Junction Function 2019
“Pulling into Black Water Junction, it doesn’t feel like you’ve arrived at a wakeskate spot, but rather a picturesque wedding venue. You’re greeted by rolling hills, and fields with horses wandering through them, and once you reach the end of the driveway, the ponds come into view and it dawns on you just how epic of a time is about to be had.
After securing a nice, flat parking space in the field and setting up camp, I made my way through tent city and down to the ponds to check out the action. Trey Seneff and the crew at Black Water Junction really outdid themselves hosting. From the moment things got underway, it was clear this weekend was going be a team effort from everyone involved. The turn out was incredible, with riders from all over the world making the trip to Virginia. It was an all-ages affair, with some of wakeskating’s OG’s showing out to make sure the young guns were learning the ropes of what it takes to throw an event like this. Community vibes were in full effect, whether it was borrowing some eggs from your neighbor for breakfast, or having an extra set of hands to keep the rope from getting hung up on features, and ensuring the drivers and judges were well hydrated with frequent beverage deliveries.
In addition to the usual suspects, there were a few new faces including, Maxime Giry from France, Ole Jacobs from Germany, and Mauri Marassi from Italy. These are guys many of us have seen killing it on social media and in video parts, but it was awesome to see them riding the BWJ set up in person. With such a great turn out, Junction Function was able to have three different riding divisions, allowing more people to enter the event and still be competitive. It was the first time in a while we’ve seen Amateur and Veteran divisions at a wakeskating event. The amateur practice rounds had some standouts, including Jordan Sullivan from Canada whose consistency and trick arsenal got him bumped into the Pro event.
The entire weekend felt more like a Raging Pull style jam session than a contest, but sometimes those are the exact conditions needed to produce the best riding. Every round saw face-melting bangers, and heavy lines. If you had any hope of making it into the later rounds, you’d have to look deep in the trick bag to link up something unique enough to give you an edge. In the end, it was Andrew Pastura who put together the most impressive lines, followed by Cole Kraiss in second, and newcomer Ole Jacobs taking third.
Of all the vantage points to take in the action, a fan favorite was definitely the treehouse and I can confirm that good times were indeed had up there. What a joy it was to be able to spend that time together, doing what we love, in one of the best places in the world to do it. I wish I could give you a play by play analysis of the finals to make you feel like you were right there in the heat of the action with us, but what I remember most from the weekend was eating PB&J’s around the bed of a truck, zapping bugs in a camper, long-range hibachi vegetable tosses, rope swings, and float parties. If any of those things sound intriguing to you, make your plans to get out to Black Water Junction on July 31st for the next Junction Function.
Massive thanks to the hosts for all of the hard work put in to make this a reality! Alex Victa, Leaf Skates, Trey, Erica, Melba and Russell, we are grateful for your hard work and hospitality, and we look forward to making many more memories with you all this summer at Black Water Junction!”
