Robin Elliot Coates

After Student Nationals Uniwake caught up with Robin Coates winner of Men’s B cable and 2nd place in Men’s A Boat To find out a little bit more about him and his club.

Name: Robin Coates
Age: 21
University and Degree: Nottingham Trent. Sports and Exercise Science.

1. How Did you get into the sport and what keeps you motivated?
Ive always been around water/boats, skiing from age 8ish... wakeboarding was the next step, especially as my brother was doing it so I kinda just followed him.

I love the fact when your on the water nothing in the world matters...the feeling you get when you land a new trick... and teaching others new tricks/riding with friends, these all keep me motivated!

2. What do you like about your university team and where do you all ride?
We have a small team at uni, its a tight knit bunch, full of quality people.. I think that it's really good as we all know each other really well now! Being fairly central we ride everywhere, Nottingham, sheff, MK, Box End... even boat trips to Loch Lomond (such a good place to ride... a little chilly maybe, but def good fun!)

3. What do you like about the sport in the UK, any room for improvement?
Over the past decade or so the sport has grown massively, especially in Ireland and new kids are cropping up and killing it!
On the mainland with cables its amazing to see what everyone is doing but I think boat is getting a bit neglected... it’d be nice to see a bit more attention to boat over the next few years!

4. What's your Trick list just now? Something big in the pipelines?
At the moment im doing all the standard flips and spins, with a crow mobe and a ridiculously inconsistent tantrum to blind. im working towards a few new, bigger spins and maybe another mobe or 2... whirly or moby dick!

5. What are you looking forward to over the next year?
Well ive just graduated (thank god i passed ) so im taking some time off from real life... im out in Spain coaching at extreme gene which is awesome.... then Scotland for a few weeks in august.... then i think its off to the phillies for three months come january, that should be pretty sweet!

6. What's the deal with you wakeboard scholarship?
The scholarship programme is sweet at NTU, as I brought in quite a lot of BUCS points they backed me with free physio, a personal trainer, gym membership to the high performance centre, and £1500 to help train.... all in all a pretty sweet deal! In return you rock up to a few events and show your face... oh and do ok in BUCS comps!

7. Any advice for beginners intermediates or the groms just about to start uni?
Yeah... get involved...wakeboarding is such a chilled sport, perfect for students! best piece of advice that i was given when i started...RELAX!!!

8. What 3 things couldn't you live with out and why?
My board, Format 142, with decade bindings! such a sweet set up id be lost without it!
My Mac... i was converted about a year ago and it goes everywhere with me!
Food - cause im fat! :P

9. What's the craziest/dumbest thing you've done?
Lately, probably hitting a kicker standing up on a kneeboard, that was pretty stupid! Before that i set a firework off in my face...definitely not my smartest moment!

10. What are you going to do after uni? jobs, wakeboarding etc.
Well im workin out in Spain for a month now.. then Scotland, gona do a little classroom experience before i head to the phillies, then come back and train to be a teacher!

11. Any big thanks to anyone?? your mum, friends, the guy down the street?
Lots of people, my parents who have been amazing and funded/supported my riding from an early age, my sponsors, Oneill and O'Brien (ultrsport) absolutely amazing, Rob Skelly - hooking me up with everything over the last few years! NTU for their support on and off the water! and all the guys i ride with who influence me, Davy, D, Sian, Nico... and many more - thanks! P.S thanks to Stace for helping me loads over the last few years!