Unleashed Wakeboard Magazine France 2007
Hello fetzy ! in first, tell us who you are and How many years have
you been wakeboarding? Professionally?
Hi Raynald! I am Daniel Fetz from Austria and I am doing wakeboarding since 9 years, since 2 years I make a living out of it. I bought a wakeboard boat and running a school and also I organise camps on the boat and on the cabel!
Can you Describe your personality?
I would say I am very open person, not introvertiert! The rest…? Find out by your self!
What’s your typical day like?
When I travel there are no typical days. But at home I get up at 7 than I start my day infront of the computer, doing some office work. At 9 I meet down in my parents appartment or in the garden and we have breakfast together. At noon or afternoon I am on the wakeboardboat or at the cable, sometimes both.
What's your training schedule?
No exact schedule! I wanna be motivated and don’t wanna lose the joy on it. Its important that I have fun and have a challange, than I make a lot of progress automatically! I would say my secret of training is, I give a shit about falling, I am not lazy and think about swimming or walking back. Sometimes I fall 4 times in the first round because of just trying an new trick! But out of every fall I learn how to do it not… and than slowly a crack the code!
How often do you wakeboard?
Depends how hard I ride. But breaks are very important for me. I don’t like standing on the water and have no power. If I ride hard pobably 3-4 days a week, if I am just jipping obstacles and ride easy 6-7 days a week.
Do you do anything else off the water to help your style?
On the frozen water I do the snowboarding of course! But also I got this Guruboard which makes so much fun on the trampoline. Than I sometimes play around on the indoboard (balance trainer)!
What is your favorite trick to do and why?
There are so many tricks out there. It depends on my mood and what I feel. Sometimes I feel like just doing easy long grabs with little spin, but than I am in the mood for hard tricks with loads of rotation and handle passes! I listen a lot to my inside voice. Its important that I feel it.
What trick would you really like to get consistent?
Pete Rose 5 nosegrab!
Where are the best spot to wakeboard in?
Its not only the spot, if you are with the wright people and have good conditions, you can have imazing session at any spot. But international I would choose the CWC Philippines as you agree I can imagen. And national my homecable the Jetlake in Feldkirchen for sure. Its not very packed, you dont have to queue much. Many friendly and simpel people, good atmosphäre, cool owner, beautifull surrounding and good coditions.
You come from Austria, What's your favorite place there?
I have been to many places and travel a lot. So I like it most back at home. Fetzysworld Homebase is my favourit place to be. I have everything I need. We have the nice garden, the swimming biotop, Beautifull nature, nice mountainbike tracks, climbing rocks but also in 15 min I am in town for party or shopping. Than its just 15 minutes each to the cabel or to river with my wakeboardboat. In winter I am in 45 min on a big snowboard mountain with backcountry spots. My needs are covered!
And in the world?
Probably Thailand! After I spended 9 month there in the last three years, I have a pretty close relationship to this country.After English the Thai is the language I understand and speak most.
If you weren’t a pro wakeboarder, what would you be doing in life?
I have many interessts, like photography, webdesign, multimedia… I made a business comprehensive school for IT. So probably I would sit in an office. Maybe in the snow or wake industry. Everything would be possible… I am open…!
Whom do you admire in cable- wakeboard?
Nick Davis, I spent now one month together with him in the CWC. And he has the hard tricks, the stylo tricks he has this energie and this fun on the water… its so motivating and inspiring.
And a boat-riders ?
I already meet a few good boat riders like Greenwood, Ennen, or Nikita from Russia. But I am always impressed again if I watch Danny Harf on Video and see him doing so many different hard tricks. And than he also win the US Pro Tour… amazing!!!
What do you like to do when you’re not wakeboarding?
Many things I go mountainbiking, climbing, diving, play golf, soccer, go for some bowling, etc….
When did you realize you wanted to be a pro wakeboarder?
I guess with 17 and 18 after my 2nd place at the world championships in Austalia and my first five month wake trip aboard. But already as a young kid I always liked exrem sports. I was very good in freestyle snowboarding too, had sponsors and won snowboard competitions. But snow and wake pro is a little hard, so the last years I didnt snowboard much.
Any new tricks you're working on?
I just learned double s-bend to the inside and got the one to the outside back. And now I would like to learn the switch doubel-s-bend to blind to the outside!
What are your future goals?
I would like to get a sponsor which let me ride in an european or inernational team!
What suggestions do you have for those who are learning how to
wakeboard?
Every slam and every mistake helps you. You need that to learn out of it.
Keep motivated, its about to have fun out there!
Are you currently shooting or will you be appearing in any DVD's any
time soon?
Yes! We finished the filming for the statement 1.5. I already have seen the first 15 minutes… I tell you its getting funny. My part is second… some nice tricks in there… watch out!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
There are two nice sentences about the sens of life: 1)Avoid pain and receive happiness. 2) Leave the world bedder than you got into her.
Your sponsors ?
Thank you to HJ from Liquid Force and Osiris, Alina and Christoph from Neilpryde, Thomas from Fox, Mr. Schlabitz from Electric. And thx to Michi from the Austrian Wakeboard Federation!
Would you like to thank anyone else?
I would like to thank my Mamsl und Papsl (Mam & Dad) for always supporting me and make me feel home. Than I a big thanks to Jochen and Doo which take care to the wakeboardschool when I am not home.And for sure thanks to you, for making nice shoots of me in CWC and making this interview!