Aussie young gun Harley Clifford went from amateur ripper to wakeboarding superstar overnight! At the age of 15, Harley decided to turn pro, and despite sponsors and critics telling him to wait, he won both the Australian and US Pro Tour in his rookie season. His recent win at the World Wakeboard Championships in Italy just asserted his dominance on the international wakeboard front! Leisure Boating spoke exclusively to world number one wakeboarder Harley Clifford.
Q: When and how did you get into wakeboarding?
Probably when I was about five years old. My dad introduced me to it. I used to [water] ski and we used to go on camping trips all the time with the boat on the lake. At one stage, we just started wakeboarding together as a family.
Q: Congrats on winning the World Wakeboard Champs in Italy! What was that whole experience like?
Thanks mate, yeah, I’m really pumped about it, especially the fact that my parents that I hadn’t seen in over four months met up with me in Italy, and got to watch me win! Also, it was just an awesome experience to be able to check out Italy and how scenic and beautiful that place is.
Q: What was the competition like? Any stand-outs?
The competition was very good and there were guys like Andrew Adkison, Nick Jones and Dan Knott, who were all throwing different types of Nines and Mobe 5s.
Quick Harley Facts!
Birth Date: September 14, 1993
Hometown: Redland Bay, Queensland,Australia
Height: 1.73 m
Weight: 70 kg
Years Pro: 3
Sponsors: Mastercraft, Liquid Force, Monster Energy Drink, Oakley, Body Glove and Switch Board Store
