The Water Skier Magazine’s Hit It Podcast

This week the Hit It Podcast chats with Ty Cheshier, one of the top water ski racers in the nation. One of the rarest disciplines, Ty shares how he got into the sport, the challenges of racing more than 80 miles per hour on open water, and what the future holds for water ski racing. 

With his own successful 20 year professional waterskiing career behind him, Kyle Eade has plenty of time to focus on his students – including his sons, Jaeden and Damien. Both members of the US U17 Water Ski Team that took numerous medals in the 2024 IWWF World Under 17 Waterski Championships, they now look forward to college and beyond.

Team USA member Kailey Koehler's water ski career has taken her far beyond the shores of Lake Como in Wisconsin. 

Just weeks before heading to Australia for the sixth IWWF World Show Ski Championships in Mulwala, Kailey discussed show skiing, barefooting, and where she wants to take the sport in the future. 

One of the most dominant slalom skiers of all time, the two time U.S. Masters champion, three-time U.S. Open champion and four-time Moomba Masters champion talks about enduring in the sport, the need to continue adapting during a long career, and how her kids now motivate her on the water. 

With a career spanning three decades – 47 pro slalom titles, two Pro Tour season championships and seven-time U.S. National Slalom Champion – Wade Cox has made the transition from superstar athlete to sought after water ski coach. A fierce competitor on the water, the Hall of Famer discusses slalom techniques, the current state of water skiing and his unique approach to coaching.

Dane Mechler may have missed the majority of the 2024 season, but he finished strong by taking the win at the 2024 MasterCraft Pro. Dane joins us to talk about his disappointing injury to start the season, the quality of competition in men’s slalom skiing right now, and how training in less-than-perfect conditions has helped him in his water ski journey.

Both the most recognizable and the most influential modern water sports athlete, Parks Bonifay talks his water sports journey from a ski baby to water skiing and, ultimately, wakeboarding, where his legend truly grew.

The winner of multiple X Games gold medals, a five-time MasterCraft Pro Tour champion and the first to land a 1080 on a wakeboard, Parks is a legend whose story is still being written. 

In the latest episode of The Water Skier magazine’s Hit It! Podcast, presented by Visit Central Florida, three-event water ski sensation Kennedy Hansen joins host Tyler Boyd to talk about her recent World U21 overall record, and representing Team USA at the upcoming Pan American Water Ski Championships. They also discuss how her family’s move from Minnesota to Florida fueled her passion for water skiing.

An accomplished water skier in his own right, John Horton’s greatest contribution to the sport he loves is the community building online powerhouse, Ball of Spray. The website continues to serve as both a warehouse of ideas and the sport’s virtual water cooler for discussions on techniques, tournaments and gear.

This episode of the Hit It! Podcast is sponsored by Radar Skis.

A nine-time national champion and past U.S. Team member, The Hit It Podcast welcomes third generation professional water skier Elizabeth Montavon into the virtual studio. Elizabeth shares her path to the sport, insights on skiing professionally overseas and her ideas to help the sport grow into the future.

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A three-time world record holder, two-time Masters champion and four-time Moomba Masters champion, Chris Parrish discusses his approach to life, slalom skiing, and what it took to create a course record that has stood since 2005.  

Wakeskating pioneer and two-time world champion Brian Grubb achieved an extraordinary feat in an innovative project that combined drone wakeskating and BASE jumping late last year from a Dubai skyscraper. Brian joins host Tyler Boyd on this episode of the Hit It! Podcast to talk about that first-of-its-kind-achievement, his life on and off the water, and much more.

Kevin Michael, the new executive director of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports, joins host Tyler Boyd on this episode of The Water Skier magazine’s Hit It! podcast, presented by Visit Central Florida, and discusses his vision for the organization and his more than 30-year career in the towed water sports industry.

In this episode we are joined by the man behind Peace, Love & Water Skiing, Corey Vaughn. One of the premier slalom water skiers in the world, Corey talks to us about his path to professional water skiing, and his goals for the future with the 2024 season on the horizon.

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To close out the ’23 season, host Tyler Boyd talks with the world slalom record holder, Nate Smith. They recap his success on the Waterski Pro Tour, where he earned the top spot. Plus, what it will take to run 43-off, his approach in the slalom course, and Nate’s consistency amongst the best in the sport.

2023 World Disabled Overall Champion Connor Poggetto isn’t an athlete defined by his disability. A member of four USA Adaptive Water Ski Teams, Poggetto and USA Adaptive Water Ski Team Coach Brian Detrick join host Tyler Boyd to talk Team USA, adaptive skiing, and the goals that Poggetto has for himself both on and off the water.