It’s been another amazing year of riding. Here’ the very best from the past year!
Photos taken using:
GoPro HERO3: Black Edition
GoPole EVO – Transparent Extension Pole for GoPro® HERO Cameras (26″)
Rain-X Glass Treatment
10 – Hurts So Good
Skiers: How many times have you been asked if barefooting hurts your feet? Now you’ve got a witty reply, and so do I – thanks to my fellow ShowCalSkiers.org teammate Scott Redlin!
Uncle Nick Murphy getting it done at Marine World in the 1970s.
Photo: Gary Warren
<<CLICK>> for more Free Watersports Memes…go get you some!
9 – Classic Ride
Sometimes the simplest ride can make an epic shot. This is already one of my all-time favorites! This pair of vintage Cypress Gardens skis is on loan from long time friend Dr. Terry Weyman. His dad did some film work at Cypress Gardens back in the 1960s, and this pair of “Aqua King” skis was a gift from the man who founded Cypress Gardens: Dick Pope, Sr.
8 – Breaking Glass
Rounding 3-ball with nothing but butter ahead! Ski West Village near Bakersfield, CA is one of my favorite places for photos.
7 – Flying High
Uncle Mike’s set a World Record in 2014 for the “Tallest Hydrofoil” at 11′ 3″ tall. The record was pre-approved by Guinness and Mike is just waiting for official confirmation.
Photo: MikeClaryPhotography.com
6 – Shades of Blue
Taking a turn on my favorite vintage ski: the HO Turbo. The water in this man-made ski lake is dyed blue to prevent the sunlight from hitting the bottom. This helps to reduce growth of vegetation.
5 – Submariner
George Hartman performs a Jet Ski launch just prior to his show entrance as the Mariner at the Universal Studios Waterworld show. This year I rebuilt the ActionHorizonsStunts.com website, and commissioned a series of underwater shots to highlight the beauty and athleticism of these amazing performers.
4 – Teambuilding
It’s been more than 25 years since I have been part of a human pyramid. Our new show ski club, the ShowCal Skiers, kicked off the inaugural season this year, and we built lots of pyramids. In fact this team building exercise is #10 on my “All-Time Favorite Ski Rides” list.
Back in my Magic Mountain show skiing days we just rode 68″ inch jump skis. Today’s pyramid skis are called show boards, and are much longer and wider for better stability.
3 – Up From the Depths
Parting the green sea while rising from the deep on a piece of wood. My “paling” is a piece of oak (1″ x 4″ x 65″) with no bindings and no fin.
This photo was used this year by Body Glove and Surfline. I was introduced to this “skiing device” by Brett Wing’s Aussie friend in the early 1980s. He was able to run shortline in the slalom course!
2 – That Sinking Feeling
This HO Turbo, vintage 1985, was my all-time favorite ski until hopping on the HO Freeride earlier this year. This snappy white ski looked great then and now, especially against the blue water background of Ski West Village.
To get this shot I set my GoPro to take a burst of 30 photos in 3 seconds. I clear the lens of water spots by blowing on it just before cutting out, then wait till the last second before pointing the camera downward to shoot.
1 – My Ride’s Cooler!
An early morning session with the handle cam and ice chest on the COOLERado River. You guys love cooler photos, and I took a few dozen rides on one this year. I’ve professed beyond just riding to making a few moves inkling side slides, 180’s, and off the lip turns in a side stance position.
I had a great year taking photos with my homemade handle cam. I extended my handle out to about 6 feet long, covered the main line with a piece of PVC pipe, and tied it in firmly with the V-section of the handle.
<<CLICK>> for my Top 10 Instagram Photos of 2013 
Best photos water skiing, wakeboarding, hydrofoiling, and more!
