What You LOVE About Wakeboarding...

Hi Everyone...I am doing a 'cultural informative' paper for a speech class I'm taking and my prof ok'd my topic on the culture/community of wakeboarding. I was wondering if you could all help me out and tell me in detail what your favorite things are about wakeboarding and why you love it so much. Thanks!! Oh, also, what do you think would be most important, to convey to people about the sport, if they have never heard of it before?

What I would tell people is that one try and you will be hooked! It is a total rush, whether you are just getting up for the first time or trying a new trick. I also like the double competition factor. Although it is an individual sport and you progress at your own rate, it is also a great feeling when you are the best boarder on the boat (still waiting for that day myself!) Wakeboarding also gives me a chance to practice my other hobby, which is photography. Last but not least...it's just fun to go out and hang out on a boat, meet new people and have a few drinks!

The comradrery (sp?)! Its all about community and having fun together. If you walked up to most groups of wakeboarders and asked "whos the best" almost everyone would point the finger to everyone else but themself. They are very humble in general and are out to ride not compete. Note: this is based on my experiences.

I personally love:

the feeling of sliding off the back of the swimdeck into the water while the boat pulls away and the rope slides through my fingers. I also like the feeling of having a really good set and watching other people get pumped to ride after seeing you ride. When your "the last set" then someone says, dude tow me back to the launch!

You teach or experience someone landing a new trick, horns going off, people getting pushing in, its great. Even better when you have watched someone struggle with a trick and finally get it. That gets other people pumped. Especially when you see a good rider having a difficult time learning a new trick, that sends the message "hey even the good riders have to work at things".

Getting an early set and pulling the boat out while others are just dropping in, then dropping back in the same day while people are pulling out; thats a good feeling.

OH YAH, RIDING DOUBLES WITH A BRO!

Like above, my reason is that you get to do some many things at once.

-Enjoy the cottage life.
-Being out on the water.
-Boating.
-Being with your close friends.
-Photography
-Love of the sport.
-Watching yourself and others progress.

the list goes on

For my wife and I, wakeboarding is a chance to 'get away' from all the stress of life. Who of us gets out on the water and then starts worrying about anything other than "I wish that idiot would quit doing power turns...he's screwing up my butter"

It doesn't matter what is going on in life, wakeboarding puts it all in perspective.

Boat ownership in itself can be the sole foundation in a family, I know it held mine together for many years, it was the only thing that we all did together. It was our vacation, our pasttime, hobby, whatever you want to call it, it was the only thing other than Christmas and Thanksgiving where you could see my parents, my bro and my sis all together and having a good time. The boating lifestyle made such and impact on me that I started working for a shop, and realized that I like sales, but love wakeskating. Now I have made the progression from pro shop to boat sales, I owe it all to my dad getting our boat when I was 11 years old.

I think the best feeling in the world is the really early morning sets...where u start ridin just as the sun is coming up and bathes everything in orange sunlight. When you first cut out into the butter, feeling no friction at all..just smooth..and can see ur reflection in the water. its when you just carve around and feel free,

Loren, true that. I am absolutely positive that without the ability to simple "float in a boat" I would be seeing some sort of shrink once a week, lol.

My therapy comes from just sitting in a boat, lol.

Maaaaan another one of these threads? Why do you people keep trying to have me explain something worth living for? Something that lets me live? Doesn't that sum it up?

i luv it because when i'm on the boat with friends it's always a good time, even in the worst weather. i've made some really good friends thru wakeboarding and i love that whether it's someone new just getting up out of the water or someone trying or landing a trick, everyone else cheers that person on like it was the best riding they've ever seen. and wakeboarders are just plain friendly to each other, which is great!

It is not just an action sport, but a lifestyle. The rush from the freedom of being on the water and popping the wake.

I'm with Ben on this one... early morning sets. Like nothing else on earth. Wakeboarding is the only thing that will get me out of bed at 6 in the morning without thinking twice. When everything is so still and theres not a ripple in the water not a boat on the lake, and then you start carving the butter, theres no better feeling.

And I also rememeber someone saying a while back that wakeboarding is so much different from skateboarding and snowboarding because you have all the support (women in bathingsuits) from the boat. It kind of gives it a sense of a 'team' action sport as everyone is pushing each other.

How about what I don't love.....

















Nothing.

Ya know I think for me..cause everyone knows I suck at wakeboarding but still love it....its being on the water with the warm sun on my face with fun friends just hanging out and haveing a few dirnks and some good food then getting in some fun sets and later on the drive home talking about it all.

Thank you so much everybody!! I was looking for some specific quotes for my speech, from other wakeboard lovers such as myself and you all def provided that.

I didn't get a chance earlier to say what I love about wakeboarding, but the truth is, there is so much that I love about it, that I feel the list could go on forever:

*when I was a kid, my dad coming to my elementary school, towing the boat in the pick up line for the kids, knowing we were heading to the lake
*getting up at 3:30 AM (really hard)but knowing that I love something so much and that its def worth it
*sliding into the water from the ski step for my first run of the day
*actually doing a trick I was attempting
*hanging out on the boat, drinkin beers and listening to music
*how supportive fellow wakeboarders are
*meeting new people
*spending time with friends
*forgetting about everything else while I'm out on the boat
*the scenery...wow, there are some beautiful lakes!
*the list goes on and on

Thanks again everybody!!

I gotta agree with bensk8in . After my kidz sports activities started to end, the family got bored with what to do AS A family. When I got the boat and kidz and friends started hanging out on the water, it was a whole new connection, new high, and a new rush for all involved. We have had such a connection as a family and as a community(existing and new friends)that all involved are wanting to be the next rider on the wake board behind the boat. Like Daniel, I suck at wakeboarding(sorry Daniel), but I luv pulling and taking picz of the fun behind the boat. In the boat, or wakeboarding behind the boat, nothing compares. Not skiing, not drinking, nor having the best looking babe on the boat(and I luv all of the above) compares to being and seeing that wakeboarder tearing up your wake.

my crew and i have one motto... the worst day at the lake is better then the best day at work.

Hi Nikki....what are you taking classes for...what major? Just curious.
I am with Tony's motto. The thing I like most about wakeboarding is how it helps me unwind from work. I am a charge nurse in the OR and I usually ride after work. I get off the boat after a lesson with my coach, Brent Baum (of www.socalwakeboardinstruction.com) and it is as if I had never been at work that day. The stress doesn't exist anymore. Some days I ride the best I have ever ridden and sometimes the worst. Doesn't matter...I love being on a wakeboard. Brent always finds the positive things of my riding that day.

I also love the time spent with my family and friends when we do a camping vacation at the lake.

But most of all I love the thrill of getting someone up for the first time and seeing them totally stoked. That's the best.

Im with you all. I love just being on the lake, period. Not only riding, progressing and having fun, but just hanging out, relaxing, listening to music, being with close friends, and on and on. The first time you stick something new, always a great feeling. I love the conversation that comes up out on the water, always just completely random.

(Message edited by kel_dub on October 06, 2006)

Glass in the morning...

good friends and good times, it's just that simple.

The downside of the second wake

You guys Rock! I have a lot of great stuff I can use in my speech.

Scotty & Eubanks- Would you mind if I used those photos as part of my presentation. I need to use some visual aids and really want to express how amazing the environment is when wakeboarding & the comradery ?

SoCal MOB- This particular paper is for a speech class, which i have been putting off taking since I began school (nothing scares me more than public speaking) But I'm really stoked that my prof let me do my speech on the culture of wakeboarding. I can't wait to give it actually. My major as of rite now is kineasology with a minor in recreation management

Nikki - I don't mind at all. It's the Brazos River in Texas if you wanted a label for it.

It's all about the lifestyle for me. Going to the lake house for the weekend with all your friends, getting up at the butt crack of dawn to ride and riding all day long, then at night build yourself a big fire by the lake, have a few beverages, and discuss the day... Then you do it all over again the next day!

It's the release you get when you ride for me. Any stresses you have from earlier in the week just melt away once I strap in. It's a great feeling with all your friends on the boat, also the rush of learning something new. There are too many things to name that are great about living with wakeboarding. I think for me mainly it is just the feeling like the world is perfect and any problems just seem nonexistent or meaningless once on the water and riding.

I think the best part is about 45 minutes before the sun drops, everyone else takes out, water FINALLY goes back to glass with enough time for a couple sets. Then finishin off the last of the beer takin it real slow back to the dock.And if Im lucky, when I get home dinner is ready and no one is pissed off. Perfect day.

The reason that I love wakeboarding so much is that when I'm riding, I am totally in that moment -- totally involved in what I'm doing and not thinking about anything else. It is such a great stress reliever for me. And then, of course, there's the rush of landing a new trick!

This...

styled out tricks you've been working on. and knowing there's a whole list of tricks you would like to call yours.

getting away from everything, if only for a half hour. and it doesn't matter if it takes 2 hours to get there and back it was totally worth it.

helping a freind stick something thats giving them trouble. sticking something new yourself and whole boat going off as you climb up on the step.

chillaxin in the boat after everyone rode. just being out there...

Nikki,

Go right ahead. That is on Lake Lanier just outside Atlanta, Ga

The friends that I have met!!

Women who can ride!!!! Very sexy!! esp when thier bikini creeps out from under the boardshorts!!!!!!