Summer Scene: Hunter Schleper goes wakeboarding

Hunter Schleper likes to play. And talk about determination. At the tender age of 7, he decided he wanted to buy a dirt bike.
    “I sold enough golf balls to be able to buy a dirt bike,” says Schleper. “We used to live in Vail on the golf course and I’d go in the pond and get all these golf balls. I’d then head down to the T box of the next hole, and sell all the golf balls to make enough to buy the bike.”
    He got his bike. Then about three years ago, his dad bought a boat and Schleper, 17, started focusing on wakeboarding. This summer he entered a contest on a whim and has so far competed in four INT amateur wakeboard competitions placing first and third in the expert class among more experienced twenty-somethings.     Schleper now regularly spends his summers in Watab Lake, Minnesota, where he uses wakeboarding and dirt biking to help him prepare for the upcoming ski season. “I think all sports can help improve your skiing,” he says. “I like to do as many different things as I can and have fun.”
HUNTER SCHLEPER likes to play. And talk about determination. At the tender age of 7, he decided he wanted to buy a dirt bike.
    “I sold enough golf balls to be able to buy a dirt bike,” says Schleper. “We used to live in Vail on the golf course and I’d go in the pond and get all these golf balls. I’d then head down to the T box of the next hole, and sell all the golf balls to make enough to buy the bike.”
    He got his bike. Then about three years ago, his dad bought a boat and Schleper, 17, started focusing on wakeboarding. This summer he entered a contest on a whim and has so far competed in four INT amateur wakeboard competitions placing first and third in the expert class among more experienced twenty-somethings.     Schleper now regularly spends his summers in Watab Lake, Minnesota, where he uses wakeboarding and dirt biking to help him prepare for the upcoming ski season. “I think all sports can help improve your skiing,” he says. “I like to do as many different things as I can and have fun.”
    Last winter, Schleper, the younger brother of U.S. Ski Team veteran Sarah Schleper, had a breakthrough season winning the J2 Junior Olympics super G and giant slalom titles, while also nabbing titles at the Canadian Junior Nationals in slalom, GS, super G and super combined. He is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. in his age group in slalom, GS and super G. All the accolades got the U.S. Ski Team paying attention, so Schleper was invited to be on the U.S. Development Team.
    He turned it down.
    “I think I’m a little too young, and I really like my coach,” Schleper said. He currently trains with Bruce Knoepfel, the 2008 USSA “Coach of the Year,” of Iced Out Racing based in Summit County, Colo.  His teammates include Kieffer Christianson and Cooper Cartmill, who also are nationally top-ranked racers.
    For now, he is content training with Iced Out but hopes to be competing on the world stage soon. “I would like to do what Bode has, and win the overall,” Schleper says.
    If his scorching summer wakeboarding results are a glimpse of things to come, Schleper seems well on his way to achieving his goals.