Photo by Brandon Alms
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Lifestyle
The Ozarks' Own Pro Surfer Joey Harris
Joey Harris is gearing up to compete in the Nautique Wakesurf Series this summer, teaching surf lessons between training sessions.
by Jordan Blomquist
Jul 2025
Almost as soon as Joey Harris could walk, he could surf. Since then, he’s traveled the world competing—and winning—some of the sport’s biggest competitions. He took first place at the Nautique Masters in both 2022 and 2023 in the Amateur ranks and is set to compete again this August in the 2025 Nautique Wakesurf Series—the largest wake surf event series in the world. His biggest accomplishment to date came last year when he won the overall Nautique Wakesurf Series in 2024 in the pro surf division—his first win as a pro. Joey has gone as far as Fukuoka, Japan, where he won first place at the 2022 Kyushu Wake Surf Festa. At only 20 years old, he’s sponsored by many big-name surf and sports brands like Hyperlite, O’Neill, Nautique Boats, The Harbor and Mendid.
Joey grew up in Southern California and moved to Kimberling City in 2020 when he, his parents and his sister decided it was time for a change of pace. “It’s just been a huge blessing for me and my family,” he says. “God had his hand in everything, too, because my sister and I were homeschooled since seventh grade so I could surf more, and it made the transition way easier.”
The freedom of surfing is what made Joey fall in love with the sport at such a young age. “The ocean—there’s just something about it,” he says. “You feel so connected to God; you’re out there in nature. There’s just energy out there. It’s hard to explain.” Wake surfing is different from surfing in the ocean. Instead of catching a natural wave, wake surfers ride the wake created by a boat. “It’s the next best thing for me,” Joey says, “but I’m not complaining. I get to be out there on an endless wave. It’s kind of a mix between surfing and skating, which I both love, so the fact I can make a living out of it—I’m just so grateful for it.”
Once he moved to the Ozarks, Joey hadn’t considered competing in wake surfing until professional wakeboarder Parks Bonifay encouraged him to give competing a shot. In 2021, he signed up for a contest, entered the junior men’s division and won his division. He’s been training ever since. “Watching Joey achieve success has been inspirational to say the least,” his dad, Joe Harris, says.
About the Writer
I’m Jordan Blomquist, 417’s Custom Publications Editor and Staff Writer.
I joined the team in October 2023 after graduating from the University
of Missouri. Outside of writing, I love traveling, visiting local coffee
shops, cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs and listening to pop music
(Taylor Swift and Gracie Abrams on repeat). I’m passionate about
highlighting the Ozarks and giving a voice to its people. You can reach
me at jblomquist@417mag.com.
