Over the past few months DoubleUP has assembled their next generation of team riders. Some new additions include Leslie Kent, Jeff McKee, Duncan Lee, Stephen Kaplan, and Nick Weinaker. There are also some riders whose names you might not recognize, but don’t be fooled, they are some of the hottest young riders in our industry.
Luke Wulf:
Born and raised along the Gold Coast of Australia. Luke has been with DoubleUP since 1997 and has come to the states the past three summers to ride along with the DoubleUP Experience. In 2002 DoubleUP released the Luke Wulf binding and is currently working on four Pro Model boards for Luke to be released in July of 2002.
Leslie Kent:
Not only is she one of the top riders, she is also one of the top female riders in the sport of wakeboarding. Based out of Deltona, Florida Leslie has cool style all her own. She has also been perfecting her own style of wake skating over the years. I know some of you guys would like to learn a trick or two from Leslie. For a rider profile on Leslie go to Buywake.com.
Jeff McKee:
Jeff has come to DoubleUP with a new outlook to the sport. Eager to go in a new direction with his ridding style Jeff is sure to be one of the most recognized riders this coming year. Located in Windermere, Florida Jeff has the pleasure of riding year round while perfecting his style.
Nick Weinaker:
Shacked up and backed up by the likes of Cobe and Joey Meddock. You will defiantly see a lot of this kid over the summer. Just open the magazine and there he’ll be, going big with a style all his own. He most recently finished working with the Pointless Crew and finished filming with the producers of Running with Scissors.
Duncan Lee:
Remember this kid? Go back and look at the magazines, he’s the DoubleUP rider in all the Centurion Boat ads. It makes sense, him and his father own Centurion Boats. He has been riding unofficially for DoubleUP for the past few years. The riding was on the wall and now he is on team DoubleUP.
Stephan Kaplan:
You remember the cover, but did you remember the name? We did! That’s right Stephan Kaplan was on the cover of WBM October 1999. It was the “red cover”, it was also the before he injured this knee. Back form physical therapy Stephan has been riding harder then ever. More good things to come from Stephan this year!
Sam Owens:
One of the original DoubleUP riders from back in the day. You might not see her ripping it up as much as you have in the past, mainly because she has recently been married to long time boy friend and high school sweat heart Matt Purdy. Keep a watchfull eye out for this girl, I still see good things to come from her.
Chris Patton:
One of the best riders in our arsenal. If you have never seen Chris ride it is probably because his has been in Puerto Rico for the past few years finishing his mission. Now back in Utah on the water again, Chris has plans to film with the Boys at Bump films this spring.
Tina Erickson:
Live where you play is Tina’s motto. Discovery Bay, California is where Tina calls home. Riding for DoubleUP since 1996, Tina has become a well known and a well-respected rider for DoubleUP. Don’t expect to see her on the water for a few months. She is recovering from a broken femur.
We wish her the best during her recovery and hope we do not see her on the water with her cast on.
Billy Garcia:
Yes, he is still riding. We have hard time believing it ourselves. Last year Billy took his Texas riding style to nationals & worlds and won first place in both of the masters division. There is not a day that goes by that Billy does not remind us of this. Just in time for spring, Billy has started a wakeboard camp called Freeride Sessions in Austin, Texas. For details on the camp email: wake2wake900@hotmail.com.
Christene Packard:
AKA the Package! If you have ever had the opportunity to see this young girl ride you would know what I mean. Living and training in Boca Raton, Florida, Christene spends her days at the Ski Rixen cable park, which is operated by her family. If you get a chance stop by the Rixen, Christene can show you how to get your ride on!
Justin James:
Straight out of Nor Cal, this kid rips! Living and working in the Sacramento valley Justin spends most of his time at work. It not a bad deal because he works at Cope and McPhetres, which is located on a private lake know as Bell Aqua. If you get a chance to stop by Bell Aqua, you can see first hand what West Coast Style means. This kid has it all; style, big moves and a private lake.
Ben Hitch:
You probably never heard this name before unless you follow the international rider scene. Ben is one of the top European riders and the world cable park champion. Born and battered in the UK, Ben spends most of his time chasing the sun. Currently he is training in Australia with the boys on the Gold Coast.
Bonnie Tuman:
Now living and riding in North Carolina, Bonnie has caught the attention of DoubleUP and our good friend Scott Dickens from Glass and Powder. She has also helped out Jacko at WakeTV and you may have seen her ripping it up at Louisiana Spring Fling. She has been a credited for winning the 1999 INT Northern California Women’s International Champion and 1999 INT National Champion Finalist, 2nd place over all.
Ryan Schuppert and Jaret Brantley:
What you say about one you say about the other. These two kids are pushing the sport harder then anyone else in the Lake Shasta area. Working at Redding Sports Cottage and spending all there free time on the water, these two kids will set the new standard in Nor Cal.
