Wednesday, October 22, Shawn Watson was flown out to San Diego by Liquid Force to do a demo for the students as well as fans at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center. And let me tell you, he did not disappoint! Shawn put on two demo rides, first in Seal Bay then we cruised over to Crown Point for another one. The conditions in the bay were ideal Wednesday morning with glass everywhere and the temperature reached the 70s by about 10:00am with not a cloud in the sky. Shawn’s sessions were absolutely unbelievable, you can watch videos all day long but once you see something like that in person it’s a whole another ball game. I got to spend some time with Shawn at the bay and the guy is totally down to earth, humble, and very friendly to everyone he came in contact with. While doing the demos he was riding all new 2009 Liquid Force gear in preparation for the upcoming season, it was awesome being able to get a sneak peak of his new board and bindings set to hit the shelves in a few months. I was able to conduct an interview with Shawn and found out some interesting things that some people didn’t know, but first here’s a quick bio of the man who was shredding like none other.
Name: Shawn Watson
Date of Birth: 09/10/1982
Hometown: Lantana, Florida
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 180 lbs.
Age: 25
Years Pro: 10
Sport: Wake Boarding
Currently ranked 5th in standing – 2008 Wakeboard Tour
Sponsors: Nautiques, Liquid Force, Billabong, Monster Energy, Dragon, Voz Helmets, Performance Ski & Surf
Career Highlights:
2008: Carnival – 1st
2007: Winch Rail Masters – 1st
2006: Pro-Am Wakeboard Championships – 3rd
2004: Pro Wakeboard Tour: Reno – 3rd
2003: Pro Wakeboard Tour: Orlando – 1st
2003: Pro Wakeboard Tour: Detroit – 1st
2003: WWA National Championships – 2nd
2002: WWA National Championships – 1st
2002: Pro Wakeboard Tour: Orlando – 1st
2002: Pro Wakeboard Tour: Irvine – 3rd
2000: WWA National Championships – 1st
1999: Rookie of the Year
Pics!
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Interview:
Question: You have a very unique style of riding, where does it come from?
Answer: Grew up surfing and some of the same moves translated over the wakeboarding.
I put more effort into my style of riding and concentrating on perfection.
Question: Obviously there are plenty of things that people all know about you but can
you tell me something new that people may be interested to learn?
Answer: I really like riding in California. Good weather and fun times, San Diego isn’t
known for it but this place has some great places to ride.
Question: Where in SD do you like to ride?
Answer: Asides from the bay, I like to ride at San V, but unfortunately they closed that
down just recently. Also like to ride at the river as well.
Question: So we know you are Florida born, what is your favorite spot to ride out there?
Answer: I like to ride at my house, its right on Lake Hiawassee in Orlando. No sea walls,
no traffic, and nice conditions year round.
Question: Wakeboarding is a physically demanding sport. What is a key way to stay in
shape for you?
Answer: I just got a personal trainer in the off-season and we’ve been concentrating
heavily on core and back workouts. Those body parts are crucial for
wakeboarding. With the trainer we use no weights either, just a lot weight and
body resistance training.
Question: In what ways do you see the sport changing in the near future?
Answer: Wakeboarding is getting more versatile by having the ability to build pools
anywhere and create insane courses out of nothing. New cable systems are
becoming more popular and running back and forth over rails and jumps is
great. Also, try to get the sport back into the X-Games.
Question: In your opinion…Best new product of the year to look out for?
Answer: Watson Pro Model of course! Look out for the new 2010 line of product that we
are coming out with. New board has a lighter core and new flex patterns and materials.
Question: Any sponsors you would like to thank?
Answer: Liquid Force, Nautiques, Dragon, all of them.
