By Luke
Fri, Oct 21 2011 10:00 am | Comments

We’ve assembled all nine Pro Spotlight features from 2011 for your reading pleasure. Whether it’s Keith Lyman explaining why he gave up his pro wakeboarding career to join the military or Danny Harf talking about is motivation to breathe live back into feature-length wakeboarding movies with Defy, Pro Spotlights take you inside the lives of your favorite riders and find out what fuels their personalities and riding. Happy reading!

Dean Smith

Although we think Dean Smith is one of the most stylish riders of all time, his balls-to-the-wall approach is tough to get consistent in contests. But no one really considers that a negative trait. In fact, anyone who sees him ride in person will agree he is one of the most impactful riders on the water today. Armed with several moves that are truly his own, including the sickest stalefish backside 360 you’ve ever seen, Dean has been on our radar for quite some time. It’s hard to imagine a long-term career going as big as Dean does. It’s like eating bacon at every meal, you just don’t do it. But Dean has that perfect wakeboarding frame we are all jealous of — 5 feet 7 inches, 157 pounds and shredded. For those who think his Worlds run was a fluke — time will tell. But on Aug. 22, we saw him go bigger than everyone and grab everything. He is unique, original and has more fun than anyone else. In our eyes, that is the perfect definition of a World champion. Read the full interview.