Who is the White Trash Wakeboard Team?

Part One: "Home is where the heart is"

In 1998, a group of wakeboarders in Hattiesburg, Mississippi decided to pursue their passion despite having the odds stacked against them. At the time, the "up-and-comers" in this action sport had very similar stories: live on a lake in Florida, rich parents, ride year-round. However, a lack of silver spoons and lakefront property did not deter these riders from their dream. They would embrace their limitations, and flip the script on what everyone thought was necessary to create a wakeboard scene. They would become the WTWT.

Clark Dudley and Luke Williamson had been friends since childhood, and they discovered the sport of wakeboarding in 1995-96.Without a local scene to draw from, they decided to start their own. Calling Hattiesburg home base, the closest regular riding spot was at Clark's fishing came (aka stilt house) in Bay St. Louis. The "luxury tow boat" they had available was Clark's 1978 Thunder Craft 18 foot tri-hull. Needless to say, conditions were less than ideal, but a spark was beginning to spread. Clark religiously collected each issue of Wake Boarding magazine, and he dreamed of one day making a mark for Mississippi within its pages.

Soon, they would meet two brothers who shared an interest in this sport. Kevin and Michael Stuart attended the same church as Clark and Luke, and each were the only "real wakeboarders" that the other knew locally. So, a bond was forged, and a regular riding group took root. The Thunder Craft would eventually gain a tower made of wood and bolted to the hull, which allowed for a raised tow position. However, the wake size was small, and the riders only had two wakeboards among them.

In 1998, while attending the University of Southern Mississippi, a "local" by way of Colorado would join the group. During fallout from one of Luke's many failed relationships, he was introduced by a mutual friend to Paul Gatling, who grew up in Mississippi but had recently moved back from Breckenridge, Colorado. Paul was "stoked," to use one of his favorite words, to meet some guys who not only knew what wakeboarding was, but had a boat and rode regularly. Clark, by this time, had purchased a 19 foot closed-bow Ski Supreme, and the Stuart boys had invested in a dry suit big enough to fit everyone. The group had even managed to fabricate an extended pylon to permit even more hang time behind the boat. Each rider was also able to purchase his own wakeboard and bindings, so shared setups became a thing of the past.

It was around this time that wake boarding was evolving into the sport we recognize today. Mastercraft introduced the X-Star, a boat designed around the needs of serious riders, complete with ballast and extended pylon. ESPN included wakeboarding to its new extreme sports festival called the X-Games. Wakeboard manufacturers began to produce more advanced designs for boards featuring multiple fins, new wide waists and tips, and extra rocker. Bindings had improved footbeds and new materials that

added comfort. New tricks were landed regularly, and the direction of the sport was being discussed as a choice between contests and free riding. Style was debatable. It was around this time that Paul noted the distinct blue-collar mentality of the rest of the group, and coincidentally Clark had begun regularly referring to himself as "just white trash." Clark had even obtained a hat and some stickers with a trailer logo and the phrase "white trash" beneath it. They group brainstormed about starting a wakeboard group on campus, using the trailer as a logo, jokingly referred to as the "White Trash Wakeboard Association." Paul, noting the symmetry, suggested "team" as a substitute, and WTWT for short. From that point on, the WTWT would be on a mission to show the world that passion, not funding, was the necessary ingredient for progressing the sport. The group created iron on designs to go onto wifebeater tanks, and stickers featuring the trailer and WTWT name went immediately onto every available surface. It was time for the group to make its presence felt.

Continued with Part Two: "Grassroots and the Internet"

In 1999, wakeboarding was experiencing a growth spurt. Riders could be found in all 50 states and across the globe. Top competitors on the pro tour were the focus of the media coverage, but an influence was building from the bottom up. A movement began, focusing less on the pro and more on the average Joe. Around this time, so-called "grass roots" events began in California, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma. Louisiana Spring Fling was one of the most successful grassroots events. Occurring in Monroe, this festival attracted riders from all over America. The WTWT quickly reached celebrity status at this event, and the video magazine WakeTV featured the team at LSF. This led to the beginning of equipment sponsorships for the team, and even spurred a boat upgrade. In addition, the membership roll expanded to include riders from Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas.

Grassroots events like LSF were bolstered by a budding technological development: the Internet. Wakeboard-related websites and message boards helped connect riders to each other, and Clark and Luke were regular contributors to the discussion. Soon, the team formed its own website featuring its mission statement: WTWT.org. Though free riding and festivals were fun, competition was also an interest of the team. Thankfully, Mississippi began participation in the INT League, led locally by Jim Roebuck. Soon WTWT riders were on top of podiums at INT events. They even managed to bring an event into their backyard, hosting a competition in Hattiesburg in June 2001.

Fast forward over ten years, and the riders of the WTWT are spread throughout the country. But no matter their location, the spirit is still in the South, and a revival is underway. Some things never change. Stay tuned...

-Luke Williamson


www.BackyardRailPark.com