He’s still young, but Dan Nott is already a veteran of the European wakeboard scene, having been at the top of his game for the past decade. With countless titles under his belt and huge respect from his rivals, the Briton is on his way to Abu Dhabi to wow the crowds with his tricks at the Wakestock festival. We caught up with the globetrotting star to find out how he’s planning to make a splash in the Gulf this March.
Do you reckon you can pull off a win in Abu Dhabi?
I hope so… I hope so. This year’s going to be really tough; there’s going to be a lot of good riders there, but I’m going to try my best to do it again.
Have you been here before?
No, but I’ve been to Dubai and Qatar – so I’m really looking forward to coming out to Abu Dhabi and checking it out for the first time. The wakeboarding site sounds great – loads of good, flat water, and everything in Abu Dhabi sounds bigger and better than anywhere else. I’d especially love to go and see the Formula One track as I’m a huge fan of racing.
What tricks should we watch out for from you?
It depends… hopefully I’ll be on form and you’ll see some 600s and 900s. And a ‘Mobe Five’ – that’s a trick to watch all of the riders for. It’s when you do a flip and a 540-degree rotation at the same time. So watch me for the big spins and for the Mobe Fives – and, hopefully, I’ll get a good hit at the rails as well.
So, apart from water conditions, what else is vital for competition success?
The boat, really: you need a special boat, designed for wakeboarding, which makes the wake a lot bigger and give it the best shape. The boat and the water are all you need – the rest is you.
What other boarders are you looking out for?
There’s going to be a lot of good riders – a lot of top pros. Nick Craze is another good rider from England; then there are the top pros like Shane Bonifay and Parks Bonifay. Harley Clifford is one of the best contest riders at the moment. It’s going to be a tough event.
Speaking of tough – have you ever come a cropper doing your tricks?
Oh yeah. I’ve broken my ribs before, just from falling on the water. If you catch the edge of the board when you land on the water, it stops you dead. You find yourself going from 35 miles an hour to zero in, like, half a second. Wakeboarding’s not as dangerous as some extreme sports, but you can hurt yourself.
Will you have time to meet up with some local riders in Abu Dhabi?
I hope so. I’ve got a few friends out there from when I spent a month riding in Dubai a couple of years back. Tom Ellis, he’s one of the top riders from there; hopefully I can meet up with him as well as a bunch of other local riders and have fun.
What advice would you give to the Gulf’s budding riders?
The best advice I can give is to enjoy yourself. That’s the thing with wakeboarding: have fun and enjoy it, you know? Don’t get upset about sponsors and stuff like that – if you keep riding, you’ll improve and the sponsors will come. Don’t get worried about it.
After Wakestock, what are your goals for 2010?
This year’s goal is to do my best and enjoy it all. To wakeboard as much as I can, learn some new tricks; keep improving my level and keep on top in the competitions. And to get some free riding in as well – that’s hard with my busy schedule!
You’ve boarded all over the world – which destinations have really stood out for you?
Let me think… I’m currently in Argentina, at a huge lake with massive mountains around it. I’ve wakeboarded in the Middle East, Japan, South Africa. There are so many places and each one has something really good about it - and there’s always a different local culture to enjoy.
As a British rider, it must be good to see the Wakestock festival go global.
Yeah – last year was Wakestock’s tenth year in the UK. I’ve tried to go to as many as I can – it’s always a good event, you know? In the UK, it’s the must-do event because there’s such a big party afterwards. It’s evolved a lot from the first year, with 300 people in a field. This year, it’s like 20,000 people in the UK, and now it’s global. It’s going to be great.
If you win, what will you treat yourself to with the prize money?
Really, I’d just like to be on the top of that podium with the glory - you know? But the prize money would be a bonus. I’d maybe buy a new car – but I’m never in the same place for more than a few months. I think I’d probably use it to keep funding my travels and enjoying life.
