Who has won the most wakeboard contests? Who has invented the most tricks? Who has signed one of the largest contracts in wakeboardings history? The answer to all of those questions is Darin Shapiro. Darin got started in watersports before wakeboarding as we know it was even a thing. Starting at the cable, Darin took countless laps on a trick ski, and barefooting, but it wasn’t until “ski boarding” came around that he really started to find some success. Darin was flown out by Herb O’Brien to a contest in Hawaii in 1991, and from there Darins journey in the sport began and had no signs of slowing down. Winning over 70 pro contests, inventing countless tricks, starring in 2 video games, signing one of wakeboardings largest contracts, the speedball, and retiring twice. Hear all that and much more in Episode 63 of the Grab Matters Podcast!

We start off the 6th installment of Shop Talk with the Mount Rushmore of Best Wakeboard Contests. After that the boys are talking all things wake, including going over events like Munich Mash, Copenwaken, and the most recent PWT stop. We also go over the new edit "Foama" from Felix Georgii and Dom Hernler, which is an absolute must watch. In addition to edits and events, were chatting about how harshly reverts should be punished in a contest run, the differences between boat and cable cultures, if pro's should pay for a pass to the cable, Herbs Cup, contest pay, Olympic wakeboarding, and Streetjam. Hear all this and much more in the 6th Episode of Shop Talk!

He was given a 1 stop ban on the pro tour for hitting a pine cone with a wiffle ball bat? Chase Heavener is a former professional wakeboarder from Orlando, Florida, and has been around since the early days of the sport. Seeing it progress from "trick ski" style riding to where the sport is today has been a wild ride, and a ride that Chase had some influence in. When he got into the sport, he didn't feel as though the current contest landscape represented his crews style of riding, or their vision for the sport, and some feathers were ruffled in the pursuit of change. After his riding career, Chase went behind the scenes and helped create some of wakeboarding's most iconic videos. Getting banned from Wakeboarding Mag, the New Crew, running a 5 minute mile, Neptune, sinking a boat 4 times, and the current media landscape. Hear all that and much more in Episode 62 of the Grab Matters Podcast!

What does the future of cable riding look like in America? In this episode we sit down with the Director of Operations at Aktion Parks, Kellan Rudnicki. Kellan got into wakeboarding at Ski Rixen, after initially trying to learn how to kiteboard and getting told he needs to hit the cable to learn board control first. Once falling in love with the sport, Kellan restarted the wakeboard club at his college UCF, then took a job out of the industry after graduating. Eventually an opportunity arose to get back into cable park ops, and Kellan worked his way back into the world of wakeboarding. Indian lines, ideal cable speed, industry infighting, decline of extreme sports, wake moms, profitability of cable parks, europe vs america, ski resorts vs cable parks, and grassroots events. Hear all that and much more in Episode 61 of the Grab Matters Podcast!

How do you navigate running a brick and mortar pro shop in today's time where Amazon seems to run everything eCommerce? Bill Porter is the founder and owner of Performance Ski and Surf, located in Orlando, Florida. Being in the heart of the towed watersports scene, Bill's shop is the "go to" pro-shop for everything wake and watersports. Although his mom initially tried to get people to convince Bill to not open Performance, he did it anyways, and has had a profound influence on both pro riders and beginners alike. Herb O'Brien's influence, wakeboard tech, online operation vs. brick and mortar, customer service, the most important innovation wakeboarding has seen, selling snow gear, Nautique vs. Mastercraft, and the future of wakeboarding and Performance Ski and Surf. Hear all that and much more in Episode 60 of the Grab Matters Podcast!

We start off the 5th installment of Shop Talk with the Mount Rushmore of "Worst things that can happen to you on the boat". After that were touching on wakeskating making an appearance at the X Games, who is the best wake photographer, life jacket requirements, optimal cable speed, winch kickers, Wake The City, RGR, a question from Sam De Haan on our thoughts on "grabbing a rail" while riding, Don Pedro, and Violet. We end this episode with all of our gnarliest winching stories, with T.J. having a wild one from winching at a spot in South Florida.

Did you know Raph didn't hit a single feature in his first 6 months of riding? Hailing from the Philippines, Raph Trinidad got his start riding at a cable where the depth ranged from 6 inches to 8 feet deep, depending on the tide. After choosing wakeboarding over soccer, Raph dedicated his life to being one of the best riders, and now has some of the cleanest and most powerful air tricks in the game. Although he was able to ride year round, Raph found it hard to get sponsor support being in a more remote part of the world. Double flips, winching, living in the U.S. vs Asia, getting on Red Bull, Republic Wake Park, Philippine trivia, favorite parks, and the Tabo. Hear all this and much more in Episode 59 of the Grab Matters Podcast!

Ready for 4 hours and 20 minutes of one of wakeboardings most passionate riders? Quinn Silvernale helps run one of the most unique and progressive wake parks in the world, Valdosta Wake Compound. Getting started wakeboarding behind the boat on a lake in Minnesota, Quinn knew he loved it. After highschool Quinn attended college at Valdosta State University in Georgia, and that’s where he began to winch much more. From ditches to ponds, Quinn and his friends rode just about everything you could. After more inspiration, him and his roommate Luke Tilt drafted up a business plan to open their own cable park, starting with a couple 2 tower systems, eventually turning into what we have today. Playing football, X Games beef, Lucas Magoon inspo, $800,000 in pool liners, flooding a boat show, sketchy rails, winching vs. cable riding, and what it takes to run a wakepark. Hear all this and much more in Episode 58 of the Grab Matters Podcast, the longest one yet.

Freddie Winter is one of the best slalom waterskiers in the world, and isn't afraid to stand up for what is right within the sport. Having put his money where his mouth is when it comes to a unified Pro Tour, Freddie is doing a lot for the sport both on the water and behind the scenes. Growing up skiing at Thorpe Lakes in the U.K., Freddie was ecstatic to ski in college in America, and continued to progress his skiing until he became one of slaloms best competitors. Nerdy waterskiers, getting banned from the Masters, the best crasher on tour, Victor Wenbenyama, the Waterski Pro Tour, and what makes TWBC so good. Hear all that and much more in Episode 57 of the Grab Matters Podcast!

Kevin Michael, mostly known as “Kevco”, has been in and around the wakeboard and waterski industry for decades, helping shape the sports we know today. From working at Wakeboarding Mag during the peak years of wakeboarding, to lobbying on the steps of capitol hill, Kevco has put countless hours into turning wakeboarding and waterskiing into legitimate and respected sports. With those years helping run one of wakeboardings biggest publications comes with countless stories of shenanigans and unrivaled times celebrating some of the sports greatest icons and their achievements. Boardstock ‘96, skiboarders vs. wakeboarders, Alliance vs. Wakeboarding Mag, lobbying at congress, Randall Harris, Wake Awards, Wakeboarding in the Olympics, and Kevco’s newest position at USA Waterski and Wake. Hear all that and much more in Episode 56 of the Grab Matters Podcast!