Wakeskating/Wakesurfing

Does anyone know when wakeskating/wakesurfing were introduced? I have to do this project on the history of a sport, and if I have to do any project, it might as well be on wakeboarding. IF anyone knows, this info would be greatly appreciated!

I believe that wakeskating was introduced by the Shoshonee Indians. They would tow people by canoe down river to increase the amount of people they could take on tribal hunting trips. A rather unknown fact is that Scott Byerly is a direct decendant of a Shoshonee chief. Byerly translated means "To walk on small water board." While the roots of wakeskating are vast and deep, wakesurfing was invented recently by those that cannot handle the rigors and challenges of wakeboarding and wakeskating. They are usually noticable by some sort of rainbow flag on their tow vehicle.

Well, I can tell you that the first picture of wakeskating in wakeboarding magazine appeared in the april 1995 issue. I'll try to attach a pic of it at the end of this post and hopefully it will work. I don't have an idea as to when it was actually "invented" but people started taking it more serious (from a financial standpoint) in the late 90's, say 1998ish with Fresh water traction.

Wakesurfing has been around since wakeboarding magazine was first introduced because if you look back, there are ads for wakesurfers. Like wakeskating, it wasn't taken seriously until people saw the opportunity for $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. I have this wakeboarding magazine from august 1995 that has byerly wakesurfing in the back.

Is there any specific information you would need for this project? I have every issue of wakeboarding magazine (minus april 1994) and I could provide you with a few pics (the wakeskating one, the byerly wakesurfing one, etc) or interviews if you knew what you were looking for. Well, if you have any specific ideas for information just post it. Good luck

Sorry it's sideways. Anyway, here is the caption that accompanied it.

got to love the caption "Will this be the trend to make it to the U.S.? Doubt it." haha

i seen on tv the other day that people have been wake surfing for a way long time. they use to use long boards. i want to say the 70's but unsure of that.

Tim Lopes - One of the guys from Centurion, who put on the Wake Surfing Championships; has a pic of him wake surfing (with no rope) in Hawaii circa late 60's.
Behind an outboard!!

http://www.lakesurf.com/Tanker.htm

wakesurfing in the 60s

I think wakesurfing was in the endless summer wasn't it?

I think wakesurfing acutally came before wakeboarding and wakeboarding grew from there... anyone know for sure?

It was Surfing first then Wake surfing, then skatboarding then snow boarding, and finaly wakeboarding, wakeskating, than back to wakesurfing.
I think?

It's a toss up between the skateboarding and wakesurfing.I think skateboarding started sometime in the late 50's not sure with wakesurfing but you can be sure the first time a surfer saw a good size wake he thought about surfing it.

Thanks for all of your help! I looked into it...well sorta..and most of you were pretty right! Ppl did wakesurf in the 60's and wakeskating has been around for a while! Thank you so much!

That is true now that I think about it, Wake Surfing was in the Endless SUmmer, good memory!
Didn't they do it somewhere when they could not find any good surf if I remember right.

I would be willing to bet that is the first documented proof of Wake Surfing you will be able to find.

My dad still talks about wakesurfing from way back (early 70's). He and his buddies surfed without a rope behind outboards on the CO river.