle quickly back to the boat (assuming the driver stopped soon after the rider fell).

Disadvantages: More difficult for a beginner to get up on. More difficult to spin. May not be able to do shuvits. Requires special racks to stow on the tower. More difficult to stow in your car without surfboard racks. Some have a significant tendency to roll and nose dive (not all). Shred Stixx boards (for example) do not have this roll and nose dive tendency.

A beginner may have difficulty getting started and standing up upon a conventional style surfboard. The same person may just pop up on the skim board style. They may not freeride as quickly, but they can still have lots of fun lineriding.

There are a lot of great wakesurfboard manufacturers out there. As I said earlier, don't worry too much about the brand of board that you are riding. The most important thing to do at this point is determine what style of riding you are going to focus on and then try out both the skim and conventional style boards. Once you have got your riding style down and have gotten comfortable with a certain style of board, then take a look at which brand caters most to your style.

So What Exactly Is Wakesurfing?

Before I get started on what wakesurfing is, I want reassure all of my readers that anyone can do it! Following these tips and putting in the practice will get you up and riding in no time!

The concept behind Wakesurfing is pretty simple. If you have ever ridden in a boat you have probably seen the wave that it creates behind the boat. The weight from the boat sitting in the water produces two separate waves more commonly known in the water sports world as wakes. It is that very wake that you use to wakesurf.

Using a smaller rope than what is typically used for wakeboarding, skiing, tubing, etc, you pull yourself in front of the wake, typically about 5 to 10 feet from the back of the boat depending on the size of the wake. A larger wake will allow you to surf further behind the boat. There is a special spot on the wake known as the "Sweet Spot." The sweet spot is where the wake or wave has the most power and is the smoothest place to ride. The Sweet Spot allows you to let go of the rope and surf as though you were surfing out in the ocean. It is the coolest feeling when you hit the Sweet Spot for the first time and begin riding the Endless Wave.

Check out the full Wakesurfing Tutorial Here

Check out Wakesurf Central for all your gear.