Wildtierstation

Germany has always been a dream trip for anybody who knows about cable wakeboarding in the United States. It's hailed as a mecca for park riding, and for a good reason. With a rich history and culture running through its rivers and lakes, no other region on the planet has seen the development of wakeboarding reach such a high level. 

Even knowing all this, Luke and I were still blown away by just how good it is in Europe for wakeboarding. Every park feels like a country club, with a healthy influx of patrons and spectators alike. Michelin star quality restaurants, and land developments that would make any US park jealous. We definitely weren't in the back of an industrial park in North Fort Myers FL anymore. 

One of the things that stood out to me was how deeply ingrained the sport is in the culture. People hit the cable like we go to ride bikes in the US. It's a family affair, and oftentimes passed down from generation to generation. Also the proximity and ease of going to a different park every day made this trip truly unforgettable. So many great takes on wakeboarding, all coexisting. 

This was one of the first trips we got to mesh with the international Slingshot team. And man did it feel good to finally be there. ZUUPACK has always done things its own way and due to that we end up playing by ourselves a lot of the time. It was great to partner up with guys on the same level with the same stoke; who have the same personal mission. To push their riding and themselves, to see just how far we can take this standing sideways thing. It's fostering the start of what I hope will be a long and beautiful relationship again between international riders, not dependent on where they live in the world.

Traveling and camping with this crew was so fun - we had a really good balance of energy and personalities. Besides myself and Luke Holmes, we had Louis Eggerix, Glenn Vandenberghee, Katinka Buiting, Mik Nieuwenhoff & John Drielling along for the ride. We met up with plenty of other household names along the way like Nico Gogl, Daniel Keschlar, Phillip Bu, Julius Fuhrman, Ripley Leach & the Vanderpass brothers among others.

The trip had many highs and lows - thankfully we were surrounded by all these beautiful cable parks to end each day on a good note. We had originally set out to do a winch trip for Slingshot's new Hi-Viz team winch movie, but ran into trouble with the winch remote and getting kicked out of spots left and right.

One of my highlights of the trip was our first session at Cable4 in Langenfeld. The day after LAO, this was the first time we all rode together and it was the hype and synergy that made us realize we wanted to keep traveling together. Everyone pushing in their own way, no ego just all love for the game. 

Another on the water highlight was Luke's big pool GAP. Nobody was sure if it even was possible without speeding up the cable (I think it was 31kmh) and Luke just goes out there and does it first try. Not only that but he bagged 3 heavy tricks on camera that are also switch!!! Talk about a great way to end the trip. We literally left it all out on the water and made our way back to the US broken and limping; but extremely content.   

It was really good to feel the support from everyone on the trip. We all wanted the best for each other in every moment, and I think that shows in the final piece.  

Everyone had their part, and played it well. We couldn't have made this video happen without such a solid crew. I'd like to thank Luke, Louis, Glenn, Katinka & John for giving it their best and Slingshot, Mystic, & all the cables we visited for their support. I'd also like to thank Momo & the Suess family for their continued impact on our sport, and everyone who helped us on the trip! We couldn't imagine doing any of this without all of you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Wos6QaEsU

Cable Mag coverage: https://www.shredthecable.com/en/wildtierstation-zuupack-trippin-germany/

Photos: Maxx Evan, Chris Lehnert, Alexis from Aspect Wake Mag.