03/27/2026
Everything has led up to tomorrow...
When I was just a little kid my parents would take us fishing and boating and from an early age they helped instilled a love and appreciation for the part of God's Creation called water.
Mom typically prioritized safety over fun and my dad would often prioritize fun over our safety. I'm so blessed to have had them to help raise me into who I am today.
When my dad was growing up his mom would take him fishing on the side of the road in creeks and drainage ditches. My dad didn't have a boat but he dreamed of one day having one. They would have a Pepsi (to this day it is still his favorite soda). However he didn't have a good relationship with his dad so his mom helped to instill that love for the water.
I often overlooked all the hard work they put in to give us the life we had. In my early adolescent years my dad purchased an old rickety fishing boat. Him and I spent countless hours restoring that old boat. Looking back there were many nights after he got done working construction he would come home and work on that boat even when he was already tired. At the time I would always complain about working on it after school or on the weekends because I wanted to do other things.
As I got older we began fishing tournaments. Mom would wake up at 3 am with us and she would always make sure we had a hot breakfast before we left for our big days. She would also make sure we had plenty of snacks out on the boat. And if my attitude was subpar she would remind me of the privilege I had to go fishing with my father which, again, would irritate my adolescent self.
Now that I am older I can see that through all the blood, sweat and tears, all that time on that boat, in the rain, wind, and shine my dad was doing everything he could to give me something he didn't have as a kid... not just a boat. He was just trying to spend time with me, teach me, love me and be the father he never had.
Eventually we began wakeboarding behind that fishing boat, haha, and now I am happy to say we eventually upgraded. Dad and I love going out on our wakeboat and wakeboarding together with our wives cheering us on from the boat. We find great value in time spent together. Not just him and I but with our whole family.
Let me just say this, no one can ever spend too much time with their friends and family on the lake!
To my parents, Thank you for all of the sacrifices and hard work you guys have done to help make this dream become a reality.
To my sisters, Alysson and Amanda, thank you for all of the encouragement along the way.
To all my friends, thank you for all the great memories on the water. I will never forget the fun we had and I can't wait to make more memories!
And to my beautiful wife, thank you so much for putting up with a crazy guy like me. I mean who opens a wake shop in southern Illinois of all places anyways!? Your support, both emotional and financial, has been such a blessing. None of this would be possible without you. I love you so much!
Lastly I wanna give God the praise. He gave us the water, the sunsets, and he is generous enough to let us spend forever making memories with him and the ones we love in heaven. He made it possible through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. I bet the lakes and sunsets are gonna be a lot prettier there too.
It has all led up to tomorrow....
Swimming, fishing, riding, crashing, dreaming for 40+ years... and tomorrow is the day.
Southern Illinois, I am so excited to bring you in on this wonderful journey!
