Check In: Rivers Hedrick

Interview: @phoenixprojeck

We checked in with ROTY Rivers Hedrick to learn more about her latest groundbreaking video part: DOMAIN

PP: The past few years you’ve collected a whole lot of accolades at some of the largest contests in the sport, what’s it like bringing all that experience back to your home park and sinking yourself completely into making a video project? There’s not a whole lot of people out there who can say they know what that feels like.  

RH: It’s surreal to say the least. Coming back home after a long trip is always one of the most rewarding parts, even if the trip or contest didn’t go to plan. Riding back at Terminus after a big event is like hitting the reset button. It means the hard work is done, but it’s time to do it all over again. So, when the contest season comes to an end each year, I take advantage of that time to rest and recover a bit before jumping back into heavy riding. Although this year was a bit different. I definitely did take a couple much needed weeks off of riding, but it wasn’t long before the fire lit back up to create a video project. 
 
I had already stacked about 10 clips the year before so it was just a matter of getting back into the flow of filming and riding and making something happen. I think the most powerful thing you can do in any industry or sport is fully focus on one thing; with DOMAIN, the contest season was out of the way, no more demos or clinics, no more flights scheduled, just the end of the year slowly creeping up on me. I had about 6 weeks from when I started filming again to finish the project before the ideal release date. 

 It was definitely a hard push but I’m so proud that we made it happen. I say “we” because I would be lying if I said it was done alone. Massive thank you to everyone that chipped in! 

PP: Whats the longest battle you had for one clip? 

RH: Toe back 9. Kind of crazy story. I landed the trick first try one day but only got the iphone clip. Then I was like oh this is easy, i’ll just film it with a camera tomorrow… 

A week and a half go by and I haven’t landed it again. Holy moly I was sore. Then one day I had Johnny D come out on his lunch break and I landed it first T. 

So, maybe I just need his pure stoke to help fire me up and stomp the trick.

PP: Did you go into the project with a list of tricks already in your head or did you free style it? Also you hit a few badass flips to plastic, what’s the process of trying that like? Doesn’t seem like there’d be much room to ease into it. 

RH: Definitely a list of tricks! But the list changed and evolved as the filming progressed. Sometimes I would realize I’m capable of more which always feels good. Then of course sometimes I realize the trick is harder than I thought, so for the sake of making progress, I scratch it, change it to something slightly easier, and move on. 

To me, flipping to plastic never gets any easier. I definitely take my time on stuff like that to make sure I ride away without any injuries. I think it’s always better (in most cases) to take little steps forward over a long period of time rather than taking one giant step. It might not be the most timely way of doing things but it definitely helps me build confidence. Plus more reps = more muscle memory. 

PP: Is the Terminus pool superior to the OWC one? 

RH: I think they are pretty different. It’s hard to choose but I definitely like how Odub has the kink down rail. At the same time, I’m not sure how I feel about having the ledge on the other side. So they are both pretty fun! It’s sick that they are both different, it helps having features never be exactly the same when you’re traveling to different parks. 

PP: The bump to pipe switch back three to front three was such a good sneaky hard clip. It sounded like it surprised you too, were you wearing a microphone or did you just claim the stomp with that volume of authority? 

RH: Hahaha no that stoke would be from Jackson Kauffman. He is the best. Always puts a smile on everyone’s face and lights up the park whenever he’s there. Any hoots or hollers in my clips are most likely him lol. 

PP: Putting the riding aside for a moment; the production on this video feels very cutting edge. You’ve spent a good deal of time behind a camera yourself, could you give us a rundown on your rig for all the gear nerds out there? 

RH: Yes! I am quite the nerd myself haha. 
I use a Sony fx3 right now with a simple trinity of lenses. Wide 15mm, medium 24-70, and tight 70-200gm. That setup has served me well so far! 

The rig changes depending on the shoot but I always run a shotgun mic or wireless, then a monitor with either a top or side handle, most of the time using V-mount batteries to give me the all day power! Swapping small sony batteries gets annoying after a while.

PP: How important to you is the “presentation” of a video project? 

RH: It’s the most important part. 

PP: What advice would you give to the next generation of up and coming girls who feel inspired by DOMAIN?

RH: The best thing you can do is be yourself! Authenticity matters. Oh and keep shredding, go ride behind the boys, and grab your board.

What does it mean to win ROTY?

First female ROTY!!!! So crazy. This is so cheesy but it's true - Winning ROTY to me is like finally making it to the top of the mountain after a long hike up. The best part about it is looking down and seeing how far away you parked your car and the winding path it took to get up. There were so many points along this hike that I wasn't sure about or were difficult, but I just kept moving forward. Plus, the view from up here is incredible and I'm not ready to start the hike down yet. 

In years past there have been other women who have had incredible years, Meagan Ethell, Julia Rick, Melissa Marquardt, Dallas Friday, and Anna Nikstad just to name a few. Has it sunk in just how monumental a moment like this is in wakeboarding? 

So true! I am incredibly honored to be a part of changing the game and it's always been my center focus throughout my career so far. Not the tangible achievements like winning events or making videos, even though those are very crucial parts, I just want to play my role in raising the bar for womens wake like the ladies you listed there did before me. So with that big picture in mind, it just comes down to little checkpoints along the way. Although, I think that I've been so focused on those little checkpoints, it's been hard to wrap my head around the "monumental moment" as a whole. So, I guess no, it hasn't quite sunk in yet haha. 

Lastly, would you like to see a separate male and female ROTY going forward? 

This is one of the hardest questions. I do know that we need to continue prioritizing more female recognition within the sport. The level of womens wakeboarding is progressing faster than ever and everyone should know about it. Especially because now more than ever, we're able to bring more eyes on wakeboarding with just the use of our fingertips. In today's age of fast scrolling, I would love to see more media spotlight on women at events, or women's video parts, etc. Though, with this mindset, I would also say that there should be separate men and women's ROTY. But at the same time, I know for a fact there are several girls out there that are hungry enough to have a stronger year than anyone else. Especially some of the up and coming riders in Europe you'll see dominate in the next few years. Plus, beating the boys is always better. 

Also, what's cool about ROTY is that there isn't any criteria. It's simply just who had the best year overall, and that can be anyone.

Did that answer your question? No, probably not. Sorry about that.

Check out DOMAIN below.