There are so many talented wakeboarders in the world that it can be overwheming to try keep up with them all. We've done the work for you and selected a list of 10 riders that everyone should be paying attention to this year. If you've never heard of anyone on this list, you better catch up quick!
ON THE BOAT:
Harley Clifford
"The Phenom"
Harley should be a no-brianer unless you've been living under a rock for the past five years, during which Harley's been dominating. It seems like every year he's landing a new trick no one has ever landed before and it wouldn't surprise us to see him land a few 1260's or some double-mobes this year. Don't take your eye off him when he's on the water.
If you just got into wakeboarding last year, you might not know who Mike is, as he missed the entire season with a knee injury.
Back before Mike was injured, he was the only other rider throwing double-flips in competition and giving Harley a run for his money. This year is Mike's come-back year and we all know he's not going to hold back. Don't miss the last three tricks in this video!
2015 is going to be Cory's rookie season but he sure doesn't ride like one. He's already made his mark in wakeboarding becoming the youngest rider to land a 1080 wake-to-wake and the youngest rider to land a double-flip wake-to-wake.
He just beat Harley at the World Cup stop in Mandurah and it looks like Cory might have the potential to be the first rookie to win King of Wake. Watch out Harley!
Massi is by far the best wakeboarder to ever come out of Italy and he's been working hard this off-season to progress his riding and adding more style to every trick. He just released a video of one of the sickest looking rewind tricks we've ever seen and we can't wait to see what else he has in store for this summer!
Shota is an incredible rider with incredible style. He podiumed in 5 of the last 6 competitions of 2014 and in the last one he became the first rider to land a regular 1080 in competition. Be sure to pay attention when Shota is on the water as he's getting better and better every year!
Honorable Mentions: Tony Iacconi and Noah Flegel: These two riders killed it in their rookie season last year finishing the season ranked #7 and #10 in the King of Wake standings respectively. Don't be surprised to see either one of these talented riders on the podium this year!
ON THE CABLE:
Daniel Grant
"Turtle"
Daniel has been one of the top cable riders for years now but he's still only 17 years old. He's one of the most entertaining riders to watch as he's known for going bigger than everyone else and in one competition last year he went so big that he landed on shore! So... yeah... that happened.
Aaron broke onto the scene last year and blew people's minds as he won Wake Park World Series in the features division. He has very similar style to Daniel Grant as he tends to go big no matter what trick he's doing. Last year he threw down one of the largest grabbed backside 9's anyone had ever seen, earning him a second place finish next to, yeah... Daniel Grant.
Yonel is the younger brother of Julian Cohen, to which he has to thank for how good he's become. Yonel almost became the first rider to land a 1260 in competition last year, but time had expired just before he landed it.
Yonel is only 16 years old and he's got more style than anyone ever did at his age. If you get a chance to meet him or his brother, don't be afraid to say "hi", as they're some of the friendliest guys you'll ever meet.
I don't think anyone has ever seen Chandler frown. He has an unconditional love for wakeboarding and if you've ever seen him free-ride, you might re-think everything you thought you knew about wakeboarding. He's one of the most entertaining riders to watch and doesn't seem to be afraid to try anything.
He's also rumored to be dating Steve Irwin's daughter so... I guess he doesn't have to worry about crocodiles.
If you love rail riding, Graeme won't disappoint you. He won Wake Award's "Rail Rider of the Year" last year and and he did really well in the first competition of 2015 making it to finals after edging out Chandler Powell.
Also keep an eye out for some video edit's of Graeme as he's known for releasing quite a few each year and every one is impressive.
Honorable Mentions: Busty Dunn: Don't let his size fool you. At only 110 lbs Busty is one of the best "spinners" in the world having landed multiple 1260's and backside 1080's. Watch closely, because he might just land one in competition this year! James Windsor: There isn't anyone who competes more than James and he does it well. He landed on the podium in 9 of the 24 contests he competed in last year and he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.