ON TOP OF THE WORLD

Photo: David Ngiam Sydney-born Amber Wing is the 2007 WWA Wakeboard World Championships women’s champion. We caught up with the pint-sized 24-year-old at the Singapore premiere of Push Process, a movie about Oakley wakeboarders.

How does it feel to be the best in the world?
It’s pretty exciting; it’s been my dream for six years. My parents were there to watch me win so it was really special.

How did you get into wakeboarding after 15 years in gymnastics?

It started socially – I tried it and really loved it. My parents had a ski boat and I got a wakeboard for Christmas. We went to Florida for the summer and I went to wakeboard camp where they had good coaches.

What is your favourite wakeboarding spot?

Port Hacking River; I grew up in the area.

What do you do to keep on top of the game and avoid injury?

Injury is unavoidable in any sport where you constantly push your body to the limit. So I do strength building to protect my knees and bike-ride in the gym. I do yoga in the off-season and work harder from February to October when I do full-on training in the gym for the US season.

Any tips for aspiring wakeboarders?

Develop board time and time on the water. The key is to make tricks look good as well as easy.

What’s next now that you’re already the best?

Defend my title, have a good showing at the Pro Am Championships in October and conduct wakeboarding clinics to get more girls into the sport.

Push Process features Oakley team riders such as Dallas Friday, Andrew Adkison and Keith Lyman doing their stuff. Available on DVD.

CARING FOR CORAL

Photo: Gary Brennand In celebration of the International Year of the Reef, Reef Check Australia is running a free-to-enter photography competition: “What do coral reefs mean to you?”

The competition opens on Valentine’s Day with the overall winner announced in November. The competition aims to raise awareness about ways we can respond to global threats to our coral reefs. To enter, post your pictures onto www.reefcheckaustralia.org; you can enter above- or under-water images that highlight the different ways we value coral reefs for work, rest and play. An exhibition of 2007’s winning images will be exhibited at SeaWorld in March.

SWANNING ABOUT

Turn up the pace in Perth with a high-speed spin in a jet boat on the Swan River. Swan Jet Adventures offers rides on the hour, daily from 10am ’til 4pm. AU$49 adult, AU$30 child, for the 25-minute Jet Blast. Call 1300 554 026 within Australia.

UNDER THE SEA

You don’t need to be a diver to enjoy Sea World’s latest adventure – the Reef Helmet Dive. Just pull on a wetsuit and an underwater helmet to go face-to-face with sharks and reef flora in the Shark Bay’s Tropical Reef Lagoon. The 50-minute program (featuring 20 minutes underwater) is AU$80 for over-14 year olds. Tel: +61 (7) 5588 2205.