Anyone who knows anything about wakeboarding now knows who Cody Hesse is. But if, for whatever reason, you missed the past couple of weeks, I’ll introduce him.
 
Cody Hesse is a 21-year-old wakeboarder from Virginia that moved to Orlando to pursue the sport when he was 18. About two weeks ago, he became the first person in the world to land a triple flip on a wakeboard, securing a spot in the Wakeboarding Hall of Fame forever.
 
There are many words to describe Cody…talented, humble, daring, etc., but 'dedicated' may be the word that best describes Cody. He has been working side-by-side with BT (Brandon Thomas) for over a year and a half to create his first full edit and the outcome is nothing short of amazing.
 
We sat down with Cody to talk about the project and his monumental moment. Read his words below and then check out the edit at the bottom of the page (as if you haven’t already watched it a million times).
 
WW: So how did this project start?
CH: I had just gotten onto the Byerly team and BT and I started chilling. He had a drone and cameras and was really good at editing, so we just started filming one day. It was over a year and a half ago. We were taking our time. We didn’t want to rush it. We really wanted to see if we could just wait and stack up the best clips possible to see what would come out in the end and I think it turned out really great. Taking your time really pays off in the end rather than rushing and putting everything out just because you’re excited.
 
WW: Yeah, I know you guys have been working on it for ages. I was always wondering what you were waiting for. Were you actually waiting for the triple flip?
CH: Every time we got a new clip, we would edit it in and just constantly watch it over and over, but we were thinking it could really just use a little something else, something a little different. We just kept going on like that. Eventually we got to a point where we said, "Alright, it’s done," but we didn’t have the triple flip at that time. We still needed a big banger and that was hopefully going to be the triple flip. That’s where Lea came in and helped me write all the proposals to my sponsors to help me build the kicker. We got it built, so then we went up to Valdosta and filmed.
 
WW: So who helped fund that kicker?
CH: Byerly, Billabong, Follow, Rockstar, Step Up Productions and myself.
 
WW: Leading up to the triple flip, how long were you thinking about it?
CH: That’s a funny story. When I was 18 and first got to Orlando and was breaking into the scene, Brad Smeele helped me write a whole proposal for the Surf Expo coming up. I was going to go around and hand it to a couple of people. On it, I wrote my goals and aspirations for the next three years, and on that list was to be the first person to do a triple flip. It’s almost been exactly three years and it came true.
 
WW: That’s crazy...
CH: Yeah, it’s pretty crazy to look back on that. It obviously makes me want to set higher goals for myself.
 
WW: What was going on in your head right before the triple flip?
CH: Right before doing the triple flip, I was trying to remember what I was thinking of when I landed the double mobe for the first time. I always have little sayings in my head, something I can repeat over and over. It helps me get motivated and focused. I wasn’t thinking of anything else. I already knew how to do the trick. I just needed to let my body do it and really commit to it. And by committing to it, I really had to be comfortable, so I just kept saying that mantra in my head to get me in the moment. Everything felt comfortable and okay, so I just went for it.
 
WW: What’s the saying?
CH: I can’t tell you that. It’s a secret.
 
WW: Did it really only take you five tries to land it?
CH: No, it was actually less than five. The first try was the time I actually mentally committed to it in my head. I said, "Okay, here we go." I opened up and landed straight on the back of my head. The second one, I got up and really committed to it. I got the grab, but I landed on my face. And then the third one, I went for it again, but same thing. I landed on my face.
 
At that point, I was sitting there thinking, "Oh man, I do not know what it’s going to take to get this thing. This is gonna take a lot more effort than I thought." As soon as I got up that time, I blanked out and went for it and somehow it just happened. I didn’t even believe it when I first landed it. I looked up and realized I was riding away. I was in shock. I also felt shooting pain in my ankle. You can kind of see me in the video limping away. Yeah, that’s not excitement. That’s me limping away… (laughs). And then I got on the dock and just laid down and it was a mix of emotions. There was a lot of pain, a lot of adrenaline and a lot of happiness. It was a really good moment, one I’ll never forget that’s for sure.
 
WW: Did you cry?
CH: No, I didn’t cry! (laughs) I was screaming!
 
WW: So you sprained your ankle pretty bad?
CH: Yeah, my ankle and my shin. I had it x-rayed and it’s not broken, so that’s good. We’ll be back in no time. It’s actually okay that this happened though because it gives me a chance to sit back and relax, write a bunch of emails, get focused again and redirect. This has taken up so much time and obsession. It’s good to finally breathe, sit back and be like, "Okay, now I can do something new, something different." And that’s exciting to look forward to.
 
WW: What was going through your mind when you landed the triple?
CH: After landing it, it gave me a rush of confidence. I now feel like if I really put my mind to something, I can do it. It gave me the chills or goosebumps or whatever. I was thinking, "Oh wow, what can I do next?"
 
WW: And what is next?
CH: It’s a surprise.
 
WW: Who do you want to thank?
CH: Well, first I’d like to start off with saying I’m sorry if I leave anyone out. You know you’re just as important as everyone else in this project, so thank you. Thanks to Aaron Petty, Brandon Thomas, Lea Montes, Bear Karry, Emily Dale, Shane Bonifay, Johnny Mackay, my mom, Nate Flynn, Terry Bailey, Valdosta Wake Compound, Quinn Silvernale, Scott Byerly, Andy Lazarus, Brad Rutledge, Garrett Cortese, Kevin Henshaw, Area 52, OWC, Chris O’Shea, Union Wakeboard Magazine, Matt Maloy, Emilio, Dom Hernler, Bear Soderlind, Nicola Butler, Mitch Langfield, the crew at VWC and my sponsors; Byerly, Rockstar, Follow and Billabong.

Editor's Note: With so much great music available, it's a shame that a historic video like this gets a soundtrack full of n-bombs. Normally, that would keep it from being run on WakeWorld, but we think the triple is too important to not bring it to you. If you're offended by that kind of language, play it without the sound or don't play it at all.