Date: 12/11/03
Author: David Williams

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Second Annual WakeWorld Wakesurfing Day Photo Gallery
First Annual WakeWorld Wakesurfing Day

The wildfires that ran through southern California this past October forced us to postpone our Second Annual WakeWorld Wakesurfing Day until November 16. We made the best of it by rallying the So Cal locals to come together at Lake Elsinore and not only wakesurf on some of the newest boards available, but to help some of the youngest victims of the wildfires at the same time. It was pretty special to see how many people people came out despite some rain and cold water to get together for a good cause.

Bill Jamison on the Hyperlite Landlock

Also helping the cause was the overwhelming number of wakesurf companies that sent equipment out for everybody to play with. Wakesurfers had access to the latest board technology from Inland Surfer, Trick Boardz, Phase Five, Liquid Force and Hyperlite. They were able to test their sticks behind a Correct Craft Super Air (set up for goofy footers), Tige 20V or Malibu Wakesetter LSV. Not only that, but Trick Boardz helped to connect the two by providing a prototype of their new wakesurfing rope.

WakeWorld's annual wakesurfing day got started last year when about 12 people showed up and hit the lake for a day of wakesurfing. Wakesurfin' USA was the start of a great way for people to familiarize themselves with the growing sport of wakesurfing. This year, we brought it to the next level with more participants and more equipment. Not only that, but participants generously donated brand new toys for the victims of the wildfires. We had a whole table full of great toys for children who lost their toys in the fires.

Dan Grunow hanging 5 on the Inland Surfer Green Room

The day saw the arrival of 25-30 wakesurfers as well as reps from Trick Boardz (Larry Mann) and Hyperlite (Greg Dick). The early morning rains gave way to some sunshine and wind-free conditions on Lake Elsinore. Beginning and advanced wakesurfers alike hung out under the WakeWorld canopy waiting for their turn while snacking on hot dogs off the Keg-A-Que.

Troy Lindstrom and Bill Jamison were kind enough to donate their time as drivers of the Super Air Nautique and Tige 20V respectively. Yours truly had the honors behind the Wakesetter. The beach was covered with wakesurf boards, so everyone grabbed what they wanted and headed for the water. I was impressed with the number of people that rode in just boardshorts despite the 58-degree water temps.

Larry Mann on the Trick Boardz Surf Skate

Quite possibly the most popular board on the day was the Inland Surfer Green Room. With it's big size, it's the Cadillac of wakesurf boards, giving beginners the support they need to get up and going. However, one of our more advanced riders, a professional longboard surfer, seemed to prefer the Green Room as well. He was carving like crazy and had no problems dropping to his chest and paddling back into the "surf" whenever he started falling back on the wake. Although he almost pulled off a few 360's with it, it's not the board that the average rider will be using for surface spins since it's one of the biggest boards available at 5' 10".

Also quite popular were the Trick Boardz models. The Freestyle and Velocity models were the opposite of the Green Room with a loose feel that

Steve Pena on the Liquid Force Skimskate

made spins a possibility. It was especially cool to have Trick Boardz founder Larry Mann on hand to show and tell all about their uniquely-shaped wood boards. Their latest invention, which should be released soon, is the Surf Skate. It looks a lot like a wakeskate. Most who rode it were surprised at how sturdy and maneuverable it was for such a small board. Keep an eye out for this one.

The Phase 5 models were the overwhelming favorites on looks and they performed quite well on the water as well. Most riders found them to have a higher learning curve than most of the other models due to their loose feel. The bottom of these boards are completely flat with only a short fin on the rear to stabilize them. However, riders with patience soon realized that this slick surface allowed them a lot of flexibility for surface tricks and a lot of speed once they got used to it.

Thane House on the Phase 5 Icon

Some of the smaller riders got into the Liquid Force Skimskate and liked it's ability to track and carve well, but break loose on command. However, a top recommended weight of 180 lbs. limited the number of people that were able to try it out. Liquid Force should have something for bigger riders coming up in 2004.

Although just about any of the wakesurf boards on the market can be customized for the surface traction preferences of the owner, there were a couple that stood out as far as their stock surface traction goes. The Phase 5 is covered with foam traction that includes a bit of a kick tail at the rear. The Hyperlite Broadcast and Landlock also have a similar type of traction with kick tail, but they use a softer foam.

I think most, especially the beginners, appreciated the fact that Hyperlite and Trick Boardz cover the entire board with foam. It allows for more foot positions and less pain when coming in contact on a hard fall. The Liquid Force Skimskate suffered from a definite lack of traction since

Chris Brooksby, Thane House, Jeff Frew and Troy Lindstrom

those of us with big feet often found them hanging off the foam. I'm told that this will be corrected in future versions of the Skimskate.

Our Second Annual Wakesurfing Day was a blast for all who attended and most mentioned that they will definitely make it out again next year. I think a good chunk of the folks that showed up for this special day will be spending some of their Christmas money on new wakesurf boards. I guess that means we can look forward to even more experienced riders showing up next year to help out the newbies that will inevitably be there to check out this "new" sport. We'll see you then!

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