Wakeboarding in Dallas?

I have a job interview lined up this week for a job in Dallas, TX. I lived there a LONG time ago (moved away in 1986). I used to live in Red Oak and have visited only a few time since. I haven't been to a lake in Texas since my family took a vacation to Texhoma in 1984 so my knowledge of the lakes is a bit rusty. If you were moving there fresh and had to pick a spot where the commute to Dallas isn't nasty but was near a lake to wakeboard on, what area would you be looking in? I just want to price it out so I know what I'll need salary-wise.

Well, that might depend where in Dallas you would be working. Downtown Dallas? Most of the area lakes are pretty crowded from now until Labor Day so you really have to get out during the week and early on the weekends to get good water. There are several lakes north of downtown for you to ride including Grapevine, Hubbard, Lewisville, Lavon, and Ray Roberts to name a few. To live close to any of them though is going to make for a not so enjoyable commute downtown...but it can be done. The good news is that we are about to have several different cable parks to ride at...a couple of which are already up and running.

Let us know where your office is and we can better steer you in the right direction as far as house location goes. Also, do you have kids or are you concerned about school districts?

This interview is for a downtown position. The jobs I have been looking at are all downtown, Irving, or Plano. School district is very important. I know the south Dallas school districts to avoid but know little about north Dallas. I saw a map of all the lakes but didn't know if some were more crowded than others. The only cable park I found online was all the way out southwest of Ft Worth. Are there any others open now? The few times I've been back since, the wife and I really enjoyed visiting Grapevine so that's looking like our first choice so far.

WakeSport Ranch is the only Cable Park in the DFW area up and running.

We will have one in Fort Worth next Summer Called Cowtown WakePark.

I am not sure About The Dallas Watersports Complex.


www.wakesportranch.com
www.cowtownwakepark.com
www.dallaswatersportscomplex.com

Texas Mastercraft is about 30 minutes from downtown Dallas and we have a System 2.0 on our private lake that hosts the Pro Tour each year. Currently we have an incline rail and a kicker under the cable, three more rails on the lake and are working on three new rails for the cable now. Check out www.sasserwakeboardschool.com and www.txmcwakepark.com for more info.

I recently moved to Grapevine and also have a job in downtown Dallas, right off of Pearl St. I get on the road by 7am most days and I can make it into downtown by 7:30am. The traffic usually isn't bad at all on the way in. I live about a minute from the lake near the Gaylord Texan and the best route from there is to go down and get on 114 at Texan Trail so you beat all of the 121/114 merging traffic near Main St. The drive home is hit or miss, so it's a little different. Again, I get on the road early to leave early, so I try and head to the house by 4:30pm. You will encounter a slow back-up on the 183 cut-over from 35N to 114. Then, once you get near the airport, its backs up again due to all of the construction in that area. On a good day, is 30min to get home, on a bad day, its an hour or so. I've lived all over Dallas, near Hubbard and Lewisville, and can say that this commute to/from Grapevine is the easiest and quickest out of the 3 local lakes. Lake Grapevine is a lot smaller than the other two though, so you will be sharing the smaller body of water with a large crowd. If you choose Grapevine, the weekday sessions will be your best bet, as it gets pretty crowded in the good areas to board. Let me know if you have any other questions about the area...

Chance - We need to hook up for lunch. What building are you in? I'm at Pearl and Ross.

Dante - I grew up in Plano. Great school district especially on the west side of town that feeds into Plano West. Obviously the Highland Park area is nice but you are going to pay a lot to live there. Carrolton isn't too bad of a place either if you want to be somewhat close to Grapevine and Lewisville and still have a pretty good selection of public schools. Chance covered the Grapevine area really well. The DWC cable park was supposed to open this summer right near downtown Dallas, but I haven't heard an update in the last couple of months.

So there will be 4 non-boat options by next summer in the area? I may be considering the area within the next year as well. How busy will those cables get?

A-dub - Hopefully, but the downtown Dallas one (DWC) seems to be vague on an opening date. They said they would open by May or June of this year, but we are here now and that isn't happening. I tried contacting them a couple of weeks ago but never heard back. I hope that it will still work out. They were there at the boat show earlier this year with blue prints and everything, but they've already pulled their camp dates off the website that were supposed to start next week. Not good.

The 2.0 at Texas Mastercraft and WSR's full cable are both up and running. Some folks like the 2.0 a lot, but nothing beats a full cable with a ton of obstacles. WSR has that right now and hopefully the Cow Town one will too next year. I think most of these lake/cable building projects run behind schedule so it might be later next year before the Cow Town actually opens...but we'll see.


As far as crowds go, I guess it depends what you are comparing it to. In the summers I'm guessing you'll have to wait a few minutes to ride on the weekends. But earlier in the day, during week days, and later in the season I'm sure you'll be riding about as much as you want.

Chance and Eubanks- Forget lunch, how about we all meet up and ride sometime, I work right off Hardwood and Bryan 3 blocks from Ross, Im in the Hardwood tower right next door to the KPMG building

Nice! I'm at 2100 Ross which is at the SW corner of Ross and Pearl. It's the building that looks like 3 books stacked together. I was hoping the DWC cable park would open soon so I could go ride over lunch, but it appears things are delayed there.

Where do you guys ride? I'm normally at Lavon and should be riding tomorrow night actually.

I'm at the Plaza of the Americas, in the North tower. All within walking distance.

I live in G-vine, boat is kept in G-vine, and pretty much stay out that way. When I lived in North Dallas, it was Hubbard every weekend. I haven't been out there this season yet though. I go out on Lewi every now and then, but not all that often.

I wish I could say I ride more. But after have 2 blown ACL's, sugery on one leg twice, and still needing it done on the other, I don't get on the board much any more. I'll still ride the wakeskate every now and then, and pretty much surf every time we're out. Grandpa comes to mind, I know.

Wake Sport Ranch is awesome!

Wait until they unveil the craziness of the Rainbow-C-B0X-Fun-Box-Transfer thing.

I will be making a road trip to WSR as soon as the beast is floating.

Well now that I have sold my boat I will be looking forward to the cables in the near future but I am still not 100% with my ACL yet either. 2 closest lakes to downtown are Hubbard and Joe Pool but neither are ideal for mid summer riding unless you get out early in the am.

Sorry to jump in but I just moved to Dallas also and was looking for some people to ride with. I live in the M-streets area and work in the Milliman building off I-75, which is like 10 mins from downtown. I was also interested in the dwc...probably will go check on it this weekend and see how things are coming along.

I moved from Florida where I wakeboarded for over 10 years, and this summer heat here is getting to me. If you ever need a third (I think they require that here) my schedule is very open as I make my own hours at the moment.

Cameron

Cameron - Also try a couple of the local sites (www.dallaswakeboarding.com and www.wakeboardchurch.com) to find pulls. There are a ton of riders in the Dallas area. Let us know what you find out about DWC!

Hey come out to the INT event in Dallas and meet some of the local riders.

DATE: June 19 & 20, 2010

2010 EVENT START TIMES:
Registration – 7:30AM
Event Start – 8:30AM

LOCATION: Frame Switch Lake. Austin, TX

DIRECTIONS: Located approximately 6 miles east of I-35. Take the FM1327 exit on I-35 and go east to Fm 1625. Turn right on FM 1625 and go ¾ miles until the road veers to the left. Veer left for one mile and the site will be on your left.

http://www.intleague.com/texas/

CCorbett, I live in the M streets, right off greenville and Goliad.

Chance and Eubanks- I ride lewisville mostly as there is where I am originally from, but I get out to lavon and hubbard occasionally and im always down for the weekend River trip. I was really hoping DWC would be open by now too so I could shred all the time.

I went by DWC today and lo and behold there is absolutely nothing on the lake...although it does look like a promising location. I read on the city's forums that the project was just approved about 2 weeks ago and that the cable system is on its way from Germany. However after further investigating it doesnt seem like the park will be open until late August at the earliest...they are shooting for a September opening.

Brian - I live right by Tietze Park on Llano. Is that your boat I see parked driving on Matilda towards Mockingbird? Either way lets try and go catch a set sometime as it looks like a while before this cable is going to be ready.

I am a bit north in Lake Highlands up at the north part of White Rock lake. I just sold my Supra and will be looking for pulls too. I had been looking for people in my area that can take off in the middle of the day at the drop of a hat to go ride when I had my boat. I am that guy now that can generally take off to ride in the middle of the day if you need an extra rider.

I am kinda bummed that DWC is not gonna be open when they said it was gonna be. Why don't they just give a realistic date and if it opens sooner kudo's to them?
Gene

Anyone going the PWT this weekend?

I will be there.