Wake Parks or Cable Wakeboarding

I am just curious to want to know everyones thoughts on this are. Both pros and cons or how you interpret this form of wakeboarding and wakeskating. I am writing a paper for school on a topic that i have alot of interest in and i want to see how the general public feels. Constructive criticism is always encouraged.

Cable parks are cool and a great way to build the sport. Im not sure why they havent built them with different levels yet but im sure they eventually will. Like if you cut out to the left/right, you could slide up into a pool that is 4-5 ft higher than the normal water level, then if your confident, slide up into the next higher level and have handrails/ledges dropping out of the pools. also it might be tough because of the turns but to have a rope with zero stretch in it. you wouldnt be able to do air tricks but it'd be a dif type of ride for rails, etc.

I just went this past weekend to the OWC for the first time, it was a blast! I'm from Georgia and I definately think they're great to learn rails but the most I got to was some kickers and the box because of a hurt back!

You don't have to rely on a driver, you don't need all the money for gas. You can just go and chill with your friends with no worries! My friends who wakeboard are often disgusted at the fact of walking back to go again, but I found the cable park more tiring and it allowed me to rest while walking back.
But thats just an extreme beginner talking when it comes to cable parks!

i really think there need to be parks that dont necesarily have big open spots for air tricks on every corner... one that would be jam packed with rails, boxes, HAND RAILS, pools, curvy rails, and staircases! a true skatepark on the water would be unreal. oh yeah and add some crazy ass transfers to it all. definately make it flow for beginners or pros, and have enough obstacles that for a contest you dont see the same pass go down. i think cable parks need to look to snowboard parks, but thats just my opinion. i tend to get bored hitting the same rail over and over and not coming off one rail just to line up and hit the next right there. its basically hit an obstacle then wait for the next tower, then hit another. i didnt even look as to who started this thread... Tom you prolly got some pull to make this stuff happen. i hear cwc is unreal what did you think? i think they are on to something. what class is this for? i go to txst also!

(Message edited by wakebrdr38 on October 30, 2007)

Anyone have any idea what kind of insurance issues those parks have? What kind of waivers they use? and the costs associated with such?

tom i wouldnt consider this the general public but if this is the audience you want opinions from. i'll be happy to give you my thoughts.(congrats on the wbm cover shot too!!!)

ok ive never ridden on a cable so my points probably arent very valid.

pros- lots of riding time, cheap compared to a day in the boat(gas), opportunity to hit tons of obstacles, sliders, kickers etc. you dont need a boat, a crew(like a driver or third) or anything other than a board, and helmet and youre set to ride at a cable, so the ability to do the sport by yourself is a positive. ive heard the falls arent as bad too. also i imagine that you learn how to load the line very well too.

cons- there is no crew which i like. ive become very close with my wakeboarding friends. some of my best friends are guys ive met through wakeboarding. if i were to ride the cable i dont know how inclined id be to hang out with the guys at the park. you probably go through alot of boards, sliders eat up boards pretty quickly. i think riding a cable may get boring fairly quickly the scenery and the same obstacles. i like riding in the lake, seeing different boats, riding in different spots etc. no double up capabilities. double ups are fun. limited areas to "catch air"(pretty much in the corners correct??). wake riding is nice because you can work on ts and hs seemlessly. walking back to the cable seems like a drag.

for me i dont see cable parks as a replacement to wakeboarding. if there were one close i would use it to compliment my current skill set, work in tricks, hit sliders etc. i have no basis for this thinking but it doesnt seem like riding the cable would be as dfficult either(sorry not trying to offend anyone) but i have more respect for rusty's, harf's and park's 1080s than i do for friday's and the guy's from europe 1080's.

well good luck on your paper. alan

Hey Tom! Let me know if you need help editing your paper. I miss teaching. Actually, not really but you know I'd love to help anyway :-)

Wake Parks are a great way for people to get involved in wake sports who normally would not be able to afford it. It's environmentally friendly, convenient for those who live close by and provides a relatively hassle free way to ride. You can practice hitting rails and kickers, ride with a bunch of friends all at the same time on the cable and it's a great way to get and stay in good physical shape. Not only that but it's super fun too!

The great thing about wake parks is that each one is different and provides the rider with a new and challenging course much like a snowboard park. With over 150 of them worldwide and more popping up left and right, the opportunities are endless and the US will catch up soon in good time. Keep an eye out for Florida's latest. Revolution Cable Park in Ft. Myers should be opening in the very near future.

Boat riding will always be my first and true love but unfortunately I'll never be able to afford one. The Cable Park allows me to ride each day which makes me a very happy person :-)

Tom, one thing to bear in mind is that over in Europe there are far fewer opportunities to ride boat as the lakes are much more restricted and there are far less of them. Plus, owning and running a boat is way more expensive than in the USA. This means that the cable parks (there are 14 in France, 50 or so in Germany, 10 in England, 9 in Hungary, 10 in Holland etc.) are the only places many wakeboarders get to ride.

By the way, in my experience, there is just as much camaraderie - or even more - at the cable park as there is on a boat. You can turn up on your own, have a great day's riding and end up with 5 new mates. Can't be bad.

As to being boring, if you just hang on and get round it will get boring, but if you are constantly trying to do new stuff it stays fresh. Check out Nick Davies, I don't think he gets bored.

Both cable and boat are great; neither is a replacement for the other. Also, imho one isn't harder than the other, it's like most sports, easy to do the easy stuff and very hard to be up there with the best.

Alan, I have tons of friends at the cable. Just go with your boat-mates... When you ride behind a boat just three or four people see your riding, on a cable the whole crowd could see it. You actually hear your friends ("come on, do it!!!") and that gives you enormous power (and you often try some new tricks)... When you fall and get out of the lake your friends greets you, someone gives you a beer or soda, you talk about riding, take a rest and get back on the cable... I LOVE cable riding!!!

P.S. O yeah, I am european too... Boat riding is crazy, I love it also, but it is not for every day...


(Message edited by georgi on October 31, 2007)

My dream is to build an indoor cable park in Detroit.I believe there are enough riders in the area to support it,and that it would grow. Can you imagine going 5-6 months without a pull?We do it every year and it's horrible.Snowboarding is cool, but it's not wakeboarding.I can't fly to Orlando every time I got the itch. Hey Chris,Kevin,I'd love to cut you guys loose inside the Silverdome.Imagine what's possible[different levels,transfers,sound,lights].It's for sale,but I'm a little short.But a guy can dream. Realistically I think there is a market for an indoor cable park in Detroit and that it will happen eventually. I just hope I can be part of it.Cable parks make wakeboarding accessible to everyone.

oh snap, indoor cable park would be unreal!

omg, that would be so ••••••• amazing!

I have been to TSR twice now and to the KC park once. I think that my favorite part of the cable parks is the community that they build. When I go wakeboarding on the boat I like to go places that other boaters don't go and at times that they won't be out. With cable you still may not want to go at peak times but there is one place where everyone goes to ride.

I love going to the cable.

- You can ride as much as you want. The wait is always shorter than cycling everyone through a set on the boat. Many times there is no wait at all.
- Most lakes don't have rails and kickers.
- I find the air tricks on the cable to be floaty and softer landing than on the boat. Which is good for my old bones.
- You don't have to depend on anyone showing up to drive the boat.
- And I find the people at the cable to be great. I've made lot of friends there.

Steve that would be unreal, being that I live 15 minutes from the Silverdome. Some day...

you guys are awesome, This is everything i wanted to hear (Pros and cons) thanks for all your help

You know what is the only think I hate about cable wakeboarding? It's the handle! Every time I ride behind a boat I get real pleasure just for the super-comfy rubber non-swingy handle. I hate the wooden handle. We are in the stone (wooden) ages or what?

I think in boardsports, you have two kinds of riders, the ones who ride primarily because they love to ride, and those who ride primarily because they love the scene. Rider who ride because they love to ride LOVE the cable. Rider who ride because they love the scene will get whipped by the cable park pretty quick, and would never go ride when its empty.

I primarily kiteboard these days, and the cable is much more like kiteboarding than it is wakeboarding, so I really dig it.

Ill be tryin' to get down there soon to go kiteboarding with Ramirez, so maybe you guys can show me whats up on the cable while Im there.

Cable is great to hit rails and kickers you get lots of repetitive hits so you can dial in your tricks and approach. I find hitting rails with a boat or jetski can be pretty sketch mostly because of drivers. Most cable parks have a variety of rails and small ones as well, were as most people try to build just stupid big rails that most average riders cant hit and if they do they just get hurt on. Now having said that im 3 hrs from the only cable park in Canada near Montreal. You want to talk about sketch, the cable is is broken half the time, when you call to see if its working there answer is its working even if its broken. They have no cares about the wakeboarders, they want you to buy booze anyways they make more money that way. Its a huge party place with a beach ect. It sounds like the most cables in the states are wake orient were as ares is come get drunk, im all for boozing but when i drive 3 hrs to hit rails at a cable park and its broken then i get mad then i go have a few drinks.

Tom, the cable king on wakeworld? right on.

The first time I ever wakeboarded was on the cable (other than a skurfer when I was little) I was hooked the first second my board touched the water. All I wanted to do was figure out how to fly out of the water...it looked so cool. I figured it out with a handfull of other air tricks. Then I went to ride boat after I had learned tricks on the cable. I could do all of my tricks behind the boat that I could on the cable and it was definitely fun, but not as fun as the cable. I see people all the time at TSR that are pretty damn good on the cable that have never or barely ridden behind a boat. My point being cable parks offers wakeboarding to everyone, not just people that can afford a 60K boat.

if it weren't for the cable park in KC, I would've not gotten into wakeboarding. I was immediately hooked after the first day. I have ZERO desire to spend the amount of bank my friends do on boats, maintenance, etc. I like going out on boats to just chill, but have still never rode behind a boat, and I don't really mind, I think riding on the cable is fantastic. I think everyone else has already hit on all the major points (no boat, no driver, scene is still awesome, etc) It's just like going to your local trails (bmx) or skatepark or whatever, there's still a scene to meet new people in the sport and hang out. Cable parks make it really easy to get into the sport for pretty much anyone.

"Cable parks make it really easy to get into the sport for pretty much anyone."
Bingo! $30-$40 in hand and your shorts is all it takes to be a wakeboarder at the cable.}

Unfortunately I dont live anywhere near a cable park (California Bayarea) Wish they had one here. I heard on here about one in Santee but that is almost a 6 hour drive for me. So if I go to texas or what not how much to board rentals at the cable park run?