Why Has Wakeboarding Become So Popular?

Hey fellow wakeboarders...I am doing a research project at SDSU trying to find out why the sport of wakeboarding has become so popular...If you have any feedback feel free to give your opinion.
Thanks
Todd G

because everyone likes to chill in a boat at the lake and this gives them something to do while there. Girls like it.

Is it really that popular or is it that you are involved and hearing friends tell each other it is popular?

Image, Tricks, Maketing, Sun, Water, Cool Boats, Cool Gear, Girls in Bikinis, Guys in Shorts, Image and Tricks.

1. Excuse to drink beer
2. Play with boats
3. Chance to see women with very little on

Still don't think it's that popular though. I still have to explain it to 3 out of 5 people.

I've been asked this question in several interviews and I always give the same answer. If you take the wakeboarding away from wakeboarding, you're still looking at a warm day on the lake with plenty of friends, water and fun! Adding in the wakeboarding just makes it almost sinful!

Visually exciting
Danger element
Skateboarding culture (extreme sports)
Limited equipment
Flexible Conditions
Easy to learn (small kids to grandparents)
Unlimited number of moves
Fun way to spend time with friends and family

You can graph the number of wakeboarders with the number of slalom skiers and see an inverse relationship. Starting in the mid-80's states enacted laws preventing jumps and slalom courses. Some of the frustrated three-event skiers who tricked took up wakeboarding and the popularity spread at the ground level. Look at the Bios of the first competitors. It was thought than surfers would make the transition, but more of skiers did. It makes sense, they had the boats.

The Water Sport Industry Association may have some sales figures for you.

Good Luck.

Maybe for the same reasons anything interesting becomes popular: the entry price into this sport is ridiculously low (board/bindings, $15 and access to WW's Find A Third board); second, up until now there has been an ample supply of decent water.

What does the future hold for wakeboarding in Socal? That seems to depend on threee things, whether boat owners, or enough of them raise the price for thirds, in which case many thirds will drop out as prices rise, second, whether we are able to even out the water useage. Right now, summer weekends are tough; weekdays are getting crowded. Winter weekdays are still good. Winter weekends can get crowded. Third, water supply. San V will close for a couple years here. Environmentalists are always lurking and would love to kick all boats off all water everywhere (like Diamond Valley Lake).

If boat owners say its $30-40 an hour, everybody still focuses on weekdays and we lose another lake, wakeboarding will wane. If the entry price still stays low, more water opens and useage is spread throughout the week, it would it seems, continue to grow in popularity.

if u've been boarding u'll know exactly why its so popular!!! whether your good or not

I agree with Rod. It really isn't all that popular. It's shown a lot of growth so those of us in the sport think it's blowing up, but most other "extreme" sports are doing the same thing. Using my lake as an example, more people on it wakeboard now than did two years ago, but two years ago there were more people waterskiing. The total number of people involved in watersports on my lake hasn't changed, just the activity they're doing. I think this is due mostly to the fact that wakeboarding is "cool" while waterskiing is not. There are other reasons wakeboarding could be growing in popularity, but I think it's more image than anything.

My opinions:

1.)Low interest rates in the last few years has freed up a lot of money to buy boats.

2.)This whole extreme alternative sports thing is gaining popularity

3.)What Dave Williams said.

I'd say mainly because I do. I've always been a trend setter

Thanks trend setter Seaun for making wakeboarding so cool... but thanks everybody for the input.

• easy to learn, challenging to progress
• similar to other board sports like snowboarding
• very social sport, particularly compared to slalom skiing
• exciting to watch pros go huge
• economy has been good so people can afford the boats
• when it comes down to it, it's just FUN!

don't know how it is on the west coast, but over here on the east coast on my lake, biggest in the state, lake murray, SC, the past two summers I would say total there are about 25 riders and that includes people i don't know, and the only ones boarding this winter are my friends and I. It's not popular here, part due to bad marketing, the other due to it being related to skateboarding, alot of people around here think skateboard and think slacker, punk, ect. you all can fill in the rest. But, i like having the lake to myself when it comes to boarding, i mean in the open areas its rough but there are tons of coves you can go and have all to yourself.

As, to why people like it. Well for me being on the lake is paradise, and when you get behind a boat there is a feeling of freedom that no one can take away from you because its just you and the boat when you're on the water.

wether your boarding or not everyone can enjoy the sun and water... Basically what Dave said... Social, exciting to watch, seeing women wear very little, spending time with friends and family... the list goes on

This fits a thesis paper I'm doing quite well. David Williams and ALee, can I quote you guys in my paper?

chicks dig extreme guys. Thats why chicks dig it

thats why motox guys get the hotties