OBrien started building water skis in the mid-1960s and progressed into wakeboard during the mid-1980s by creating scurfer shapes as the craze was gaining momentum. Water sports enthusiasts know OBrien as a trustworthy company that makes durable products and will always back up their product. Some of their top pro riders include Josh Sanders, Daniel Watkins, and Dallas Friday. Dallas is the driving force behind OBrien's women's division. She helps develop women's specific product. Josh sanders won the King of Wake in 2005. It's a northwest company with a family feel and a desire to get people out on the water as much as possible. It is based out of Redmond, WA just off the shores of Lake Sammamish. The company boat sits on the lake just blocks away from the home office, which makes it easy for OBrien employees to ride on their lunch breaks and after work. Much of OBrien's product testing is done on Lake Sammamish and, on top of that, it sends super top secret prototypes all over the world to be tested by their team riders. OBrien employees have a youthful attitude that keeps driving the values of the sport. The design department experiments with unique materials, unexpected graphics, and fresh colors. Not only do they develop their professional riders but OBrien has grassroots wakeboarding programs in each of their territories with amateur riders who promote wakeboarding and build the OBrien brand. evo is excited to promote a local company with a long history of performance and dedication to the sport of wakeboarding. The content below originated from an interview with Taylor Shaffer, evo employee and OBrien sponsored rider: - Intro - Taylor picked up wakeboarding his sophomore year of high school. He and his brother, Andrew Shaffer, got into wakeboarding indirectly through kneeboarding. While they were about to purchase a kneeboard a friend convinced them to get a scurfer instead. When they brought it home their dad was confused, but went along with it. Soon, they were out thrashing the lake doing spins and rolls. Ryan Mellon from Wake Tech noticed their style and made them take out some twin tip boards he was testing. Immediately they were hooked. Now, Taylor is sponsored by OBrien and wakeboards almost every day. He currently works in the evo store and gets people stoked about wakeboarding and wakesurfing.
- Culture - OBrien is truly a northwest company without the usual "hyped-up" wake scene. Taylor described OBrien as a "laid back" and "family oriented" company. It is working to crush the stereotype that wakeboarding is a rich kid's sport. OBrien has an inclusive attitude and tries to get everyone out on the boat. It has a "ride with your friends" mentality that trickles down through the entire company. When Taylor was interested in a sponsorship from OBrien he was used to the "prove it" mentality, but OBrien welcomed him aboard through the recommendation of his brother Andrew Shaffer. "OBrien is more about seeing what you'll do with the sponsorship," Taylor said. OBrien is not only a northwest company, but many of its team riders are from the area as well. In fact it currently sponsors three sets of brothers; Andrew and Taylor Shaffer, Nick and Mike Cardoza, and Ty and Ryan Udell. Each brother has his own riding style according to Taylor, no two brothers ride the same way.
- Product - Taylor first realized he wanted to ride for OBrien when he met Chris Johnson, OBrien's chief board and boot designer. Chris invited him to test out OBrien product because he is a heavier guy who tends to break a lot of boards. Chris is in tune with all the team riders and strives to take their ideas and make them a reality. His familiarity with the wakeboard shape and dimension is unparalleled. A new trend in wakeboarding is removing the middle fin from the tip and tail so Chris Johnson designed this year's wakeboards to be used with or without the middle fin. OBrien makes a full range of boards from beginners to advanced riders. Taylor revealed that OBrien actually designs each board a little over the rider's ability so that riders can grow into their boards. Taylor was most enthusiastic about the boots, calling them "super comfortable." OBrien is offering a boot with a snowboard feel, which means it is stiffer in the back and on the sides, but softer in the toe and the foot bed. This design helps keep the board's nose in the water and holds an edge better, which makes the board more responsive. The benefit of their boot design reduces the amount of layers between the rider's foot and the board. OBrien is also the only wakeboard company that decided not to produce non-Coast Guard Certified vests and they are encouraging others in the industry to follow suit.
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