| Wakeboarding is a sport of the times. A | | | | sport got more validation when World Publications |
| wakeboarder is a person towed behind a boat or a | | | | launched its own publication, Wake Board Magazine, in |
| cable skiing lift at a speed of around 18-24 mph. The | | | | 1993. With each passing year, support for the Pro |
| main difference is that instead of skis, the rider uses | | | | Wakeboard Tour and the magazine continue to grow. |
| a single board, shorter in length and wider than | | | | To add to this, various cups have been formed and |
| snowboards, with foot bindings. | | | | launched and are eagerly anticipated and widely |
| For decades, surfing was the favorite sport of the | | | | attended. |
| beach lover. Even in doing this sport, one would | | | | For the average beach dweller, the pull of the sport |
| require transportation by boat from one location to | | | | is obvious. Unlike surfing, it is fairly easy to pick-up. |
| another. In 1985, a San Diego Surfer named Tony | | | | You have something to hold on to when |
| Finn developed a hybrid of the water ski and the | | | | wakeboarding and, for a lot of people, this support is |
| surfboard. He called this the Skurfboard. This new | | | | a real perk. The obvious other advantages are there. |
| board looked almost exactly like a surfboard but was | | | | With Wakeboarding, you are free to do the sport at |
| pulled by a boat while its rider performed new skills | | | | any time. While surfers need to follow the waves, |
| and tricks. The sport was consequently called | | | | wakeboarders can be active on any beach. The only |
| Skurfing. Later that summer, foot straps were added | | | | thing necessary is a boat to pull you along. There is a |
| to these boards and this was a big thing. This allowed | | | | lot of room for self-expression as well. Much like |
| riders to do more free-flowing and dynamic stunts. | | | | water-skiers, wakeboarders have the freedom to |
| However, the sport continued to struggle due to a | | | | reach for greater and greater heights when doing |
| lack of innovation and technology surrounding the | | | | stunts. Some interesting trivia about wakeboarding |
| boards. | | | | include the following. At present, there are over 3.1 |
| Herb O'Brien, a successful businessman in waterskiing | | | | million wakeboarders worldwide. A video game about |
| and the owner of H.O. Sports, changed the face of | | | | wakeboarding called Wakeboarfing Unleashed was |
| the sport by refining the boards, making it possible | | | | released in 2003. The average income for |
| for riders to perform even more stunts. Other | | | | wakeboarders is $95, 400 USD. Wakeboarding is now |
| companies soon followed suit. The sport gained large | | | | part of the X-Games and Gravity Games attracting |
| and wide audiences in 1992, when World Sports | | | | even more attention and credibility as an extreme |
| & Marketing, a Florida-based sports and events | | | | water sport. 75% of wakeboarders are male and |
| promoter, began setting up wakeboard events. This | | | | aged 13-24, but a growing number of female |
| gave wakeboarders a chance to compete on a | | | | wakeboarders are beginning to make a dent on the |
| professional level at the same time getting exposure | | | | male-dominated sport. In addition, wakeboarding is |
| on international sports stations ESPN and ESPN2. The | | | | currently the fastest growing water sport. |