Hipnotics has been a favourite wakeboarding designation for myself and friends for a few years now, located in southern Turkey near Antayla, it’s a little hidden piece of paradise off the beaten track. It attracts wakeboarders from all across the globe and with three square meals provided daily, it promotes a close community feel. With bungalows placed only a few steps from the water, waking up to the view of glassy blue water and Palm trees definitely gives you the feel ing of being on a remote Fijian island. On this occasion, visiting for pre-season and thawing out from a Northern hemisphere winter in May, we found it be the quietest time we’ve ever seen there, we made almost half of the 15 people there, quiet amazing. This meant that on more then one occasion you could find yourself the only one riding, and obviously, wakeboarding on a cable park with smooth, flat and glassy water in front of you is the way you wish every lap could be!
Fortunately for me, with limited numbers of people around and meeting a very exception rider in Lex Dekker, opened up the opportunity for me to experiment with some interesting perspectives that normally would be out of the question, like standing a top of obstacles and getting close to the action. Lex being a creative cameraman himself, brought some very interesting and creative ideas for some shots he’d thought about yet hadn’t found a time, place or willing photographer to attempt with. We did a hand full of sessions, both morning and evening, hitting a multi-avenue obstacle that had a wide flat section the middle that gave me the ability to stand while Lex hit the ramp on the side, an angle I’ve never seen anyone else hot before and perform some amazing flips, spins and grabs that is a great sight to spectate. We captured some great shots and I must say, Lex not only has an amazing ability to be very consistent and perform time after time, but also the only person I’ve ever seen who is so comfortable in the air, he has the presents of mind to look straight down the barrel of my lens, and anyone who rides and jumps can agree, top of mind when you’re in the air is where you’re going and where you’re landing is, and least of all is looking for the photographer and looking at them!
