The shot ended up coming from a trip Roland [Lugo], Dave [Hanson], and Brandon [Rau] made up to Ohio last summer. We ended up maxing out on that spot, hitting it two days in a row. It definitely took me a while to get it, as always. I was super pumped though, it was my first hardflip at a spot. This past summer Marcus [Knox] and Travis [Belsito] came up to Ohio and Travis did a hardflip second or third try up it. Pretty wild…guess I’m a slow learner.
-ANDREW PASTURA

The elusive upgap is sort of a special gem in the world of wakeskating. The sheer amount of possibilities inspires creativity and progression. The most interesting part about shooting one of these is witnessing the process each rider goes through to figure out how to maximize their pop. Its always pleasant to witness a classy boost out of an upgap.

The amount of tricks that went down at this particular Ohio treasure were borderline absurd. It may not have been first try and sure we had to work at it for a bit, but the reality is that wakeskating is insanely hard and the risks these riders take deserve to be appreciated. When Andrew sets his mind to something he makes it happen and typically the quality and style are well worth the wait. Perfection doesn’t come easy.

Not only did Andrew stick a barrage of flip tricks and big spins in addition to this illustrious hard flip, but his little brother Austin also stepped up and solidified his status as a true young go-hard. Somehow even I managed to land a front 3 here, which is truly a testament to how magical this spot is. Landing the cover of the first issue of The Wakeskate Magazine is quite an honor to say the least and I can’t thank you guys enough for letting me be a part of this.
-ROLAND LUGO