My life in sport: Brad Smeele

Brad Smeele says he fought back from illness to win a last chance qualifier before making the podium in Korea. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Brad Smeele is almost riding the crest of a wave, although not quite. The 22-year-old Aucklander overcame illness to win the silver medal at the world wakeboarding championships in South Korea - but he'd like to be making a bit more silver.

He can handle his own crashes - a long list which includes being knocked unconscious in an English lake - but the world economic crash is another matter.

Smeele's terrific effort in Korea last week might help change the outlook.

The former Auckland Grammar student, who won junior world titles in 2004 and 2005, hopes his podium finish at Lake Uiam in Chuncheon City means his wallet doesn't keep taking as many hits as his body has over the years.

Back in his American home-away-from-home, Smeele (pronounced Smaler) takes a few Herald questions.

Congratulations Brad ... were you confident of a big career move in Korea?

I was very sick for the first two days with a swine-flu type of thing. I was waking up every half hour with hot sweats and chills, a headache, almost vomiting. I was really crook. I also had some very tough heats.

I certainly felt like I was being tested. Initially I didn't make it through - but I won my last chance qualifier to get back into the quarter finals.

Were you a water baby?

My mum [who was Linda Taylor then] was a top tournament waterskier. She was the first New Zealand woman to jump over 100 feet. My uncle was also a waterskier although not in mum's class. But for me it was all about rugby when I was a kid. When I was about nine or 10 I got in an Auckland seven-a-side team before I even knew what sevens really was. Unfortunately, the tournament was cancelled.

I first started waterskiing when I was eight or nine. I tried wakeboarding on a family holiday when I was 12 and that was it. I never waterskied again. I'd already done skate and snowboarding and I really enjoyed riding sideways. It was more freestyle. I love the lack of rules and restrictions in wakeboarding. You can pretty much express yourself. But it is also a team sport - you are doing it with your crew and they are part of it. You always need a really good driver.

What's your best move?

I'm pretty much known for my regular stance 1080 ...

Ah, the old 1080 ... actually, what is a 1080?

It's three full rotations. I was the fourth person in the world to officially do it, and the first to have it recorded on film outside of the USA. I was also the first to land what is called a regular stance 1080. There was rumour of an Australian doing the 1080 before me, but it was never filmed and he passed away.

Who was this guy?

His name was Mark Kenney ... he was actually a mentor to me. He died in 2002 and I was really devastated. He had cracked a rib and died of a reaction to the painkillers he was prescribed. The whole wakeboarding world was devastated. He was my idol - once I saw him I was hooked on the sport. The first three sponsors I ever had were ones that he had because he said they were the cool ones to go for. He did a 1080 I believe, but never got it on film.

If you weren't a wakeboarder, what would you be?

Everything I do and interests me now is as a result of being into wakeboarding.

Let's try the word association game: Money.

I'm not really making it at the moment. I live in Orlando for half the year - it's the centre of world wakeboarding - and legally I'm not allowed to work in the States. The biggest thing about a podium finish at the worlds is that it qualifies me for a Sparc grant of $15,000. Plus I become a carded athlete so I qualify for free physiotherapy, chiropractor, sports psychology ...

Sports psychology. Wakeboarders need sports psychology? I thought that was only for people like angst-ridden cricketers?

I've taught myself in that area by getting out there and competing against the best. But it's high pressure. You've got just two minutes, if that, to get your best tricks out there. Sports psychology is something I'm going to try.

Who were your sports heroes as a kid?

It was all about rugby - I loved watching Christian Cullen. And Jonah Lomu.

We hear you do part time modelling.

I'm with 62 Models. I worked on [TV show] New Zealand's Next Top Model ... I partnered the girl who ended up winning the series. I also entered the Cleo Bachelor of the Year although I was on the Australian pro tour at the time and didn't put much into it. I'd like to do that again.

What's been the low point of your career?

Four years ago I had a horror run. Two weeks after arriving in the US I hurt my lower back which put me out for six weeks. Two weeks after coming back I broke a bone in my foot. Then, 30 minutes after finding out I'd received a wild-card entry into the final junior pro tour event, I suffered another fracture. I started riding again on the broken foot ... then I broke a leg after hitting a post. I took a month off ... three days before flying to the world champs I had a bad crash and my chin hit my knee. I split the chin and re-broke the leg. I pretty much headed straight back to New Zealand after that, but I was so worried about trying to get all my gear across LA Airport while I was still on crutches that I left my passport in the seat pocket of the plane I'd caught from Miami. My passport ended up in Hawaii. I had to sleep the night at LAX.

I hear your pain ... Los Angeles Airport is bad enough for an able body. No wonder you need a sports psychologist. On a happier note, what's your favourite venue?

Lake Ohakuri [just north of Taupo]. I did my first ever invert [flip] there close to where I did my first 1080. It was Mark Kenney's favourite place to ride. I saw him do most of his riding there. It has gorgeous coves - it is good water no matter how windy it is.

What is your major aim?

For years I've been battling to make a living from wakeboarding. It's a struggle. I've just been scraping by. There are five stops [events] on the pro tour with US$10,000 ($14,840) as the first prize. My best finish was a fifth and I got US$500 which is kind of pathetic. Just as I peaked and got to a point where I thought it was possible, the world economy started to collapse which made it very tough. I'm exploring other areas of wakeboarding, the business side. It's still my aim to make a living from this.