Wake Park Worlds - 'The Limelight with Matty Hasler'

by The WWA on 3 Oct 2013 In the land of up-and-coming phonemes, Matty Hasler often gets overlooked as an Australian. There’s the James Windsor’s, Harley Clifford’s, Aaron Gunn’s, and Corey Teunissen’s that currently get more coverage than Matty, but, if Matty has anything to do about it, then it won’t be long before the media starts adding his name to that notorious list of astonishing young wakeboarders.

Matty is a twenty-year-old, fun-loving, always positive cable rider from Cairns, AUS. He currently lives with the King of Cable, Tom Fooshee in New Braunfels, USA and has been traveling around the US with fellow ripper and girlfriend, Ange Schriber all summer. They’ve been hitting up as many parks as possible, learning tons of new tricks and adding new grabs to tricks already on lock. It’s like a never-summer, never-ending adventure of progression. He’s definitely one of the favorites coming into Wake Park Worlds in his respected divisions and, oh yea, we forgot to mention that Matty is currently ranked second on both the WWA Wake Park World Series – Pro Men’s and Pro Men’s Features rankings to top it off. All we’re saying is watch out Wake Park Worlds, Matty Hasler is on fire.

Age: 20
Division(s): Pro cable, Pro features
Years Pro: 4
Current WWA Wake Park World Series Ranking: Pro cable second, Pro features second
Country: Australia
2012 Wake Park World Championships Placement: sixth overall
Home riding spot: Thai Wakepark, Cairns Wakepark
Notable awards or wins: second pro cable at BSR Monster Triple Crown, second pro cable at the WWA Wake Park World Series- Cincinnati.

WWA: Hey Matty, tell us about yourself.
Matty: I started wakeboarding at the age of 14 at Cairns wake park . Once I turned 16, I started competing in all of the major WWA Wake Park Worlds Series events travelling around the world. This year has been the best year yet for me since I started 4 years ago, I have progressed so much this year and I am looking forward to the future.

WWA: How did you get into the sport?
Matty: Its a bit of a funny story, I actually had my 14th birthday down at the cable park with a few mates and ever since that day i was hooked. Never stopped wakeboarding from that day on.

WWA: Who has been most influential in your development of wakeboarding?
Matty: The people who have influenced me the most to where I am now is definitely all the boys I grew up wakeboarding with back where it all started at Cairns wake park. Sam Collins, Matty D, Scotty Mcbriar, Sam Gunn and so many others.

WWA: How has the 2013 season been so far?
Matty: The 2013 season has easily been the best season for me so far.

WWA: What has been your favourite trip this year and why?
Matty: Thailand is always my favourite trip by far. I have been going to Thailand for two years now and it is always the funnest and most exciting trip for me. Everyone in Thailand is awesome- its like were all a family.

WWA: What is your mindset coming into the 2013 Wake Park World Championships?
Matty: Coming into the worlds this year I feel really excited and ready to just give it my all. I have had such a good year so far that I just got to go for it and keep positive.

WWA:What rider will you be most prepared to compete against?
Matty: I think the competition this year is going to be the best yet everyone is progressing so quickly year after year so its always hard to say who i will be prepared to compete against the most. I am definitely looking forward to competing against Tom Fooshee.

WWA: Who will be the top three finishers in your division?
Matty: Hopefully myself. DG (Daniel Grant) and Tom (Fooshee)

WWA: Any particular person that you’ll have your eyes set on to beat in the karting race?
Matty: If Jamie Smith was coming to worlds this year i would be in it to beat him but this year I gotta beat (James) Windsor.

WWA: What about in the paintball arena? Who do you want to shoot?
Matty: I really wanna shoot Declan (Clifford) in the face. LOL

WWA: Who would you like to thank?
Matty: I would like to thanks my sponsor CTRL wake boards, my girlfriend, friends and family without them
i wouldn’t be doing what i do.