About the Team
This is VolWake, the official wakeboarding club of the University of Tennessee. We offer a few membership options to University of Tennessee-Knoxville students that allow them access to the team boat. Members sign up weekly for spots to participate in a variety of water sports. We also offer a plethora of apparel for all of our members and supporters. There is NO SKILL REQUIRED for interested members, only a love of the water, so come join us on the Tennessee River where good times and night rides await.
VolWake started around the late 80's to early 90's as a ski club where they mainly rode on Melton Hill, or for a brief period they rode on the old Master-craft test lake. Over the years the club has evolved and the boats have gotten bigger in order to accommodate the large interest in all kinds of water activities.
Presently the club tries to stay involved in any way possible including our favorite hobby other than wake sports: community service. Each year the officers organize at least 4 community service opportunities that allow us to give back to a community that has helped us grow so big over the years. This along with the time our officers spend assisting at the Marina is how we like to represent our brand.
Although there may be several clubs around the country that participate in the same activities as us, we are one of a kind. Over the past few years we have put extreme effort into building an actual brand around our university club. This has opened several opportunities for us to evolve, and we are always looking for more support. If you are interested in supporting us, or even just saying hi, please reach out to us through our email (volwake@gmail.com) or our instagram (@VolWake) and one of our officers will be in touch as soon as our busy school schedules allow!
About the
Officers
Get to know the leaders of our club for the 2024-2025 season!
Landon Deal
President
Hey! I am Landon Deal and I am serving as the 2023-2024 VolWake president. I’m a 22 year old senior studying Agriculutural Business in the Herbert College of Agriculture. I’m from Chattanooga, Tennessee and grew up on Chickamauga Lake. I served as maintenance chair for VolWake for three years and I am now lucky enough to be our president! I am starting my fourth year here so I look forward to spending my last year of college with such a great team! As president I serve to do what is best for the club regardless of what is in my best interest, and I hope to create an atmosphere that allows me to not only connect, but also befriend as many of our members as possible. In my position I deal with many tasks, but ensuring the safety and enjoyment of the majority is my main priority. I’m also responsible for everything to do with our boat! I intend to leave the club better than I found it, so evolving as an organization is my platform. I’m so grateful to be a part of this amazing group of people and can’t wait to serve my team!
Riley Simpson
Vice President
Hi I’m Riley Simpson! I was born in Knoxville but have lived in Cincinnati most of my life. I’m 21 years old, and I’m currently a junior at the University of Tennessee. I’m majoring in industrial engineering and pursuing a minor in business administration. I have completed two engineering internships at MasterCraft Boat Company. These internships were an amazing experience and I feel very confident in my knowledge about boats. During my summers at MasterCraft, I had the opportunity to coach wakeboarding and wake surfing at the Let Her Rip events. I was also a boat driver at these events and assisted in setting up and taking down. This year, I am the vice president for VolWake. I am excited to dive into this role and help out with whatever I can! As I mentioned, I also love to coach and help people learn to ride. I can teach a few tricks for wakeboarding and wake surfing, and am working on learning more tricks myself. I am super excited for this year and to meet everyone!!
Madison Birge
Treasurer
Hey! My name is Madison Birge, I am 21 years old, and this is my fourth year on VolWake. I am a senior from Northern Virginia and I’m majoring in Supply Chain Management. This year, I am the treasurer for VolWake. Money talks, and I bring home the bacon. I am in charge of managing the club’s finances, I mostly handle budgeting and dedicate a portion of that budget to do fun events with VolWake. Growing up, I learned how to wakeboard on a 17ft 1990 Boston Whaler and upon joining VolWake, my eyes were (literally) opened to a whole new world of wakeboarding. I encourage you to ask about that “literally” when we are out on the water this year, I’m keen to share my experiences with all riders from beginners to experts. I’m always pushing my limits to try new tricks and I hope to help you learn some new ones as well. I am looking forward to another great year and seeing you all out on the water!
Allie Owens
Public Relations
Hi!! My name is Allie Owens and I’m currently a Junior majoring in Sports Communicatios. This year I have the amazing opportunity to serve as the head of public relations as well as apparel chair for volwake! I’m lucky enough to get to plan events such as fundraisers, charity events, member events, service days, officer retreats, and merch! I’m also the face behind what you see on our social media! This will be my third year on volwake and my second holding an officer position. Being a member of this team has been nothing short of amazing! I have found my family on volwake and will forever cherish the memories I have made with my amazing friends. Volwake has given me some of the best relationships in my life that I will forever be grateful for! My goal as a second year officer is to give back to volwake what it has given to me! I want to ensure that we hold and participate in events that give back to our amazing community as well as invite our members to attend and participate in team bonding events that bring us closer together! I always aim to project the excitement and adventure of our club across our social media platforms so that outside eyes can understand the joy that volwake brings to our members! I am beyond excited for this season and to serve volwake again!!
Jenna Wells
Secretary
Hi!!My name is Jenna Wells. I am 21 and a senior studying nutrition and dietetics with minors in business administration and sports management. I'm orignially from Northern California, and grew up on the water going to Lake Almanor! I have been a part of VolWake since I transferred to UT my sophomore year from the University of Arizona. I have made some of my very best friends (my favorite one is furry, has 4 legs, and named Bailey) through this team and have had the best times on the water with them. This year I will be serving as secretary, which involves creating the weekly schedule for the boat and who is riding everyday! I am super excited for this season and can’t wait to meet the new riders!!
Phillip Dubuc
Director
Hi! My name is Philip Dubuc, I am from Ohio but have grown up on Norris lake most my life. I am 20 and studying construction science. As director, I serve as our President's right hand man! My job is to keep things running as smoothly as possible and be an extra voice for him. I oversee our social media, social events, sponsorship, and competition chairs. Along with being the director, I’m also responsible for everything to do with our boat! Volwake has brought me to meet some of my closest friends at school here and is one of the main things I look forward to during the week. I cannot wait to have another great year on the team!
Calvin Schaerer
Visual Media Chair
Hi! My name is Calvin Schaerer and I am a Junior studying mechanical engineering here at UT. I was born and raised in Knoxville, and have lived here ever since. I have been a member of VolWake for the past two years, and I am lucky enough to be a part of the team this year as the Visual Media Chair. I'm excited to take on this new role where I can combine my love of boating, wakeboarding, and surfing with my skills in videography and photography. If you have been out on the boat in the past 2 years you have probably seen me out there with my camera, but now as an officer I will be out taking photos and making edits a lot more often. I have loved lake life for as long as I can remember, and I have been fortunate enough to work for boat dealerships and even a manufacturer. Two summers ago, I worked as an engineering intern for Supra and Moomba boats, where I was able to work in all aspects of the boat design, manufacturing, and testing process. I have also worked as a pro shop manager for a boat dealership for almost a year, so if you have any questions about gear recommendations, feel free to reach out. My favorite thing about VolWake is how many incredible friends I have met, and I can't wait to meet all the new members this fall!
Conner Hackett
Driver
My name is Conner Hackett, and I am a Junior studying Business Management. I am from Lebanon, Tennessee, and I have been surfing for 4 years. This will be my 3rd year being apart of VolWake, and I’m super excited to be able to drive everyone around and teach people who are just getting into wakesurfing!
ST Johnson
Driver
