Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding

by James Osborne

Publication Date: August 1999

Wakeboarding is the latest evolution of waterskiing sports. It can be thought of as waterskiing on a small surf board with footstraps (or boots similar to waterski boots). The stance is partially or completely sideways. The experience is a cross between mono-skiing and surfing, but it's a real synergy of the twonot an imitation of either. It could also be thought of as similar to snowboarding, but in practice, the two are quite different.

Wakeboarding started in the mid-1980's with the Skurfer. For a while Wakeboarding was also known as Skiboarding, but this name has become less popular. Wakeboarding is the fastest growing watersport in the world! If you can waterski and haven't tried wakeboarding, you must! At every major, waterski lake the world over, you'll find more and more people wakeboarding. Wakeboarding requires less expensive boats, slower speeds, and has much higher fun levels than waterskiing. It's also much less fatiguing than mono-skiing.

Modern wakeboards are thin, light and at least as high-tech as the top waterskis. Many specialist wakeboard companies have appeared, or adapted, in the last few years to support the increasing demand. Current designs are basically either surf shaped (i.e., Shapiro) or twin tip (i.e., BAFF).

Wakeboard bindings (footstraps or boots) are built on plates that are interchangeable on most quality wakeboards. This allows the rider to choose from many foot bindings independently to the choice of board.

If you get into wakeboarding you'll learn lots of great, fun moves, and a whole new language to describe them. You'll wonder why you didn't try it years ago.

What's needed for wakeboarding is basically the same as for waterskiing, plus a wakeboard itself. The good news is that you can get away with slower, cheaper boats, use less fuel (because you're going slower), and have more fun in the process.

The boat must be able to pull the skier steadily out of the water. Compared to a waterskier on a mono-ski, this is easy and requires less power because the wakeboard has a much greater surface area, so it doesn't dig in like a waterski. A wakeboard planes slower than a waterski, which helps because the wakeboard will be skiing at a much slower speed. A mono-ski would still be dragging through the water. A boat that does not have sufficient power to pull a mono-skier from a deepwater start, but can pull a skier on two skis, will probably be able to pull a wakeboard deepwater start. A wakeboard start is quite slow and progressive, so the boat doesn't even have to accelerate especially fast.

The first important criteria for a wakeboard boat is to be able to pull consistently and slowly (dedicated competition ski boats are still best at this). A wakeboarder should ski at about 18 mph or as slow as 15 mph to learn surface tricks, but some boats have trouble maintaining this speed. It's actually too slow for many speedboats, because they are not properly planing until over 20 mph, which is way too fast! A high torque engine, which generally means bigger capacity, will usually be better at maintaining slow speeds - huge American V8 engines (as found in tournament ski boats) with 250+ hp excel.

The second important criteria is the wake itself. Against all previous waterski requirement, a wakeboarder wants a decent sized and shaped wake. This means if your boat is a dory-type hull, it will be useless for skiing or wakeboarding (sorry), but it is good news for owners of V-hull sports boats. Flat-bottomed, professional ski boats are sometimes too flat (remember, waterskiers want no wake at all) and do not produce sufficient wake even at slow wakeboard speeds (some do and this wake will decrease as the boat speeds up to mono-skiing speeds of 30 to 36 mph). This is the ideal ski boat.

The wakeboard is the second most important piece of equipment, next to the boat. The wakeboard should be thin so you can use its edge to carve turns, light weight so jumps and air moves are easier, and strong so that it doesn't break!

If you're a beginner, you may wish to consider a slightly larger surf-shaped board. The larger size will help with starting and balance. The surf shape will allow you to learn surf moves on the wake. When you're able to ride fakie (backwards by spinning round 180 degrees on the surface of the water and continuing to ride with what was your rear leg out in front), you might like to try a twin tip.

Nearly all advanced riders ride twin tips. The board is as good fakie as forwards. By combining this type of board and a completely sideways stance, you are able to ride fakie and normal just as easily (theoretically at least). Most twin tip boards are able to take fins at both ends so the boards are completely symmetrical.

If you already have a wakeboard, then you've made your selection. If you haven't gotten one, then maybe try to borrow one, or go skiing with someone that can already wakeboard. They will be able to help a great deal. If you're still reading this far, what you probably need to know is that the board should preferably be one of the larger surf shapes. There's no reason why you can't start on a quite advanced twin tip board. It will just be a little harder, but not all that much, so don't reject a top board because that's all you have available. If you do try a twin tip, make sure the foot bindings are set in a beginner position.

If you are going out to buy a board, consider how good you really are, and how good you think you'll get. If you just want to enjoy the skiing for the whole family, and particularly when there is a large weight difference between the various skiers, a surf shape will be more forgiving and actually better fun. If you're confident you'll be riding backwards (fakie) and jumping from a backwards stance (switchstance) you'll want a twin tip so you may as well buy that straight away.

Wakeboard equipment is pretty simple. Besides the boat and board, you need a good quality rope and mounting, preferably a centre mounted ski pylon (the U bolts in the rear transom are really a very poor solution, as with waterskiing). You may choose to wear gloves, a wetsuit if it's cold where you ski, and a PFD or ski vest. You should not ski in bathing suits or trunks alone for your own protection.

How to begin Wakeboarding

Congratulations! You've decided to give wakeboarding a try. You won't regret it. Having studied what wakeboarding is and what's needed to wakeboard, you already know what you're trying to accomplish.

You should be wakeboarding at about 18 mph. For beginning and learning, you may wish to go a little slower at about 15 mph. For bigger jumps and wake clearing air, requiring more speed, up to a maximum of about 20-22 mph, may be used.

Remember, many boats simply cannot go at 15 mph - it's too slow. It would be better to wakeboard at a consistent 18 mph than a jerky 15 mph, even for a beginner. Some boats will be loosing some of that lovely wake as they speed over 20 mph, so don't go too fast either.

You may have to adjust the rope length, particularly at 20-22 mph, to ensure you are skiing on a good wake. As a guide, shorter lengths are for slower speeds. At 20-22 mph, you'll probably be skiing on approximately 60 feet of rope. At 15-18 mph you would require approximately 45 feet of rope. Experiment!

If at first you don't succeed, don't panic. It will take several attempts to coordinate everything. If after several sessions you're still not managing it, get some help from someone who can already wakeboard, or pay for a lesson with a professional ski boat (and skier hopefully) that has a training boom. These make it extremely simple to learn.

Now you're wakeboarding, learn to stay up, learn to surf, have fun...