Young Rider With Loads Of Talent

Team Nautique athlete Jimmy LaRiche, a Junior Men’s rider, took up wakeboarding a mere five years ago. In that short timeframe, Jimmy has taken the wakeboarding industry by storm as evidenced by his stellar record including 2006 Junior World Champion, 2007 Junior Air Nautique Wake Games Champion and 2007 Junior National Champion.

At the 2008 Pam Am, Jimmy won the Tournament which qualified him to ride with the pros at the 2008 Board Up contest. Among other pro riders, Jimmy went up against his fellow Nautique teammates J.D. Webb and Shawn Watson. Jimmy won his heat in the Quarter Finals which qualified him to ride again the next day for the Semi Finals. Even though the weather could have been a negative factor since there were strong winds and rough water, this did not keep Jimmy from winning the finals. Congratulations to Jimmy for his first ever professional win!

Recently, at the 2008 Air Nautique Wake Games, Jimmy went head to head with six of wakeboarding’s future stars for the Junior Men’s finals. Although it was a close battle, Jimmy LaRiche clearly stood out from the competition, scoring nearly 20 points higher than his next closest competitor. As a result, LaRiche once again took home the 2008 Junior Men’s title, his second first place win at the Air Nautique Wake Games. While at the Wake Games we were able to catch up with Jimmy and ask him a few questions about the Pam Am Tournament and his thoughts on this season….

How did you feel going into the Pam Am Tournament?

I rode well at the charity event for Windermere Rotary Club the weekend before so I was not nervous about this one. I knew that if I won Jr. Men’s, I could qualify for Pro Men’s.

How did you feel riding along with the pro riders?

Going into it, I knew I had nothing to lose so it was fun. I kept riding well and it was awesome.

What do you think is the main reason that you were able to take on the pros and ultimately beat them?

The Super Air Nautique 230 wake definitely played a big role. Nautique makes a great wake and the conditions were good. It wasn’t too windy

What are your thoughts going into the rest of this season?

I am feeling confident going into this season. I did well at my first three events (Windermere, Pam Am and Wake Games) so I am feeling good about this season. I am also excited about transitioning to pro next year and enjoying the next big challenge.

Be on the lookout for more strong performances from Jimmy this season including the 2008 Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament. We are confident he will continue to do well. To learn more about Jimmy LaRiche and his solid record, click here.