RIO LINDA, CA (MPG) - I am always looking for and asking about local stories to tell you living in and around the Rio Linda area, about. I was recently contacted by Nikol Grubbs, to make me aware of her son Blaze Grubbs.  He was just named USA Water Ski Junior Athlete of the year, for the second year in a row. 

All I can tell you is wow! Mostly wow! Because I have lived in the North Highlands and Rio Linda areas for over 15 plus years. I never knew this paradise was right in Rio Linda and literally just around the corner from my house. What a genuinely “REAL” family.

Blaze’s sport is waterskiing. He is currently sponsored by D-3 Ski Supplies and has been for the last three years.  Waterskiing is not an Olympic Sport, or he would be shining in “Gold”. You must work your way up to, The World Championship, just as you would train for the Olympics. The World, not Local, or National, but the WORLD Championship. You must be invited to compete at this level. He’s qualified for the 17 and under and because of his elite level, will be participating in the Under 21 level. He even has a sports Idol, Terry Winter. Another is Freddy Krueger (I am serious) who is the best Jumper.  He was amazed because Freddy is in his 40s. Somehow I think he thought that was old. Just wait kid, big lol. All this seems so unreachable; I mean the WORLD Championship and he is only 17 years old. He also carries a 4.2 grade point to boot. At 17, I just wanted to graduate!  Not him, in his free time, he worked on getting his pilot license, which he now has.  He flies himself to tournaments with his father or and mother by his side.

When I got there and he opened the door, I thought, so young for such success. A handsome boy, young man, with a way cool California haircut, surfer look. As we sat down in his living room to chat, his mom came in, with two big cups of Dutch Brothers coffee. So, creamy good. I’m just an, out of the coffee pot type, because that’s just what I am used to. I’ve been converted. Amazing stuff it was my first Dutch Brothers Coffee. (I learned her husband and her own Dutch Brothers Coffee) another WOW for me. Handing me the coffee, mom Nikol, who looked like she walked off the runway, turned out to be the sweetest, and, so sincerely proud of her son. 

Blaze has been a professional waterskier since the age of 14. The three events he participates in: 1) The Slalom, one ski, 66” long. 2) Trick Skiing. This is one ski, only 42” long ski. You do flips, twists, jumps by holding the ski rope with your hands or, yes your toe, over your wake. Finally, 3) The jump. This is two skis, 88” long. The idea is to ski up and over the jump; you’re going for distance before landing on this one.

He is planning on college and has been getting recruiting notes since he’s been in Middle School. His older sister, Jana who is 21, currently at Arizona State, also is competing in waterskiing. I am sure he will get a full ride wherever he chooses to go to college! That school will do very well having him. After our chat he took me out back to his training area. Just stunning. There are 3 lakes behind his house. Looking at the three lakes, his family’s lake is on the left. He grew up learning on that very lake on his first set of skis at four years old. He had learned to swim at 6 months with, “water babies” training. Bell Aqua is a sign on the small island in the first lake. The middle lake is for the property-owning residents. The third lake, closes to the airport, is for the public to learn water skiing. Before I left them, his dad got the boat out and Blaze showed me some of the moves he was perfecting for competition. Amazing jumps, and twists. He was very free out there and I know he is going to keep climbing his mountain.  Congratulations to his family and to him for goals and dreaming.

I asked him to keep in touch, as I would like to follow his Rio Linda connection. Stay safe, and be good to each other.