Minnesota Wakeboarder: Where do you reside?

Jade: I'm originally from Brainerd, Minnesota, but this past summer I lived in Ramsey, Minnesota. Over the winter I run off to the west coast. Mammoth Lakes, California from November through April.

MW: So how many years have you been riding?

Jade: I've been riding for over 10 years. I don't really remember when I started...whenever wakeboarding was invented.

MW: What was your first board and binding setup?

Jade: Well, I had a skurfer before wakeboarding was around. My first true wakeboard was a Connelly blade runner with some gnarly sandal wraps, super sketchy. It was a single directional board and as soon as the whole twin tip evolution happened we chopped off the nose and made our own fins for it. Those were the days when progression happened all the time. It's so much harder to progress on something so technical.

MW: How about your first towboat?

Jade: 1983 Mastercraft stars and stripes. It was white and black. PIMP. I still had it until 2 years ago.

MW: What places do you usually ride?

Jade: I ride anywhere someone's got a boat. If there's calm water and I don't have a tow, I've been known to walk the shoreline looking for people with wake boats. That's what it takes though to get good, you've got to make it happen.

MW: What’s your favorite spot to ride?

 Jade: Oooohhhh, I can't tell you my favorite place to ride. It's super secret and my friends would kill me for givin' that out. I will tell you that I love the lakes up north though. Anywhere with calm, clear water is a blast.

MW: What’s your board and binding setup?

Jade: My board is a Hyperlite Premier 143 with medium era boots. They're super tight, but I have bad ankles, so I need the tight support.

MW: What’s your towboat of choice?

Jade: Towboat of choice would have to be the Super Air Nautique 210 Rider Edition. Super lippy wake, it sends you into orbit. The Mastercraft X-Star is also a blast to ride behind.

MW: How much weight do you usually ride with?

Jade: I'll put as much as I can in the boat till water is comin' over the side. Like I said whatever it takes.

MW: What speed?

Jade: Between 23 and 27 miles per hour, depending on the boat and conditions. I love going a little faster it's way gnarlier feeling when you're cruisin'.

MW: What’s your rope length?

Jade: My rope length depends on the boat, the speed. I play with the rope length a lot. You gotta' hit that sweet spot in the wake to get the sick height. Anywhere from 70 ft to 95 feet. I've ridden at 105 before, but you have to go like 32 mph and the wake gets small at that speed. My favorite spot to ride behind the Nautique is 85 with about 2,500 pounds + people.

MW: Who are your sponsors?

Jade: My sponsors are Faction board shop in Alexandria, MN, Hyperlite, and Fox Riders co. Hopefully more by this summer.

MW: Since it’s fairly tough to ride all year in Minnesota, what do you do in the off season?

Jade: In my off season, I move to California to work at June Mountain, it's right down the road from Mammoth Mountain. I build terrain parks there. It's pretty much the perfect off season job to get me through the winter. To be honest, it's the only thing keeping me from pursuing wakeboarding year round.

MW: Do you compete at all in wakeboarding in Minnesota?

Jade: Yeah, I compete in Minnesota. I do the Northern Boarders Wakefest every year. That's always fun. We camp out and chill with buddies from other towns. It's dope. I've also done a few of the cash tournaments around. I have also been involved and ridden in the rail jams put on by Fresh Tip Design.

MW: Have you won any events?

Jade: I have won a couple of the rail jams, and I've won the Northern Boarders Wakefest the last two years. I've lost a lot of contests too though. Remember that kids. Good losers make great winners.

MW: What’s your favorite move in your bag of tricks?

Jade: Either the indy tantrum to blind, or toeside sevens. Both are fun, super tech tricks. Also any huge air 180s backside...frontside...switch..doesn't matter 180's are a blast.

MW: Since you are a wakeboard instructor for 10,000 Wake Camps , do you have any general advice for the Minnesota riders getting ready to charge the wake and try that new trick this coming summer?

Jade: My advice for everyone is to put your fear aside. It's scary to try new tricks and it sucks to fall, but you gotta' get it in your head that it's just water, pain is temporary, glory is forever. If you just go for it. A lot of times when I finally try something that's been scary to try I'll land it first try. It's 80 percent mental, 30 percent physical. You do the math. Just don't think about it too much, you'll psych yourself out.

MW: What moves are looking forward to stomping this summer?

Jade: I really wanna' land some clean heelside sevens, toeside nines, and for sure I wanna' learn whirlybird 540s.

MW: What’s the best thing about wakeboarding in Minnesota?

Jade: The best thing about riding in Minnesota is all the chicks out on their boats. I've been living in a mountain town for the last five months and I am definitely missing the Minnesota corn fed cuties. But for real, the clear water, you can't find too many places where the visibility in the water is more than 10 feet. I ride in lakes (in Minnesota) that you can see 30 feet underwater all the time. Remember to keep our lakes blue, once we lose it, it won't come back.

 MW: What’s the best thing about wakeboarding in general?

Jade: The best thing about wakeboarding in general is chillin' on the boat with your best friends and taking sets on glass with the sunset in the background. When you experience that, you reach a higher level of knowledge, in the sense of how much greatness is in nature.

 MW: Any other words of advice for the up and coming Minnesota riders out there?

Jade: Up and comers just persist to ride. No matter what, find yourself a tow. If you want to pursue wakeboarding or anything for that matter, persistence and passion are what you need.

MW: Any shout outs?

Jade: I wanna' shout out to Jason Lybeck from the FACTION. Without you bro none of this whole lifestyle I've been living could of happened. Kris Jedda from 10k wakes, my partner. He's made this whole school thing happen. I suck at paperwork, without you I would be bustin' my butt and getting half as far as we are. Thanks. My brother, he started it all, I'll always look up to him. John Linn from Adventure Advertising, you've been a great example and a great friend; and all of my sponsors, thanks for the hookups, you help me out a ton; and any of my friends, family, or just random people who've given me a tug around the lake.

Keep Minnesota clean and cool, respect our lakes, and the other people who use them. Everyone should get to experience nature like we do, at least once. That includes generations to come. Peace out. Jade Whirley