Wakesurfing

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An example of someone wakesurfing. Andy wakesurfing.jpg
An example of someone wakesurfing.
Wakesurfing

Wakesurfing is a water sport in which a rider trails behind a boat, riding the boat's wake without being directly pulled by the boat. [1] After getting up on the wake, typically by use of a tow rope, the wakesurfers will drop the rope, and ride the steep face below the wave's peak in a fashion reminiscent of surfing. Wakesurfers generally use special boards, designed specifically for wakes.

Contents

History

The origins of wakesurfing are a subject of contention, as various individuals and companies lay claim to its inception. Some assertions trace the roots of boat-surfing or wake-surfing back as far as the 1920s, but there is a lack of credible evidence to support these claims. Visual records and written media from the 1950s and 1960s depict surfers actively riding surfboards behind motorboats in ocean settings. During the mid-1960s, numerous surfboard manufacturers began asserting their involvement in crafting boards specifically designed for riding wakes.

The trend of riding surfboards behind boats persisted throughout the 1970s and 1980s. The boards used in this practice gradually evolved into shorter forms, mirroring the progression of shortboards in traditional surfing. As boards became shorter, practitioners drew inspiration from windsurfing and sailboarding by introducing foot-strapping devices on the boards to secure their feet. Utilizing tow ropes and making sharp turns and jumps off wakes gave rise to sports like skurfing, skiboarding, and eventually wakeboarding.

The increasing popularity of wakeboarding prompted advancements in watercraft technology to amplify the size of wakes. This development subsequently paved the way for wakesurfing to step into the spotlight. Numerous trailblazers in the sport, including but not limited to figures like Tim Lopes, Jerry Price, Jeff Page, Rick Lee, among others, are recognized for their pivotal roles in shaping modern wakesurfing. The first US design patent for a wakesurf board was granted to Alfonso Corona in 1997.

Dangers

With the rise of wakesurfing in recent years many individuals have attempted surfing behind boats ill-equipped to wakesurf. Boats with outboard motors or sterndrive propulsion are not suited for wake surfing and lead to heighted risk, possible maiming or even death. [2] The only types of boats safe to surf behind are direct drive or V-drive boats, this is because the propeller is located far beneath the boat rather than behind the boat. [3]

Another risk associated with ill-equipped boats is Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. Boats designed for wake surfing direct the boat exhaust downward into the propeller stream, pushing the exhaust far away from the rider.

Boat setup

Inboard ski or wakeboard boats [4] are the most popular choice for this sport as the propeller is under the boat, and is less likely to make contact with the rider. Owners of inboard boats place ballast, such as water, lead weights, concrete, or other heavy objects in different sections of the boat in order to weight the boat down and create a larger wake. The best weight configuration for wakesurfing is to place the majority of the weight near the back corner side the surfer is surfing on. [5] The deeper the boat is in the water, the bigger the wake will be overall. In addition, one will want to place a larger amount at the stern of the boat on the side which the rider is riding. This will ramp the wake up on the side the rider is riding and washout the opposite side. [6] A rope length of 2.43 to 3.04 meters (8 to 10 ft) is recommended. Wakesurf-intended ropes are generally 6.1 meters (20 ft) long, making it ideal for boats that have a tower set-up. Long ski and wakeboard ropes can become hazardous for wakesurfing, because it usually involves winding up the rope or tying unnecessary knots.

Notable wakesurfers

Trick list

Many riders perform a wide array of maneuvers or specifically named 'tricks' while wakesurfing, with most owing their origins to surfing, skating (both vert and street) and snowboarding, Some of the most well-known tricks are:

In 2013, Canadian musician Chris Hau recorded a video in which he plays a song on an acoustic guitar while wakesurfing. [11] [12]

In February 2015, Hunter Sims, a professional wakesurfer, received a world record for doing 106 shove-its. [13]

Many celebrities have taken up the sport with P!nk, Julianne Hough, and Gus Kenworthy among the ones spending their summers trying the activity. [14]

World Champion Skimboarder Austin Keen [15] launched an interview series with celebrities wakesurfing in 2020. His first guest was Diplo. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfing</span> Sport of riding waves

Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer, uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also be found in standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or in wave pools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wakeboarding</span> Surface water sport

Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard, is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboarding is the attempted performance of midair tricks. Wakeboarding was developed from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques.

Boardsports are active outdoor sports that are played with some sort of board as the primary equipment. These sports take place on a variety of terrains, from paved flat-ground and snow-covered hills to water and air. Most boardsports are considered action sports or extreme sports, and thus often appeal to youth. Some board sports were marginalized in the past. However, many board sports are gaining mainstream recognition, and with this recognition, they have enjoyed wider broadcast, sponsorship and inclusion in institutional sporting events, including the Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kickflip</span>

The kickflip is a skateboarding trick, in which the rider flips their skateboard 360° along the axis that extends from the nose to the tail of the deck. When the rider is regular footed the board spins counter-clockwise if viewed from the side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bodyboarding</span> Surface water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard

Bodyboarding is a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave which is carrying the surfer towards the shore. Bodyboarding is also referred to as Boogieboarding due to the invention of the "Boogie Board" by Tom Morey in 1971. The average bodyboard consists of a short, rectangular piece of hydrodynamic foam. Bodyboarders typically use swim fins for additional propulsion and control while riding a breaking wave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfboard</span> Platform board used in the sport of surfing

A surfboard is a narrow plank used in surfing. Surfboards are relatively light, but are strong enough to support an individual standing on them while riding an ocean wave. They were invented in ancient Hawaii, where they were known as papa he'e nalu in the Hawaiian language, and were usually made of wood from local trees, such as koa. They were often over 460 cm (15 ft) in length and extremely heavy. Major advances over the years include the addition of one or more fins (skegs) on the bottom rear of the board to improve directional stability, and numerous improvements in materials and shape.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kiteboarding</span> Extreme sport

Kiteboarding or kitesurfing is a sport that involves using wind power with a large power kite to pull a rider across a water, land, or snow surface. It combines the aspects of paragliding, surfing, windsurfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. Kiteboarding is among the less expensive and more convenient sailing sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skimboarding</span> Boardsport

Skimboarding or skimming is a boardsport in which a skimboard is used to glide across the water's surface to meet an incoming breaking wave, and ride it back to shore. There are currently 3 U.S. based competitive organizations including Premier Skim, Skim USA, and the United Skim Tour. Wave-riding skimboarders perform a variety of surface and air maneuvers, at various stages of their ride, out to, and back with, the wave. Some of these are known as "wraps", "big spins", "360 shove-its" and "180s". Unlike surfing, skimboarding begins on the beach by dropping the board onto the thin wash of previous waves. Skimboarders use their momentum to skim out to breaking waves, which they then catch back into shore in a manner similar to surfing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kneeboarding (towsport)</span> Water sport

Kneeboarding is an aquatic sport where the participant is towed on a buoyant, convex, and hydrodynamically shaped board at a planing speed, most often behind a motorboat. Kneeboarding on a surf style board with fin(s) is also done in waves at the beach. In the usual configuration of a tow-sport kneeboard, riders kneel on their heels on the board, and secure themselves to the deck with an adjustable Velcro strap over their thighs. Most water ski kneeboards do not have fins to allow for easier surface spins. As in wakeboarding or water skiing, the rider hangs onto a tow-rope. The advantages of kneeboarding versus other tow-sports seems to be an easier learning curve and a sense of being closer to the water when falls occur.

A foilboard, also known as a hydrofoil board or foil surfboard, is a type of board used in water sports; it is distinct from surfboards in that it has a hydrofoil rather than fins mounted underneath. This hydrofoil design allows the surfboard and its rider to rise above the water’s surface, allowing for fast speeds and increased maneuverability in a wide range of surf conditions. Foilboards are becoming increasingly popular across many water sports, including surfing, kiteboarding, and wakeboarding. Foilboards have also been used in competitions, with riders reaching speeds of up to 30 km/h while performing acrobatic maneuvers such as flips, twists, and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surfboard leash</span>

A leg rope or surfboard leash is a urethane cord attached to the deck of a surfboard, down near the tail. It prevents the surfboard from being swept away by waves and stops runaway surfboards from hitting other surfers and swimmers. Modern leashes consist of a urethane cord where one end has a band with a velcro strap attached to the surfer's trailing foot, and the opposite has a velcro strap attached to the tail end of the surfboard. Should the surfer fall while riding a wave, the surfboard will not be swept away, thus allowing the surfer to quickly recover his surfboard and return to the take-off zone.

In surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and aggressive inline skating, frontside and backside are terms that are used to describe how a person approaches an obstacle or performs a certain trick. In aggressive inline skating, frontside and backside are types of grinds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waveski</span>

The Waveski, previously known as the "Paddle Ski” is a surfboard where the rider 'sits' on top of the surfboard. Waveski surfing is a dynamic sport combining paddle power with the manoeuvrability and performance of a surfboard. A Waveski resembles a larger volume surfboard, with the addition of a hollowed out seat with seat belt, foot straps and double ended paddle enabling the rider to remain attached to the board for maneuvers and to 'Eskimo roll' if overturned. The waveski rider or surfer uses a double-ended paddle while seated. To turn the rider uses his weight to lean on the side rails and paddle to pivot or propel the board up the wave. The sport is categorized under the International Canoe Federation. The discipline holds biennial World championship events, the next of which will be held at the Nahoon Reef, outside the town of East London, South Africa.

Artificial waves are human-made waves usually created on a specially designed surface or in a pool.

A freestyle skateboarding trick is a trick performed with a skateboard while freestyle skateboarding. Some of these tricks are done in a stationary position, unlike many other skateboarding tricks. The keys to a good freestyle contest run are variety, difficulty, fluidity, and creativity. This is an incomplete list, which includes most notable tricks.

Skurfing is a towed water sport similar to waterskiing, in that an individual is pulled behind a boat on a tow rope. However, instead of water skis, the sport uses a skurfboard which is a floating platform the user balances on, similar to a surfboard, but typically much shorter, with two foot-straps that prevent falling off the board and three fins positioned on the bottom that make it easier to maneuver when the board is being towed. The word itself is a portmanteau of skiing and surfing. Skurfing is often considered the precursor to wakeboarding.

Nautique Boat Company is an American boat manufacturer that produces boats primarily for waterskiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing. With models in the Super Air Nautique and Ski Nautique lines, they are widely considered the gold standard in the inboard towboat market. Owned by parent company, Correct Craft, Nautique is a member of the oldest family-owned and operated boat manufacturer in the world.

Horse surfing is an extreme sport invented in 2005. It requires two people, a horse, and a board. Horse surfing involves one person riding either a kite-board, surfboard, wake-board, or skim-board, while being towed behind a horse, ridden by a second person, through shallow water, at speeds up to 40 miles per hour (64 km/h). After originating in England the first official horse surfing competition was held in 2006 in La Baule, France, and over the last 14 years the sport has continued to spread internationally. Today there are several international competitions with globally established rules and categories.

References

  1. WakeSurfing, Wake Surfing, Wake boarding, WakeSports
  2. "Can You Wakesurf Behind Any Boat? No, You Can't, Here's Why". 3 October 2019.
  3. "Wakesurfing: How to surf on the lake safely". 27 July 2018.
  4. wakeboard boats
  5. WakeMAKERS. "Weight Your Boat for Wakesurfing" . Retrieved 4 April 2014.
  6. Fly High. "How to Weigh a V-Drive Ski/Wakeboard Boat" (PDF). Retrieved 2 November 2011.
  7. Boarders (October 6, 2014). 2014 World Wake Surf Championship, Las Vegas". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  8. Centurion Boats (October 2015). "The 2015 World Wake Surfing Championship presented by GM Marine Completes Three Days of Amazing Wake Surfing Competition". Retrieved 22 July 2016
  9. Centurionboats.com September 8, 2019 The 2019 Centurion Boats World Wake Surf Championship Comes to a Close
  10. "Drew Danielo". Phase 5 Wakesurf Boards. Retrieved 2021-03-18.
  11. Mills, Carys (2 August 2013). "Does this wake-surfing singer have what it takes to go viral?". Toronto Star. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  12. Cross, Alan (1 August 2013). "Canadian Dude Sings, Plays Guitar and Surfs AT THE SAME TIME". AlanCross. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  13. "Most consecutive wakesurfing shove its". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2016-10-24.
  14. "Wakesurfing Stars -- What A Ride!". TMZ. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  15. "About Austin Keen - World Champion Skimboarder Professional". AK Companies. Retrieved 2021-06-01.
  16. "Austin Keen and Diplo | Celebrity Surf Series". Unleashed Wake Mag. 2020-01-21. Retrieved 2021-06-01.