Wakeboarding is a popular watersport that is a combination of water skiiing and snowboarding.  It is similar to water skiing in that the wakeboarder is pulled behind a motorized speedboat with a tow line.  It is similar to snowboarding in that a single wakeboard is ridden, which is very similar in shape to a snowboard, only shorter and wider to maximize control while skimming across the surface of the water.  A wakeboard also includes attached non-release bindings that hold the rider’s feet to the board in a sideways stance similar to snowboarding.

The name of the sport — wakeboarding — indicates where the riders spend most of their time: Riding the wake of the boat pulling the wakeboarder. Since the boat’s wake is a fairly consistent wave, the rider can skim back and forth across the hump of the wake and often becomes airborne (which is also enhanced by the wide, aerodynamic shape of the wakeboard). With some skill and practice, wakeboarders can easily perform tricks while in the air.

Because of the width and shape of the board, wakeboarders are typically pulled slower than their water skiing counterparts. But speeds of advanced or professional wakeboarders can still exceed 25 mph.  Since the speed of the boat can affect the shape of its wake, a little experimentation is a good idea to create the ideal combination of speed, wake size & shape, rope length, board shape and wakeboarder’s skill in order to maximize the fun factor for rider.

1. Learning The Wakeboarding
2. Searching For Wakeboarding Equipment? Here Are Some Ideas
3. Wakeboarding as the Sports activity : Can It Be For Everyone?
4. The Wakeboarding Tower Info
5. What is The Difference between Water Skiing And Wakeboarding

Outdoor Dan