There were many firsts for me this past week, my first Wakestock, first time riding on the sea, first time riding behind a jetski and first time hitting a pool gap… the only word I can use to describe it, is stoked.
I headed up to Glasfryn Wake Park on Wednesday for the Pool Gap qualifiers. It was a great set up with a great crowd of people. They now have three System 2.0s, including one with two wall rides on the end! SO much fun. The qualifier was on the one with Relentless Leviathan. People were styling it out, transfering and stacking all over the place.
There was a night wall ride competition all set up with people going head to head and the winner progressing to the next round. Some sick riding went on, even people landing on a bin and in the trees, very entertaining to watch! Meg and I were the only girls to enter and went up against each other, she did great and beat me, and ended up beating all the guys and winning the comp over all!!
Over to Wakestock! It was the Girls Jam on the Pool Gap on Friday, I’m not going to lie, I was bricking it. I had never hit a pool gap before and this was definitely not the one to start on. However my first hit was fine and I cleared the wood to land perfectly! Steph Caller was rocking it and won best girls rail rider. Chloe Goudie did really well and won best trick. I came away empty handed but I was just so happy that I’d actually hit it. Friday night was a brilliant one, everyone was partying and Ellie Goulding was awesome!!
Saturday morning we all migrated to the Marina to watch the boat riding. The girls kicked off once the tide had come up. I was excited to see this because I never really get to watch chicks shred behind boat. Jules Haley rocked it going big on inverts and hitting the massive rail. Sian Hurst put in a solid run to take 3rd place with Charlotte Bryant taking 2nd. In 1st place was Robbie Rendo with a great trick run with spins and grabbed inverts!
The guys were up next and had to get in and get out before the tide emptied. There were some technical runs being thrown down. Shawn Watson took 3rd with Danny Thollander in 2nd. Irish rider David O’Caiomh took 1st place after stomping his trick run!
After a crazy Saturday night, the Sunday morning Mystic Bir Air comp was set up on the beach. The sun had come out to play and the beach was rammed full of wakeboarders, festival goers and locals, it was awesome to see such a big turnout! Mystic’s Gary Stelfox went out first and fell on both his hits… and if you know Gary, he doesn’t fall on anything, so I knew the kicker/jetski combo was going to be tough. I headed out and fell on a scarecrow on my first hit and then rode away from lil grabbed 180 on my second. No chance of winning against the boys but I’m glad I got invoved because it was so much fun!
After a bit of a sunbathing sesh on the beach, I headed back to watch the boys Pool Gap final. I also met up with Nalu Bead team mate Corinne Evans to do workshop while the finals were going on. We had a blanket going on with beads everywhere and girls started to get involved with making things. Steph fully got on board making a few items and Jules made a sick festival headband!
Sunday night, Ed Sheeran was playing. He 
was in the main tent and it was crazy, there were so many people! When he sung A-Team, the volume of the crowd singing was immense. Next on was Example, but I had to leave halfway through to get ready for our Mystic night photo shoot on the Pool Gap at 10pm. We got geared up in 2012 kit, downed some red bull and got on it. It was pretty scary hitting it at night because the massive spot lights were shining right at you and you couldn’t really see your landing, just inky darkness. Just as Cain and I were about to take our first hits Example’s ‘Way You Kissed Me’ tune came blasting accross the arena just in time to get us amped up. There are some awesome photos from this but its next years kit so you’ll just have to wait!
From Glasfryn, to the Big Air, to the music, to the Pool Gap and to the photo shoots; my first Wakestock was amazing! Will I be going next year? Hell Yeah I Will!!
Lex Balladon 