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WakeMAKERS Pro Rider Spotlight | Austin Hair

Austin Hair is a world class wakeboarder and a team rider for Supra Boats. When he isn't traveling the world for contests he spends his time riding with friends on Clear Lake, Florida.

(WM) Can you walk us through a typical day in the life of Austin Hair?

(AH) I wake up to a semi healthy breakfast of ezekial bread covered in bananas and almond butter. Then I go out for a set on the boat, afterwards I’ll head to the cable, then I’ll do some training at my kickboxing gym. It’s a pretty active day.

(WM) You’re one of the Pro Team riders for Supra. What Supra Boat do you currently have and what’s the best part about riding for them?

(AH) I’ve got the SA550. The boat is awesome. It has the swell system so we love wakesurfing behind it. I also love the wake for wakeboarding. The best part about being on the team is that we’re more than just associates, we’re all one big family.

(WM) Why do you ride for Supra? What sets Supra apart from the other boat brands?

(AH) I ride for Supra because I absolutely love their product. When you’re in the driver seat, you feel like a king, and when you’re riding you can just launch.

(WM) What was the biggest improvement from your older Supra to the new SA?

(AH) Probably the Supra Swell System. Its awesome to be able to transfer from wake to wake and ride either side.

(WM) As a pro rider what aspects of the design made you move from the Supra 242 to the new Supra SA? Was it the hull change that made you switch from a 24’ boat to a 22’ boat?

(AH) Yeah the hull change was a huge part. This wake doesn’t curl over very easily, so you can add a lot more weight while keeping the wake super clean.

(WM) What wake characteristic do you like about the Supra SA over the Mastercraft X-Star that you ride on tour?

(AH) I like how this boat doesn’t lip over at all. It’s awesome that you can get the wake this huge and keep it clean.

Shop for 2013-2014 Supra/Moomba BagBuster and Piggyback Ballast Upgrades>>

(WM) Can you describe the ballast setup on your boat. How do you weigh each section of the boat and with how much weight?

(AH) I actually was putting weight in the front when I had the 450 to make it a little steeper, but the 550 is actually pretty steep so I’ve been taking that extra weight from the front and moving it to the back. I have the upgraded ballast, then a couple hundred pounds in lead, then 3 additional fat sacks on the floor in the back and the walkway. The ballast does a pretty good job of covering most of the weight these days.

(WM) You’ve picked up some ballast upgrade products from us before. How did you hear about us?

(AH) I heard about you through a friend who did his own plug and play system on an older Malibu. He suggested I try the same thing.

(WM) Here’s another tough boat question. What prop do you use? With all that additional weight in your boat you must be working with an upgraded prop.

(AH) I’m not sure off the top of my head, but I definitely asked for the “wakeboard” prop. The prop can make a huge difference in getting on plane.

*We think it's probably the ACME 2315

(WM) Does your new boat have the Supra Swell Surf System? We’ve had the chance to ride behind an SC with the Swell System and we were blown away by the wake.

(AH) Yes it does and its awesome. It takes a lot less ballast to get the wake amazing, and if you add ballast the wake gets even bigger. Its cool to just press a button and be able to shape the surf wake.

(WM) Can you tell us about your Pro Model Jobe Maddox Wakeboard & Bindings?

(AH) I wanted something that popped big and landed soft, and that’s what we made. It’s been great! I go huge now and have been learning some new tricks!

(WM) How’s Clear Lake, FL? Who do you normally ride with when you’re not traveling for contests?

(AH) I’ve been riding with Kirby Leisman, Stephen Pierce, and Julian Cohen. It’s a rad lake. Even though there’s a ton of pro’s on the lake no one ever rides.

(WM) We saw on your instagram (@austinhair) that you were in Breckenridge, Colorado for a snowboarding trip. What else do you do to cross-train for the wakeboarding season?

(AH) I like to surf, flow ride, wake surf, and kickbox.

(WM) Any sponsor shoutouts?

(AH) Yep, I love rockin my nectar shades on any occasion, Elevated clothing makes the best wake apparel for hangin out by the beach or going out in general, living fuel is a super food sponsor that keeps me super healthy and energized, zinka keeps me from getting sunburned, and vita coco keeps me hydrated.

(WM) Where can people find you online?

(AH) Austinhair.net and my Facebook page is just Austin Hair.

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