Patrik Hanes - #snowboardzezulateam rider

For the sixth season already, we have been working with the most successful Czech wakeboarder, Patrik Hanes, who only aims high. In addition to wakeboarding, we dare say that he is also the best wakeskater in our country. Enjoy a great interview with him!

Who is at least a bit interested in wakeboarding knows you both in our country and abroad. But how would you introduce yourself to someone who hasn't heard of yourself yet?

I'm Patrik, an 18-year-old child who is addicted to wakeboarding. I've been doing it for eleven years so far. During that time, I have accumulated three titles of the Champion of the Czech Republic and I'm definitely not giving up!

How did you even start with this sport?

It was my father, who worked in the wakepark in Stráž pod Ralskem, who brought me to wakeboarding.

How long did it take you to ride a circ without falling?

I conquered the circuit at the age of five. At that time, my father rode me on a kneeboard and I sat on his knees. But I conquered the circ by myself after a month of practice when I was seven.

What about your first trick?

I could do the first tricks like "touch water" or "ollie" after just a few days of riding in the circuit.

Would you choose your favorite?

There are a lot of tricks I enjoy. I can't even say which is my most favourite one. My favorites are, however, bel air with indy grab or crow mobe tail grab. But I enjoy jibbing the most, because imagination is limitless, and one can get mad there.

What do you do when you don't have to go to school and have time just for yourself?

I wake up in the morning, check the social media and the world news, make some breakfast and go straight to the park. I meet all the "homies" there and we talk. Before riding, I have a little warm-up on the skate and play some hype music. Then I go straight to the water. In the beginning, I am just getting started and trying to figure out some trick I will train. And I then spend the rest of the day practicing and improving it.

And is it going well?

Sometimes the session is so good that we take a camera and we shoot some minor edits. After riding, I usually sit with my friends, we have something to drink, watch the shots and cut them. Then I put my finished work on social media and go to sleep. This is what my day looks like.

Usually, people think you can stay on the cable for five hours a day. What is the reality?

It used to be like that, the reality is, however, different today. The more difficult tricks I do, the greater is my energy expenditure. When I have an easier session, I can last three to four hours on the water. But if I'm trying some new trick and doing my best, I will last an hour or two and I can hardly even take the vest off my body. (laughs)

What do you think about the Czechoslovak wakeboarding scene?

Czechoslovak wakeboarding scene is growing. I meet many young talents who will definitely get us somewhere. The scene is already pretty decent! We certainly have nothing to be ashamed of, as it used to be a few years ago. Of course, there is still much to catch up with, but we are finally slowly approaching the global competition.

Do you put any of your achievements before others?

I consider eleven years of riding without a serious injury as my greatest success. My prize is that my body works and it works the way I need it. Of course I'm happy for having gained the title of the Champion of the Czech Republic three times in a row, but health is the most important!

Do you somehow prepare for the race in advance?

I prepare for each race differently. When I know I will ride on the right-hand tow, I try to practice all the tricks on my left leg. And when it comes to racing on obstacles, I don't do any airtricks one week before and just do jibbing.

What about the rituals? Do you have any?

I have only one ritual before the race. I make an imaginary bubble and try to be only with myself. I hate when someone comes to me one minute before the start of the race and tells me I mustn't fall and that I have to kill it! Of course, I am really happy for and appreciate all the support. But this always makes me terribly nervous. Before I start, I have to be alone and try to calm myself down somehow.

You went to Thailand in winter. What was it like?

Dude! Thailand is completely divine. The weather is amazing, the food is cheap and excellent and I have a cable, on which the world top rides, available. This is the dream of every wakeboarder. I learned a lot of things there that helped me ride. I rate this trip very positively. Perhaps, I will be able to go there again this year!

Are the conditions there very different from the Czech environment?

The biggest difference is that you can ride twelve months a year in Thailand. In the Czech Republic, only half of it. Otherwise, riding as such looks the same.

Wakeboarding has been divided over the past few years into riders favoring air tricks and riders focusing more on obstacles. Which group do you belong to?

I still consider myself being an overall rider. I love everything that is associated with wakeboarding. Whether it is jumping airtricks, spinning on kickers or jibbing. In everything I do, I can find something I really like. Personally, I like jibbing the most, but as I said - I'm an overall rider and I'm definitely not getting angry for a good "315".

You've been riding for Hyperlite for the fifth season. How has the brand evolved since then?

Hyperlite has evolved a lot! It took fresh riders into the team and started producing more park boards. Their bindings have also improved considerably. Hyperlite faced criticism for their poor bindings in the past, be it System or Team X. But 2019 collection is really overwhelming! The boards are all-wood and the binding couldn't be ripped off even if I really tried. I can't wait to see what 2020 will bring.

You had the goal of getting into the global Hyperlite team. Is it still valid?

Of course! I've been trying for five years now. Getting into the PRO team is the dream of any rider who has been riding for a particular company for some time.

Didn't you meet anybody from the team in Thailand?

I met Nick Davies and Brady Patry. But most of the Hyperlite riders are from the US, which I haven't had a chance to visit yet.

Do you know anybody from the team personally?

We are good friends with Brady Patry. At the Plastic Playground, Brady came to ask me if I could lend him my spare board for the race because he destroyed his in the first qualifying race. We found out that we have a lot in common. By the end of the trip we had spent quite a lot of time together.

Why did you choose a Union wakeboard for your riding?

That's simple - it's simply the best! It has a sharp edge for airtricks, at the same time it is quite playful and behaves great on obstacles. Half of my friends bought the Union wakeboard after they borrowed it from me to try it. And as I said, this year's edition is all-wood, so an ultimate perfection fo rme!

How do you feel about wakeboarding and O'Neill?

O'Neill is a surf brand and surfing and wakeboarding are not so different from each other. What's more, there has been a wakeboarding team at O'Neill for some time now. And their Hyperfreak 2mm and Hyperfreak F.U.Z.E 4/3 wetsuits I cannot praise enough. It's a tremendous difference compared to what I used to ride. I almost do not feel them on my body, they dry quickly, do not pull out and I haven't managed to tear them yet.

New team helmets are being prepared. Are you worried about their looks?

Totally! I'm a kind of person who cares how they look on the water (laughs). I like classic black - or at least dark - helmets, but I trust the boys!

Would you like to say something to your fans at the end?

Certainly! I thank all my fans for the support they have given me so far, and I hope it will go on like that. This year, I will be riding on even more races so I will definitely need it! And in the summer, I'm organizing the Riders Meeting, a meeting of twenty best riders from the Czech Republic and Slovakia in one place. So don't forget to come and meet us!

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