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Mike, you’re coming off of your biggest season yet finishing a close second on the Nautique Wake Series and then becoming the overall champion of the Wakeboard World Series. From a competitive standpoint give us a little insight into how this year unfolded for you.
Mike:
This year I took a lot different approach to competition. I spent a lot of time working on my mental game doing meditation, visualizations and some other techniques and did these things multiple times a day. It completely spun my game around to a direction I knew I was capable of reaching. It was such a fun experience and I can’t wait to start competing again.
What things are you doing differently that you feel have attributed to your success?
Mike:
Working on my mental strength for sure. I was able to build some habits and find some useful techniques to help structure my mind frame in a positive way. That helped me unlock a lot of my potential that I had a hard time reaching in previous years.
How has the competitive landscape in wakeboarding changed since you first started?
Mike:
The competitive field is so much different than when I first started. There are so many strong competitors that you are forced to be on point every time you show up to an event. That mixed with the amount of contests that we compete in per year makes for an interesting and fun season. Mostly the level of riding has changed dramatically. There are tons of guys doing really hard tricks and guys that have cut a lot of weight and worked really hard to get to where they are. I’m just excited to see what is possible for me next.
What do you see for the future of the sport?
Mike:
I think cable and winching are getting more eyes on wakeboarding than ever and with all the contests I think the sport has huge potential. To get extreme growth we need to return to festival-style events that have live music. Wakeboarding isn’t big enough to hold events and have huge turn outs. If we want bigger crowds we have to give people another reason to take time out of their day because wakeboarding just isn’t that popular yet. As for me, I’m going to continue to work on my craft and see how far I can take this sport. I’m on a self-motivated journey to see how closely I can create the reality I imagine and for me this is the starting line.
What are you currently working on?
Mike:
Mostly body functionality in the gym. Working on proper movements and strengthening all the weak muscles in my body. A lot of people are going to the gym now days but I’m not so sure how constructively they are working. If you’re not focusing on the proper movements of the body be it on the water or in the gym, or even your posture as you walk, then most of the work you’re doing isn’t going to give you good results. With the season over, now I have some free time to take care of things around the house which feels nice.
Take us through a typical day in the life of Mike Dowdy.
Mike:
Typical day for me is up anywhere , crack a Red Bull and get after it right away. I start with a 30-40 minute mental exercise routine. Then I’ll do a stretch and foam roll session which takes about another hour. Then I’ll go out on the boat for some training, after that I would go to acupuncture, then back to the boat. Then back to the gym, and if I’m up for it, one more ride in the evening. That’s a typical training day when the season’s in full swing. Right now though it’s a bit more relaxed but I’m still working on some of the same habits and skills.
What are your goals for next season?
Mike:
I haven’t really set them out yet. I imagine it will be another pretty fun year battling the boys. I have some other projects in the works as well but it’s not quite time to let the lid off those. I really love competing so I’m looking forward to getting back into it. I’m also partnering with a really cool organization in my home town called North Star Reach which is a camp for kids with major disabilities. We take kids who typically couldn’t go to summer camp because of their needs and allow them the opportunity to go to camp. We’re looking at getting a G-series boat up there and taking the kids out to learn to ride and just have fun on the boat. So I’m really looking forward to that as well.
Who do you usually ride with?
Mike:
I usually ride with any of my buddies who want to ride. It depends who’s around. Sometimes its Parker, Tony, Cory, or Massi.
How has the Super Air Nautique G23 helped you grow as a rider?
Mike:
The G23 has not only helped myself but has evolved the entire sport. From the first two wake to wake 1080’s in events, to me doing the first wake to wake 1260 and double roll to blind, the G23 has completely changed the face of wake forever. I’m so proud and honored to be working with a company that is dedicated to designing boats that make it possible to perform at a higher level.
