© Greg Weatherall
Spin to Win, Danny Harf Sticks a 1080 on a Wakeboard
Sep 25 2006 / Los Angeles, CA
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GW: Congrats on landing your first 1080. Tell us the exact trick?
DH: It was a switch heel side 1080. Basically I was trying 1080s a bunch of different ways, after trying a cab heel 9, I just felt real comfortable sticking a cab 9, so I new where I was at so I committed to making it and brought a camera out and finally got it.
GW: Have you landed it again or just the once?
DH: No but I have come real close, I tried a bunch of 1080’s at Parks Bonifay’s Double or Nothing, we looked at footage, I was real close but not quite getting it, but as parks said there is a big difference from coming close and actually riding away.
GW: Do you think you will be able to get it to the point where you can comfortably use it in one of your contest passes?
DH: Maybe. I think if I really try a bunch and get more comfortable and figure out how to get the right pop then I might be able to start trying in them in comps, but the biggest thing is trying to get the right double up.
GW: It is rumored that the elusive 1080 has been stuck twice before, can you give us a little history on the trick?
DH: Well Parks landed the first one 8 years ago and Bill Doster shot it as a sequence which they ran the in Wake Board mag. It was legit. Mark Kenny who was real close to all of us, but unfortunately passed away, about 4 years ago. There were a few different people that have said to seen Mark ride away from one so I give him credit too.
GW: With so many titles and new levels of riding set by yourself, what is the next progression?
DH: My main goal is to keep doing and inventing tricks that look real good, grabbing in the middle of handle passes and trying to bring my own style into it, maybe not doing such tech tricks but grabbing the board different ways, I been working on passing the handle, then grabbing and then passing the handle again. Any 540 spin or mobe 5.
GW: While growing up you were labeled the golden child or the future of the sport, you have more than fulfilled this quote, how did you deal with the pressure in the earlier years?
DH: There was a lot of people who had their eyes on me through the junior men, but more than anything it just motivated me to be the best that I could be, but I feel like I have always dealt with pressure really well, so I feel like I do better with a little pressure.
GW: Your style, intensity, technicality and consistency on the water seem to be pretty perfect. Do you see any weaknesses in your riding or some areas where you can improve?
DH: Defintely could improve on my switch flipping ability, I can spin switch real well, but have never been the best switch flipper.
GW: You are extremely dominant on the water, what are your strengths of the water?
DH: I would say I am very motivated to work hard, not just on the water but all around in every aspect of my life, what ever I put my mind to I can achieve it.
GW: You have a really tight group of friends, tell us about them?
DH: Well pretty much the whole wake tour and community is a tight group of guys I consider all the guys I travel and compete with my good friend, I am definitely a competitive person but there is a lot of comradery when it is all said and done.
GW: Most people move to Orlando to get better at wakeboarding. You move out of Orlando. What was the purpose/ reasoning for that move and has it helped you in anyway?
DH: Well I grew up in Orlando at 8 and it was awesome, I wouldn’t be where I am at if I hadn’t moved to Orlando, I’ve only moved 20 miles out to a chain of 13 lakes and its just perfect riding conditions I was just able to get focused in the off season and progress my riding and having Rusty (Malinoski) as a room mate hasn’t helped either.
GW: You have won so many other titles. But never a World Championship. Have you had some issues with the Worlds contest?
DH: I think our sport is kinda different in the fact that we crown a world champ in one weekend and I guess in wake you have your on and off days and I have never had an on day on those particular weekends.
DH: Its definitely my best year, landing the 10 and winning the pro tour title, best year in prize money, with the exception of the X Games, hopefully its not my best year, in regards to winning today, I’m up in the next round of a four man heat and only one goes through, its me and Phillip Soven, who is probably the other most consistent rider, I am going to put the hurt on and see what happens
GW: If you do win this weekend. Is there any other title you have not already at least won once?
DH: This is the first year of doing the world cup series and I am in the lead of the points race so that would be a nice title to win.
GW: It is almost the off-season. What do you expect to be doing over the next four months?
DH: Surfing, and pursuing my pro golfing career, I’ve played since I was a kid and have really been getting back into it so that is my retirement plan make some dollars and give tiger a little run for his money.
