TINO SANTORI
Tino Santori Born - April 16, 1984, Littleton, Colorado
5’8” - 140 lbs - Blue eyes - Brown Hair
Tino was born in Littleton Colorado. He attended Sandburg Elementary. The question is always asked how a professional wakeboarder could come from Colorado. There is no water right? Well, true, wakeboarding water is scarce. The lakes are reservoirs for the storage of water for either drinking or irrigation. They dry up when the rain is scarce and what few lakes exist are crowded with boats.
The Santori Family started boating when Tino was just a baby. They would travel to Nebraska and Lake Powell, Utah with their friends to spend time on the water. It was on one of these trips that Tino rode his first wakeboard when he was nine years old. The fire started that week and has never died.
When Tino was around nine years old the family joined a private lake. Empire Reservoir, an irrigation lake. The water was usually green with algae but it worked and Tino learned. His audience was camped along the beach and they watched him progress from simple jumps to inverts and spins.
Dedication and practice, riding in cold weather, rough water, it didn’t matter Tino just needed to ride. During the winter he snow boarded every weekend adding finesse to his wakeboarding style. Once Tino graduated from high school he moved to Orlando to live on a lake with his buddy and mentor, Shawn Watson.
Favorite Things
Sports: Wakeboarding, Snowboarding, Dirt Biking,
Surfing and Diving
Cars: WRX, anything that goes fast, 550 Barchettea
Food: Mexican Food, Sushi, Mom’s homemade Italian, Gram’s Biscotti
T.V. Show: The Family Guy, CNN
Movie: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Girl: Nicole
Color: Earth Tones
Season: None of the above
Worst Sport: Bowling
Animal: Mr. Sirus, the dog
Music: Rock, Changes all the time. Tino lost hundreds of
CD's when his car was stolen.
Sponsors: Liquid Force, Tige Boats, Reef, Kicker and Spy
Career Highlights
Pro Tour Stop 2— Island State Park, Michigan 2002 - 1st Place—Jr. Men’s Division.
The wakeboarding world didn’t know where this kid came from. They called him Santino Tino Santori. Happy Fathers Day Dad.
Vans Triple Crown—Nationals—Ft. Worth, TX 2002 - 1st Place– Jr. Men’s National Champion
By the end of the season everyone knew who Tino was. “This dark horse contender made a name for himself” Two 720’s and a 900 on his way back to the dock. Everyone in the house was astounded. Who is the kid from Colorado?
U.S. Open, Altamount Springs, FL - 2002 -
The US Open format invites the best riders but allows a certain number to enter in a qualifying round. Tino, having just signed with Tige was given the opportunity to ride. His first ride was sketchy so he had one last chance in the LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier). He qualified top in his heat and went on to again blow away his sponsors, family and friends as he took a 1st Place beating out Daring Shapiro. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!
Pro Tour Stop 3—Kelowna, British Columbia - 2003 - 1st Place
Tino’s first year in the Pro Men’s ranking was an uphill climb. He stole the show in Kelowna standing in first place on the podium and getting an invite to the Gravity Games. The highlight was his cell phone ringing as he was standing waiting to be interviewed. Rusty did not believe he was on the podium. J.B. had to take the phone and confirm it before Rusty would believe it.
The Masters - Calloway Gardens, Georgia - 2004 - 2nd Place
The Masters is a Water Ski/Wakeboard Tournament that only the very top riders get invited to. While Tino had competed in 2003 at this prestigious event his 2004 2nd place finish was a great way to start the 2004 season.
Vans Triple Crown—Nationals—2004 1st Place
It was a long dry spell in the 2004 season. Though Tino rode well and made the finals numerous times the podium seemed to elude him. Maybe it was the magic of Nationals or the fact it was his Dad’s 50th, either way a 1st Place finish was achieved after a “yard sale of a raley” on his first trick. Tino hit a run that had the crowd screaming for more and finished with a “method back mobe off the double up”.
Ranked 7th 2005 Pro Tour Standings.
While the 2005 season did not elicit any 1st place podium standings, Tino had a very consistent year. The Crow Mobe 5 and back to back 720's give him the title "The Spinner" among his colleagues.
2006 - as of July 2006 Tino is in second place in the King of Wake contest.
5’8” - 140 lbs - Blue eyes - Brown Hair
Tino was born in Littleton Colorado. He attended Sandburg Elementary. The question is always asked how a professional wakeboarder could come from Colorado. There is no water right? Well, true, wakeboarding water is scarce. The lakes are reservoirs for the storage of water for either drinking or irrigation. They dry up when the rain is scarce and what few lakes exist are crowded with boats.
The Santori Family started boating when Tino was just a baby. They would travel to Nebraska and Lake Powell, Utah with their friends to spend time on the water. It was on one of these trips that Tino rode his first wakeboard when he was nine years old. The fire started that week and has never died.
When Tino was around nine years old the family joined a private lake. Empire Reservoir, an irrigation lake. The water was usually green with algae but it worked and Tino learned. His audience was camped along the beach and they watched him progress from simple jumps to inverts and spins.
Dedication and practice, riding in cold weather, rough water, it didn’t matter Tino just needed to ride. During the winter he snow boarded every weekend adding finesse to his wakeboarding style. Once Tino graduated from high school he moved to Orlando to live on a lake with his buddy and mentor, Shawn Watson.
Favorite Things
Sports: Wakeboarding, Snowboarding, Dirt Biking,
Surfing and Diving
Cars: WRX, anything that goes fast, 550 Barchettea
Food: Mexican Food, Sushi, Mom’s homemade Italian, Gram’s Biscotti
T.V. Show: The Family Guy, CNN
Movie: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Girl: Nicole
Color: Earth Tones
Season: None of the above
Worst Sport: Bowling
Animal: Mr. Sirus, the dog
Music: Rock, Changes all the time. Tino lost hundreds of
CD's when his car was stolen.
Sponsors: Liquid Force, Tige Boats, Reef, Kicker and Spy
Career Highlights
Pro Tour Stop 2— Island State Park, Michigan 2002 - 1st Place—Jr. Men’s Division.
The wakeboarding world didn’t know where this kid came from. They called him Santino Tino Santori. Happy Fathers Day Dad.
Vans Triple Crown—Nationals—Ft. Worth, TX 2002 - 1st Place– Jr. Men’s National Champion
By the end of the season everyone knew who Tino was. “This dark horse contender made a name for himself” Two 720’s and a 900 on his way back to the dock. Everyone in the house was astounded. Who is the kid from Colorado?
U.S. Open, Altamount Springs, FL - 2002 -
The US Open format invites the best riders but allows a certain number to enter in a qualifying round. Tino, having just signed with Tige was given the opportunity to ride. His first ride was sketchy so he had one last chance in the LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier). He qualified top in his heat and went on to again blow away his sponsors, family and friends as he took a 1st Place beating out Daring Shapiro. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!
Pro Tour Stop 3—Kelowna, British Columbia - 2003 - 1st Place
Tino’s first year in the Pro Men’s ranking was an uphill climb. He stole the show in Kelowna standing in first place on the podium and getting an invite to the Gravity Games. The highlight was his cell phone ringing as he was standing waiting to be interviewed. Rusty did not believe he was on the podium. J.B. had to take the phone and confirm it before Rusty would believe it.
The Masters - Calloway Gardens, Georgia - 2004 - 2nd Place
The Masters is a Water Ski/Wakeboard Tournament that only the very top riders get invited to. While Tino had competed in 2003 at this prestigious event his 2004 2nd place finish was a great way to start the 2004 season.
Vans Triple Crown—Nationals—2004 1st Place
It was a long dry spell in the 2004 season. Though Tino rode well and made the finals numerous times the podium seemed to elude him. Maybe it was the magic of Nationals or the fact it was his Dad’s 50th, either way a 1st Place finish was achieved after a “yard sale of a raley” on his first trick. Tino hit a run that had the crowd screaming for more and finished with a “method back mobe off the double up”.
Ranked 7th 2005 Pro Tour Standings.
While the 2005 season did not elicit any 1st place podium standings, Tino had a very consistent year. The Crow Mobe 5 and back to back 720's give him the title "The Spinner" among his colleagues.
2006 - as of July 2006 Tino is in second place in the King of Wake contest.