Wakeboarding for All Ages
You Can Do It!
BY JAY POOLE AND BLAKE ROWSELL
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KAELI KAHNERT
You’ve probably seen someone in
the media or on the lake jumping
both wakes and doing tricks that
seem to defy gravity – very cool…and
easier than you think.
In reality, wakeboarding (and
towed watersports) is one of the best
ways to get friends and family together to have fun on the water and it’s
more achievable than you think. With
a few helpful hints and some determination, you could be the next person
being towed around your lake with a
smile on your face.
Here are a few things to consider
before trying it out.
First, you don’t necessarily need
the newest Mastercraft X-Star with
tower speakers and 400 hp to start
you on your wakeboarding journey.
You can wakeboard behind any boat
that can pull a person on two skis.
Most family runabouts have the necessary horsepower to pull anyone on
a wakeboard. Towers and high poles
are very helpful for all levels of wakeboarders because of their upward
pull, but they are not necessary for
first-timers.
BASIC EQUIPMENT
Safety Vest
The very first thing you should have
is a Canadian Coast Guard Approved
safety vest. When buying a vest there
are three important things to look for:
mobility, comfort, and buoyancy.
These things can all be tested fairly
easily at the store. By
matching up your weight
to the Canadian Coast
Guard Approval, you know it
will have enough buoyancy to
keep your head up. For mobility,
make sure you can move your arms
and torso with little resistance. Lastly,
to make sure that you are going to be
comfortable, have a friend pull up on
the shoulder straps. If the vest begins
to pull over your head chances are
the same thing will happen once you
hit the water.
The Board
When you are getting up for the first
time any board will do. There are
boards that are very reasonably
priced; in fact, many shops will rent
them out. As a general rule, larger
boards (that have more surface area
against the water) are easier to get up
on. Once you get more confident,
you can buy boards that are a bit
shorter and more aggressive to match
your riding style.
The Bindings
The bindings are, perhaps, the most
important element of the board.
Initially, any binding will do, but as
you ride more, you will quickly learn
that bindings with more support are a
must. The safest option for bindings:
those that have a full wraparound the
ankles and fit your feet snugly.
Wakeboard bindings have changed
dramatically over the years. With new
and unique support systems, it is
important to have your bindings fit to
your specific needs.
THE ROPE
For learning, any watersports rope
with a handle will do. As you
progress, switching to a wakeboard
specific rope will make a big difference. The main difference between a
wakeboard rope and a ski rope is
stretch or lack thereof. Good wakeboarding ropes do not stretch. This
assists the riders when jumping and
provides a more consistent pull out of
the water. Length is important too.
The optimum length for a first time
wakeboarder is 50-60 ft.
DRIVING FOR WAKEBOARDING
Recreational wakeboarders should
not wakeboard faster than 20 mph.
Too slow is better than too fast and
adult wakeboarders can comfortably
ride as slow as 12 mph. Drivers for
novice wakeboarders must remember
that slower rider speeds can allow
first timers to gain valuable confidence behind the boat. They should
decide when to pick up the pace,
not the driver.
The same principal applies to get-
