We would like to welcome Donny to the Phase 5 team. Donny resides in New Hampshire and spends his days tearing up Lake Winnipesaukee. Donny is a talented rider with a big bag of tricks and multiple 540 variations. If you follow some of the Phase 5 team on IG you have probably seen some of Donny's insane editing work. To learn more about Donny read below and be sure you are following @phase5wakesurfers.
Current Sponsors: Koastal Kooks, Driftline, Phase 5
P5: What Board are you riding? Why do you like it?
DS: I ride the 51” Matrix. The Matrix has a perfect shape for my liking, it rides exactly the same revert and regular, and like all P5 boards it is so durable.
P5: Why Wakesurfing?
DS: I grew up skateboarding so I immediately fell in love with wakesurfing after my first time because a lot of the tricks are very similar to skate tricks and it’s such a forgiving sport compared to skateboarding. & it’s impossible not to love that endless wave.
P5: What do you do in your off season?
DS: I used to spend my winters in Park City Utah skiing but now I live in Orlando throughout the winter to surf more.
P5: Tips to a rider who just bought their first Phase 5?
DS: Everyone rides differently so ride exactly the way you want to. If you’re ever frustrated or struggling with a trick or something new, remember at the end of the day you are still spending time wakesurfing, so try not to get caught up and forget how much fun it is to ride that wave.
P5: How long have you been making video edits?:
DS: I’ve been making edits since I was a little kid but I really started taking it more seriously when I moved to Florida in October 2021.
P5: How did you get into shooting wakesurfing?:
DS: I had always taken photos of my friends wakesurfing but once I started riding with Ashley Inloes and other friends from Orlando, people started to notice my content and that’s when it started to become one of my favorite things to do.
P5: What is the biggest challenge and what is the easiest part of making wakesurf edits?:
DS: I would say the biggest challenge for me is dealing with bad weather considering lighting has a huge effect on how a photo/video can turn out. I think the easiest part of making wakesurf edits for me is that I wakesurf myself so it’s easy for me to tell what shots will turn out and which won’t. Also when I film I know what angles or unique shots will look good for an edit.
Be sure to follow Donny on IG at
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