I had the chance to catch up with wakeskater, wakeboarder, announcer, author, Canadian, motivator, and extraordinaire James Balzer. Balzer is always a good guy to be around. I feel like everyone around him picks up a bit of his energy and style, whether it be in riding or in their lifestyle. He's a trendsetter in shred and always down to try something new. With the coming season, be sure to keep an eye out for Balzer and the crazy tricks he'll be up to.


ME: Long time, and still haven't seen you James...How is everything?
JB: Good, just waiting for the summer to get started.

ME: Where have you been lately? Home in Canada or down in Orlando?
JB: Up here in canada, I've been up here for most of the winter.

ME: Since it's wintery in most places, have you gotten to get on some powder and shred the snow?
JB: Yea i got a few days up at the mtn for sure but i was able to stay on the water a fair bit too. It's cold riding up here right now but I'm set up for it.

ME: Let's begin with a simple question--who are you? I mean, to many you're more of a myth, a storyteller if you will...How did you get into wakeboarding/skating?
JB: Well I'm 5'9, 163lbs and I'm a positive thinker haha...I'm just a guy who likes to do lots of stuff. I never sit still for long and well, if I wasn't out on the water all the time I would be super busy just doing everything. If you really want to know what im all about just sign up for an online dating website, I have my profile on like every one out there right now.

ME: To me, it seems like you're a pretty balanced guy. You shred, you write, and you have native roots (Indian). With all of these great qualities what have you been focusing on lately in your career?
JB: Well I've been trying to stay heathy right now. I have had a bit of a bad go with injurys the last few years but what I've been focusing on the most is just trying to be real with every one and push the sport in the right direction. I'm blessed to be in a place were I am known for my riding but when you have people looking at you, you got to make sure that you're being a good example. So yea, I'm trying to be a good role model if you will.

ME: Silas Thurman and you are now writing a column for WBM. I saw the first one in the April issue and it entertained. What can we all look for you to cover in the coming season?
JB: ha well I dont want to let the cat out of the bag just yet but Silas and I are going to send you guys on a emotional roller coster. pay attention cause i think you will enjoy.

ME: Since we are approaching another spring/summer/fall combo of riding, where will you be planting yourself this season? O-Town?
JB: Well truth be told when the season hits I'm never really planted in one place for too long. but I will be in o town a fair bit for sure its just my home away from home

ME: With your riding, what should we expect to see from you this year?
JB: well I have finally been healthy for the last year and im really on the hunt for alot of new tricks im gonna be pushing really hard so we will see what goes down

Are you planning on riding in any contests?
yea for sure. i missed out on alot of the contest sceane last year and it really sucked so im gonna hit all the toe jam's for sure and wakestock,wakegames, worlds. Basiclly what ever I can make it out to.

ME: Any videos to look for you in?
JB: Yea theres a few gonna be coming out this season the nike6.0 vid is gonna be rad we just got back from the phillapeans and there's gonna be some sick stuff in there. And we are just getting started on a team vid for Body Glove theres gonna be a bunch of footy from a few diffrent trips and well the B.G team has got alot of crazy riders on it so I cant wait to see how it all turns out. Other than that well the camera is alway rolling when I'm over riding at Brandon Thomas' so you never know whats gonna happen.


Let's play a game now...It's called, "Would you rather?"

ME:Would you rather...eat at Taco Bell or McDonald's for the rest of your life?
JB: I would rather starve, I'm an athlete

ME: Would you rather...hitch-hike from New York City to LA or ride bareback naked through Kansas?
JB: I think thats preatty obvious, if there's one thing I love its being naked on a horse

ME: Would you rather...loose your leg or loose your hearing?
JB: well theres a few way to look at this one you can get a fake leg but you can never replace your hearing , but then you could read lips so if it really came down to it i would rather be able to sit on the tractor working away with no head gear then. waste all my money paying for a pair of shoes and only using one of them.

ME: Would you rather...be forced to never speak what you were thinking or always have to speak what you were thinking?
JB: well i actually have this problem, if im speaking it means im speaking what im thinking. I dont have much of a filter inbetween my brain and my mouth

ME: Would you rather...sleep next to Silas for the rest of your life or never see Silas again?
JB: as long as we alternated from big spoon to little spoon at least once a week i would cudle up with that guy for sure. we might need a plastic bed sheet though cause somebody has been known to wet the bed....


What a good man.

Happy Anniversary to Company Wakeboards. They have now got one year under their belt and from what I've heard about relationships, that can be the most difficult. So huge props to them. Since we're talking Company Wakeboards, heads up to their new website. It looks rad and has some fab features.
Their new boars are something to check out. They've got a little something for everyone. Made by riders. The Recruit is their continuous rocker board with dual fins. The stiff stick, narrow center, and fins make this board a bit quick with good speed and edge control. Basically, it can do it all.
Their prototype board, the Severence is a 3 stage dual fin board. The rad part about this board is that it made it through tour stops, athlete perfection, and mag features, and it's still durable.
The Super Ltd is the final series of Company Boards. If you can, grab one since there are only 100 made. It's the beginning of a board era and you should start collecting if you haven't already.
Go scope the page for yourself and get the facts on the one year new Company Wakeboards. www.companywake.com
Peace, it's Monday.

Epic Wakeboats has announced their creation of the World's First Electric Hybrid Sport Boat, the 23E. Since everyone is a little concerned with counting pennies these days, this boat provides
the perfect opportunity to save you some money and save the World. Epic claims that this boat uses just half the amount of a gas compared to other wake boats, which would really help out your
pocket. The boat uses Flux Propulsion's Marine Drive system to provide an efficient ride. The engine has a smaller design than other marinized engines and is propelled with off of battery
power. Even though this boat could be considered green, it still provides quite a bit of noise pollution with it's stereo and video entertainment on the boat plus the standard GPS Speed Control
saves the rider from any inexperienced driver.
Now, don't think I'm not green just because I'm a little skeptical of this boat. I really do care about our environment but I also care about shredding as well. My main concern with this boat
is the "compact drive motor." You and I both know that Epic Boats are known for a well equipped ballast system and some pretty heavy wakes. Will this 23E be able to plane? Will the bigger
dudes be able to even get pulled up with it? All questions I have for the new 23E. The final Epic claim I am thrown off with is that this boat "provides better wakeboarding performance then its
combustion motor powered counterpart." Anytime I've rode behind an Epic it's been fun but the wake is pretty rampy, wide, and possibly a knee crusher. I'm hoping that the new model will actually
hold up to it's claim and provide a solid wake to perform behind.
Check out more from Epics boats at Epicboats.com and see for yourself what innovations they're up to.