Brandon Lee Speaks, You Listen

02/24/2008

me: 2007 was a pretty big year for you. You filmed for Godspeed and had nice photospread in SBC. Talk about last year and what it meant to you.

Brandon: 2007 has probably been my best year. For one, I stayed healthy all year for the first time in probably 6 years. I had also recently moved to Kennesaw and we hosted Shreducation at GRC and that turned out really well. And after trying for about 4 years in Jr. Mens, I finally qualified for the Pro Tour in Pro Men, but only rode the first two stops. I did get that full page shot in SBC wake magazine which I was really excited about. We actually did that shoot in early March and it was ridiculously cold when we were trying for it. So I'm glad that paid off. Towards the end of the summer Oakley sent me to New York for about 4 days which was an incredible and crazy experience all in the same.

me: What was it like working with a really talented photographer and did it change the way you look at riding?

Brandon: It was great because with videoing as been a hobby of mine for the past 3 or 4 years, and I have always had these ideas of things you could do but never the means. So when Jason Lee (www.blurryphotos.com) came up to Gravity with all these remote lights and stuff, I knew we could get a lot more creative, especially with obstacles. But to answer the second part of your question, shooting stills doesn't really change the way I look at riding because I have always put a major emphasis on how my riding looked, as opposed to the technicality of it. My theory is make it look good and the technical aspect will come. So I guess shooting stills is actually pretty natural for me because I know what I would like to see and when. Luckily, Jason had the same idea on when to snap the photo.

me: It definitely showed up in the final product. Some of those shots amazing. Film or diggy?

Brandon: Jason shoots film, so it's not like he was out shooting a sequence on digital and just erasing every time I screwed up. Efficiency is key with that. Luckily I didn't waste too much of his film, haha.

me: You went up to NY with Oakley. What was the occasion for that and how was it getting an inside look at people who make a living doing action sport sales?

Brandon: Well, the Rolling O Lab was doing a nationwide trip. The Rolling O Lab is basically a crew that drives two rigs across the country, stopping at different cities. The inside of one of the rigs is packed with all of these instruments and gadgets that show just how much better Oakley optics are than any other eye wear in the world. They had come out with a few new polarized shades and wanted to put something athletic and polarized together. They decided on wakeboarding. Coincidently this was the same weekend as the US Nationals, so all of the A- team guys were going to that. Well, I am definitely not ashamed to be on the B team of a company such as Oakley, so when they asked me if I wanted to come up and hang out for a few days and go ride for some of the accounts up there I jumped at the chance. 

me: First stop of the year was Atlanta for the PWT. You rode, qualified, and then fell when all of us brought a liquor store out to watch you. Not an actual store but the majority of their product.  Talk about the Atlanta stop. Now!

Brandon: Well, for some reason when conditions are horrible I ride better. Normally I am the worst when it comes to riding in rough conditions. Somehow or another I decided to just not give a shit, and that seemed to work on Friday.  I qualified in 2nd behind my Buywake.com teammate, Chris Law.

me: When you say horrible conditions, please describe. I'm used to buttery conditions and I take it there were ripples on the water?

Brandon: Oh, lets see. Well I would say the winds were in their upper 200's, and swells were well overhead. Maybe not that bad, but it was pretty bad. Have you ever been in 200mph winds? Is that even possible?

me: I've been in an airplane hauling ass, that is probably redundant, and put my hand out of the window. That may or may not count. But to answer your question, yeah, I think the jet stream moves that fast.

Brandon: Oh well I think the Jet stream took a detour and cruised right through the pro tour site for a day. Anyway, I was exctatic because A. I never ride well in contests. And B. I had been trying to qualify for the Pro Tour (in Jr. Mens) since 2004. So to get 2nd in my first heat in Pro, I was excited. So Saturday comes around. Of course the powers-at-be thought that it would be great to place my brother and myself in the same heat.  I really wonder if they did that on purpose? Well, not only did I have to deal with Brett, (who already intimidates me in contests because he never falls), but Murray was also seeded in the same heat. I don't even remember how my run went, but I do remember falling twice, and then clipping on the transfer box, falling again, and getting up to see everyone that I knew from ATL cheering me on by boat. That happened to be my final fall. I think I just put a lot more pressure on myself when I know there are a lot of people watching. Oh yeah, the conditions were awesome too. No excuses on that part.

me: Oh man.  I just remembered that elephant that Brett got ripped on at Arrowhead.  Man, that was like 4 years ago.  I'm getting old.  'This year you're on board with CWB. Give me details: How did that come about?

Brandon: Well, with my two room mates being on CWB for the past few years, I have built a lot of relationships with the people at the company. I had been watching their product improve vastly, especially for 08, and they got a new team manager, who is really cool... for a Californian, haha. So I started talking to them, and got everything going on at surf expo. Some space had just opened up on the team around the same time, so I guess everything just fell together quite nice. I am now on the National team, along with my brother.

me: What board are you riding?

Brandon: Well after trying out a bunch of different boards, I decided to go with the Kink 141. It is similar to an Absolute shape from a few years ago. It is just a clean normal shape, no crazy features. For the boots, I'm on the Answer's now, and will probably trade off between them and the Zeus CT's.

me: Anything fun planned for the team?

Brandon: Yeah we have a couple cool things that are happening, especially in Georgia. You will just have to wait for that though.

me: Snowboarding, ready go. This winter you've been MIA, snowboarding all the damn time.  Lucky.  Where have you been going, with who, doing what, skating rink ice, and whatever else you want to tell me.

Brandon: So last fall I decided I was going to ride throughout the winter. Actually I promised myself that. I didn't break that promise, but I originally thought I would be wakeboarding. Instead, I found myself snowboarding almost every weekend.

me: That works and I'm most jealous. Where do yall usually ride?

Brandon: Well, Cataloochee mainly. People knock the 'Looch, but you can learn so much there. At least I have. I also went to West Viriginia for about a week, and I just got back from Bear Mountain.

me: What went down out there?

Brandon: Crunk Energy Drink!!! just broke into the LA market and are doing a bunch of promotions out there. They just so happened to be doing one at Bear the same weekend I wanted to go ride. So they hooked me up with free passes. They know how to take care of their riders.

me: So how was it?

Brandon: It was a lot of fun.  The weather was similar to that of what I have been accustomed to. (55 at the 'Looch), but the mountain was way bigger. I mean, it's nothing like going to Colorado or Utah, but if you are into park riding, I don't think it gets any better. 

me: I think I remember you talking about getting some ice from a skating rink - you know where I'm going with this. Tell the people what they want to hear.
 
Brandon: Oh yeah, that has been a big hit in Kennesaw this winter. We have probably done 4 or 5 rail jams. Some of them were more productive than others, but they were all fun. We basically fill up two or three truck loads of snow and build a drop in- obstacle, and then landing. I think the one we did at Jake Hinton's at GA tech was the best. Those engineers pulled out all the stops with the drop in. It consisted of three boxes that a band plays on, stacked on top of one another with some wood layed on it at an angle.
 
me: Rumor has it that you are the new Ambush/Buywake.com Team manager. How is that going?

Brandon: It is going really well!  I mean, I get to write Keith Lyman checks for $20,000 a month, go on exotic trips, and live life large.  Haha, just kidding!  But seriously, I am honored to have this position and it's a lot of fun working with all of our riders. 

me: "Live life large."  That's a great line.  Good stuff man. I'm definately excited to see what happens for you this year. Tell some folks that you care.
 
Brandon: First and foremost, God and my parents. My parents are and always have been behind me 100%. Thanks to Chuck, Lee, and Derek at Ambush and Buywake.com (www.buywake.com), Kevin and Crunk!!! Energy Drink (www.crunkenergydrink.com),  Wes Bearden and the entire Gravity Research crew (www.gravityresearchcompound.com), everyone at Oakley (www.oakley.com) from the Szanti brothers to Matty himself, Bern Helmets (www.bernunlimited.com), CWB wakeboards (www.ridecwb.com), and of course the support of the entire Georgia wakeboard community, including ATLwake.com.  Thanks Buck!

me: PS: check out some of these shots of Brandon rocking out -  1 2 3 4 5