In the world of water sports, wakeboarding is popular among those who are looking for a good adrenaline rush. So what is wakeboarding?
If you combine water skiing, surfing, and snowboarding into one single sport, you get wakeboarding. Here the rider is strapped to a wakeboard and pulled by a boat with the help of a group. Most boats pull the rider at the speed of 30 mph /50kph or less.
Wakeboarding is a water sport in which participants ride on the water’s surface in the wake of a single outboard motorboat. It is a cross between surfing, water skiing, and snowboarding. Wakeboarding is often mistakenly thought to be a copy of surfing, but the two sports have distinct characteristics.
Wakeboarding can be the perfect sport for you to get into. So, here are the details of what is wakeboarding.
Why Call It Wakeboarding?
Wakeboarding was at first known as ‘skurfing’. It was because the inventors who were surfers initially thought of it.
But skurfing was not a popular choice for the masses. The rider rides the wave that is created by a moving boat on the water. That wave is called the wake. Thus people started to call it wakeboarding.
Later on during mass advertisement, marketers chose the term wakeboarding and thus it became the official name for the sport.
In water skiing, a rider is pulled on by a boat as well. They have long ski pads attached to each leg.
But in wakeboarding, the rider uses only one board while riding which is similar to surfing.
However, wakeboarding is much more versatile than surfing and is more like snowboarding. Just like a snowboarder on snow, a wakeboard rider can perform various tricks while on the water and has more freedom of space.
History Of Wakeboarding
In 1985 Tony Finn discovered wakeboarding. His motivation was the calm sea. He was a surfer and thus a calm sea provided no entertainment to him. So he found a new way to enjoy the waves. It was he who gave the name skurfing.
Though around the same time Jimmy Redman from Texas also thought of a similar idea. Though his version of the board was not as popularized immediately.
In 1990 ESPN channel telecasted the first skurfing competition. Thus starting the sports wide popularity.
What Is Wakeboarding & What Is Skurfing?
The key difference between skurfing and modern wakeboarding is the efficiency of deep water starts.
While skurfing a rider had to be extremely skillful to start a deep water start. But it changed when Herb Obrien sports introduced their new wakeboard. It was compression-molded with neutral buoyancy being the selling factor. It made deep water starts easy for everyone and thus added a new chapter to wakeboarding.
Howard Jacob made the first hand-crafted boards with foot straps. This made it even easier to control. With the extra control, riders could now perform advanced tricks which were thought impossible with surfing.
What Equipment Are Needed?
After the question what is wakeboarding comes what do I need to do it? Here is the equipment needed for wakeboarding:
1. A Motor-Powered Boat
All of the speed comes from the boat. Not all boats are the same and there are differences in wakes left by the boats. Choosing a powerful boat suitable for wakeboarding is a priority. It is not necessary to buy a costly boat, one can choose to rent a boat as well
2. Wakeboards
The board is the second crucial factor of wakeboarding. There are quite a few types of boards with special customizations. A beginner board is suited for those new to the sport and who want to have more balance.
Fin quality of the board matters a lot. Choosing a board that provides good fins for better maneuverability can go a long way.
3. Straps
Wakeboarding requires you to have your legs bound to the board at all times. Some boards come with fixed leg straps.
While choosing these straps one should focus on the strength of the boots as well as how comfortable they are in them.
4. A Wetsuit
A wakeboarder is guaranteed to get wet. Buying a good quality wetsuit is a prerequisite for the sport.
If the water body the wakeboarder chooses is cold, or if it’s winter, then a thick wetsuit would help. In summer a thinner wetsuit would be comfortable.
5. A Lifejacket
Coast-guard certified life jackets are the go-to option. Wakeboarding must never be done without a lifejacket.
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