An Epic Love
Sisters Shawna and Raequel Hoffman are truly Epic riders. Ridiculously talented world champion wakeboarders, the women prefer to ride the monster wake behind Epic Wake Boats, which this year not only sponsored the Northern Californians, but Board Up Miami as well. The massive wake caused by Epic’s “drop zone wake enhancing technology”, keeps the wake – as Shawna describes – “poppy”. To illustrate, the first time Shawna jumped while behind an Epic boat, she rocketed towards the sky and completely overshot her landing. Having reigned the power, Shawna, 17, anticipated her experience with the boat would place her at an advantage.
Though they could be found with head in the clouds on a toe side front side 540, the young women prove they remain scholastically grounded. Raequel, age 20 and a Junior at Chico State, had to complete and email an essay to her school while on vacation in the Keys before she competed. Shawna, a Junior at Durham High School, needed to declare a week of independent study so her school would approve her absences. If she doesn’t attend school a certain number of days in the semester, the administration could withhold events like graduation – or prom.
If the pros from the Northern California city of Chico feel any sibling rivalry, you couldn’t tell. The Epic riders show sisterly love as vast as the wake they ride. “Shawna has an amazing style that is very flowing… She’s been a very good rider since a very young age, a lot younger than I was. And she’s fearless,” Raequel beams. Shawna equally and effortlessly applauds Raequel’s extensive accomplishments. She recalls the first time Raequel, then 16, wowed the crowd in a local competition by landing a toe side back roll to revert (that also got her father’s approval for an ankle tattoo). “We will always be there for each other on the dock,” Raequel says. “When I see Shawna or Shawna sees me I think we feel this comfort in knowing that’s my sister and she’s here with me.”
- ◀ Outside
-
- Share This
-
