Shaine Edward’s been making waves in the sport he excels at before his age hit double digits.
“The first time I tried wakeskating I was five,” said the 14-year-old Sooke resident. “I really got serious about competing in wakeboard when I was seven, and started competing in wakeboard and wakeskate when I was 10. I’ve been in a ton of national competitions and do pretty good each year, mostly first and seconds in wakeboarding. And the wakeskating is coming along.”
That includes competing in events such as the National Open, where he’s gone up against adults. For those not familiar with the sport, in wakeboarding the rider is attached to his board, similar to snowboarding. There is no attachments to the board in wakeskating, however, Edward explained.
The courses consist of rails, ramps, and a variety of other features that launch the rider well above the water line.
Edward, a member of the Canadian Wakeboard Development Team, will put his skills to the test in the World Wakeboard Competition, which gets underway in London, England this weekend.
“I’m pretty excited about going to London for a week,” he said. “And it means a lot to represent Canada.”
Because there are no wakeboard parks on Vancouver Island, Edward usually spends his summers training in both disciplines at Rail Yard Wake Park in Ontario.
He’s had to rely on skateboarding during the school year for the most part to keep his skills sharp since the family moved to Sooke 18 months ago.
“I like it here in Sooke a lot,” Edward said. “It’s better than Ontario.”
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The family went to the Philippines last year because there are a lot more facilities for training.
“It was an awesome place to spend two months in the winter,” Edward noted, who will begin Grade 10 in September.
The trip to London marks the first time Edward’s been away from his family, so he’s pleased his coach, Jordan Sullivan is making the trip as well.
“Jordan’s a good coach,” Edward said. “I’ve known him for a long time and we work well together. He’s on the Canadian national team for both sports, and is a wakeskater of the year.”
Edward thanked Innovation Seven, Innovation 7 for sponsoring the trip and assisting with the costs involved.
Innovation Seven is a Canadian organization dedicated to building reconciliation-focused partnerships with clients across all business sectors. Indigenous culture, knowledge, and socio-economic interests are woven into everything Innovation Seven does.
“Hyperlite Wakeboards and Wakesurfing Gear have helped me out as well,” he added.
Although most of his time is devoted to training for competitions, Edward said his other interests include playing guitar.
His father, Glenn Edward, gave Shaine’s school full marks for accommodating Shaine’s training and tournament schedule
“The school’s been very co-operative,” he noted. “It’s not a well-known sport, but Edward Milne Community School’s been great fitting in Shaine’s training and time away for tournaments. They’ve really gone the extra mile arranging online learning when he’s away.”
