WW: How about a little introduction?
NF: Well, my name is Nick Fernandez. I’m 15 years old and I live in Woodstock, Connecticut. I've been riding for seven years. I always loved riding, but I never really started to push my riding until I was 12 or 13.
 
WW: Do you remember the first day you stood on a wakeboard?
NF: Yeah, of course! When I was little we always had a boat and my mom was always really into slalom skiing, but I never wanted anything to do with it. Then one day in 2008 she showed me a video of my cousins, who were like a year older than me, riding. I thought it was the coolest thing, so that day we went to the local marina and bought a board! From that day I was hooked!
 
WW: Where do you usually ride?
NF: Usually on my home lake in Woodstock or on Cape Cod with my cousin, Austin. It’s awesome riding with him because we push each other so much.
 
WW: Is wakeboarding a hobby for you or more of a lifestyle?
NF: For sure it’s more of a lifestyle. I don’t think there's a day that goes by where I don’t think about riding.
 
WW: Do you ride with the same crew of people or do you mix it up a little?
NF: Usually I mix it up. Once in a while Jim Campbell will come down and ride and sometimes I get to ride with Mikey Marsh, which is always pretty sick.
 
WW: Mikey Marsh? I remember shooting him back in the day and my jaw dropped watching him ride. He rips! And Jim Campbell is a ripper too! Do they inspire you and push you to try new tricks?
NF: Yeah, for sure riding with Mikey is crazy. His riding is always so smooth and his spins are insane!! Riding with Jim is sick. I feel like both of us are at almost the same level, but the tricks we do are so different and I think that’s where he really pushes me.
 
WW: What boat are you riding behind most of the time?
NF: Most of the time I ride behind my 2003 Super Air Nautique 210! That wake is so nice we have that boat dialed!
 
WW: How about your wakeboard set up?
NF: Remix! This season I was on the William board with Frank boots, but next season I think I'm switching to the One board. When I ride cable, I ride the Bandwagon ATR.
 
WW: Do you do any kind of specific training off the water to improve your riding?
NF: Not really. I try to do squats like every day, but that never happens (laughs). In the winter I snowboard a ton. I feel like that really helps with air awareness and that kind of stuff when I’m back on the water.
 
WW: What do you enjoy most about wakeboarding?
NF: Just hanging out on the lake with friends. Even if it’s super choppy and we can’t ride, it’s so much fun to just go out and wakesurf.
 
WW: When your riding season ends, what do you like to do when you’re not riding?
NF: Usually I’m in school or snowboarding. Up here in the Northeast, we can wakeboard for seven months max, so I love to snowboard!
 
WW: Do you have WakeWorld.com set as your home page?
NF: Nope, I’m so bad with computers. I wouldn't even know how to set my homepage.
 
WW: Are there any tricks that you are working on or want to work on?
NF: Yeah, of course! I just landed a few switch heel 360s and switch toe 360s the other day. Other than that I’ve been trying toe wrapped blind 360s. I still can’t land a heelside back roll to save my life (laughs), but I did learn a tantrum to blind and Tootsie Rolls.
 
WW: Wait! You can do a tantrum to blind and Tootsie Roll, but not a heelside back roll? How does that happen?
NF: Yeah, they just freak me out! If I go out and do one I always feel like I’m gonna catch the nose of my board in the second wake or something stupid. I think I’ve taken worse falls on bankrolls than on tantrums to blind!
 
WW: What would your ideal day be like?
NF: I would be in Miami, wake up early, catch the morning butter at Gator Bait Wakeboard School, grab some lunch, go for a set at the cable and then have some Cuban food for dinner!
 
WW: Pro wakeboarders…who would be your top three and why?
NF: JD Webb for sure; He's such a nice guy and every trick he does looks super sick. Danny Harf; He rips and so many people that I get to ride with say I ride like Danny...I wish! Randall Harris; NOBODY goes as big as Randall and his video parts are insane.
 
WW: Everyone has their dream spot. Where is your dream spot that you want to ride?
NF: I’d love to get to ride in more places in Mexico. My Dad lives down there, so I’m down there all the time. All the places in Al Sur looked so sick to go ride at.
 
WW: I am sure you have gained some valuable tips. Would you care to share some?
NF: Ride with people that are better than you. It really will help push your riding and more experienced riders can always give you some helpful tips. And don't forget to have fun! That's why we started doing this in the first place.
 
WW: Is there anyone that you would like to thank?
NF: Ryan Hughes at Ronix has been a huge help getting me out on the water. Marcos Moran at Gator Bait Wakeboard School LLC; he's my coach and now we're really good friends. And my family. They've always been super supportive of my riding since I started.