Jimmy La Riche

Hailing from smack dab right in the middle of wakeboarding’s Mecca – Florida – Boca Raton’s Jimmy LaRiche stepped up from a much-heralded amateur career on onto the podium of the pro ranks recently, capturing 2nd place at the 2009 Air Nautique Wake Games’ Pro Men division. With multiple world and national titles under his vest, LaRiche's known for consistency in the face of disaster – stomping his landings more often than not on the most difficult of tricks. Just 17-years-old, LaRiche locked down 2nd overall in the ’09 Pro Tour Jr. Men’s class, was the Masters Junior Champion, World Champion and signed with wake industry giants Fox and Hyperlite upon turning pro. And it was while working on last year’s Hyperlite team video – ReWritten – that LaRiche says gave him the confidence to turn pro, adding that it was also the first big time video he’d ever shot. Somewhat jokingly changing his name here this past summer from Jimmy to the “new and more mature Jim LaRiche,” he’s got a few more years to run it as a teen, though his skills in the Pro Men division rank him right up there with all the veterans already.