AZBW’s AWA Rider Of The Month

News Of Upcoming Wakeboard Events

Editor’s Note: Arizona Boating & Watersports looks forward to Christine Cameron’s interviews each issue with the AZBW AWA Wakeboarder of the Month. Following is her question and answer session with Trever Marquette.

Q. What is your name, age and where do you live?

A. My name is Trever "Poodle" Marquette. I am 16 years old, and I live in Glendale, Ariz.

Q. How did you get your nickname?

A. Everybody where I used to ride had a nickname, and one day they looked at me and said that my hair looked like a poodle. It stuck and I’ve been called "Poodle" ever since.

Q. How long have you been wakeboarding?

A. I’ve been riding for four years.

Q. How did you get into wakeboarding?

A. My uncles were skiers. When my dad married my step-mom, it was a family thing where everybody was into watersports, so I started to wakeboard. My dad and I started wakeboarding at the same time

Q. What was the first trick that you learned? Describe how to do it.

A. The first big trick that I learned was a tantrum. My dad taught it to me. To do it, edge hard and when you hit the top of the wake, throw your head back as if you are going to do a back flip off the diving board. It’s so easy.

Q. What trick took the longest or was the hardest to learn?

A. Crow Mobe — I couldn’t figure out that I had to get onto my toes on the landing and keep the handle close.

Q. What is your favorite trick to see being done and why?

A. Stale fish back side 180 to blind. It has a lot of style and it’s technical.

Q. What is your favorite aspect of wakeboarding?

A. My favorite part of wakeboarding is having fun and going out on the boat. I like learning new tricks too.

Q. What do you like most about The AWA?

A. All the people are really chill and relaxed. Everybody is treated equally. They don’t play favorites when judging like some other contests I’ve ridden in.

Q. You ride in other competitive events. Which ones and what do you like about them?

A. I plan on riding JR Men’s Pro Tour this year.  I like it because it offers more publicity than the local competitions and has a higher state of riding.  I also ride the Canyon Lake Wakeboard Club events out at Lake Ellsinore, Calif.; they are similar to AWA events with a relaxed and fun atmosphere.  I am also planning on hitting the various slider contests this year.

Q. What is you most memorable experience in wakeboarding?

A. My most memorable experience was trying my first whirly. I took the hardest fall that I ever have and I can still remember it.

Q. Do you have a crew of people with whom you usually ride?

A. Yep – Larry Taylor, Brandon Lockhardt, The Boardshack, and Piru Crew in California.

Q. You recently moved to Arizona. Where did you move from?

A. Thousand Oaks, Calif. I miss hanging out with my friends in California although Arizona is cool — but it’s hot.

Q. What are the best and worst things about wakeboarding here compared to California?

A. Out here you can almost always find good water, but there are 10 times more people on the lakes during the summer.

Q. Describe your perfect day.

A. I would wake up around 8:30 or 9 a.m. eat five or six bowls of cereal, hop in my truck, and head to the lake. I’d meet my buddies at the lake, have a couple of girls on the boat, do some riding, chill out after for a while and then head home and go to bed.

Q. What do you like to do when you are not wakeboarding?

A. When I am not wakeboarding I like to hang out with friends, bounce on the trampoline, go off-roading, skateboard, and snowboard.

Q. Is there anybody you would like to thank?

A. I would like to thank God, then my mom and dad for helping me out all the time. I also thank everybody who has taken me wakeboarding: Troy and Mike from The Boardshack, everybody at Crown Wakeboards, Knotch Clothing, and Houseboats.com

The 2006 season is rapidly approaching. AWA has been working feverishly
during the off season to ensure that the 2006 riders’ series will be the best AWA series yet.  Mark your calendars with the following dates and help us make this the most successful year ever.

April 1 — Epic Boats
April 27, 28 — Ladies' Learn to Wakeboard Days
April 29 — Wakesurf Contest - Century Marine
May 6 — Paradise Watersports & Ski Pro
June 3 — Century Marine & Liquid Force
June 24 — MB Boats of AZ & The Boardshack
July 22 — Mastercraft Boats of AZ & Valley Ride Shop
Aug. 19 — Century Marine – San Tan Lake

And, One Of The Biggest Events Of All

Liquid Force is putting together an amazing event for Arizona wakeboarders at Lake Powell: a Houseboat Festival/Party. Boarders can bring their own boats or rent a houseboat. If they decide on the latter, it would be a good idea to arrange that quickly as the houseboat rentals go fast.

The 2007 product-line catalog shoot will be June 3-9, then the fun will begin on the weekend of June 10-11. The plan is to re-create a "Boardstock-like" event in the middle of Lake Powell.

The Powell folks will be promoting the event in their ads and on their Web site, as will Liquid Force and Alliance. And, the crew from Alliance will be there for the weekend to film an episode of "PULL."

The plan is to have as many houseboats on the water as possible and have a couple of fun days of riding and partying. The group will take over an entire cove at Powell, and the whole Liquid Force team will be there.

There will be once-a-day demos by the LF team — in the middle of all the houseboats.

Boarders are asked to spread the word as soon as possible to dealers and consumers not only in Arizona but also from other surrounding states. Anyone who mentions the Liquid Force/Alliance houseboat deal will get a 54-foot houseboat (sleeps 12) and a PWC for $3,800 — approximately $1,000 less than the normal price.

For more info on houseboats, check out http://www.lakepowell.com/landingpages/wakeboard.php

As the event gets closer, the mile marker where LF will be (as well as other details) will be published. The hope is that this will become an annual event and that "every wakeboarder in the world" will mark it on his or her calendar as a must-attend event.

For more information, e-mail stratnellos@cox.net.