Nick Parros has been quietly making a name for himself in Wakesurfing. His smooth, effortless style with a bag of technical tricks landed him a 2nd Place finish at the World Wakesurf Championships this year. He managed to pull this off all while grinding away at college. Read below to see how Nick handles the balance of school and riding.
P5: So this was your third year down in Florida full time. How do you like it?
NP:I love being down in Florida. I started competing my junior year of high school and figured out quickly that Michigan was not the place to be. Being down in Florida allows me to ride and attend college all winter, while still spending my summers up in Northern Michigan. Florida also allows me to spend a lot of time with some great people. Ashley Inloes and I have pretty much become family in the past two years and it’s a blast riding with her! The weather is really the best part though. Surfing in December in only a heater top… can’t beat it!
P5: What school do you go to and what do you study?
NP: I go to Rollins College in Winter Park. I am a business management major with a minor in economics.
P5: With Covid-19 a hot topic topic, 2020 competition season looked a lot different. Tell us how it was navigating this season with virtual events and some live events?
NP:The 2020 season was a weird one. Towards the end, I was able to get to a few in person comps in Minnesota, Georgia, and Texas. The in person comps were a blast. It was nice to get back to something that felt normal. The online competitions are very different than in person comps. Since the riders can go out and film as many runs as they want, it definitely raises the bar as far as the tricks you have to throw in just one 45 second pass. I’m ready to get back to live events!
P5:What do you think about the virtual events? It kind of lets you try and try to get your perfect run down.
NP: To be completely honest, I don’t like virtual events very much. I think that virtual events take away key aspects of competition. Since you can go out on your own time, in your own boat, with anyone you want, there is really no stress. At a live competition, you have to deal with the nerves and the conditions of the day. If I’m going out to film an online run, I’m not nervous at all because I know I can just go back out another day and try again. At a live event, you get one shot to make it happen. I think that virtual competitions can be fun once in a while so that everyone can show off their absolute best run, but I’m looking forward to getting back to live events with just a few virtual ones mixed in to the season.
P5:What does a day in the life of Nick look like right now?
NP: Right now my daily life is different than it has been in the past. I have not been able to wakesurf very much, so I’m using this time to take a well needed rest and focus on other areas of my life. Most days I wake up around 7:30am, make some breakfast, then head to the gym to workout. I started going to Better Everyday with my roommate and friend Mitchell, and it is a killer workout every time. After the gym I usually get all my school work done for the day. Most days I end up at my friend Kyle’s house playing tennis, pickleball, or basketball. If I don’t go to Kyle’s, you can find me in the Inloes’ hot tub living it up.
P5: What are the big plans for the winter?
NP:This winter I am going to be spending a lot of time in Utah snowboarding and backcountry snowmobiling. I am also super excited to get my new Centurion Ri245 down here in Florida! It should be an awesome winter.
P5: What are your thoughts on the young talent in wakesurfing? How are you preparing for the 2021 season?
NP:It’s getting weird that I’m no longer the “young” talent. I think that the young riders coming up right now are going to push the sport and make everyone get a lot better. I don’t know what’s going on in Minnesota but Chris Furey and Tyler Stewart are going to be pushing all of us.
For the 2021 season, I am focusing a lot more on getting my mind right. I want to focus on enjoying the sport and my time competing. That being said, I also want to win. I am going to keep doing what I’ve been doing on the water since my first year pro. Taking 2nd at Worlds two years in a row has me itching for a win!
P5:What board are you riding?
NP:The Phase 5 Matrix as always! I love this board so much. I have been able to progress so much with it. This year’s Matrix is so fast and responsive. I like that the Matrix is capable of being pushed the extreme, but also able to be tamed for beginner riders. All I do is pop a fin in it and someone who has never wakesurfed before can have just as much fun as me out there!
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