| Want to go wakeboarding? Cool, hook up the fifty | | | | transported from one spot to another. |
| thousand dollar boat to the F-350, fill the gas tanks, | | | | Kites are possibly the coolest and most amazing new |
| drop it in the lake and go carve it up. There is nothing | | | | source of pull for wakeboarders. Kiteboarding has |
| like the feeling of setting the edge of the board and | | | | just recently developed in the last few years into a |
| throwing spray across the lake. Unfortunately not | | | | giant water sport of its own, and for many |
| everybody has access to a nice boat, or the time to | | | | wakeboarders being pulled by the kite offers them |
| deal with everything else involved in setting up a | | | | the ultimate freedom to ride completely under their |
| great wakeboarding session. Fortunately there is a | | | | own power, in any direction wherever they feel like |
| revolution under way that is making wakeboarding | | | | going, and through all kinds of water from choppy |
| accessible to everyone. There are now three new | | | | lakes to buttery smooth glass, ocean waves to |
| ways to ride without the use of a boat. Cable parks, | | | | water just a few inches deep that they could never |
| winches and kites have not only made wakeboarding | | | | access when being pulled by a boat. The best part |
| cheaper, but have also opened up all kinds of new | | | | for many riders is that there is no taking turns when |
| water terrain for people to ride. | | | | your riding behind a kite, and you can stay out and |
| The cables parks came first. With borrowed | | | | ride as long as you want, at least until the wind dies. |
| technology from ski resort chair lifts, cable parks | | | | Kiteboarding kites are packed down into the size of a |
| utilize a rope tow running in a large circle around man | | | | back back when not being used, weigh only a few |
| made lakes. For fifty bucks or so wakeboarders can | | | | pounds total, can be set up, launched, and landed |
| buy a pass, grab the rope as it comes around, and | | | | with no assistance, and once in the air are capable of |
| get towed around the lake. Cable parks are opening | | | | pulling riders in almost any direction, including straight |
| up around the country, many with multiple lakes for | | | | up. The high performance kites pull as hard as a |
| riders of different skill levels or style. The man made | | | | wakeboard boat, are steered by the rider to pull left |
| lakes are designed to maintain the perfect depth, and | | | | or right, or up, allowing wakeboarders to soar 40 |
| are excellent for placing obstacles like sliders and | | | | feet in the air or more. The rider can also control the |
| kickers for riders to challenge their skills on. Cable | | | | amount of wind the kite is catching, to create more |
| parks are also a great venue to host wakeboarding | | | | of less pull from the kite while riding. If the kite |
| contests, and many professional riders spend a | | | | crashes in the water it is no big deal, they are |
| majority of their time honing their skills riding the | | | | desinged to relaunch, and many of them do this very |
| cables. | | | | easily. Although it is a little more complicated than |
| Winches are another great solution for getting out on | | | | other types of wakeboarding where riders are simply |
| the water and riding. About the size of a suitcase, | | | | holding on and riding, kiteboarder's have to ride and |
| and available for far less than the cost of a boat, | | | | drive at the same time, the freedom and rewards of |
| about $1500, a winch can be set up in all kinds of | | | | wakeboarding behind the kite are unequaled in the |
| locations from small ponds, between docks, along | | | | sport. Although a kite setup with everything you |
| canals and even streams, rivers, and at the ocean | | | | need generally costs about $3000, once you have |
| beach! Winches provide riders with a straight line run | | | | the gear there are no other expenses, no gas, no |
| of about five to six hundred feet, and sometimes | | | | maintainance or service, and no one else is required |
| more. Many wakeboarders use winches to pull them | | | | to drive or operate the gear. |
| through rail parks or across a unique water feature, | | | | Anyway you ride, wakeboarding is a ton of fun, and |
| as they are limited to riding one run at a time, and in | | | | one way another it is now available to the public and |
| a more or less straight line. Winches simply require | | | | not just the kids who's parents have the house on |
| one friend to operate while the other rides, a few | | | | the lake and the boat that costs as much as a |
| gallons of gas for an entire day, and can be easily | | | | college education. |