| Most people have "their" sport that they do. It's how | | | | gear for when you are ready to buy a wakeboard. |
| we spend our weekends and what we tell people is | | | | Once you have your equipment, you're ready to |
| our hobby. For most, these sports are pretty basic: | | | | learn how to wakeboard. Of course, first you'll have |
| fishing, hiking, golfing. While these may be how we | | | | to learn how to get up on a wakeboard. Make sure |
| choose to define ourselves, that time always comes | | | | your boat driver understands that a gradual speed |
| when we just want to do something new. Maybe | | | | increase is needed and that the overall speed should |
| we've mastered "our" sport as much as we care to | | | | remain fairly slow-around 14-18 miles an hour. You |
| or maybe we just get bored. Either way, it's time to | | | | should know that the shorter the rope used, the |
| find a new sport to dabble in. | | | | easier it is to get up. Try for a rope length of |
| In recent years, that new sport has proven to be | | | | between 30 and 50 feet. When you're in the water, |
| wakeboarding for many people. What began in the | | | | you'll want to face the boat and have the board |
| mid 1980s as a neat new toy from surfers has since | | | | perpendicular to the boat. As the boat pulls you up |
| grown to encompass a worldwide organization (the | | | | and out, the board will swing towards the boat |
| World Wakeboard Association), complete with | | | | naturally; just make sure the front of the board (the |
| competitions and inclusion in the X Games (a | | | | toe) is slightly above water. Squat with your knees |
| wakeboarding competition first appeared in X Games | | | | close to your chest and your feet close together on |
| II). The World Skiboard Association (precursor to the | | | | the board; as the boat pulls you up, relax and get |
| World Wakeboard Association) was founded in 1989, | | | | ready to have fun. |
| the same year that the Hyperlite wakeboard was | | | | The first few times you try wakeboarding, getting |
| introduced-a brand that continues to be one of the | | | | up and staying up may be all you care about. In time, |
| most popular in the sport. The biggest sign that | | | | though, you can begin playing around with jumping |
| wakeboarding has become a sport unto itself is the | | | | wakes. In fact, the main draw of wakeboarding is its |
| fact that teenaged riders are now lining up | | | | wide range of tricks that can be performed (similar |
| sponsorships for their wakeboarding | | | | to snowboarding). There's any number of |
| skills-sponsorships that, among other things, provide | | | | wakeboarding videos available online that will give you |
| new boats every year for them to use in their global | | | | tips on how to perform these tricks, not to mention |
| competitions. | | | | wakeboarding organizations and magazines. If you live |
| Maybe you're not at that point. In fact, you're | | | | in an area hosting a wakeboarding competition, head |
| probably just curious to try your hand at something | | | | over and check out how the pros do it. Keep your |
| new and wondering where you can start. Well, | | | | eyes on their body placement and balance. |
| getting started is pretty basic as you need just two | | | | Overall, there's enough going on in this relatively new |
| things: a wakeboard and a boat. Not ready to make | | | | sport to hold the interest of anyone board with |
| those investments? No problem; finding boat and | | | | putting greens, fly lines, or all of the hiking trails within |
| board rentals is easy. Hyperlite and Liquidforce are | | | | driving distance of their home. So if you're ready for |
| two brands that carry a full line of wakeboards and | | | | something new, give wakeboarding a try. |