More than a Podium: Our First Competition as a Team

Eight days ago, we showed up at the Gravel Tour Wake Competition with an entire team made up of first-time competitors from Wake the Wild.

The Students and Coaches were equally stoked for the day!

We started offering School of Wake with Kirby in October, and in just six short months, we’ve watched many of these students go from stepping onto a boat for the very first time, learning how to stand up, hold the rope, and find their balance, to now riding with skill and confidence.

We came into the competition with a few simple goals:

Do your best.

Have fun.

Get a feel for the competition environment.

The students did all of that… and more.

They podiumed in every division they entered:

• 3rd Place – Grom Wakeboarding

• 1st Place – Grom Wake surfing

• 2nd & 3rd Place – Novice Wakeboarding

• 1st, 2nd & 3rd Place – Novice Wakesurfing

WakeSurfing Left to Right: Aaron Smith, Ace Nuebert (5th), Lily Creecy (4th), Zayla Wagner (1st), Lydia Childress (3rd), Ryleigh Smith (2nd), and Coach Kirby Liesmann.

Wakeboarding Left to Right: Ace Neubert (5th), Aaron Smith, Cooper Childress (6th), Ryleigh Smith (3rd), Zayla Wagner (2nd), Lydia Childress (7th), Lily Creecy (8th), Coach Kirby Liesmann.

Our only GROM rider of the weekend, Sawyer Smith and Coach Kirby Liesmann. He placed 3rd for Wakeboarding and 1st for Wakesurfing.

But what we’re most proud of can’t be measured by placement or trophys.

It was the way they carried themselves.

They stepped into a new, often intimidating environment and handled it with confidence, humility, and grit.

They cheered for each other.

They celebrated every run.

They showed what it looks like to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Students waiting to compete in the GROM and NOVICE Wakesurf Divisions.

Getting final thoughts from their Coach, Kirby Liesmann.

It's hard to describe the excitement on and around the dock as the competition kicked off.

This community is so special! Families get to connect and celebrate every student together.

Wake the Wild is about so much more than a sport, a class, or a competition. It’s about cultivating a community where students are coached, challenged, and encouraged week after week, while building character along the way.

A few months ago, this level of competition may have felt out of reach. Now, it’s just the beginning.

We are incredibly proud of every student who showed up, leaned in, and gave it their all. This was our first competition as a team. It won’t be our last.

This is Wake the Wild.