Author: wakecarro

Spending the summer here has been the best decision ever. Not only because of the frozen yoghurt place down the road or the sweet pool in our backyard but because of all the amazing wakeboarding that is everywhere. Besides progressing my own riding, both behind the boat and thanks to Hyperlite at OWC, being surrounded by the best in the business has helped me so much to understand this industry. The more I understand, the more I like it 🙂

One person has helped me more than anyone out here and you might have guessed but that person is Nicola. I am so grateful for everything she’s taught me this year, from new tricks and how to approach sponsors to how to cook some banging tofu. Here’s a mini edit she made for me, thanks a million, best room-mate and friend ever!!

 

China!! We made it! After a L O N G flight from Detroit we finally landed in Beijing and after getting accustomed to the chinese way of traveling by train we made it with our board bags to the hotel.  Nicola, myself, Melissa, Brad and Daniel decided to fly here two nights early to get accustomed to the time difference and check out what China has to offer.

We started off by heading to the forbidden city which was so incredible! I was blown away by the size off it and even though I’ve actually visited Beijing once before when I was really young, it still felt like the first time. My fellow friends had all brought skateboards and to not get left behind I spend $5 on renting a bike and biked around Beijing with the rest of them. We did get about as many stares as Aliens being 4 Americans and one Swede out and about in the big city.

After a quick noodle lunch we started our mission to try and get to the Great Wall. With several Taxis turning us down, no-one to speak english with and trying to get 5 people in one cab we finally got one guy who told us he would take us there! After a cheerful 30 minutes in the cab he stopped at what was definitely not the wall and said “we’re here!”. After all of us trying to speak English, Swedish, Mandarin and sign language to get him to take us to the wall he answered by taking our money and driving off.

By now it was way after lunch-time and we we’re starting to get a bit stressed since the last entry of the wall was meant to close at 4pm. Stranded in the middle of no-where with no idea where to go we started to get desperate and out of luck we find the one guy who could translate for us! Piling into another cab and again getting cheerful we went off only to get stuck in what we called “The Great Trafficjam of China”. The trip which was meant to take about one hour and a half turned out to be close to three hours and we were all sweating since our cab didn’t have any AC. After getting deliriously high of the fumes from the passing trucks and going from hysterically laughing to yelling at each other we F I N A L L Y made it to the wall and it was all worth it!!! The wall was one of the most amazing sites I’ve seen in my 23 years on this planet, I can’t believe what humans are capable of building!

Anyways, this morning we flew into Linyi and just had our test rides. The comp starts tomorrow and we ride our semi’s around 11 I believe. I’ll keep you posted 🙂

Every year, this is one of the events I look forwards to the most! In wakeboarding you always compete on your own but when we free ride it feels more like a team. You get coached by your friends, you get cheered on and even your boat driver can help you landing new tricks by driving the boat in a certain way. That is why Chill and Ride is such a great event as it is the only contest where you compete as a team! You register your own boat and your own crew and then you drive in front of the judges who are all on shore.

This year I was in a team with my friend and fellow World Cup rider Lucas Langlois, the UK National Champion Jorge Gill and our friend (and cheerleader) Adam Deegan. Presented with an X25 from Wake2Wake Killerfish Wakeboard school (and the biggest bottle of champagne) our stoke was wayy up there after our rides. The whole team killed it and I was so proud of the guys, especially Adam who threw a couple of fist pumps! We ended up on a second place in the team challenge which was followed (as always) by a great party.

The next day it was time for our individual contests but we still had the whole team in the boat cheering each other on. Pro women was first up and, as always, I was super nervous. For this run though, I didn’t have to be as I was thrilled to discover everything felt good and I stuck my whole pass right up til the last trick where I crashed on a Moby Dick.

While the judges were debating we lingered in our wetsuits and after a few minutes it was clear that Maja, Megan, Sian and myself had made it to the next round. I was so thrilled not only to make it into the finals but to proceed as top seed!!

Now, this is where I need to do some work. Being top seed meant starting last and after watching the other girls, especially Sian Hurst, go out and throw amazing runs something happened in my head. I still felt good with butterflies in my stomach and ready to do just what I had done one hour earlier. The music was pumping and the speaker announced that it was my turn when the boat started driving into the course. I started throwing my tricks down and my mind was telling me, you got this! Then all of a sudden, on a trick I never normally fall on; I stacked it. My mind was in surprise, what had just happened? My team-mates in the boat came around to pick me up as you are allowed one fall in wakeboarding and can still continue your run. They told me not to worry about it but to just do my pass, I could still make it. Reassured by their cheers I got up again and felt the confidence return to my stomach. OK, Second pass. I started getting my tricks dialed again and once again the good feeling came back, I got this! Then, on the same trick, BAM, fall. over. done.

The disappointment hit me like a big blow in my stomach. Why did I fall on a trick that I consider “easy”? Before I started with yoga something like this would have made me feel really bad about myself and I could feel the similar old thoughts come creeping “you suck Carro” “that was terrible” “Why did you even come here”. (Wow this post just turned way more personal than I intended.) Anyways, now I recognize those thoughts, I know what they will tell me when I don’t preform my best by the difference yoga has taught me is that I don’t need to let them define me. Sure I was disappointed and sure I had a bad run, but that doesn’t make me a bad person.

To be fair I don’t even know if I would have won even if I would have landed my run because Sian rode so well, but it’s always more fun to do your best. So after being a bit disappointed and getting hugged by my team I opened a beer and got ready to cheer for them instead. You can choose where to put your focus, if you want to focus on the bad stuff or just move on and let it slide off you.

Anyways the rest of the team did great and I was pumped for Jorge to make it to the podium. Lucas got 5th and I ended up taking the second spot so I guess that really isn’t too bad after all 😉

In the end this was such a fun contest, packed with people good vibes and A LOT of wakeboard boats. I can’t wait to come back next year!

 

PHOTOS BY : PASCAL ISLER

Off to France for a few days to ride before Chill N Ride! Soo excited but started by missing my flight and spending 7 hours, two coffees and a cinnamon roll in the airport 😉 I’ll update you more once I’m there!

xx

So as most of you might already know, I didn’t make it through in my semi heat so tomorrow (friday) I will be riding in the LCQ. I was happy with sticking my first ever s-bend in a competition though and it’s so fun and challenging to compete in a discipline outside your comfort zone. Life is all about experiences and I feel like I’m gathering hundreds by being here!

Stoked on team Swedens Jeremia making it through his LCQ today though, so proud of my little brother from another mother 😉