Lakes, Dirtbikes, Biplanes - Indiana.

The horizon disappeared and the field below rushed towards the plane ferociously. I was in a hammerhead. One quick kick of the rudder and the nose dove from nearly vertical climb to vertical drop. My stomach tightened and all of my senses screamed silently. The biplane pulled up and I glanced over my shoulder at the pilot, my good friend Nate Adams, words wouldn't help over the roar of the engine- so I pounded my fist into the air and tried to ease the smile from my face.

Indiana. Hoosiers.
The Midwest.
Lake Michigan.
Meth Amphetamine.

I took a vacation day and visited my friends Chris and Nate Adams in Knox, Indiana. For a Labor day weekend of wake surfing, wake boarding, boating, skateboarding, airplane flying, motorcycle riding, family cookouts, and the 3 am longboard cruise.












It was awesome. Chris was able to assemble the crew he rides with: Blake Bailey, Nick Williams, and his brother Nate to come out and surf a man made lake thousands of miles from the nearest ocean. Wake surfing is similar to wakeboarding or water skiing in that the boat is used to launch the rider out of the water. The similarities end there though. Wake Surfing is close to the back deck of the boat where the wake is the biggest. Professional Ski boats have ballast tanks to increase the wave and trim adjustments to get the rear end to sink in and churn out a massive wake. The real challenge of wake surfing is to go "ropeless" and drop the tow rope and pump off of the boat's wake. By adjusting the nose height, board trim, and one's body weight (Similar to balancing on an INDO board) a rider can literally surf on a boat's wake.

Wake surf boards are usually smaller in length and use traction pads covering a majority of their top side instead of wax. This makes for a very durable board that preforms similarly to a full sized surfboard while still providing long lasting grip and float for the sans salt environment.

We all filmed individual sections for the epic
"MIDWEST SURFERS III - UNDER SIEGE"

Stay tuned for the video in the next few weeks. Thanks again to the Adams family for their hospitality! I had a blast and you guys are the nicest people imaginable.