Proud Dad Here
 

My son has offically been riding his wakeboard for a year now and he really has progressed alot in a short time. I really cant begin to say how much this sport has changed my son in such a positive way. The physical changes alone has the rest of our family impressed but whats really got his mom and I raving is the changes in his attitude. Only wish he had found wakeboarding a few years ago.

Anyway, I thought I would post a few pics of him last weekend with his new board that he paid half of with report card money and mowing money. This weekend he landed his first 360 of the kicker and now he is already talking about a 720.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...keworld/03.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...keworld/01.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...keworld/02.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...keworld/04.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...d/1D__8210.jpg

Very cool. How old is he?
The water is a great place.

Just tonight I went out to the lake to work on the boat and after I got it all fixed I was cruising around and found 6 random teenage boys hanging out. I picked them up. Threw the tube in and at the end of their ride they all told me thanks but one kid told me it was the coolest thing that he had ever done. I hope that I see them again when I have time to teach them to wake board.

He turned 14 a couple of months ago. I ride with him at the park and he thinks I am pretty cool for an old man.

While back I asked him which one he liked better, the boat or the park. His reply was "I like the park because I can do more things there, but I like the boat because its just us and we spend the whole day together as a family" Watersports are a great way for families to play and stay together.

Wakeboarding is such a productive hobby. It's been my anti-drug since I started 6 years ago. My step dad pushed me to do it and I'm glad he did. Now I try to do the same for my brothers but they don't get it. When ur out on the water having a blast by the time your done your too tired to go get yourself in trouble. What a great feeling

Thats AWESOME! Sounds like your step dads approach to raising kids is the same as my wife and I. Keep them so busy they don't have time to look up. When I was a kid growing up it seemed that when I had idle time to entertain myself is when I always got in trouble!!

My step dad did the same for me. In 1987 he got 18' Glastron boat and he taught me to ski and kneeboard when I was 13. That part of my childhood is what sparked me to start my kids on watersports.

Thanks for posting this. One of the best threads on WW in a long time my friend. Congratulations! You are doing the job of being a great father. It takes alot these days from what I am seeing around. I knew I was a tough teenager. I could not imagine being a teenager these days.

Hmmmm, maybe I am reading this the wrong way....

Mine was a champion water skier when he was young. We've had a house on the lake and a boat since I was like 9 and it room me til I was 14 to say yes to actually ride. I was always into driving everyone but once I discovered how awesome it was to be behind the boat I was hooked. After a few years he didnt ski at all and traded the prostar for brand new vlx. To me an my friends he the radest dude ever

Haha I met "mr. watson" myself when I was riding down at wakenation on friday. Definitely an excellent rider for 14, even more impressive he's only been riding for a year. Definitely a cool guy, he was trying to help me encourage a friend to go for the raley off the kicker by providing his own examples. See you guys out on the water.

hahaha

Thank you, I will have my son (Zack) read this thread when he gets home from church camp. You must have seen him on his first day to ride the board. He was driving me and the guys at Wake Nation crazy while waiting for the board to come in. He was showing it off to everyone, he loves the board.

We sold our 19' I/O to get a 22' Tige wakeboarding machine and I am teaching him to drive so maybe I can get a pull in a couple of years!!

Very cool! I can't wait to get my son out on the boat and one day riding. I'll have to wait a bit as he is only 2 months old as of yesterday but I really look forward to that day. The little s##t will have it better then I ever did but as a kid that grew up in a boating family myself I can't wait to pass on the stoke. It cost a lot of time and money to have a boat but being on the water has always been my happy place. Rain or shine. Ride or float.

Don't have any kids but I try to teach everyone I know. Pass off the knowledge of an awesome sport

I think you read my post wrong.

i saw him out there friday as well! cant believe he has only been doing it for a year. im def jealous of those bindings!! :)

Hey Dave, pretty cool, I didn't know you were having a kid also. We just had our baby girl the other day.. now I'm winding down the rush of the last few days, killing some time on WW so I had to click on this thread :)
I totally know what you mean, my parents had a 28' cuddy cabin bayliner moored out in Lions Bay growing up so I spent lots of time on the water, but never got a chance to strap on a board until my 20s. I can't wait to get my little girl on the boat and give her the experience of the lake life I didn't have. Maybe I'll see you out on the water with your son this summer.. he'll be good to go in a couple months for sure.

To the OP.. that is truly awesome.. finding a sport, any sport, that keeps your kid stoked and focused is the best. I can't wait to share your stoke in a couple years when I get my girl behind the boat for the first time. Keep on getting out on the water with him, sounds like that's the best bond you can have.

Hey Dennis!! Those pics look awesome. Can't wait to see the rest. I've been checkin on Wake Nation Facebook periodically to try and find the rest. Super stoked to see them!!

Here are a couple shots. I have more and can send them if you want.

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...d/1D__7688.jpg

http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...d/1D__0010.jpg

That would be awesome. I'm guessing email would be best. Ryan.panning@yahoo.com
And I appreciate it again. It's not every day you meet really cool people out at the cable that are willing to send pics like that!!!

From the first pics to the ones you just posted he looks 16 and to have also spend a lot of time in the gym.

Cool pics. Looks like he is stoked.

What the heck is "report card money"?