Specs Name: Chad Buechler Height: 5’ 5” Weight: 180 Dropped in: April 27, 1982 Home Town: Land of 10,000 Lakes Home Ride Spot: O-Town, FL
Q & A What’s up with Wakeskiing?
What's not? The sport has so much potential: it breaks the barrier of traditional water skiing by allowing people the freedom to do what they want on waterskis like going backwards and stuff like that. People can do flips and spins on these skis just like wakeboarders do.
The Cable seems to be going off, why all the progression there?
Few reasons, the cable is just more accessible and cheaper, boat gas is expensive especially when you put 4,000 pounds in that hog, it just guzzels that gas: with the cable can you can fall as much as you want: I do think that the cable helps the boat progression though. I can learn tricks on the cable off the kickers and stuff and bring that knowledge to the boat side of the sport and there has been some real progression so far with that approach, especially for me.
How’s your wake riding?
My wake riding is alright, I want to learn some new stuff behind the boat this year and push that side of the sport a bit more this year. Riding behind the boat is a lot of fun, I think there are many possibilities to progress and invent new tricks behind the boat. As far as where the wake riding is now, I think it’s pretty good. Guys have the natural and backside 3's down, I’ve landed some backside 5's as well. people are doing Raley's and glides and all sorts of inverts which is cool to see since the sport is so new and many of us have had limited time on the water behind the boat.
The first competition went down, The Wakeski Open, how was that experience?
It was awesome everyone threw it down on the cable and behind the boat we saw like 10 different inverts behind the boat and all sorts of different grabs and 3's and real stylish 180's. On the cable side I think everyone rode really good, there were some sick runs, I give props to everyone there they showed that there is real potential for this sport and everyone gave a good showing. If people want they can check out some of the footy on youtube, just look up wakeskis: all in all this year I think the riding at comps is going to be tough there will not be an easy comp if people keep riding like they did at the open. I am just glad I got to win one, but at the same time these guys keep pushing me, when I see them do something I can't it makes me want to ride harder.
What’s something everyone should know about Wakeskiing?
Just that it is a sport that you can have a lot of fun with, you don’t have to buy a wakeboard to get upside down on anymore, you can do the same things that make the sport fun with skis now to. Wake skiing brings a whole different look to water skiing.
What’s something everyone should know about you?
I got into this sport because I enjoy the water. I love to learn new tricks and enjoy progressing the sport in hopes that one day I can look at some little ripper and be like I had a start in this sport much like the og's of wakeboarding today. People like Murray and Byerly. I love to help people if they want to learn.
