Outdoors

What's it like being Dallas Friday? Life surely isn't boring

By DAVE SCHEIBER
Published November 27, 2005

ORLANDO - She's Dallas. America's Teen.

When you're a superstar in an action sport that catches the fancy of young fans, ad execs and TV producers, life can get pretty interesting. Just ask Orlando wakeboarder extraordinaire Dallas Friday.

For starters, sponsors can't wait to sign you to lucrative contracts, as Oakley did with Friday, 19, in August to endorse its designer sunglasses and footwear.

That deal added to an impressive list, including O'Brien International wakeboards, Malibu Boats, Fox Racing gear and Infinity Sound Systems, helping her keep her annual income above six figures, apart from event prize money (such as the $20,000 she took home from the X-Games in August).

TV comes knocking, too.

You get to film a national TV commercial for Cheetos and have your image and voice reproduced for a cartoon character on the Disney Channel's preteen hit Kim Possible . And you star in an episode of the ABC Family Channel teen show Switched , in which Friday trades "lives" with a Hilary Duff co-star from Lizzy McGuire .

At 15, you get featured in Seventeen. And this month, CosmoGIRL! magazine honors you with a "Born to Lead Award," one of a dozen celebrities and everyday female and male youngsters "who are changing the world."

And whenever you're at wakeboard events, young Dallas wannabes rush over for autographs. They did just that in September at the Pan American Championships at the Orlando WaterSports Complex. "She's so nice and friendly," says Raimi Merritt, 12, of West Palm Beach as 10 girls posed with Friday for pictures and came away with signed wakeboards.

"One of the things I want to do is try to inspire more girls to try wakeboarding," she says. "I think when they see a girl go out there who can go just as big as the guys and love doing it, it shows them they can maybe do it, too."

In a sport of cowboys, Dallas is making the waves.

For more on Dallas Friday and wakeboarding, go to www.dallasfriday.com and www.prowakeboardtour.com

[Last modified November 27, 2005, 06:51:03]