URUNGA lad Jesse Scott is on cloud nine after taking out first place in the Junior Men’s division at the National Wakeboard Championships in Wagga Wagga.
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The Bellingen High student shook off his initial nerves to carve up the fierce competition and produce some of the sport’s most technical tricks. His champion performance included 720s, Wirlybirds, Mobydicks, Tootsy Rolls and 540s and reconfirmed his position as Australia’s number one junior men’s wakeboarder.
Needless to say, 16 year-old Jesse, is ecstatic.
“It just felt right, I was pumped and felt confident that it was my turn to win it, and I did,” he told the Courier-Sun.
“I’m so excited, this is what I have been working for and dreaming of for the past six years, finally the hard work is paying off.”
Jesse hit the water on skis at five years of age, however his love for wakeboarding began at eight on a family holiday at Grafton’s Big River Ski Park. His mum, Cathy, says that from there Jesse never looked back.
“Jesse had an obvious natural ability and no fear of the water. Each time he rode, he got bigger and braver, with his tricks becoming more extreme,” she said.
Jesse entered competitions at age 10, with the goal to be the world’s best professional wakeboarder. He trains every weekend on the Kalang River during the competition season from September to March, and this extends into after school and evenings before big competitions.
Jesse also attends bi-annual training camps and often catches the train to the Gold Coast to work with other fellow competitors.
The Australian National Wakeboarding Championships bring together the best riders in the country. While Jesse has been State champion previously, the pressure from the national standard has seen him come down on some of his most technical tricks.
Jesse now hopes to travel to America later this year to compete in the World Championships for a shot at the Junior Men’s World Title. This won’t be the first crack at the world title for Jesse as he competed two years ago in the United States and came seventh after an unlucky fall.
Jesse underscores that this success comes from the support of family and his home-town.
“My family have put a lot of work into getting me to where I am and have had to make a lot of sacrifices which I am truly grateful for,” he said.
“I’m lucky to live in a small community where most people I know take an interest in how I’m going with my riding. I’m also lucky to have the Kalang River on my doorstep to train on. The river is quiet and we are often the only boat out there, apart from the odd fisherman who often gives me a cheer or a wave of encouragement as I ride past.
“We try not to upset anyone and so far it’s all been good. Many places are closing the rivers to wakeboarding so if that happened here we would have to leave. Overall I feel pretty lucky,” Jesse said.
For what it’s worth, Cathy like every parent on the sidelines, is halfway between proud and petrified of her son’s career.
“It’s definitely a pretty terrifying experience for parents,” she said.
“Accidents are minimal, but there have been times we have had to pull him out of the water with back, knee and ankle injuries. And there was a time that I passed out at the water’s edge.”
Jesse is a sponsored rider with CWB, Body Glove, Proline, Prowake, Wake Park Mafia, and Lift Watches and is supported by the Queensland Wakeboarding Association who identified his riding ability over three years ago.
You can check out Jess at www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3nK8WCQqCg.