It’s been a bit over a week since this trip ended but I’m still wishing I was on the houseboat again! Much love and thanks to all the sponsors and people who made it happen! Epic Boats and CWB, the videographers Damon Chaimberlain (Frontside Films) and Spencer Norris (WIT Films), our photographers Sean Watson and Eric Cassano, Kimmy Betts and her lab Emmy for letting us use their houseboat, my mom for bringing our boat up, and all the riders for the driving and entertainment on and off the water! Nick, Robby C, Shawna, Alex Scagliotti, Chris Craig and Derek Cook are who I think of when I think of premium west side riding. To be completely honest, after hearing some upsetting news from the doc the morning before the trip I wasn’t sure if I was going to stay on the houseboat the whole week. Had I known what kind of a houseboat trip I was in for, I would never have thought of leaving for a second. I think I had just as much fun as the rest of the crew did even though I only slayshed around once.
So how does one have so much fun on a houseboat at beautiful Lake Shasta, 2 boats stocked with 4,000lbs of ballast and sunny skies without riding? Part of it might be because some windy days and white caps left some of the riders not riding much more than myself anyway for the first part of the week. It’s also due to the things we did besides wakeboarding like cliff jumping, hiking up a waterfall and sliding down a natural waterslide, jammin tunes with our guitars, and trying to catch catfish (btw Rob discovered tuna and peanut butter taste good together…trust him you’ll love it). But I think that the main reason is the company. Sean Watson described us as comedy central/family reunion and I couldn’t agree more! Looking back on it, I don’t think I would have wanted it any other way. You know you get along really well with people when you can have a blast with them doing things you wouldn’t normally consider “blast-worthyâ€. These such acts included but were not limited to; persistent inside jokes and phrases, slumber partying on top of a houseboat under the stars with howling cold breezes, having 7 people try to paddle an inflatable mattress across a cove at .001mph, and dancing to techno with glow sticks. I had no choice but to listen to 8 dudes talking inane, uncouth content all week, but you know what? It was hilarious and really fun to be around! These are some of the most comical people I know, and I almost want to call them “like my brothers†but they are way too handsome for me to think of them like brothers.
The wind eventually died and we got some EPIC riding in! We even held our own double-up contest in the cove by the houseboat! It really was an awesome week! There were some things that didn’t go at all the way we expected, but we also had fun in ways we never would have expected; more fun than I had hoped. I used to think that this laid back type of atmosphere was a unique part of the west coast, but I’ve realized that it’s actually just a unique part of wakeboarding; or at least it should be. So the next time you might be frustrated by something while wakeboarding, just remember all the friends in the boat that you love and all the other ways to have fun on a lake and take advantage of it!
cheers!
-Rae
 
 
 
 
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