Riding obsession all way to Worlds
WHAT started as an innocuous Christmas present has turned into an obsession for Cairns’ Brodie Collins.
The 15-year-old Far North athlete is in the final stages of preparing to pull on the green and gold of Australia at the World Wake Park Championships for 2017 later this month.
The Year 10 Cairns State High School student accrued points in local competitions, which led him into Queensland competitions down south to qualify for the Nautique WWA Wake Park World Championships.
The event is stop four of the World Wake Association 2017 Wake Park World Series schedule at CamSur Watersports Complex in Naga, The Philippines from September 29 to October 1.
It is the biggest Wake Park World Championships for 2017 sanctioned and run by World Wakeboard Association.
Collins had never jumped on a wakeboard before Christ- mas a few years ago, now he is hooked.
“A couple of years ago, I got it as a Christmas present from my parents to go to Cairns Wake Park and I became in love with it pretty quickly,” Collins said.
“I started going there and now I can’t stop. My brother and I did it all the time.
“When I was younger we used to do it at a lake, too.”
Collins is set to share the experience with fellow Far North wakeboarder Ryan Allen, who is five years younger.
The event gives riders from around the world a chance to not only participate in a global wake event but also to discover eco-tourism spots such as TV series Survivor’s pristine white beaches of Caramoan, and the mountain view of Isarog with its hot springs and waterfalls.
Collins is expecting tough opposition at the championships and believes the locals will be hard to beat.
In his competition there will be some athletes aged up to 30 years old.
“It is going to be tough,” Collins said.
“The Thailand and Philippines guys are usually the best, they have the best wake parks over there. “They are the locals. “I would love a medal but just going there and representing Australia is cool enough.
“I have represented Queensland before but this is the first time for Australia. “I am stoked.” If you want to help Collins and Allen reach their goals, visit their GoFundMe page: gofundme.com/cairns-boysto-world-championships