Kyla Hendricks, Wakeboarder (WI)

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Age: 12

(SS.CO) Your Location (where do you ride mostly): (KH) Green Bay, WI

What’s an average day for you like?
In the summer my typical day involves getting up and eating a healthy breakfast, then it is off to the water for a morning set of wakeboarding. After taking a couple sets of wakeboarding it is mess around time with wakeskating, surfing, slalom skiing and barefooting. We will eat lunch and then it is right back out on the water. We are typically the first ones on the water and the last ones to leave (that is when the water is the best). In the evenings I will have ski team practice or shows.

What is the most difficult part of your activity/sports for a beginner? The easiest?
The most difficult part of wakeboarding for a beginner is the getting up process. It takes a lot of strength and coordination to be able to pull yourself out of the water and get your board into a good riding position. The easiest part is once you have yourself out of the water it is fairly easy to just ride behind the boat. 

What is the best and worst thing about being female in your sport?
The best thing about being a young female rider in the sport of wakeboarding is people don’t expect to see me do the tricks that I do and it is fun to beat older boys in competitions. The worst thing about being female in the sport of wakeboarding is that it is very hard to get recognition and representation as you go through the amateur to the pro ranks.

What would you like to see change in your sport to make it better for you and other female athletes?
I would love to see the pro women get added back into the pro circuit. It would help tremendously to grow the sport with the current young female wakeboarders and also with future young female wakeboarders.

Besides your ability and style factor as an athlete, how would you describe your personal style?
I am a very caring, outgoing, happy person. You will always see a smile on my face. Not to mention I can be a little goofy at times.

What are your favorite brands/designers for your sports apparel and for stepping out?
Sheshreds of course! I do also like under armour clothes for when I am working out. I love my Burton snow gear when I am on the slopes. Nothing beats an Abercrombie sweatshirts when I am just lounging around.

Let’s hear your thoughts on how important looking good is to feeling good. “Being” your personal best?
I love looking nice, but no matter how I look, I am always going to shred!

How dangerous do u really think it is compared to what people do in their regular activities?
There is no doubt there is an increased level of risk with wakeboarding. However you can twist an ankle or wreck your knee just as easy running down the sidewalk.

I bet in your experience you have seen some crazy crashes. Describe one.
By far toe side and nose crashes are the worst and I have had plenty of them! The worst crash I have taken so far was on my first back-roll attempt. I just never really got the rotation down and landed straight on my head.

What usually gets people hooked on your activity/sport?
Without a doubt people get hooked on wakeboarding after watching someone  who knows what they are doing do it.

What is your favorite trick?
Toe-side wake to wake 180 

Do you own any other toys?
I have a go cart, skateboard, and bicycle

What gets you pumped up for the day?
Waking up to sunny, warm, calm days

What are three things you could not live without? 
Wakeboarding, gum, and friends

What are your expectations for this activity/sport?
My expectations for wakeboarding/snowboarding are to continually progress and be the best I can possibly be and to hopefully take it to the pro level.

Who have been your biggest supporters in getting you to where you are now?
Without question my biggest supporters are my family.

Who’s your favorite rider/shooter (photo/video)?
Meagan Ethell

What do you do in your spare time when you’re not riding/shooting/competing?
I really enjoy playing basketball and just hanging out with my friends.

How about in the off season to stay in shape?
In the off season of wakeboarding I snowboard and in the off season of snowboarding, I wakeboard.

What is your biggest goal to accomplish this/next season?
My biggest goal is to repeat as the national and world 9 and under champion

What do you do to prep for a competition?

I repeat my competition run over and over both on the water and in my head.

What’s your favorite “way” to ride (wake sport- specific, cable, boat, winch)(Snowsport specific- park, freeride/backcountry, urban)?
Wakeboard-I like boat more because we don’t have any cable parks in our area, but I love to ride cable.

Favorite conditions?
Glassy water!

Where would be your biggest dream place to ride and why?
I can’t wait to ride at the Barefoot Ski Ranch BSR in Waco, TX

What song(s) do you listen to while riding that puts you in the zone?
Happy by Pharrell Williams

What turned you on to your sport?
Riding with my family and watching them enjoy it so much.

Any new tricks you’re working on?
I am working on a number of different inverts as well as 360 spins

What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever done in your sport?
I won the WWA Supra World Championship for girls 9 and under for 2013 

What other extreme/action sports are you into?
Wakeboarding, snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing

If extreme/action sports didn’t exist, what would you be doing with all the free time you’d have?
Playing basketball and swimming all the time!

What’s your favorite board/bike/sled to ride and why?
I love my Ronix vision wakeboard and bindings

What’s the trick to riding features and not killing yourself ?
Make sure you ride right up the middle of the kickers and ride with confidence.

How would you describe your riding style?
AGGRESSIVE!

What would you say is your signature trick?
Fashion air 180

Favorite drink of choice to refresh yourself after a long day of riding/shooting?
Water

What do you want to be when you grow up?
Professional wakeboarder and if that doesn’t work out, I would like to follow in my mother’s footsteps and be a teacher.

What competitions and other awards have you won? Include your non sports accomplishments also.

• 2014 WWA Nautique Wake Games champion junior girls 
• 2013 WWA Nautique Wake Games champion junior girls
• 2013 Performance Gravel tour grom girls overall champion
• 2013 WWA National Champion Junior girls--boat
• 2013 WWA National Champion Junior girls—cable park
• 2013 WWA Supra World Champion junior girls
• 2013 Fort Fremont Marine overall champion-novice division
• Sports Illustrated Sports kid of the month