1 of 10
2 of 10
3 of 10
4 of 10
5 of 10
6 of 10
7 of 10
8 of 10
9 of 10
10 of 10
By Perry Mack
Wakeboarding is dead. It may be a little early to write it’s obituary, but it’s not far off. I owned the Mountain Surf Shop for roughly thirteen years in Kelowna, BC. In winter, we were Kelowna’s premier ski and board shop and summer we supplied boaters with the Okanagan’s largest selection of watersports gear. On the bleeding edge of new sports, we were the first to learn, promote, sell, rent and teach new sports. To put the timeline in perspective, I remember days when people were looking at our display wall saying ‘That’s a weird looking snowboard”. “No”, I explained, “That’s a wakeboard”.
New sports continue to emerge, as does the gear that makes the sport. In the past, we’ve seen wakeboarding obliterate kneeboarding; carbon-graphite construction rise to royalty leaving compression-molded construction for the masses; kite-boarding laid waste to windsurfing; and today stand up paddleboards (SUP) and wakesurfers are the rage (with a surprising resurgence in kneeboarding).
I chatted with the experts at Custom Ski & Board in Kelowna (www.customskiandboard.com) about the newest trends for 2014.
Although the kneeboarding resurgence is new, there’s nothing new in kneeboards. The resurgence has to do with the simplicity of the sport. In the same way that tubing has never lost it’s shine, (anyone, at almost any age, in any mental state can do it), the kneeboard requires virtually no skill and is a natural progression from tubing, offering more control and the illusion that your destiny is in your own hands as opposed to the boat’s pilot.
Stand up paddleboards (SUP) and wakesurfers are the new Poseidon’s of watersports, with new boards, events, teaching methods, and styles emerging each year. It’s true of every sport in it’s early stages – the design, construction and teaching techniques evolve at a blistering pace - and you don’t want to get caught buying behind the trend, or else you’ll be wanting to upgrade the day after you hit the water.
Size matters – in wakesurfing. Bigger boards are for bigger riders as the boards have more surface area, which generates more flotation. The same property also makes a bigger board better if your boat has a smaller wake. The larger boards also generate more drag, moving more slowly, making them easier for beginners. Boards are measured in feet and inches and anything over 5’6” is a bigger board with boards like ‘The Duke’ from Ronix available in a 6’1” length. Naturally the opposite is true for smaller boards – faster, more maneuverable, better on larger wakes for lighter riders.
Like windsurf and surf boards, the rocker and rails impact your ride as well. Actually it’s true for virtually every watersport. Less rocker (think mellow) makes your board a little faster and smoother. While an aggressive rocker slows the board down, as it tends to plow through the water but makes it turn quicker as the extra rocker enhances the curve when you set your board on edge to turn.
Thinner rails cut into the water to make the board react more quickly – think knife-edge – not for beginners. Rounder, thicker rails turn slower, less able to cut into the wake making them easier for beginners.
As a sport becomes more popular, diversifying into different styles is typical and wakesurfing is no different. Skim styles like those from Phase Five remain virtually unchanged in the eight years since I sold them. They provide the rider with the ability to make skim board moves like 180 or 360-degree rotations on the board. Their low buoyancy makes them easier to get up on – very similar to a wakeboard - but they are more challenging to ride. On the upside, they are light and usually fit in your wakeboard rack. These boards come in both directional (one pointy end) and twin tipped. Twin-tipped boards are following the route of snowboards and wakeboards allowing a more skate oriented riding style.
More popular are the surf-style boards. Larger fins (2.5” or more) allow the rider to slash the ‘wave’ (read wake) face just like catching the perfect endless wave on the Tofino coastline. Typically they have a bit more buoyancy, which makes them harder to get started on, but once you pop up, freeriding is easier. They are a little tougher to store on the boat and rotational tricks are definitely more challenging to perform.
These are typically directional with a flat end but you’ll also see ‘swallow tail’ backends which look like they have a ‘V’ cut out. Derived from other board sports, the swallowtails’ purpose is to provide a snappier, quicker turning back end. But if launching off the lip is more your style then a flat or extended tail will add more pop.
So which one do you get? Like many riders, get both and perhaps a couple of each. Surfers, windsurfers and kiteboarders are used to having a quiver of boards, whereas waterskiers and wakeboarders typically find the board that works best for them and ride it until it breaks or something better comes along. Keep the ‘surf’ in wakesurfing and get a couple of boards; let your mood and the water conditions decide which board in your quiver you’ll use.
One way to affordably alter your ride is to purchase some different fins. If your board comes with short fins get some longer ones, and vice versa. Although there’s a whole science to fin shapes and sizes, the basics are a longer fin (or more fins) provide more tracking for enhanced carving, while shorter fins allow you to break the ends free of the water for rotational and skate style moves. Some boards offer three fin positions giving you the option to employ all three fins (very stable, beginner set-up), two outside fins (faster turning, wave slashing style) or a single centre fin (looser back end providing the opportunity for more advanced tricks).
Advice from a knowledgeable, trustworthy shop takes a lot of pressure off you if you’re concerned about making a wrong decision. Often sales staff ‘walk the talk’. They can tell you what they ride and how each board rides because they have personally ridden them. Specialty shops typically also offer rentals or ‘Try Before You Buy’ programs, which will allow you to test ride a few models to find the ones that work for you.
The trend you follow, or the board you choose, is a just a reflection of your own personal style (and budget). Buy the best you can afford for your size, style and ability level. If you’re going to ride a lot, buy a little above your ability level, as you’ll progress quickly. But if you’re going to ride a dozen times or less in a season, or you need one board to work for the whole family, buy towards the entry level so everyone has a good time. My last piece of advice when choosing a board is don’t suffer paralysis through analysis. Just get on a board and ride.