Respect for the Women Article

Thanks Josh! Great article , I particularly enjoyed reading about Gretchen's grace out on the water. I'd like to think that even though we strive to be as good as you guys, we maintain our our own as women. And, you're right Josh, there is nothing like watching a girl go big! When I watch guys ride I almost expect that they go big. When I see a girl go for it, it's just that much more exciting to me!
Thanks for the recognition Josh!

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T........"
as I've said before Girl riders rock!!
I wish there were more (at least some more my age,)

hey every male rider needs a girl rider

let me throw out some props for the women who spend their time learning and riding. it takes alot of commitment to go big because you crash as big as you go. every rider who can throw a big straight air gets my respect cause we all know it took some time and a few debts paid to a face plant here and there. as for all pro riders who choose to make it their lifes work, much respect. and oh yea one more thing YOU GO GIRL!

What you guys said!!!! I love to watch the girls ride, and they deserve much more than they are currently getting. Sponsors, promoters, and video producers, do you hear this????

I was stoaked to see this article, in such a budding sport, we need to make sure there is a strong foundation for all of those that represent it. Snowboarding goes through its ups and downs and many pro riders lost their "jobs". girls too need to get paid if they make it their life(I know I can't), so mad props to all the chicks that rip. Also-If it werent for encouraging friends I think a lot of Girls would not get out on the water, so guys remember that, the more you give us support, the more of us you will see out there rippin.

I enjoyed reading the article, and even though I crash big I'm still working on going big..ha ha. I feel that more women need to be promoted within wakeboarding along with other sports too. I love watching people ride, whether they be men or women, period. But I know I would become stoked even more if I was around other female riders to help push me.

I agree with all of you. Im not any good but my love for the sport is just as big as anyone elses. Not only does it push me to go bigger or to learn something new when the guys encourage me but to me when I have girls who encourage me it means even more. And Lynsey, I know how you feel when you say that you wish that there were other female riders around. I live in Central Cali and have only ever ridden with two other girl from my area. So I went to a Go Wakin girls day out "progression session" and had a blast. I would reccomend going to one and seeing what its like to ride with a bunch of females who live for the sport.

What a great article. My highest compliments to Josh.

Hey, I'd much rather watch Paula ride than A the G! Sorry-- just kidding. But there's a grain of truth in it: wakeboarding is about enjoying watching people ride and there is something nice about watching girls, like Paula, who ride well. Yeah, watching Kristian hit a wake and spin/flip but end up in the next zipcode is cool; it's strength. But watching the gracefulness with which most girls ride is equally enjoyable. I don't know why the videos and the mags focus so much on the macho side.

i can say that for one, I'd much rather look at photos of girls throwing stylee moves than pics of dudes doing whatever. same with videos.

Josh, what a great article!! It blessed me to see these three women riders spotlighted! It seems like I have watched Cheryl and Melissa grow up in front of my eyes from great girl riders to great women ambassadors of the sport of wakeboarding. And now, Gretchen, what a doll!! Women that feel taking a face plant or two to land that harder trick and show such grace doing it! Thanks ladies, you are truly inspirational! (time to get my daughter out on the water more!)}

Great article...Thanks!!!!

I think there are some awsome women in the sport of wakeboarding. They can jump with more grace than the guys, no offense, and it is totally awsome to see. Rose you rip it! It was so great that you came out for the go wakin girls shin dig. I recomend coming to our girls day out, if you can get to the nor cal area, because the go wakin chicks love this sport.

It is my heroine.

cough cough
http://www.wakeworld.com/Articles/2002/ChicksRule.asp

ahem...

I have had the pleasure of wakeboarding with Gretchen since before she could do a backroll and from the beginning she was always trying to go big no matter how hard she bit it!!! Now she is on the tour and doing great. It's so cool. She is a great person and busts her ass to be a great wakeboarder.

Keep it up Gretchen and let me know when U will be back up this way.

Later,
jjakober

What's with the BS of not having the ladies ride at every stop. I was at the Detroit stop and it kinda sucked not having the women there. Two words "Sausage Fest". Oh yeah, the wakeskate was booooooooring. Those guys throw incredible stuff but fall after fall after fall - gets old real quick. I rather watch a 90% nude chick(no disrrespect meant) throw 5's, KGB's or take a dive off the rainbow. The ladies should be at EVERY tour stop.

So where was the womens results from the womens wakesurfing comp last week? I had a general interest in who entered and maybe some kind of review...I know that women entered...It just isn't predominately apparent.

The results can be found at http://www.wakeworld.com/news/2003/centurion4.asp or you can just click on the link at the top of the front page.

David- Are you only posting the money winners?
I don't mean to be a pain in the ass, my friend competed and I was interested to see where she placed. Womens Open, she wasn't top 3, can I find that anywhere? I didn't know that it had been updated, the first time I looked, I only saw the Mens results.

I assumed that only 3 riders entered the Open Women's event. I'll check to see if they left out some of the results. I did notice that Evelyn Nelson (Zerr) competed in Open Men for some reason.

Why do 11 yr old boys ( tadpole) ride better then 98 percent of the pro women?
Just a thought!

The fact Tadpole can ride better than most female Pros is due to his brother Froggy .
Of course it doesn't hurt to have Mike Ferraro as the coach for the entire family as well.
Yes Guppy ( Jason the youngest) is also being groomed to become the next young phenom of the wakeboarding world.

Hey, you guys. Slow down. I don't read any disrespect in Tomas' post. Men and women are different; what this whole post is about is respecting and enjoying those differences. I'll watch a graceful female rider over a guy throwing it crazy almost any day. It's just a shame that the tour folks don't see it that way.

Thanks David. She didn't tell me that. My bad. She did pretty good though for competing in the Mens event.
I don't think that the thread was started as a "boys are better than girls" We are different and there are going to be girls that throw down more than some guys and some guys more than other guys. But you still love the sport. I think that women get more inspired to see other women rip, (if she can do it I can) so to hear about other girls killin it makes us want to push it too.

I have never boarded w/a girl before. Until last monday when I taught my 14 year old friend how to board. It is really awesome hearing about girls going big. I just wish there was more of them around here. I am stuck watching the guys all the time.