Article and photos by Ian Lauder

You’ve heard the phrase, seen the stickers and checked out the web site. So just what is Air Junky you ask? Air Junky started as a company run by brothers Jake and Bill Kinnison in Redmond Washington. A friend of the Kinnisons, Rob Plamondon originally coined the phrase "Air Junky" which was then adopted by the Redmond group. Air Junky carries hydrofoil related products like Traxx Padz seat and foot pads, offer foil tuning services and sell signature series wakeboard benches to help fund their obsession.

They even have waterproof business cards to hand out on the lake.

Air Junky is always looking for ways to improve their hydrofoiling. The Air Junkies are not just a company but also a dedicated group of riders intimately involved in the sport of hydrofoiling, both in riding and promotion. So who are these riders?

Jake Kinnison works for HO Sports and is involved in the production of the radical new Sky Ski hydrofoil, Jake is also the co-owner of Air Junky and the most dedicated of the group to becoming a pro rider. Jake just rides, period. If he’s not riding he’s thinking of riding. He dreams of the day he lands the million dollar sponsorship with Value Jet airline.

By night, Bill Kinnison co-owns Air Junky and helps Sky Ski coordinate their web site communication and helps come up with new ideas for the site, he also maintains the Air Junky web site. By day, mild mannered (yea, right) Bill is helping save the world from the infamous Y2K bug.

Blaine Sholinder is the master foil tuner and hydrofoil instructor hailing from Canada. Blaine aspires to be a pro hockey referee which he pursues in his off hours of being a pro slacker, car mechanic and international playboy.

Bill Curley is the big boy, weighing in around 260 pounds this guy can still throw a big invert off the wake and consistently ride away. Bill applies his skills as an efficiency expert at Boeing to skillfully decapitating muskrats with his hydrofoil. It is rumored he is pursing sponsorship from Ginsu.

Kevin "stamina man" Thayer can easily throw over a hundred inverts in a single run. If anyone rides as much as Jake, it would have to be Kevin. Then there is myself, always with camera in hand trying to capture the moment and promoting the sport with my photography and building the Sky Ski web site, waiting for the day Flight becomes a full color monthly publication and needs a full time photographer.

So where can you see one of these Air Junkys? Rain or shine, summer or winter you can spot them usually on Lake Sammammish in Washington (just a short hop from Seattle). Between all of us there is usually an Air Junky on the water seven days a week. Just look for the signature "Air Junky" or "Loose Cannon" t-top’d Mastercraft ProStar 190’s.

If there is someone upside down behind the boat or you hear someone yell "YOU ROCK!" you’ve spotted yourself an Air Junky. When it comes to big air it’s safe to say Air Junky dominates the Pacific Northwest. You can also see Air Junky in flight on the web at the following sites: www.airjunky.com www.skyski.com and www.cyber-sea.com So why do they do it? Simply put, they love it. It all comes down to getting out on the water, having fun, learning new tricks, landing more inverts and showing off. Anyone can be an Air Junky, odds are you already are. It’s a state of mind, an attitude, a relentless pursuit of your own big air.

Reprinted with permission from Flight Magazine (Winter 98)