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Riding Strong by<br />
Reed Hansen<br />
I first met Matt in 2003 when he came to my<br />
parents’ wakeboard camp in Clermont, Florida, for<br />
a week of training. He and I were both about 13<br />
years old and avid wakeboarders. Usually the people<br />
I met at our camp would just come and go, but for<br />
some reason, Matt and I became fast friends. We<br />
exchanged numbers and stayed in touch.<br />
Matt and his family soon moved from upstate<br />
New York to Tavares, a short distance from our home.<br />
I guess you could say we’ve pretty much hung out<br />
every day since. He’s been my best friend and training<br />
partner on the water. When he first moved here, I<br />
introduced him to my good friend, Bobbye Jean. They<br />
soon fell madly in love…and the rest is history.<br />
Early in our friendship, Matt and I were aspiring<br />
professional wakeboarders. Living at a wakeboard<br />
camp, I was basically born into it, and Matt had been<br />
working at it for several years. Then, and I am not<br />
sure why, we both lost interest in wakeboarding. It<br />
just wasn’t fun anymore. Wakeskating, on the other<br />
hand, was nothing but fun! Switching sports was an<br />
easy choice for us. We hung up our straps and started<br />
wakeskating every chance we got.<br />
Soon we were riding on the pro tour with the<br />
best wakeskaters in the world. All those guys we had<br />
watched in videos and tried to emulate on the water,<br />
we were now going against in heats at the tour. It<br />
was intimidating at first, but it brought about some<br />
great memories.<br />
Matt was incredible on the water. He was so<br />
original, always creating new tricks, doing things no<br />
one else had done before. Before long, he was setting<br />
trends for the rest of us. Wakeskating began to grow<br />
and soon launched its own tour. It was at the first<br />
stop on the 2012 Wake Skate Toe Jam Tour, that Matt<br />
suffered a horrible injury.<br />
Matt was in his senior year in college in Tennessee,<br />
preparing to take his final exams. He wasn’t planning<br />
to compete in this particular stop; he was focusing<br />
on his studies. Knowing how awesome he was at<br />
wakeskating, though, I encouraged him to fly down<br />
to Orlando, compete, and then fly back to take his<br />
exams. Seemed like a good idea at the time.<br />
He’d be able to take his exams and<br />
still accumulate points on tour,<br />
keeping himself in good<br />
standing on the tour’s<br />
rankings list.<br />
I’ll never forget<br />
watching as Matt cut<br />
in for his last trick. He soared high through the air—<br />
and then crashed into the rock-covered shoreline at<br />
over 30 mph. I jumped in my truck and sped over to<br />
where Matt was lying. One look at him, and I knew<br />
it was bad. He was unconscious; his face smashed<br />
in. Even his eye socket had collapsed. I just held him,<br />
certain he was going to die in my arms.<br />
I had encouraged Matt to ride. His parents had<br />
urged him to stay back in Tennessee, but I had<br />
selfishly persuaded him to compete. And now this. I<br />
felt so guilty.<br />
I followed helplessly as they drove Matt and<br />
Bobbye away in the ambulance. We soon learned that<br />
Matt was going to make it. It was a miracle that he<br />
was alive, but he had a long road of recovery ahead<br />
of him. At the time, this event seemed so incredibly<br />
trying. Looking back, however, that experience was<br />
nothing compared to what was about to come.<br />
In June 2014, Matt was electrocuted. In that<br />
moment and in the months following, we all<br />
discovered new levels of pain we never knew existed.<br />
For me, the hardest part of Matt’s accident was how<br />
lonely I felt. For years, Matt had been my training<br />
and traveling partner. He had also been the biggest<br />
spiritual influence in my life. He was the one who<br />
helped me stand strong in my faith, especially on a<br />
tour where the Christian lifestyle is rare. Now, Matt<br />
was gone, and I was alone. It was hard. It’s still hard.<br />
On tour, I had to learn to look to God to keep<br />
me strong spiritually, where perhaps before I would<br />
have looked to Matt. Now when I’m laughed at and<br />
mocked for my faith, I have to find God’s strength<br />
within me. I have to admit, I still text Matt for<br />
encouragement!<br />
It’s so easy to be inspired by Matt. I mean, the first<br />
words that come out of this guy’s mouth when he<br />
wakes up from tragedy is, “Praise God, I’m alive.” No<br />
matter how bad it is, Matt’s faith stays strong. And<br />
that helps me stand strong.<br />
It’s hard to wrap my mind around the fact that<br />
my biggest struggle in life is landing a new trick<br />
on my wakeskate, while my best friend struggles to<br />
sleep, eat, or even open a water bottle. Knowing this<br />
keeps me humble and reminds me to thank God for<br />
everything, big and small. Before this accident, I took<br />
so many things for granted.<br />
Although Matt’s situation is hard for many, we are<br />
all closer to God because of it. We see Him at work all<br />
around us. Knowing God is in the midst of our lives<br />
keeps me strong and determined to continue to ride<br />
for Him—and for Matt. V<br />
Whether they are<br />
standing on a dock at<br />
a pro event, attending<br />
a friend’s wedding, or<br />
just goofing off, Reed<br />
and Matt are always<br />
at each other’s side.<br />
22 www.kojministries.org<br />
Garret Cortese / alliancewake.com
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