With a host of close friends and family on shore to witness the magic, Thomas Herman (@thomasherman) makes his first trip to the top of a Supra Boats PWT podium stop 1 in Indianapolis. While making solid runs at earning podium spots over the recent years, his first time stepping on had him skipping a few steps and going straight to the summit.
“My goal this year was to make the top three a few times,” said Herman. Interesting that the only other top three finish was the unforgettable, historic top spot at the Red Bull Double or Nothing forever marking him as “the Triple Flip Kid”. He is now 2 for 2, but that hasn’t come without the grind.
Herman’s first pro season in 2021 earned him the Rookie of the Year status and yielded results that were respectable, but maybe not exceeding expectations. The following year he ended up 8th overall, then last year with a very solid 6th place overall finish with hard work being the ingredient Herman credits for the improvement. “I’ve just been working so hard and doing every boat event that there is,” Herman reflected. “It is really cool to hear that others are recognizing my hard work. Even riders who I don’t ride with much have said some really supportive things.”
What would surely be a lifetime memory for Herman was magnified by many factors in that the venue was two hours from where he grew up in Fort Wayne, IN. Thomas’s supportive father, TK Herman, posted a memory of standing on the same starting dock with his son in 2011 when Thomas was only 8 years of age. “This might be the only time I could have my whole family and all my close friends from home in the same spot at the same time, so to have all this happen was something super special,” said Herman.
Read Next: More PWT Stop 1 Results
One of the winningest PWT riders in history just happens to be a very close friend and roommate to Herman. “Cory (Teunissen) has all of his trophies and PWT guitars on his walls and he made some space for me. I had to borrow one of his guitars to even out the space but told him recently that I wanted to give it back to him.” He can now proudly fill out his trophy wall with a well deserved win.
Jr. Pro rider Shion Takaiwa has been turning heads for over a year and the Japan native took the win with technical, unique tricks. On the wakesurf side, Jett Lambert continues his dominance with his ability to make the hardest maneuvers and combos look effortless. His board and body control are second to none and early signs are pointing to another overall PWT title.
The next Pro Wakeboard Tour stop heads to Park City, UT on the crisp waters of the Jordanelle Reservoir.
