Traditional wakeboard boots consisted of a rigid baseplate directly attached to a soft, boot upper. This led to compromises in performance and comfort as either couldn’t be optimized for the rider. Taking inspiration from the snowboard industry, I led the development of a separated binding and boot design that was the industry’s first fully lasted, outsole boot construction. What was seen as an experiment back in 2011 is still a significant part of Hyperlite’s boot line today. The product was named Innovation of the Year by the Watersports Industry Association and Wakeworld.

Lower leg injuries are a common occurrence for elite waterski slalom skiers. To reduce this risk, the team again borrowed inspiration from the snow sports industry and created the industry’s first releasable waterski binding. Although safety was a key consideration, performance could not be compromised. I led development of the product that consisted of an extruded aluminum base plate with injection-molded hardshell bindings.