The secret is to take advantage of the waves produced by the boat's engine to literally fly through the air.
Even bags of water are used, which are placed at the stern of the boat to produce bigger waves. Here we tell you where you can practice it. Wakeboarding is a sport that has taken elements from water skiing, surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding. Anyone could say that wakeboarding is a lot like water skiing, but nothing to see, they are two totally different sports. The only thing they share is sliding on the water. Skiing is much more classic, while wakeboarding is more radical and free where the most important thing is the rider's creativity to perform and create new tricks.
Its origin is in the beaches of California, in 1985, when Tony Finn, renowned surfer, tired of waiting for waves to be able to go out with his board, tried his luck with the mechanical traction of a boat and tried to surf its wake. That session was to change the history of water sports. For Finn, the next step was to optimize the jumps and wave crossings, incorporating improvements to his board. Thus was born the skurfer, the mixture of ski and surfboard. The first boards basically consisted of smaller surf designs, which incorporated straps (bindings) to allow movement, certain jumps and pirouettes, somewhat limited.
The design, still geared towards surfing, advanced steadily during the 1980s. In the 1990s, another sport was to have an even greater influence on the development of the board, snowboarding. Young snowboarders found wakeboarding a way to continue their fun and training outside of the winter season.
And the tables kept changing ...
The shape of the toe and tail detached itself from its surf roots and was more like snowboarding. The fins changed their silhouettes allowing the wakeboarder to turn 180º and 360º on the water. The previously rudimentary bindings achieved the perfect hold. Consequently, jumps, figures and movements became more colorful and the rhythm more frantic. Wakeboarding became spectacular, the jumps were longer and higher.
Today the size of the table depends on the weight and the maneuvers to be performed. For example, if you weigh less than 70 kilos, a 135 centimeter is recommended and if you weigh more than 80, the recommended size is 147 centimeters. The width varies between 38.1 and 45.7 centimeters. On the other hand, there is the weight of the table, there are 2.6 kilos and 3.3 the heaviest.
For wakeboarders who like to do a lot of grabs (jumps) and rotations use shorter and wider boards, because it is easier to turn them. Those who want more speed, aggressiveness and adrenaline, should use thinner.
Jumps, tricks and stunts
The best known maneuvers are the tantrum (back somersault), air raley (prolonged flight with the body parallel to the water), hoochie-glide (raley with one hand holding the board), or the back roll (somersault from the side). Turns of 180, 360 and up to 450 degrees are also made.
The powers
In the free style modality (freestyle), the competitions consist of making the largest number of figures in a section of about 500 meters, where the judges rate the elevation, the length of the movements, the style, the originality and the aggressiveness.
Where to practice it
-Tequesquitengo, Morelos.
At the Teques Wakeboard Camp, which is on the Tequesquitengo lagoon, one hour from Mexico City and 25 minutes from Cuernavaca.
-Valle de Bravo, State of Mexico
You can learn and practice in the beautiful artificial lake with an area of 21 km2. In this place there are numerous service providers that give courses for windsurfing, sailing, skiing and wakeboarding. You can also walk through this magical colonial town visiting its popular handicraft market, numerous decoration boutiques, art galleries and the Parish of San Francisco, patron of the place, which stands out for its original 16th century bell tower.
-Tampico, Tamaulipas
You can learn it at the Wake Camp, the camp with the highest attendance nationwide, in the Chairel lagoon, connected to one of the largest lagoon systems in the country. What makes this place ideal for practicing this sport is the temperature of the water and that thanks to the tulares that surround the lagoon and the width of the channels, the wind conditions do not affect the water, leaving it all day like a mirror, in where it can be practiced throughout the year. The learning programs consist of a training plan both theoretical and practical.
Photographer specialized in adventure sports. He has worked for MD for over 10 years!
