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Robin Friday

Chances are the name Friday is what caught your attention and coaxed you into reading this interview. However, it might not be the Friday you expected. This Friday is the brother of world champion Dallas Friday. Dallas credits her elder sibling as the one who dragged her out of the gymnasium and got her hooked on wakeboarding. The Friday I'm talking about is Robin Friday Jr.

The elder Friday is a die-hard wakeboarder himself with skills both behind the boat and hanging from a cable. You'd be surprised to hear what this mellow, laid-back guy has accomplished while lurking in his sister's shadow. An aggressive rider on the water with a low-key attitude off the water, Robin exemplifies the well-rounded rider. From winning the Jr. Men's Nationals in 2001 to throwing the first 900 off the kicker the Cable Wakeboard Tour has seen in 2003, Robin is blowing up with huge airs, tweaked grabs and a plethora of technical tricks no matter what he's being pulled by.

Whether he's on the cable, behind the boat or just chillin' with friends, Robin Friday knows how to have a good time. Read on to find out more about the other Friday.

WW: Want to give us a quick bio?
RF: I am 20 years old and enjoy life in Orlando, Florida, especially because of all the water opportunities. I live on a lake and my friends and I spend a lot of time boating and wakeboarding. I enjoy learning anything new and I enjoy new experiences.

WW: Have you lived in Orlando your whole life?
RF: I was born in Orlando and moved to San Antonio, Texas in 1988. My dad was transferred out there to open the new Sea World park out there. I lived there for 3.5 years and then moved back to Orlando and have lived in Orlando ever since.

WW: How'd you get started wakeboarding?
RF: I started wakeboarding in seventh grade. I began water skiing and knee boarding when I was five years old. My dad got a wakeboard for us one year and I got up the first time and I've been wakeboarding ever since. That was probably about seven years ago.

WW: Now you got into cable wakeboarding too. Was it just convenient because the Orlando Watersports Complex was there or how'd you get into that?
RF: Ahh, yeah, as soon as OWC opened I went and checked it out and it seemed like a pretty cool place so I ended up hanging out there and started to get good. I ended up working there and training there and I still ride it all the time for fun. I really like doing the obstacles.

WW: You came in 4th overall on the cable tour right?
RF: Yeah, I fought for fourth

WW: You must've been pretty excited about that.
RF: Yeah, actually did I tie for third or fourth? I dunno. I don't even know (laughs).

WW: You pulled a 900 off the kicker in Texas. You must've been pretty happy about that?
RF: Yeah, I was happy I landed that. I stuck 13 heel side 900's like 2 days before, so I figured I'd try it out and it worked out.

WW: What do you do when you're not wakeboarding?
RF: Go out, and hang out with friends, party. I like traveling a lot. Going around the country meeting different people, seein' how all the towns have fun and umm… Yeah that's pretty much all I like doing. I don't really watch too much TV but I like being outdoors all the time.

WW: How often do you get to travel?
RF: I try to travel once a month, get out of town and do something.

WW: Where is your favorite place to travel to?
RF: Anywhere I am at.

WW: Are you working now?
RF: No, not really. I do a little bit of landscaping work with my friends but that's it. Whenever I need a little extra cash and that's about it.

WW: How well do you get along with your sister, Dallas?
RF: We get along great. We have always been close.

WW: Do you ride often with her?
RF: I ride with Dallas once or twice a week when she is in town.

WW: Do any other family members ride?
RF: Yes, my brother, Chad. Chad rips it up, especially on a wakeskate. My mom was the 2000 World Cable Champion for Amateur Women 19 and older. She can jump a ramp pretty well on a wakeboard.

WW: You started waterskiing really young. Who or what got you started?
RF: My mom was a professional show skier at Sea World and my dad taught all three of us kids to water ski by the time we were 5 years old. My parents' interests in water sports had a big impact on our lives.

WW: Are you into any of the other board sports like wakeskating or surfing or any of that other stuff?
RF: No, not really.

WW: What was your favorite tour stop?
RF: My favorite tour stop was... Ever or this year?

WW: Ever... or this year.
RF: Ever, I'd probably say the Pensacola stop in 2001 when I got first at the Vans Triple Crown in Jr. Men's behind the boat. That was pretty cool, especially because it [was] for the National Championship title. I was beyond super-stoked! I didn't think I'd do that good in a big tournament like that, so that was fun.

WW: Which do you prefer, boat or cable?
RF: I like doing them both. I kinda switch it up. I enjoy riding the cable and I've been riding it for so long. I try to cable ride as often as I get the chance. Wakeboarding behind the boat I really do more often than the cable. I enjoy going out in my sisters Malibu VLX and riding with friends out in our lake out back. There are usually 8 to 10 people in the boat along with Otis, our Portuguese water dog. I have fun going out in the Malibu. It is an awesome boat and without a doubt has the best wake out there. Although the cable has its advantages too though. I like them both the same. Just more friends want to go out on the boat cause its cheaper then goin' to the cable.

WW: Who are you riding with right now?
RF: I don't really ride with too many of the pros. I ride with Collin Harrington a lot and he's one of my good friends. But mostly I ride with my friends Steven Paul and Mike Decato. I ride with my sister sometimes whenever she has time to ride and is in town. That's pretty much it. Then I just go out to the cable and ride by myself or I'll bring a friend or two with me.

WW: Now do you have a lot of plans for next summer? Are you doing the cable tour again?
RF: Oh yeah, I'm gonna do the Pro Tour and the Cable Tour and hopefully I'll be doing well on both. I didn't really go to many of the Pro Tour stops last year, but the next coming year I plan to be doing a lot. I'll be training all winter.

WW: Now what do you do when you train? Do you just ride a lot or...
RF: Yeah, I try to ride every day. I am getting some tricks down that I know would be good to do during a tour stop.

WW: What tricks are you working on for next summer?
RF: I am working on 1080's heelside and toeside and am very close to a double-grabbed osmosis 540. I just try tricks as they come to my mind.

WW: Have you landed a 1080 yet? How close are you to landing one?
RF: I stuck it twice but rode away without the handle, so I am getting pretty close to landing it.

WW: Do you have a favorite trick? My favorite trick is the trick that I invented called a Heiro on the cable. It is a switch, front flip to fakie and back to blind.

WW: Did you go to the Cable Worlds in Australia this year?
RF: I wish I could have gone, but I didn't go to that competition.

WW: After talking with some of the other guys from the cable tour, it seems like a really close knit group. Do you guys generally ride together/hang out when not on tour?
RF: Yeah, we all hang out together when on tour. They are all very cool guys and I enjoy watching them ride and riding with them. When the tour is over, we hang out together if someone is in town.

WW: Describe yourself in ten words or less.
RF: I enjoy life, friends and everything in the world.

WW: You seem like a really laid-back, open-minded and optimistic person. Would you say that's true?
RF: I am very laid-back and easy-going. I don't let things bother me at all.

WW: How do you want to be recognized/remembered in the wakeboarding community?
RF: I want to be recognized as an aggressive rider with my own style.

WW: How would you describe your style of riding?
RF: Unique because I am taller than most riders. I am an aggressive rider and like to add grabs whenever possible and always tweak things out.

WW: Do you have any long-term goals for your riding?
RF: I hope to not injure myself badly so I can just keep riding for years and my goal is to be the first person to land a heelside 1080.

WW: Do you have a favorite rider?
RF: All the guys on the tour now are such incredible riders. I enjoy watching them all, but actually I have two favorite riders; Darin Shapiro and Ike Eisenhauer.

WW: Were there any riders you looked up to when you were first getting started?
RF: Scott Byerly and Gator.

WW: Who are your sponsors?
RF: I have O'Brien Wakeboards for a board sponsor, Ten-80 wakeboarding accessories, they help me out a lot, and then Performance Ski and Surf. Bill Porter's the man. He hooks me up very nicely. And that's pretty much it.

WW: What does your setup look like for '04?
RF: I am riding the 0'Brien Custom 142 with Ion bindings. 1080 for vest and gear.

WW: What line length and boat speed do you usually ride at?
RF: My line length is 81 feet and my boat speed is 24 mph.

WW: If you could give everyone one piece of advice, what would it be?
RF: Enjoy life and do what makes you happy.

WW: Awesome, anything else you want to add?
RF: I hope cable wakeboarding gets a lot bigger cause I think it's a really cool sport and I think it deserves a little more respect. And just for everybody to keep on wakeboarding and that's about it.

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