For more than two decades, Alliance Wake’s Rider of the Year has been the benchmark. Inside the industry, ROTY isn’t just another trophy, it’s the nod from media, brands, riders, and lifers who actually move the needle. It’s about competitive results, sure, but it’s just as much about progression, influence, and who defined the season.
And in all that time, no woman had ever taken the title.
That changed in 2025.
Liquid Force team rider Rivers Hedrick didn’t just win Rider of the Year, she reset the conversation. At 19, she became the first female athlete to earn ROTY, and anyone who followed the season closely knows this wasn’t a symbolic pick. It was inevitable.
Wake has always skewed male at the top of the podium and in the pages of the mags, but this wasn’t a “women’s wakeboarding” moment. This was a wakeboarding moment. Rivers’ riding this year checked every box the industry respects: contest results, video parts, technical progression, consistency under pressure, and a style that’s unmistakably her own.
Strip away the headline, and the truth is simple, she earned it. Every set, every event, every clip. No asterisk. No qualifier. Just the rider who defined 2025.
All of us here at ActiveWake want to wish Rivers a huge congrats and best of luck on the 2026 season. We're excited to see what the future holds for this bright young star! Be sure to check out her recent video part "Domain" that showcases not only her mind melting cable riding, but her passion for video production as well.
