Vestices

[ZackFL(BRE)]

triggamike, was that a debate? mojo repeating himself that people only do it because its cool? and yes im very immature sorry

[nick]

mojo, The risk of not wearing a vest in your universe compared to the risk of not wearing a vest in this universe are two very very different things. The shots where the boys are riding vestless in this video take place in less than 36" of clear water with a soft grassy bottom...

The time it takes your wakeboard boat to turn around in it's sketchy lake/river and reach an unconscious rider who is being held face down by their USCG vest is more than it takes my sea-doo to turn around and reach the guy who hasn't been knocked out because he wasn't going wake to wake. These guys surf some of the heaviest reefs in the caribbean with no vest piece on and if they are comfortable riding in our tropical little wakeskate garden without flotation protection and hit my rails without a helmet, I'm gonna go ahead and let them. You'll notice we wore vests when we were riding off of the beach in about 8-12 ft. deep aqua...

I don't know why I'm surprised to see you pretending you know better than anyone, once again, but thanks for the comfort stats on those o'neill vests, I'll check them out...


88skisupreme, Tie-dye comment for the lulz, but these kids have no connection to the wakeskate world other than myself and wouldn't even get it. They just love to wakeskate every now and then...

POPTART, Really? A street bike without a helmet is the same risk as carving and lipslides in 36" deep clear water at 19 mph without a vest?

Seriously?, THANK YOU.

-LoGiK-, That was gnarly. I bought grip tape at your shop a couple days ago. You weren't there.



ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEATBELT

[Jay Bird]

ahh seatbelts, dont even get me started...

[andrewt]

Come on gporter, TAN LINES? You really think that's a reason people don't wear vests..? Wear a vest, I don't think your brain could handle swimming.

Sorry to be a d!ck but you set yourself up if you really believe that..

[POPTART]

nick, not saying that at all, maybe you guys are in 36", but the average viewer that watches your vid has no clue what the depth is, they just see no vest they just watch this and think , omg i can be just like that, without a vest

im just saying that seeing someone without a helmet on a bike, is the same for me as seeing someone on a wakeskate without a vest, i see the stupidity before i see the fun

and from someone who has tons of kids look up to them, and has a vest Sponsor, i would try a little harder promote vest
not lead the pack for the vestless crew
and this all comes out of respect, i dont care what you guys do, im just speaking my opinion= im always gonna wear a vest

[disco hippo]

Oneill Revenge CGA

[DMoneyy]

[loganhursh]

[andrewt]

DMoneyy, oh hell ya! what about having a fresh ed hardey outfit for da clubs!!?? and don't forget the economy sized hair gel bottles. gotta look fre$h yoo!

[CapriSunAllNatural]

Wearing a vest is smart.

But I would say wearing a helmet skateboarding or longboarding is equally important as wearing a vest while wakeskating, and how many vest users wear a helmet skateboarding? Not me. So it is hard to lecture on the subject.

To those of you working on your perfect tan while wakeskating, don't be offended by vest recommendations, its just wakeskaters looking out for wakeskaters.

[tad]

PAVT, since day one.

Fvck the hat3rs.

[kornhouse]

As soon as Ed Hardy gets in the wakeskate scene with "designer" vests and helmets I'll pick a few up and wear them ALL the time!!!

Seriously though, if you were winching along the beach would you wear a vest? Skimboarders and surfers are in it all the time with no floatation and we even have a lifeline we can hold onto if conscious.

If you see it in a video and the angles are from places other than the towing vessel then that means at least one or more people are near the rider and possibly even in a boat which can get to them super fast and help out. Just 'cuz you see it in a video doesn't mean they ALWAYS do it it just helps to be less confined.

[fastgreens]

i hate wearing a vest, but i do like wearing a t-shirt to cover my beer gut

[SleuCrew]

kornhouse, When Cordell died they were filming for a video, there was a chase boat and eleven people... It didn't make a difference.

This was written by someone who was on the boat the day it happened.



It's hard to truly understand the impact of silence. The blank water is still fresh in my mind.

It's great to hang out with good friends and other wakeboarders, watching guys from the boat who are going all out and make it look so easy, fun and effortless. Guys pulling off stuff most of us just dream of. Even when you're not on the water, if you're just hanging out on the dock you're having fun listening to stories. Wakeboarders love to have a good time. That's what it's all about. We love the water. Some of us have withdrawals if we don't at least get a short set in. Like most loves, it makes us feel comfortable. We relax when we feel safe and warm. Just thinking about it right now, I bet most of you can feel the warm summer water holding you as you wait with handle in hand. How can something we love so much hurt us?

Most people will never understand the true meaning of quick. The blink of an eye, we've heard it. It's cliche. Flipping a light switch. Not fast enough. Here, then gone. Instant. Forever.

That's it. The lake we love with all our lives will swallow us whole. Instant. Forever. There is no struggling for breath. There is no last hand or foot up on the top of the water. There is nothing. When you hit the water and get the breath knocked out of you, you sink. Fast. One minute you're pulling off a sick spin. The next you are gone. In an instant, forever. Two boats with 11 guys can't get to you. Diving into the water to look for you doesn't help. The water is dark and deep.

I dove off the front of the boat and went as deep as I could, looking up through the murky water, searching for sunlit silhouettes. I saw nothing. Time and time again, I saw nothing. Neither did any of the others who dove in. The view from underneath the surface, while almost out of breath will never leave my mind.

There was not one thing any or all of us could have done. We were helpless. It's not like in the movies. There are no bodies to find. There are no heroes giving CPR to save the day. You can't do CPR if you can't find the person. You just disappear as if the lake grabbed you and put you in its pocket. Here, then gone. Happiness, then chaos, then...silence. Just a board floating alone.

Then reality kicks in. Cops, fire trucks, ambulances, park and wildlife boats all surround you and you are forced to relive the experience again and again and again. Retelling the sequence of events and unfortunately having to show it over and over on videotape so that the search teams can get a location is brutal. I can't get it out of my head. I go to sleep thinking about it. Not one day has gone by that I haven't thought about it. I never will forget it.

You always hear the stories about someone who was on the last run of the day when they went down. It's always the last run and for some the last run ever.

To this day, Corey was the last person to pull me boarding. When I think of what happened, I am deeply saddened. When I think of him, I smile. I remember every time I tried to pull off a trick, even if I didn't make it, I got the horn honk from the boat and some encouraging words from Corey. I remember watching him bob his head to Dr. Dre and Eminem as we went across the lake. At the RV he made sure people were getting sandwiches and drinks and felt welcome (he did think that the bottled water in a can was kinda funny though). I remember how much fun he was having on the tour. Yeah, the carbon monoxide in the RV thing wasn't too cool, but everything else was great. He loved it.

Like Greg said, sometimes we forget. Maybe we are in a hurry or we just feel really safe and comfortable. Just think of how many people have jumped in with their sunglasses on. In the latest video release Corey was in, he was wearing a vest. We have to remember. Our lives depend on it.

Every time I ride, I will be riding with thoughts of Corey. His love of life, his love of the sport, and his overall positive outlook will make me ride the way he did; for fun, pure fun.

I will never forget him.


And honestly if your style is that bad that you've gotta worry about tan lines... well then I guess I feel even more sorry for you. Maybe you should get your priorities straight and spend a little more time on your riding than on your tan.

[Travis B]

who cares? if your in a lake riding boat trying w2w stuff wear one.
saltwater floats unlike lakes, and ours is usually clear and you can stand most of the time. its sad that he died but he was wakeboarding they go alot faster and go big w2w he shoulda had one on ya know? out here i ride skiffs and ski and my boat wich is pretty much the biggest thing ive rode and its 17ft. im not standing up for anything but just letting you know your comparisons dont make as much sense as you may think...

[yookyle]

there really is no good reason not to wear a vest. even on the smallest rigs, things can still go wrong. while snowboarding a couple years ago i was practicing my switch threes on a relatively small jump. i went off axis and slammed my head on a real hard ice patch(i suspect it might of been a large rock), i cracked my head open and had brain swelling if it wasnt for my friends i would probably have serious brain problems or might of died. i wear a helmet now. again its your guys life you do what you believes right, but noone i know will ever get a pull without a vest. i just hope something serious wont happen before you guys start putting one on.

[RUSSIAN]

I have yet to hear a compelling reason for not wearing a vest, only excuses for why one doesn't need one.

If your comfortable with the potential consequences and the pain your family and friends will go through then that's your prerogative.

Shallow water and people around mean nothing when your lungs are full of water.

[getzome23]

Sooo much debating, you guys are starting to sound like little girls arguing over whos purse is better while giving th same reason over and over again. I choose to wear a vest...my choice