Hydroflight Athlete Profile: SCOTTY KNEMEYER – USA

Posted On 16 Jun 2014

2017 BATTLE ON THE ROCK – 7th Place
2016 HYDROFEST – 3rd Place
2014 FLYBOARD NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP – Top 8

Scotty Knemeyer is one of those super athletes that chooses a sport and then is awesome at it instantly. With very little Hydroflight training he came into the 2014 Flyboard North American Championship and impressed everyone. His skills made him an highly coveted show flyer as he began representing DEFY Waterflight at Red Bull Air Race events, flying in Limerick Ireland for their huge festival and in 2016/17 returned to competitions with an awesome 3rd place finish at HydroFest and 7th place at Battle On The Rock.

Thanks very much for taking time for H2RO Magazine and so let’s do this…

H2RO MAGAZINE EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

H2RO: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where did you grow up? What is your sports background and how would your best friends describe you if I asked them?
I was born the small town of Aberdeen WA and moved to Wenatchee WA at the age of 15 where I lived most my adult life. Currently I’m living in O’ahu Hawaii. Moved about 6 months ago to introduce Flyboarding here. I have one younger and one older brother. So I’m the middle one…
I’m an adrenaline junky – I race motocross, skydive, wakeboard, snowboard, cliff jump, bmx, jetski, rock climb, sportbike stunting etc.. basically anything that’s fast enough to do something stupid on I’m down to do!

My friends would describe me as a cross between Evil Knievel and Jackass.. If someone said a stunt couldn’t be done I’d have to be the one to prove them wrong. Not sure why I’m that way with everything. I guess it’s because I was brought up in a very competitive family. I live for that push to take everything to the next level.

H2RO: Scotty how did you get introduced to the sport of Flyboarding and what was it about the sport that has you so hooked?
I got into the sport of Flyboarding by accident. I was looking for a new career to get into and wasn’t sure what I really wanted to do. My brother found a flyboard instructor job online and sent me the link. He said it looks like something I’d be interested in for the time being. Strapped into the board and never looked back!! It’s an undescribable feeling like no other on this planet… think I forgotten about even looking for a new career lol

H2RO: Tell me a little bit about your personal progression as you began to get more comfortable on the board. What was your process for learning new tricks? Have you been experimenting with your own variations on the current maneuvers?
Well for only having logged 26 hrs total on a Flyboard I’d say I have progressed extremely fast. I’m hoping to have up to 30 hrs by the time I fly out for Toronto. My process of learning new tricks is pretty much trial and error. Then seeing what can be changed to make it look better or tweek it into something new. Yeah, I’ve experimented a little with variations of tricks. It’s crazy how when designing new tricks in your head they start out the way you imagine but by the time you get it all dialed in it’s something totally different but just as siick!

H2RO: Let’s talk about the first ever Flyboard North American Championship. Do you have a strategy going into this event? What do you think the judges are going to be impressed by the most?
Well normally a well thought out strategy would be key going into an event like this, but I have yet to get the rules and regulations for this event and being it’s my first one I have nothing to compare it to so sounds like I’m just gonna wing it 😉 I think judges will be looking for a combination of things – big new tricks, flow, execution, and style.

(Official rules and regulations were in hand soon after our interview)

H2RO: You’re one of about four Flyboarders that I’ve seen successfully fly out of a double back flip and that list includes Franky Zapata. Damone Rippy and Aaron Gould. I’m curious how you plan on using the biggest trick in the sport to your advantage and if you’ve been comboing tricks in or out of the double?
With the double being thought of as one of the hugest tricks in the sport of course I’m gonna being incorporating that into my run. Whether or not I’ll combo or doing variations of the double you’ll all have to wait and see… 😉 can’t give away all my secrets …

H2RO: Will you be flying with the EMK in Toronto and if yes how long have you been using the EMK? If no, who will be flying you and how do you think having a driver might affect your runs?
Well I wish I had a answer for this. I’ve been asking ever since I have got accepted to the competition what the rules and regulations will be and if the EMK is going to be a must have for the event. I get a lot of responses about getting those rules but don’t have them in hand yet. So I guess I’m going in blind folded lol… I’ve never flown with the EMK or flown with a ski as powerful as I heard the World Cup machines were so either way I’m gonna have to adapt very quick to maintain the same flow and timing as I’m used too.

H2RO: How familiar are you with your fellow competitors? Is there any other Pro Flyboarder out there that has your attention?
I’m not familiar with them. I’ve watched the top competitors at the World Cup on YouTube a few times but really don’t have a lot of down time for stalking… lol. I’ve watched Franky Zapata’s and Aaron Gould’s doubles a ton of times looking up to them as that was something I wanted to learn how to do. I’m sure the competition is gonna be stacked with all sorts of heavy hitters. I’m more excited to see what kind of new tricks people have come up with for 2014.

H2RO: Besides the competition this event will be a great opportunity to meet and socialize with your fellow Flyboard Family members . What are you hoping to get out of this weekend off the water?
I’m hoping to meet with all my fellow competitors at one point in Toronto. Never met up with any Professional Flyboarders before so gonna be very exciting, like meeting a celebrity for the first time. And of course taking the gold home would be amazing! But I’d love to meet sponsors to take a chance with me so I can keep flyboarding and reach my full potential. I have plenty of fuel left in the tank and a whole new bag of tricks in mind I just need the opportunity to make it happen.

Thanks for chatting with us and we are excited to watch your progression with each upcoming event. See you soon!

Thanks very much for this Scotty and we look forward to meeting you and seeing you fly in Toronto.

Cheers, Blaine

WORLD RECORD: FIRST TANDEM FLYBOARD BACKFLIP

About the Author

Blaine Jeffery is the founder of H2RO Magazine. Blaine is a Media Strategist living in beautiful Kingston, Ontario (Canada) with his wife and two sons. Blaine also makes music for fun as LOST IN THE WHY.