Heading in the Right DIRECTION

I had a chance to catch up with Justin Bowers of Direction Boards while at the Collegiate Wake Series Beaumont stop. Direction came down to support all the collegiate teams in the region while getting to show off all their gear.
Direction is based out of Clear Lake, TX where Justin started the company in his garage with 3 cans of spray paint, a few skate deck he got for his seventeenth birthday, and the dreams induced from the spray paint fumes.

Let’s start out with the most important question of this year:

Q: Are you excited the NBA lockout is over and basketball players now get to make more money?

Justin: Yep, it is sure a rich man’s sport now. Most people can’t afford to attend the games or buy team merchandize. How can they ask for more money? It is an insult to the fans.

And now to the other questions:

Q: What made you start Direction?

Justin: After painting my first boards, and then creating screen printed T-shirts that were popular with my friends, I decided to start a real company. By the time I graduated from Clear Lake HS, several hundred shirts and boards could be seen around town.

Q: In what “Direction” are you looking to go with your company?

Justin: I hope to get into all board sports. This would include wake, surf, snow, and skate. I have been working on a clothing line to go with my boards. So that will be my next “Direction.”

Q: Are you just focused on Texas right now? Or other states too?

Justin: We mainly focus on Texas but have a few East and West Coast orders. Texas is the place to be for all action sports. We’ve got cable parks popping up as well as skate parks. There are miles of concrete for longboarding and plenty of decent waves to surf on throughout the state.


Q: You make wakeskates and skateboards currently. Do you plan on other board sports as well?

Justin: We just got our first longboard prototype. By summer we plan to also feature a surfboard line.

Q: What is your favorite part about your company?

Justin: Interacting with the riders and seeing them with my boards, shirts, and hats. The riders inspire me to keep moving toward better and more exciting products.

Check out Direction Boards website to see what else they are doing www.directionboards.net . We appreciate the support of the wakeboarding and Empire Wake.

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Hula Boat Care Rocks Your Boat

We came across Hula Boat Care this summer while setting up the Texas Wake Series. With a focus on Texas based companies, it was great to find a product like this right here in Austin, TX.

The creator, John Lakkis grew up in the automotive surface care industry working for two multi-national companies that worked in both the US and overseas. In his last assignment however, he was responsible for an industrial division that handled surface care products for fiberglass manufacturers. He spent several years working at boat factories around the world, helping them establish polishing protocols and systems to enable them to sell the best looking boats to their dealers. This gave him a well roundedness in understanding the different types of gel coats and paints and how to use them making each boat look its best.

This experience and a little push from some friends in 2010 helped him launch Hula Boat Care in Austin, Texas. Despite all odds against John, with the flat-lining economy and worst drought in the history of Texas, Hula Boat Care is doing very well.

John used another great tactic to push his products above the others; the smell. I can honestly say I have a smile on my face while cleaning a boat and using these products. The fragrance takes you to a tropical beach in Hawaii. It calms your mind while scrubbing and wiping down the fiberglass and vinyl.

Prior to these new products, rumor has it that after long days at the factory he would come home smelling like chemicals. His wife would make him hose off in the backyard before being allowed in the house. In the summers this wasn’t so bad, but come winter John had had enough. Since Hula Boat Care products are biodegradable and environmentally safe, he would just spray himself down with a bottle (also recyclable).

Another story is told that John wanted his products to be used on a boat while people were on board or needed incentive to clean up the boat after a fun filled day. So one thing that he thought of was to make the products smell amazing.

Either way, not only do the products work, but they also make everyone nearby very happy.

If you would like to get your hands on some, check with your local boat dealer first. If not then buy direct online, www.HulaBoatCare.com.

The products are not only amazing on boats and fiberglass, but some can be used on cars and trucks. Surf Off Wash & Wax can be used as a car wash, Surf Away Spray Detailer can be used as a quick detailer on car paints, and Wipe Out Vinyl Cleaner & Conditioner can be used on car interiors.

(It is NOT recommended to use waxes on cars as they may not offer the highest luster for an automotive finish)

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Alpinestars very own Tyson White

When most people think of Alpinestars, racing comes to mind. There is nothing wrong with that. They make some of the top racing gear in the world. You can see drivers such as Ken Block (Rally), Jimmie Johnson (NASCAR), and Carl Edwards (NASCAR) wearing the brand. They also are teamed up with Travis Pastrana and a list 3 miles long of big names in SuperCross, FMX, Street Racing, and more. Legit enough for you?

Enough about racing, let's kick back to the more laid back atmosphere of wakeboarding. This is something pretty new to Alpinestars. Thus enter Tyson White, the general manager and designer.

The water tight PR team at the main office in Torrance CA, let me infiltrate their high security, private company to speak with Tyson about what is going on with their new line. I believe it was Tyson, at least, even though the interview answers are somewhat scripted and resemble an experienced team of veteran writers who knew how to make every answer sound perfectly fitting, such as a football player thanking God before each interview....

Tyson became involved with the industry in 1995. He had worked for companies such as Rip Curl, Burton and Analog before striking gold in 2009 when he had the good fortune of meeting the owner of Alpinestars. Tyson was exposed to how powerful the brand was (globally) and was inspired to join their amazing team.


Q: Who is the mastermind?

White: Well I would like to first thank God..(Just kidding we made that part up)

Actually Tyson White: "In 1963 it was the company founder Sante Mazzarolo. He passed the torch to his son Gabriele about 20 years ago, who has run (and grown) the company very successfully ever since. They have shared a very amazing legacy together – beginning with making the world’s best motorcycle boots, and when Gabriele Mazzarolo took over he expanded into the other major sports in racing such as Formula One, Nascar and now we sponsor the world’s best athletes in these and other sports. Between the father and the son they represent nearly 50 years innovation."

Q: Alpinestars is an independent privately owned company. Did you participate in the"Occupy Wall St" movement yet? Or, I guess "Occupy Torrance?"

White: "Ha ha... No, but we were just in NY recently and witnessed it first hand. Being a privately owned company, Alpinestars has the ability to operate more freely than some of the publicly-traded companies we compete with in Action Sports. We can in many cases move much quicker, and more importantly, we can stay true to the core values of the company without worrying simply about profits, quarterly reports and shareholders. That’s a huge benefit to me, and I’m really stoked that we can do that. It’s all about the product and staying true to who we are as a brand."

Q: Will there be an Alpinestars banner held up? "Team Occupy"?

White's PR Team: "Not there, but at many other events around the world you can see our flag flying."

Q: Your new HD Boardshorts are amazing! What inspired you to head in this direction?

White's PR Team: "We have a special place in our heart for boardshorts - not just because we like to surf and ride - but also because in action sports it’s a category where you can really push the envelope in technology and innovation which is, above all else, the core of this amazing brand."

Q: When I think of your main office, I think of a SportsCenter commercial. Do ya'll walk around in motorsports gear as you work?

Actually Tyson White: "Only on “Moto Mondays”. In fact, I’m sitting at my desk in a pair of Tech 10 MX Boots right now. "

Bikini and boardshort Thursdays are always better at the Alpinestars office! If you haven't seen the line check out their website - Alpinestars.com

Thanks Tyson and the PR Team at Alpinestars for taking the time for our quick interview!

Empire Wake has truly enjoyed the support and we are pushing this brand for a reason. It isn't often you have the pleasure of working with a private company that has a staff on point from top to bottom. We have seen the brand change in the action sports world just in the past 2 years. We know the crew will keep pushing the limits and making one of the top brands in the world.

Check out some of the line below:
HD Boardshort
Travel Gear
Women's Clothing

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The Dirty South with Alex Graydon

The first thing you notice when you meet this 21-year-old rider from Lake Martin, Alabama is his hair. The nest of dirty dreads defines him from a mile away. But when you watch him ride, you quickly realize that is what gives him his Sampson like strength.

“My hair is definitely an important part of my life. I keep it in a special helmet that sponsor Shred Ready casted for me,“ said Graydon. “If I lose my hair, my girlfriend will break up with me, and my career might be over. No one would recognize me while I ride.”

It doesn’t matter if he is behind a Malibu, killing it for Singleton Marine group or on the cable at McCormick’s cable park, he feels right at home in the Dirty South. His style is what is most impressive. Just watching this guy ride makes you want to try harder, go bigger, and find a style of your own.

The cable park is where we found Alex in the first place. He is a Slingshot team rider, so having a versatile board is a perfect fit for him.

“I have so much fun riding cable because there's so many diverse riding styles you can have in one lap. I love being able to do something big and stylish off the kicker, then making a rail hit look really unique, then doing a technical trick around the corner.”

There is a lot more to Alex then just his hair and stylish riding. He also likes to eat food, talk politics, and he paints.

“Like wakeboarding, my paintings are an emotional expression and personal to me. Sometimes after I have a good set, I will head back to the house and pull out the brushes to express my happiness. Other times, on the rare occasion I ride poorly, I do the same thing.” – Alex Graydon

This is one of Alex’s older paintings when from 2008.

Graydon's political views run as well rounded as all other aspects of his life. He voted for McCain in 2008 (not cause he is white though), and is looking into the Palma/Lyman ticket for 2013.

“Josh Palma is rad as hell, killer rider, and I’m pretty sure his stimulus package would involve a couple of new cable parks. Lyman's a military man. We need more of that in the government.”

After more thought, and the compelling argument from Graydon, we here at Empire Wake completely agree. Having met both Palma and Lyman, it is what this country needs.

Palma/Lyman 2013!!

It is great to have Alex Graydon part of the Empire Wake family now and we look forward to watching this rider continue to grow. With our emphasis on style, this is truly what he is all about: Style!

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Austin Hair - Professional Male Model

In a time when wakeboarders are defined by long hair and a dirty upper lip, there is one man that stands out among the rest. Every morning before riding, he makes sure that each strand of hair is perfectly in place, as well as highlighted if in season. He spends time doing CrossFit to make sure his toned body is ready for any camera that may be present.

He wanted to be a professional right from the beginning and used the seclusion of Lake Wylie, SC, ten years ago as his training spot.

Q: Austin, how did this all begin for you?

Austin: Well, I was out on the lake one day on a perfectly butter morning. I caught my reflection in the water and remember thinking, “wow, I could do this.”

Q: Do what? Be a professional wakeboarder?

Austin: No, be professionally good looking.

His quest began.

Austin picked up his first sponsor, Hyperlite, within a year. Currently, he is supported by Jobe Wakeboards, Ten-80, Supra Boats, Zinka, and Cobian.

The sponsors gave him an opportunity to match all his clothing with his Jobe set up. The Zinka kept his skin from sun damage, and the Cobian sandals were comfortable on his soft feet.

As his career blossomed, he was able to start travelling the world.

Q: When and why did you start travelling the world?

Austin: In 2010, I said to myself, “I’m pretty sure there’s a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good looking, And I plan on finding out what that is.”

That something turned out to be wakeboarding.

Austin has travelled to places such as the Amazon River in Brazil to do a demo for the “abodigitals” before an event, and also to his favorite spot Abu Dabi.

“Riding downtown Abu Dabi with all the $100 million buildings and houses really gave me a sense of the real world,” Austin reflected.

This exciting journey allowed him to start his personal blog at AustinHair.Net, where he can now share all his wakeboard achievements and stories with the world. Austin continues to ride today as resides in Orlando, Florida, with a few other good modeling friends.

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Kickin it with Sprocket America!

On the drive to Collegiate Wake Series Tampa, I had the pleasure of stopping off in Tallahassee, Florida, where I expected to have some crazy nights with the FSU Wake Club. Instead, I was able to hang out at the Sprocket America compound, Location: Classified.

Jason Sapp, the owner, was nice enough to let the Empire Wake crew hang out for a couple days and get to see what the fuss was all about. It was refreshing getting to talk to this guy and see there are still independent companies out there who are just looking to make an amazing product the right way. With each comment and philosophy it was clear to me that I had found something rare.

Jason Sapp and Chris Mitchell started the company 2 years ago because of an injury that Jason acquired while skateboarding. He had be an avid skater for 15 years until a stair gap ended his career.

After learning to walk again, he needed some exercise. Jason tried to wakeboard but the impact was too much. While in the process he came across a video from a local wakeskater named Marcus Knox. It was a perfect match.

Jason went out and bought a Remote wakeskate and started riding. Chris had been building winches at the time and using the name Sprocket America. Both had realized what they had between them with Jason's extensive experience with wood and machine work, and Chris having both woodwork and graphics down, they might be able to produce a successful product.

At the time Devotid wakeskates was selling their entire company. Jason bought the original machinery and after a quick board burn, Devotid was out and Sprocket America was up and running.

They wanted to be different from all the other companies of the past. Step one was going "green." No more using the old epoxy and resin system. This was VOC free and no more bio toxins. Jason was able to use 1 paint brush for a year only by washing it out each night.

Sprocket was also interested in focusing on the 15% of wakeskaters who wanted to shred hard every day. These boards were going to be unique and built to take the day to day grind and abuse.

The Cyprus used in the boards are recovered off the bottom of a swamp. This wood is over 400 years old and has been cured over time where loggers and storms have sunk and preserved them. Thanks to a friend that has his own mill and recovery company, these huge trunks over 24" in diameter could now be pulled up from their watery graves.

This alone makes Sprocket boards a little more special and unique then basic pine and oak boards. After using the special wood, Jason puts more effort into each board as if it was his own pro model.

It is truly amazing what these guys can do with wakeskates. It is a company you find yourself believing in, not just wanting the product mass produced.

Where can you get a Sprocket America board you ask? Well you can't. They have pressed almost 200 boards and only sold 4. They refuse to let them go until they are perfect.

From spending their youth watching "Mathnet" (yes a show where detectives roll around solving math problems) to a skateboard injury, to woodworking; this all lead to what Sprocket America now is. I can't wait to get my first board!

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Empire Wake Events 2012

It was an interesting year for Empire Wake in 2011. Some new doors opened starting great new adventures, while others closed and showed us we need some new direction. We are always adapting to the needs of the grassroots scene and going where wanted and leaving other places behind.

In 2012 we will be leaving behind the Atlas Wake Series and combining all east side events into Empire Wake Events. There will be a stop in Atlanta again with Marine Max of Georgia. There will also be a new addition in Louisville Kentucky and our new sponsor KY Boatworks.

You will see a third year of the Texas Wake Series in Dallas, and Beaumont, but unsure of the other stop. We are still very excited to be a part of the Texas Wakeboard scene and will continue to work in every way to grow it.

The events aren't all that are changing. We are looking into a clothing line, and wakeskate program. You can also see the new website has been launched and we will continue to work on all the sections we have added like "Rider Watch," "Sponsor of the Week" and EMPIRE U.

We are excited to continue to be the front runner in College Wakeboarding. The series continues to grow as we have reached 50 teams. Each stop will grow and we will continue to work on new regions such as the Southwest and Mid West. Look for some big things being added in the spring!!

Empire Wake wants to thank all the sponsors and riders who continue to support what we are doing. We are focused to go above and beyond for you guys and offer you something you cant get anywhere else.

We will see you all in 2012 so keep checking the site for dates and locations.

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