| Wakeboarding techniques derived from three related | | | | In general, a wakeboarding cord is sixty feet long |
| sports: surfing, snowboarding, waterskiing. | | | | and the handles are about fourteen inches wide. If |
| Wakeboarders attempt to stay on top of the water | | | | the grip is wider, it is easier to pass it from hand to |
| as they balance on a buoyant board. Even though | | | | hand while riding and taking on tricks. |
| wakeboarding appears to be a new phenomenon to | | | | The ropes are attached to neoprene floats that help |
| many people, it has been around for decades. | | | | find ropes that get away. |
| Wakeboarding is different from skiing or surfing | | | | Even though many wakeboarding events happen on |
| because it uses a motorboat to gain speed instead | | | | lakes, one finds more and more inter-coastal courses. |
| of waterpower or gravity. Wakeboarders trail behind | | | | Manufacturers are producing boats that are only for |
| the boat at velocities between 18 and 24mph. The | | | | wakeboarding purposes. A bigger wake can be |
| range of speeds are based on the characteristics of | | | | obtained by making a heavier boat or by racing at |
| the water and particular rider. The inside of a | | | | greater speeds. Portable ballast tanks can be built into |
| wakeboard looks like a honeycomb, which is covered | | | | the boat to make it heavier. Ballast tanks are |
| in fiberglass to make the board buoyant. | | | | evaluated by the quanitity of water they can contain. |
| Board makers utilize metal fasteners to connect | | | | This can range from 100lbs to 1,000lbs. |
| bindings and fins. Riders have individual tastes when it | | | | Headrests can be blown up on special tanks to carry |
| comes to where the fins and bindings are located on | | | | more passengers. Although wakeboarding was at one |
| their boards. Wakeboarders use various fins to pull | | | | time male dominated, more and more female athletes |
| off specific actions. One example of this is that | | | | are joining the sport. |
| shorter fins are excellent for flat spins. | | | | Female wakeboarder Tara Hamilton was the first to |
| The ropes utilized for waterskiing cannot be used by | | | | win a competition in a women's event. |
| a wakeboarder because they are not stiff enough to | | | | Wakeboarders are constantly using their muscles and |
| do tricks. | | | | have well trained abs, arms and legs. |