A little while ago we heard from wake mag contributer Kristen Veltmeyer, who turned the focus on the girls that frequent the Penrith cable park, to find out a little more about what it’s like tearing up the cable.
Care to introduce yourselves?
Aliysa Gibbons: I’m Aliysa. Life pretty much revolves around wakeboarding with working at the cable park. I’m always keen to give winching a try too. I prefer to wakesurf behind the boat – it’s so much easier on the knees and heaps of fun. Over the winter months, I’m pretty keen to get to the snow!
Shavaurn Hansen: I’m Shavaurn. I’m a school teacher and moonlight at ESS Boardstore Parramatta with Jess.
Helen Spiropoulos: I’m Helen. When I’m not wakeboarding, you can find me at uni, work, the gym, the beach or out with family and friends. Currently I’m doing a PhD in Accounting at the University of Technology, Sydney. I’m also a tutor there. I love to work out, go fishing, have fun with my mates and try random new things. I’ve been a surfer and skate, played all kinds of sports and recently went skydiving – it was a blast!
Jessica Wang: I’m Jess. I’m currently studying full time at Bible College, as well as working at Monster Skatepark and ESS Boardstore, Parramatta. I also try to snowboard whenever I can. I’ve been living in Jindabyne this year to ride for the winter.
Treena Hermansen: I’m Treena. I’m in my third year of Psych and Law at Macquarie University. I play netball and basketball during the week. That said, after uni and work, riding cable definitely dominates my spare time.
What kind of set up are you riding?
SH: I ride Courtney Angus’ former O’Brien Coda with Ronix boots from Balmoral Boards (the board came with all of her tricks programmed into it!). I just got a sick KGB Quest vest and love it. It’s really comfy and awesome. Special thanks to ESS Boardstore for my super toasty O’neill Psycho 2 wetsuit!
AG: I ride the Liquid Force Peak 135. It’s Nico von Lerchenfeld’s pro model and is similar to the LF Henshaw Deluxe. Unfortunately, Nico’s skills have not rubbed off on me! Still, it’s the most fun board I’ve ever had. Thank you to Paulie and LF for that. I’m also a creature of habit and usually can be seen wearing the same get up, always with my Cairns or Cables ride shirt!
HS: I ride Tom Fooshee’s Witness by Liquid Force with O’Brien Decade boots. So far, so good. It’s a sweet setup.
JW: I’m riding my first board, a Gator Lexy 132, but am getting a Melissa hybrid next season from ESS Boardstore – so stoked! As far as ride gear, wouldn’t go past I Ride Sideways, they’re by far my favourite wake/snow clothing brand – super bright and fresh!
TH: Thank you KGB for hooking me up with ride vests! So, so comfy to ride in, I love their gear! And thanks to Balmoral Boards for helping me out with everything else I need to shred snow and water!
When did riding at Penrith Cables come into the equation?
AG: I came to Australia and started working at Cable Ski Cairns. I moved down to work here at Penrith Cables last year. Nothing is like Penny! It’s crazy in the summer, full on, non-stop … But you wouldn’t have it any other way! We have a great team of workers who not only love the sport, but the park too. I love that our park holds many events that happen in the cable calendar such as rail jams and Boardstock. You get to meet so many great people within the industry.
HS: My uncle took me and my cousins for a day at Penrith in 2003. I didn’t even know what wakeboarding was until I saw the other riders ripping it up. Then, I just had to give it a go! I was there for a season before they unfortunately closed – I was devastated! When they reopened I became a member straight up and I’m loving it!
SH: I started riding Penrith when it re-opened at the end of 2009. I much prefer cable riding to boat. I wish Chris and Clay would build one in Perth, so I can go home!
TH: I started riding Penrith Cables about a year ago. I remember the day I found out the cable had re-opened. I had just been picked up from the airport by parents, after a year of living in Perth where I was a ‘tea bagging’ kitesurfer, and during the car ride home I heard an ad on the radio for Cables Wake Park. I remember thinking to myself, “Maybe living in Sydney won’t be so bad after all!”
JW: I started at the beginning of December 2010, because my mates working at ESS were pressuring me to go. I went with them and bought a membership even though I’d never done it before; on my second lap I decided this was my new sport! I went out and bought a wakeboard, vest and helmet the next day! I love Penrith!
There have been some pretty impressive upgrades to the park. Tell us all about it!
SH: The fact that there are two lakes is awesome. They are both different, but equally cool! Al Parker and the crew are the bomb for building us new things and mixing it up all the time!
AG: Last year we opened our new left foot forward cable ski, complete with eight brand new obstacles – which are all awesome. We also tweaked some of the right foot obstacles, and we currently have the longest flat bar in the world! There is always stuff going on around the park to keep it getting better and better.
HS: The upgrades are absolutely awesome! Besides having two lakes and a System 2.0 there are some new killer kickers! They include the famous flat bar (103 feet), a large hill-like slide we named “Nessy”, a similar one we call “the Alps”, the “Taxi” and many more!
TH: The new left foot cable was a huge challenge. Learning to hit obstacles switch was an interesting task. I’m pretty sure I’ve tacoed every rail in that lake.
JW: Yeah, it took me a while to get used to riding with the left foot forward. My favourite obstacle is definitely the extended flat box, and the ‘Indy’ bar.
Have you got a favourite obstacle or trick?
SH: My favourite trick is probably a scarecrow (it was the fashion air… but Turtle and Flax sat me down one day and gave me a stern talking to about that).
HS: I love doing a transfer on the funbox on the left-foot cable, and switch krypt raleys on the right-foot lake.
JW: The kickers. The wave kicker is pretty fun! I love a good tweaked tail grab or scarecrows.
TH: I love landing wrapped off any obstacle, but spinning a 3s off the wall ride of the wedge, with a sneaky tail tap to blind, is my current flavour of the month.
AG: I love the flat box. Pressing is heaps of fun!
What tricks are you working on?
SH: I’m a nerd and have a trick list for both lakes, written up with long and short-term goals listed. I’ve got lots of catching up to do!
TH: It was a roll to revert off the water… I was nearly getting there in June. Not close enough though, as I ended up snapping my ACL in the attempt! The knee reconstruction is in July and I’m hoping to be back on the water in time for summer!
HS: You’re only limited by your level of guts and determination! I am working on an S-bend and a Hintenburger on the right-foot lake.
JW: Working on landing my scarecrows, extra-tweaked methods, back 3s off the kicker, and soon-to-be front 9s on the flat box.
AG: I need to start working on kicker tricks! I want to get my spins consistent and maybe land a flip!
There are only a few girls who ride Penrith regularly. How does everyone interact and support each other?
TH: Nights out at Penrith Panthers! It’s all about shredding up the over-40s-only dance floor after a day on the water with the ‘Riff crew!
SH: My friend Alex Wilson introduced me to Treena and the rest is history. It was also awesome to have some female operators (Nini and Jeanette). Sometimes we will session certain kickers together. The guys support us by telling us if they saw us doing something steezy! Plus, Al loves making delicious wraps for the super-thankful Penny crew.
HS: We always have a laugh together. When one of us knows how to do something that someone else wants to learn, we ride doubles and give advice. We also support each other from the sides of the lake and scream out encouragement. Besides that, we’re all on Facebook!
JW: The guys are awesome support, they’re so supportive and get totally stoked whenever we learn or land a new trick! They’re so keen to teach, either from the dock or riding doubles. It’s really encouraging.
AG: We really have an awesome Penny crew; everyone is so supportive and just loves it! It’s great to have people around like Turtle, Flax, Mark, Dougie, Dylan, and Zac … There’s way too many to mention. They always inspire you to try new tricks and just have fun on the water.
TH: My favourite memory was riding doubles with German rider Kathi Pickard until close one night. Clint gave us our final lap signal, and we both decided, “Let’s try simultaneous scarecrows and tantrums off the inside and outside kickers!” I remember pulling myself up out of my sketchy butt check landing, and looking over to see Kathi still standing and squealing with excitement! It’s nights like those that make the countless hours spent swimming in and walking back to the dock worth it!
Have you got a favourite story you’d like to share from riding Penrith?
JW: I do appreciate Zac Wood’s beautiful wakeskating stack on the ‘Indy’ bar that’s on Facebook right now, VERY entertaining.
SH: The hotdog challenge. It’s a Penny in-joke – if you want in on it, come and ride here!
HS: Only the time I lost my memory from catching a back edge trying backrolls when the park reopened! I can’t think of one day where we haven’t had a laugh with people trying tricks or been entertained by crazy stunts.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank for supporting your riding?
TH: KGB for hooking me up with their vests, and Balmoral Boards for helping me out with everything else I need! I’d like to thank my dad for dragging me around behind the dingy and teaching me wakeboard when I was a kid. Also, Darren Baker for sheltering me every weekend, so I can be close to Cables! In addition, Mark Williams, who has spent countless hours waist-deep in the water taking photos of everyone. Now he is passing that wisdom on to me, as I begin dabbling in photography while I’m injured!
AG: Liquid Force (Mick, Sandy and Paulie) for giving me a great set up to ride each year, and Loz (Lauren Mead Ormsby) up in Cairns, for always being stoked if I land a new trick!
SH: So many people: UWAWSC and the Wickliffes in WA, ESS Boardstore, Ryan Lehepu, Alex Wilson, Sydney Uni Wake Club, the PVSC, DB, the Penny cable operators, Bread Roll …
HS: I’d like to thank my Uncle Con because he first took me to Penrith Cables and has been my wakeboarding buddy back then and again since they reopened. He’s always encouraging me to go for a ride and try new tricks. He’s also a clown on the cable!
JW: Yeah, Matty and Mez for peer pressuring me into buying a wakeboard after going once, Jase at ESS for setting me up, Shevy for dragging me to cables, and the boys for teaching me tricks that are probably too difficult for me!
