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Martin riding the wave
Vidalia's Hunter Martin always liked playing in the water growing up.
The Louisiana-Monroe junior has taken that playing to a new level as the member of the Warhawk Wake wakeboard team, which will be competing for a national championship in April.
Wakeboarding is a surface which involves riding a over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques.
The rider is usually towed behind a boat, typically at speeds of 20-25 miles per hour, depending on the water conditions, board size, rider's weight, and rider's comfort speed.
"A friend of mine bought a boat and I got me a wakeboard and just kind of got into it," Martin said. "My grandparents live on the lake, so I spent a lot of time on the water. I never really got into water skiing. I liked knee boarding."
Martin was reading about the ULM wakeboarding team on line.
The group, established by ULM Wake Team President Nick McDonald in 2009, has become extremely organized and active after just two short years.
"I contacted the president and was invited to come out," Martin said. "I knew ULM had a ski team, but I did not know they had a wakeboarding team. When I found out they competed, I went out and rode with them and made the team."
Despite being a young team, the Warhawk Wakes were impressive enough this season to earn a No. 13 national ranking and the title of Alliance Wake 2010 Collegiate Team of the Year.
"It was kind of a funny way to get started," said McDonald, a senior and Monroe native. "I got pressure from former Presidents Adam Silcio of LSU and Ory Comeaux of Louisiana Lafayette, and finally decided we had very strong competitors of our own, right here at ULM."
Warhawk Wake hosted the first wakeboarding event on Bayou DeSiard last year, the first collegiate wakeboarding event to be hosted on a college campus.
The team is fundraising for an upcoming trip to Long Beach, Calif., where they will compete in Empire Wake's Collegiate Wake Series Championships will be held.
"We compete several times a year," said McDonald. "Usually around three to four times a semester. We plan to host two events this academic year, and we also attend other wakeboarding events all year long that are not competitions."
The club receives support from Swamp Sports Watersports, B&L Marine, The Townsend Family, The Birch Family and the ULM sports club staff.
Shannon Banks, an instructor of Toxicology at ULM, serves the team as faculty advisor.
Martin, who graduated from Vidalia in 2008, said becoming a good wakeboarder takes hours of practice.
"You have to have good balance and good control," he said.
A judge rides in the boat and judges the riders on execution, tricks they perform and how well they follow a certain route.
"I definitely take it a lot more serious now," Martin said. "I keep working at it to get better."
The Warkhawk Wake will compete in Lafayette on March 19 in a Louisiana tour event against ULL and LSU.
The regular wakeboard season is during the fall.
"It can be pretty chilly, but it's actually tougher in the spring when you are just coming off winter," Martin said. "We wear wet suits to help against the cold."
Martin said competing in wakeboarding has also filled a void left from playing baseball at Vidalia High.
"I really missed that," he said.
The national championships will be April 7-10 in Long Beach.
Martin said eight members of the 20-member team will compete in the actual national championship event.
"We will probably be seeded after the Louisiana tour," Martin said. "My goal is to make it into the top eight."
Each member is judged on how well they do tricks, such as flips, and their execution.
Martin, who is majoring in kinesiology, finished third in a meet in Beaumont, Tx., this past season.
"I know I can get better," he said. "It gets tougher finding the time to practice with just a little bit of school left. But I'm the kind of person who always has to have something to do. I'm enjoying it and excited about competing for a championship." |
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