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He's broken his leg twice, compressed a disc in his neck and last Sunday dislocated a shoulder - trying to pull off moves like a "720" and a "whirlybird".
But Aucklander Brad Smeele can't wait to show fans what he's got in the next round of the Australian Pro Tour of Wakeboarding (APTW) in Hamilton this weekend.
The 21-year-old has been into the sport for the past eight years and spends six months of the year in Florida competing on the US pro tour.
"It's a good life, probably not quite enough to earn a living, but you do get to travel and see a few places," he said.
"Actually, the biggest win of my career was last year in Europe at an event called Wakestock, where I won £2000 ($5000) and a pretty cool trophy."
Smeele said there was "some tension" between water-skiers and wakeboarders, much in the same way snowboarders and skiers might view each other. "Yeah, you get that, but wakeboarding is still the world's fastest-growing water sport," he said.
This weekend's action is the first time the APTW has held an event in New Zealand, following stops in Brisbane and Sydney.
Smeele will be joined by fellow New Zealander Jeff Weatherall in the senior men's section as they take on boarders from six other countries for a total prize purse of $50,000.
