Lady of the Lake
Toronto’s wakeboarding queen, Sunni-Anne Ball, returns home to fetch her summer crown By David Sax
Image credit: Richard Roth
A professional wakeboarder’s life may seem dreamy (what with the killer abs and year-round tan), but for Sunni-Anne Ball it’s all business. The 21-year-old King City native has been competing for nearly a decade, and her daily ritual of being yanked across water at rocket speed to jump onto unforgiving metal rails has certainly handed out its fair share of lumps. Physical pain is only one of the costs of being a champion—financial uncertainty is another—but for Ball, who holds the 2005 Russia World title, a surprise win at April’s Wake Games in Orlando was the sweet start to a season she hopes will be filled with trophies, sponsorship deals and a victory at the 10th annual Wakestock in Toronto.
Where did you learn how to ride?
My parents have a cottage on Kahshe Lake in Muskoka. My big brother, Austin, started competing and I went to the contests with him. I won my first title at Wakestock when I was 12 years old, the year I took it up.
Tell me about your daily training regimen.
I wake up at eight in the morning, go straight onto the water and ride for 20 minutes, doing that at least twice a day. Depending on how I’m feeling, I’ll also go to the gym. Some days I go to a cable park [where boarders get pulled by mechanical winches] and hit sliders to make sure that I’m on top of them for competitions.
Do any of the moves give you the jitters?
I’m having a mental block about the Toeside 5. I have to cut in toeside, hit the wake and do a 540-degree rotation. The last time I did it, I caught my edge and dislocated my shoulder.
How does Wakestock’s water quality compare to the others?
It’s the best contest to ride in. The conditions are the greatest, the water’s always smooth, the wake’s amazing and the rails are good.
And the Lake Ontario taste?
I try not to swallow the water. I hear it’s a bit nasty.
Rail rider Sunni-Anne Ball competes at Wakestock July 26 to 29. $10-$54.50. Toronto Islands.
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