R.I.P. Dustin White

Wake On… Dustin Sean White 1991-2009

Thought I'd share a story about Dustin...as an original member of the team Dustin was an exceptional athlete and as you can see "GO BIG" was his life's motto. Dustin's presence at any event would mean a higher level of intensity for everyone who was there...he simply had this dynamic charisma about him that infected all who new him.

Ok, so being a kid that grew up around water all my life, this story is one that now comes to light after such a travesty. A few years ago after one of our events I had this old memory to re-kindle and decided to make a saucer board (approx 3 ft Dia x 1/2" plywood disc) for my son's. I thought this would inspire them to learn how to water-ski, after all this was how I learned to ski. Well the day I finished making the saucer board Dustin just happen to be hanging around the lake…

...you see Dustin had the reputation of being a "wake whore" …meaning he was always seeking anybody with the means to create a wake and as soon as that boat ran out of gas he was off to find another...as I look back its more apparent that he was just friends with everyone and thus it seemed he was on or behind any boat on any given day…young or old Dustin would converse with you and share his uplifting personality with all who would listen…

Now back to the saucer board, as I set out on the first pull (being I was always the guinea pig growing up) I passed by the Perrone's boat and noticed Dustin had this peculiar look on his face like "I gotta try that". So when we stopped back by I asked who wanted to try it out, looking at Dustin the whole time. Of course he was one of those kids that instinctly said "I can do that, no problem" so I replied are you sure you can handle it, just joking with him? As he began to stand up heading outside the wake he was abruptly thrown off, he had no control of its spinning characteristics! Oh boy we laughed so hard, it was absolutely the funniest thing because he assumed that a saucer board was so easy to ride. He approached it in full Dustin fashion "going big" and of course I had to rub it in knowing I rode it with no issues at all. So as I explained to him the tricks to control it, he was inspired to try it again and found self-control applied to more than just wakeboarding.

The moral of the story actually has several points…
1) Never assume anything, approach all situations with caution and respect.
2) Positively inspire our youth by example as often as you can.
3) Self control is key to survival.

You have simply achieved the highest "Railey" any of us would hope to and will not be forgotten…

Note: Dustin's first wake sport listed on his team profile was "saucer board" :)