Erika Langman

June 3rd, 2008 | Profiles

Name: Erika Langman

Birthday: April 15, 1985

Seasons Competing: 7

Sponsor shout out: Liquid Force, O’Neill, and Dragon Optics

Hometown: Orangeville, Ont.

Current residence: Was Ottawa, then Big White, thenCWC, then Steenburg Lake, Ont. then who knows!!

Where is your riding crew based out of? Mostly the Shoreline crew in Ottawa, but I also ride at my cottage on Steenburg lake, with the O’Neill crew, The Wake Institute crew in the Kawarthas and at Basecamp

What is your favourite thing about wakeboarding? Humm.. so many good things and such a wicked sport! I love how you get to meet people from all over the world and develop some amazing friendships. Also I love the feeling when you land a super steezy new trick.

Favourite Rider: I would have to say Amber Wing, Sunni Ball and Anna Hajek for their style. Boyz wise I have to give it to Oli Derome and Dustin O’Farrell for their snowboard style riding. (And that they are Canadians..)

Favourite Animal: My cat Neo

Favourite Trick: Nifty poked out off axis grabs, nose batwings and grabbed spins

What are some of your best results?

3rd Pro Women at Wakestock 08

1st Canadian Nationals Open Women Railslide 08

2nd Open Women Canadian National Championships 08

3rd Open Women Canadian National Championships 07

5th Pro Women at Wakestock world cup 07

Ontario Provincial champion 06/07/08

Semifinalist at 2007 WWA worlds

What are your goals for 2008 riding season? Last April I graduated from university so I decided to take the year to focus on building up my level of riding. I really believe that in order to ride at the pro level you have to bring something different to the table than that of the riders that already exist. I decided to spend my winter snowboarding in BC and learn from the free, open-terrain style of the sport. There is a lot in terms of rail riding and style that you can learn through snowboarding. Afterwards I went to the Philippines where the goal was to take the tricks I learned in the winter season to kickers and rails, and eventually to the boat.

Last summer I started putting together a few all girls clinics across Ontario at different wakeboard schools. I am hoping this summer to expand these clinics and get a lot more girls out there killing it. The hardest thing about this sport is access to a boat so hopefully by providing these clinics we will see a lot more up and coming female Canadian riders.

What are some of your thoughts on female wakeboarding at the pro level? Over the past 3 years I have seen the level of female riding go from the typical ‘gymnast on the water’ to each of the individual riders developing their own style in different areas within the sport. You see Heather Johnson with her killer style on rails, Dallas still going huge, Sunni with her grabbed inverts and stylish grabs, Amber landing some techy tricks. You are now also seeing some variation in results on the pro tour which is amazing! You have Jr rippers like Nicola Butler and Rami Merrit who have pretty much come out of no where and are sweeping the top spots on the tour. It is definitely a refreshing change. It is because of these ladies that we now have a full pro tour with 7 stops, and I can only see it getting better for us in the future.

How do you feel about the Canadian female wakeboard scene?? I’d have to say that pretty much all the Canadian lady riders I have met have been some of the nicest most encouraging riders out there. I can remember at one of my first contests I was sooo nervous standing on the dock I could barely stand up. Tiff Finley, who at the time was the best rider in Canada, came up to me and said, “Hey Erika relax! We are all here rooting for ya, you’re a wicked rider now go show off.” I still didn’t ride that well but I felt like part of the wakeboard family after she said that. I think that’s how I feel about the Canadian ladies, we are all a part of a team and rooting for each other to ride well. We get stoaked when one of the team rides well in the contest, and bummed out when one of us bails. As far as talent goes.. watch out world, there are quite a few of us training hard to catch up to you on the tour!

What are your future plans with wakeboarding? I love this industry, I can definitely see myself riding and working in it for a long time. I have a business degree in marketing so I hope to eventually get a job as a team manager or marketing representative for an industry supporting company. As for now I am going to focus on my riding, bringing in some new wake tricks and more technical tricks on rails.

What is the steeziest trick you have ever seen?

Man I have seen a lot of steezy tricks! I saw Sean Doucett, a snowboarder who designs the park at Big White, gap a 30 foot table to a 270 to back lip onto a snowboard rail, I also saw Aaron Rathy land a Cab 9 in Toronto Harbour rollers behind an un-weighted Malibu. As for the lady’s I’d give it to Anna’s 9 off the kicker.. craaaaazyness

Craziest thing you have ever done? Umm, lately I’d have to say taking a helicopter ride over some remote islands in the Philippines, then staying a super sketchy hotel in a town miles away from any major metropolis. Pretty amazing though!

Props to anyone? My family has definitely helped me a lot mentally and financially over the years to get where I am, my Mom, Dad and sister Susanna all wakeboard as well and understand my love for the sport. Also, I have been lucky to have some amazing friends through high school and university that always got excited for me even though I constantly talked their ears off about wakeboarding. Lastly, I have had a lot of inspiring coaches in various sports whose coaching has helped me to get where I am now with Wakeboarding. Ally of course, for creating this website and making this possible.

I’d also love to give a shout out to my sponsors, Max and everyone at O’Neill for having such an amazing team and support system, Jude who was previously at Liquid Force and was the first person to help me out with boards, everyone at LF, Mike with Dragon, and Linda, Chris, Jordan and the Shoreline Team for taking me riding all summer long! Also Waterski-wakeboard Canada has been extremely supportive financially. Finally everyone who I have ridden with or have taken me for a pull – Thanks guys!

Author: Ally

Ally Boothroyd created TID back in 2007 to help girls get some much deserved media presence on the web. She coaches several TID All Girls Clinics across Ontario, Canada. If you'd like to contribute content, photos, video or rider profiles please get in touch with her!