Wakeboarding has grown exponentially (a lot) over the last fifteen years. Some of us have been a part from the roots, some have only been involved a short time. Its taken the efforts of many to grow a sport they love to what its become today. <BR> <BR>What do you do to help promote wakeboarding? Teaching your bro's? Educating those that still have no clue what it is? Volunteer and/or compete at contests?

Spring Ride!

build a local website . . . and let the riders take it over. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.dcwake.com" target="_blank">www.dcwake.com</a>

Everything you mentioned. Just remember, make sure you teach them right. If you give them a bad experience up front (dragging them thru the water) they will run and tell other buds that it is stupid. Not good. If you know how to board...make sure you know how to teach. I know that sounds silly. But when I went to show someone how to get up, I was telling them all kinds of information that would not help them one bit. After you ride for a while, it becomes standard...normal. So you have a tendency to forget to inform them the complete information and this leads to failure to launch. I did a web search "how to learn to wakeboard" Then I printed off all these tip sheets. What a difference. Showing them the sheets and explaining the procedures. I felt bad that I was not helping them in the beginning. Mind you I had been riding for 6 years at the time before I actually printed this how to stuff. So bottom line...if you teach...do it right. If you don't, it will be a negatory against boardin! Hope that helps.

This is something that I have thought about quite a bit, and I think the Internet can be a great tool for promoting our sport. Sites like WakeWorld do a great job of spreading the word about our sport, and local sites like <a href="http://www.endofropegang.com" target="_blank">www.endofropegang.com</a> and <a href="http://www.dcwake.com" target="_blank">www.dcwake.com</a> really seem to be helping too. <BR> <BR>I think we need more media coverage of our sport in general, specifically either live or recorded and broadcast coverage of events. Since TV coverage for wakeboarding is not as strong as it could be (check out the TV coverage Slalom had back in the late 80's), another method had to be found. I decided to start <a href="http://www.watersportswebcasts.com" target="_blank">Watersports Webcasts</a>, and so far, it is doing really well. We've provided live coverage of <a href="http://www.masterslive.net" target="_blank">The Masters</a> for the past two years, and will do so again this year. We have also covered three-event tournaments at several key venues. Hopefully we will continue to grow, and will pick up more events as time goes on.

i'm building a site for fun called <a href="http://www.findapull.com" target="_blank">www.findapull.com</a> that is supposed to be like a database of watersports enthusiasts so that people can search for others in the area to ride with, etc. post events like tournaments or get togethers... not sure if it will do anything, but thought i'd throw it out there.

Been putting on events for years! <a href="http://www.midwestmilitia.net" target="_blank">www.midwestmilitia.net</a>

Volunteered at a Waterski School in Orange County teaching wakeboarding. The biggest thrill was working with some physically challenged athletes teaching them to board. They had a setup with a "chair" mounted on a wakeboard. <BR> <BR>Also involved with INT League as a State Coordinator for So Cal for a few years.

I helped start Gulfcoast Wakeboarding Association. I am currently in my second year of being president (I am the third prez). We hold two tournaments and two large get-togethers a year.

two words GRASS ROOTS! and madd props to gcwa.com - my ex gf from like 7 years ago founded that association after i introduced her to wakeboarding.... i will never forget when i first bragged about having a boat she was like, "do u go fishing?" i was like "no." (sorry b, super funny!) she googled it or i think it was yahoo'd back then... but just goes to show, if you share wake with the right people, who knows what can happen. i want to know who got david got into it? and if they have any idea what they have done!

yep..build a local rider web site...help bring people together and push the riding scene <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.minnesotawakeboarder.com" target="_blank">www.minnesotawakeboarder.com</a> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>(Message edited by Wiscxstar on March 21, 2007)

I've been offering to teach many a person for years. As of last year I became Director of Wakeboarding Development for water ski wakeboard Alberta. I'm part of the team that co-oridinates and promotes events, camps, and training for the whole province.

Chase Naw and Nicolet (among others) nailed it. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.midwestwakeboarder.com/main" target="_blank">www.midwestwakeboarder.com/main</a>