Austin Hair is a man of many trades. In previous years, he managed to juggle wakeskating, wakeboarding, writing, videography and college studies all at the same time. Now in the past year, the twenty-seven year old has embarked on a new business plan; opening a kickboxing gym. We sat down with him to discuss how he handles his newest venture whilst still managing to finish in the top three of the WWA Wakeboard World Series.
 
WW: How old are you and where are you from?
AH: I'm 27 and I’m from Tega Cay, South Carolina.
 
WW: When did you start riding and where?
AH: When I was twelve when my family moved onto Lake Wylie.
 
WW: Who helped you most when you were up and coming?
AH: Definitely a group of guys called the Southtown riders. They taught me my first flip.
 
WW: What was your first sponsor?
AH: Hyperlite was my first sponsor.
 
WW: What is 9Round and how did you get involved with it?
AH: 9Round is a 30-minute kickboxing workout that originated in South Carolina near my home town. I got into it because my family was doing the workouts in SC and they told me about this awesome gym they had been working out at. I’ve always loved health and fitness, so I was excited to try the workout. When I saw the workout and the business concept, I knew I had to bring it to Orlando.
 
WW: Have you noticed a difference in your riding since you started training?
AH: Absolutely. I’ve always kind of wanted to get thinner in order to increase my pop on the wake. The problem was I didn’t want to lose strength. So I’d still do weights while working out, thus keeping my size. When I switched to a kickboxing workout, I got a lot slimmer but was able to keep my strength through the punching and kicking on a 110 pound heavy bag. I’ve been able to learn new tricks this year and probably started riding the best I’ve ever ridden.
 
WW: Is it tough to manage both?
AH: Absolutely. It takes a lot of time and dedication to excel at anything, yet alone two things. But in the end they both go hand in hand, so it’s totally worth it.
 
WW: Who’s your usual crew that you ride with and where?
AH: I have a large crew of people that I ride with actually. Lately, my roommate Gordy Cotrell has been riding a lot behind boat and I’ve been going over to Dallas Friday’s house or Meagan Ethell’s house to ride as well. Both of those girls have also graced the gym with their presence and, from what I can tell, they love it.
 
WW: What are your plans for the off-season?
AH: I plan on pushing my fitness a lot while it’s a little chillier than the summer months, possibly open up a second location, and hit it hard again this spring.
 
WW: What are your goals for 2015?
AH: I want to stay in the top three on the World Series and break back into the top five on the King of Wake. I also want to start pushing my riding in a different direction, doing more unique stuff rather than worrying about adding a 180 onto everything.
 
WW: How do you feel about no Mastercraft Pro Tour next year?
AH: At first I was shocked, but I really think it’s going to be a great thing. I think it will open up the platform for all of the boat companies to compete against each other to see who can have the best events. At least I hope so.
 
WW: Do you think this change will be good?
AH: I have a feeling that the changes we will see this next year will be pretty awesome. I heard there are some more companies coming into the scene too, which will obviously be great for the sport.
 
WW: What was your favorite contest of 2014?
AH: Cancun, Mexico for the World Series stop. It was awesome!
 
WW: You always seem to do well at the World Series events. Do you prefer those contests? Why?
AH: Haha! I’ve noticed that, too. Apparently I can’t ride as well on American soil…or water, in our case. I just think it has a little bit to do with the fact that the World Series are at awesome locations that have so much fun stuff to do. So, instead of stressing over my run or who’s in my heat, I’m out enjoying the city and what it has to offer.
 
WW: Where do you think you draw your inspiration for trying new tricks? Snowboarding or wakeboarding?
AH: It's honestly half-and-half. Snowboarding is definitely way more advanced, so it's cool to see what can be done. But I still check both snowboarding and wakeboarding websites for new videos.
 
WW: Who’s your favorite boat rider to watch right now?
AH: That’s a tough one because everyone is riding so different. I like how Twelker and Cook put a lot of emphasis into their tweaks and pokes and alter the trick around that. Of course, guys like Harley and Dowdy are always inspirational too.
 
WW: Who’s your favorite cable rider to watch right now?
AH: Probably Daniel Grant.
 
WW: What do you think was the best wakeboarding trend of 2014?
AH: Hippie transfers are pretty fun.
 
WW: You won the wakeskating worlds back in 2005. Do you ever ride a skate anymore?
AH: Actually, not really. It was kinda hard to wakeboard, wakeskate and get my degree. One of them had to give and it just ended up being wakeskating. I still mess around every now and then though.
 
WW: You’ve also done quite a few cable contests. Do you still consider yourself just a boat rider or both?
AH: I consider myself both, but my focus is on the boat. I used to compete in both contests in 2011-2013. That was a crazy time in my life. I hit Platinum status on Delta real fast. No, I focus on free riding at cable and boat contests. I think it’s important to be well rounded.
 
WW: You’ve had a Jobe pro model for a few years. What’s your favorite part about the Jobe team?
AH: It’s awesome to be on that team because they’re very open to my ideas and inputs. It’s a pretty small team too, which keeps us all tight knit. We all have a place and that’s pretty cool.
 
WW: What would you take on an island aside from water and food?
AH: Nintendo 64 and a TV.
 
WW: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
AH: Hopefully still riding every day, but also running multiple 9Round kickboxing gyms.
 
WW: What’s your life motto?
AH: Walk by faith, not by sight.
 
WW: Who would you like to thank?
AH: Supra Boats, Elevated Clothing, Zinka, Nectar, Vita Coco, Living Fuel, GoScope and 9Round Orlando.