Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/705213
26 Shor e l i n e S | 2015 Vol :2 boys, do the same thing they're doing." While the Royals display a healthy respect for the water, they're also fearless. Conquering a trick – and there's always an "in" maneuver that'll earn extra points – rules their training sessions. For Hannah, who balances wakeboarding with varsity cheerleading, the goal is mastering a series of spins and the Toe-Front. For Tyler, the current challenge is two-fold. "I've been trying to practice taking one foot out of the boot and jumping the wake while grabbing the board and poking the other foot out," he says. "It would be something to shock the judges." The other is a Wake-to-Wake Double Flip, which is as convoluted as it sounds. "Only about three people in an event can do it and it's a hard process. I've tried it but I've hit the bottom of the board. There's a big cost to that trick." There's a big cost to many tricks. "I was practicing the Toe-Front and Tyler kept saying, 'Don't tuck your head, don't tuck your head,' so of course I tucked my head," Hannah recalls of the accident that resulted in a collision of her knee and eye socket. One fractured cheekbone and black eye later, she was back on the board, head firmly not tucked. Hannah and Tyler refuse to allow injuries to stand in the way of mastering their skill. As Tyler joins the Pro division and continues to attract industry sponsors, Hannah strives to rise even higher in competitions. Both know that every ride, every wake is a gift. "There are guys riding the pro tour in their late 30s but they're few and far between," Tyler says. "Your knees will get the best of you and knock you down off the pedestal. It's not 'if ' you're going to get hurt, but 'when' you're going to hurt your knees. And there's no good way around it." But there's now. This summer. A series of events lined up and a lake waiting just outside their door for more training, more glory. Plan B is around the corner – maybe a teaching or law degree at Auburn for Hannah and engineering for Tyler – but that's in the future. "Uniqueness is what you strive for," says Tyler. "Do your own thing, have your own style. Learn to grab [the board], hold the grab as long as you can and make it look easy. "But I can tell you – it's never easy." — CAROL ANNE ROBERTS Find video of the Royals in action at apcshorelines.com. Above: Photos by Billy Brown — Hannah and Tyler have been preparing for their wakeboarding tricks on Lake Jordan.