ORLANDO, FL Wakesurf CONTEST! Who's Interested?

This thread is to test the waters for interested riders/sponsors/spectators/and vendors for an Orlando,FL Wakesurf Contest (possibly wakeboard, surf & skate) sponsored by the AWSA.

1) Who do YOU guys think should host the event:

**OWC [www.orlandowatersports.com]
Also hosting the 2007 Air Nautique Wake Games

**TheProjects [www.theprojectscamp.com]
Voted #2 for Fuel TV's Top 10 Countdown of the
best places to Wakeboard in the world

**Orlando Wakeboard [www.orlandowakeboard.com]
**Wakeboard Orlando [www.wakeboardorlando.com]
Or any other suggestions are welcomed?


2) What kind of prizes would YOU want to win?

You pick em! (Please choose prizes at least associated with Wakesurfing in some way)


3) What kind of entertainment do YOU want there?

**Local Bands/Music & Radio Stations. Which ones?

**National Bands/Music. Which ones?

**Or something like a Rail Jam or Double-Up contest? Or an Instructional Area to learn how to Wakesurf for beginners and how to master tricks like the pros? You tell us.


4) Lastly, When do YOU want this all to happen?

**May, June, July?? Let's keep it before Boardstock 12.


Ok, let em rip. Tell me your thoughts/ideas, wants and desires and i'll do my best to make your wishes come true so we can show more people how RAD wakesurfing is and how much fun it really can be!!}

are you sure that wakesurfing can be done at the cable park?

I'm not sure what the lakes in Florida are like, make sure that you're site is at least 15 feet deep, 20 would be better. A 5 to 10 ft deep lake would be challenging to work with.

Ed in Clermont... OWC has a boat/ski lake separate from the cable park, its closer to the highway. That's where they hold all the Pro events that come their way.

Other Ed, the lakes here are gorgeous!! Most of them are plenty deep, its just that we're looking to stay on the top 5-10 feet of the water b/c the gators like the rest. Just kidding. So far we're only looking at locations that are established ski lakes or have a ski business already there for ease of use.

I was thinking about renting a backhoe from Home Depot last weekend and digging a trench in the backyard to wakesurf/board/skate in. But then i'd have to buy a Grinch Winch or apparrently a bungee in a river works too. Who knew?

Jon,

here's an article about the inaugural annual "Central Florida Wakeboarding and Wakesurfing Championship":

http://www.thevillagesdailysun.com/articles/2005/04/15/news/news03.txt

apparently it only survived one year.

Might be worthwhile to contact the folks mentioned in the article to help with your event.

Thanks Ed. I wonder if they just lost steam after the first year and decided not to do it in '06. I'll definately give em a call and see if they would like to come to our event. New connections and possibilities are coming up everyday now and everybody i talk to seems really stoked about the event. All the positive energy and willingness to participate is giving me a great feeling about this, i can't wait to see how it all turns out.

Whatever the outcome, we just wanna have a good time and help more people on the planet remember what "fun" is like. And we owe it all to God, this beautiful earth and every single thing we enjoy on it.

Jeff Walker and I came pretty close to having a wakesurfing tournament in Clermont last summer.

It was going to be held at The Wakeboard Camp. The Malibu dealer in Ocala (sponsor of The Wakeboard Camp) agreed to bring the tow boat and Performance Ski and Surf was interested in being the retail sponsor.

It was postponed because the owner of The Wakeboard Camp decided that he wanted to add a restaurant to the building. Construction tends to be a safety issue.

The Wakeboard Camp now has a new landlord and the restaurant was never built. If you haven't found a place or sponsors for your event, you may want to pick up where I left off.

The AWSA was also invited to participate in the 2006 Chain Reaction and come to Cypress Gardens to put on a demonstration.

edited - dupe post

(Message edited by Ed_G on February 11, 2007)

Hey Ed,

The Cypress Gardens deal fell threw upon further discussion, the folks there were mostly looking to make some additional money - YOU my good man have the silver tongue, when I get on the line, they just want money.

I just couldn't get enough money and boards together to represent well at Chain Reaction. We certainly enjoyed the Moomba owners gathering, just wish that FL was closer to CA.

That was too bad about the construction issue, we had that contest wired. Jon if there is one thing I can recommend to you - ED G is the man in Florida. He can make things happen.

Thanks Jeff, and Ed. We've got a few things rolling on the project now. Ed, i'll give you a call once we have more details in place and a better picture of what kind of event this will be. It's been less than a week so far so we're def. still in the initial planning stage.

Thanks for all the help and advice tho, it's greatly appreciated. Ed, good luck with the Moomba get together, i'll drop you a line once we have a clear picture of what's going on.

I heard the Wakeboard Camp is a pretty chill place to learn and the restaurant seems like a good idea, i wonder why the new owner didn't pick up on it? Oh well, you've still got Wake Fest!

if you got an event rolling, no need to contact me.

just let us all know where and when to pick up our free AWSA T-Shirt.

I would love to see this event happen. It seems to me that Florida is anatural place to havethis and or any lind of event. Lots of sunny days and warm water. I would like to see events that allow those of us who are getting age experience more water experience.

Dennis,

I'll keep updating this post as new news comes in for everybody. As for the 'more experienced' riders... we've got a Big Kahuna category for the older guys (probably for ages 35+), and a Little Kahuna category for the youngest ones (i'm thinking Under 16). In between will be separated by skill level/trick limitations.

We're also looking to get a few women's categories and some nice prizes for them as well. I think traditionally, comps almost ignore female riders altogether. What would a watersports contest be w/o girls riding?? lame.

35 is "older guys"? I can't even remember when I was 35.

LOL. Well we had to put the limit somewhere and i don't know many 35 yr old guys who want to compete head to head with the 17 and 18 yr olds. We could always make the Big Kahuna category optional for anyone who chooses it? It's totally up to you guys, this event is for the riders and will be catered to your requests, not to ours. So keep em comin.

LOL. Well we had to put the limit somewhere and i don't know many 35 yr old guys who want to compete head to head with the 17 and 18 yr olds. We could always make the Big Kahuna category optional for anyone who chooses it? It's totally up to you guys, this event is for the riders and will be catered to your requests, not to ours. So keep em comin.

Hey Jon,
I got it the first time. LOL

Big Kahuna - I like it but it should be over 35 and over 200. I could win!! j/k

John,
I like it a heavyweight division.

Back when I used to run triathlons it was called Clydesdale Division. That name would be fitting.

I have been told that at 265 I'm big enough to eat hay and pull a wagon, so that name would be fitting.

That's what i love about this sport though! It's available to anyone who has access to a lake and a boat and can either buy a board or who has a friend with one. After that all you need are some friends to pile on one side and some munchies and good music and you're set!

All ages, all skill levels, anybody can learn to surf and enjoy 'The Stoke' even if you're landlocked with not an ocean in sight. We're bringing the stoke to the masses via Lake Surfing and the Endless Wave!

Jon...I know it's too early to set a firm date for your upcoming event, but by now you should know where your event is going to be held and who your sponsors are.

What boat manufacturer is providing the tow vehicle and who did you get to be the retail sponsor?

How about a little tease and spill some beans?

Ed,

Normally i get paid by the hour for 'a little tease.' lol

We're workin hard on that date/location minor detail. My g/f and I talked to a few CorrectCraft reps at the Miami boat show this last weekend (including Shawn Murray, Jimmy LaRiche, some pro skiers, and a girl in the marketing dept). They loved the idea and are really stoked about it but the comp. lake at their brand new facility won't be ready until next year... unless you don't mind high grass, snakes, raccoons fighting for your beer & chips, oh and a lake with no dock or boat ramp yet, lol.

But they're stoked on the idea! They said to bring the event to them next year and they'll work everything out for us so that was nice.
(was that a teaser?)

For this year's event... i'll let you know more tomorrow after i talk to our primary location's owner.

TIP: for anybody looking to host an event of their own... check with your local County/City Sports Commission (if there is one) b/c ours has grants available for any event that will bring in "out-of-towners." Hope this helps somebody as i found it really beneficial. (ps. GRANTS not loans which = free mulah).

peace.}

"unless you don't mind high grass, snakes, raccoons fighting for your beer & chips, oh and a lake with no dock or boat ramp yet, lol."

Sounds like every lake in Lake County...add gators to the mix and you have Lake Louisa State Park.

NICE! speaking of Gators, anybody watch the NCAA champs?

Ed, glad to hear about your wakesurfin angel from above. I really hope that works out with CFBC. We just wanted SOMETHING to enter and compete in here in CentralFL for wakesurfers. I'll keep pushing our contest but no worries about steppin on toes bro. The more comps and events we create, the more exposure wakesurfing gets and that's what its all about. You're doin good work.

I'll update this out-of-date post with new info when there is sum. Kinda got swamped at work and too busy riding on the weekends and teaching more people every week how to ride but i'll get back on it. See ya in June, July, and Sept!!}

Did I say this angel was from above?

Question - when you say "we just wanted something to enter", how many is "we"?

I'd love to know the number of how many central florida folk wakesurf.

I bet if you got the entire central florida wakesurfing population together, you might be able to fill a booth at Outback.

Give the kudos to Jeff Walker et al. As far as I know, the AWSA is the only group actively trying to make things happen in central florida and they are working from California.

Lately, I have been contacted by a couple wakesurf board manufacturers looking for suggestions on how to market in the Florida area, so perhaps they are optimistic that in the next few years things will pick up.

Lets hope.

Oh nice, that's great to hear that the manufacturers are starting to actively seek out new markets and potential. Maybe we could help.

I could fill a couple booths at Outback with just the riders on our lake. We've got half the boats out here tipped on one side now. Like I said before, wakesurfing is FUN!! And it's great for all ages. Look at how fast Wakeboarding caught on and that sport is mainly high-fast-hard tricks dominated by younger guys and girls. That's a pretty narrow demographic.

Now, look at who Wakesurfing appeals to: everyone else! lol. My grandma could wakesurf if she wanted to, but that's the glory of it! It's not a sport you break bones in or get concussions from, it's just good fun behind a boat, w/o a rope. The market potential is huge!

We had a guy (who markets for a resort down in Cancun) offer us a trade the other day for a week stay in one of his resorts if we would teach him and his kids how to wakesurf. Parents are getting back into the water with wakesurfing, esp. the ones who used to slalom or barefoot. This is something they can still do, and guess who is buying the boats, and has the cash for a $400 board and all the fat sacs?? There's hundreds of wakesurfers in Central Florida. So, the question is not how many, it's how do you find them all? ...and then, what would it take to draw them to an event??

Hundreds of wakesurfers in Central Florida?

I'm having a tough time believing that.

Seems like you and I are the only ones from Central Florida posting on the wakesurfing forum.

Any how, tell all those wakesurfers you run into about the tournament on Lake Barton. It will be in September.

Did you get your boat yet?

I wakesurf all the time either at my primary residence in Sarasota but mostly at my second home on Lake June in Lake Placid. I have introduced about 15-20 people to the sport. Many are older and have been former surfers in their youth.

One of the best things about the sport is its low impact on the body.

cool, now we got three Central Florida wakesurfers! We're charging ahead exponentially.

So where were all these wakesurfers when the Ocala folks were trying to create an annual Central Florida tournament... that only lasted one year due to the lack of public interest?

(Message edited by Ed_G on April 06, 2007)

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