SPORTS
From Issue #16
Niki Troock
Wake Rider Takes On The Boys
By Ashley Ebner
Niki Troock is waking up the male dominated sport of
wakeboarding. This Vancouver babe has lived on a
lake all her life and started wakeboarding when she
was 14. When Niki checked out the Nationals in 1996
she noticed that there were only a few female
competitors. Not one to let guys show her up, Niki
strapped herself into a wakeboard and now at 20,
she’s one of Canada’s best—girl or guy! Not happy
that guys get more prize money than girls (guys
usually earn about double at tournaments), Niki and
other female pros are trying to change the way the
wakeboarding competitions are run. You go girl!
Faze: Were you good at wakeboarding right from the start?
Niki: I didn’t like it too much at first because I wasn’t really good
at it. I was a gymnast for 10 years so once I started getting the
hang of the board and the edges I started picking up on the
tricks and I knew where I was in the air. The awareness from
gymnastics helped.
Faze: Is it fun to show up the guys?
Niki: Yeah. The girls can do it just as well. Right now the prize
money in tournaments for males and females are not equal.
But the girls are building up the sport and showing they can do
it, too. When you watch female pros like Dallas Friday (17 years
old) wakeboard it’s unreal. She can show off any guy I know.
Faze: Have you had any injuries from wakeboarding?
Niki: I’ve torn cartilage in my knee—there are a lot of knee
injuries in wakeboarding. Last summer, I broke my shin in two
places and the year before I fractured my pelvis. I’ve also had a
few minor injuries such as concussions. But it’s worth it.
Faze: Why is getting involved in sports so important to you?
Niki: When I was younger it seemed there was nothing for teens
to do except get into trouble. You learn discipline from sports.
Some kids, their parents give them everything and they spend
it on drugs and stuff and I honestly think if you are involved
in a sport your mind is focused on something positive and
you have a goal. You are interactive, you’re communicating
with people and building friendships. You learn to work
together and develop team skills. Every sport offers its own
different thing.
Faze: When you’re out on the water, how do you feel?
Niki: Everything is focused on wakeboarding, going out there
and putting everything else aside. Nothing else matters except
the water, the board and you.
Niki catches some air while a camera man catches her on film.
Photo: Bliss Regimba
For some great wakeboarding action be sure to check out Underestimated on DVD where you’ll get to
see some cool
shots of Niki doing her thing!
Catch a sneak peak at www.vreelproductions.com.
