July 2018 marked a big anniversary for Scott Leason. It marked 25 years of being blind. It marked 25 years of a whole different lifestyle. 25 years ago, Scott Leason was working the cashier at a convenience store when two men walked in, shot Scott in the head right behind the eye, shot another man in the leg, and only walked away with a little over $50. Scott could have chosen a lot of different paths since this incident, but he chose to take the power away from that life-changing bullet. Scott has competed in multiple IRONMAN races and is a two-time US blind surfing champion. In 2007 Scott began waterskiing with the help of the Challenged Athlete Foundation. A few year later, he started wakeboarding. He wanted to celebrate all that he has accomplished in the last 25 years by competing in his first wakeboard competition.

Scott Leason placed 1st in the Malibu WWA Regional Championship in the Adaptive Standing Division. He broke wake history as the first blind competitor to compete in a WWA contest. Scott earned his first-place finish with a half cab and linking all different 180’s for a score of 80.00 “I just wait until I hit the wave, and then I pop it,” exclaimed Scott.

When he’s behind the boat, he doesn’t have to be different from anyone else. “I don’t think of myself as being just a blind person when I’m water skiing or wakeboarding; I’m a wakeboard dude,” exclaim Scott. Through the CFA and all the opportunities to compete in surfing, IRONMANs, water ski, and now wakeboard competitions, Scott says it has “freed me from being blind.”

It was a true honor and pleasure to meet Scott Leason this past weekend at Malibu’s Rider Experience West, and we hope to see him again competing in nationals!

To follow Scott and his adventures follow his Facebook page Never Lose Sight!