Changing Times..Got Me Pondering

Some one made the comment about wake surfing, "They buy a wake boat and either can't or don't want to learn how to ride, so they default to wake surfing"

It's interesting how times change but remain the same.

At one time Master Craft's slogan was, "What Wake?" The powershot transmission got you out of the hole the quickest. You were a stud if you could salomon and do deepwater starts. It used to be cool to throw the biggest spray.

Then, the ability to barefoot made you cool. Mastercraft's barefoot boat was an outboard. If you got invited on one of those boats you arrived with a barefoot suit, rope and nothing else. When the barefoot boom came along, if someone said I can barefoot the next question was, "long line or on the boom?". The boom was cheating and easy but a good training device.

Kneeboarding came along and was put down as anyone can do it by the salomon diehards but most people did it. It was a good boost for the watersports industry. I remember an article in Waterski magazine called "The Impossible Flip" and after searching the world, some kid in West Palm Beach was filmed doing a barrel roll on a Hydroslide. That was cool.

I spent a lot of time on my kneeboard because the Skurfer with its crappy bindings was as much fun as riding lawnchairs on a plywood disc. I would typically chose the trick ski over Skurfer but I'm willing to sell anyone my trick release.

The air chair was fun but it torques my lower back so I never invested. The big air is incredible but I don't know why I don't see it much. Probably too hard, unlike the kneeboard and wakeboard, to master the basics so people stay away. That's probably somewhat the case with salomon and barefoot.

Maybe it was a progression but for me, wakeboarding was the easiest thing to master. I was shocked when riding with my 17 year old neighbor who was thowing every type of flip and raley said, "I want to learn how to salomon and barefoot but it looks really hard". To me his raley was like barefoot or salomon ski flips but I beat it out of me.

Now we have wake surfing to pick on as talentless. At least we can all still pick on tubers. Young kids are the only ones who ride tubes without learned shame.

You will never see my boat without a barefoot suit, kneeboard, waterski, wakeboard, four different handles and cooler. I've been looking at a surfboard but I'm running out of room. Maybe I'll put it in the fishing boat.

Nice rant.

I think the respect for wakeboaring, waterskiing, etc. comes from the physical personal risk one is willing to take. wakesurfing is fun no doubt, but i wouldnt take it too serious. Its not that hard to work up the balls to try anything on a wakesurf. kind of like tech deck skateboarding.

Just recently have I been opening my eyes to surfing. I never really dug it before because I was never able to surf without the rope for any length of time. Now after a few pointers from some friends I am really having a blast with it.

For me, wakeboarding will always be my primary passion. However, from now on my boat will always have a surf board on it. Last summer was plagued by far too many days of frustration from crappy water conditions due to walleys and over crowded waterways. The sport of wakeboarding and everything associated with it is booming. No longer can you get out at 7 am on a Saturday and not see another boat until 10 am. Now I get to the ramp at 6:45 am and there are already two other wake boats sharing the line in our cove.

Surfing is making crappy water days into fun water days. I can still head out to wakeboard, but when the water starts getting chopped up after an hour or two I can bust out the surf board and still salvage my day.

It was a fun novelty when it started getting popular five years ago, but I've grown out of it. Personally, not a fan of sucking in exhaust, constantly shuffling the rope to the rider, sitting on one side, etc. Not very relaxing for those in the boat. But, it sure is popular 'round these parts...

And just like every other time a watersport gets knocked for some reason (usually related to how easy it is), there's got to be somebody who gets their panties in a knot over what other people think instead of just getting out there and having a good time.

I thought it was merely a misprint the first time, but Tim, you used the word salomon several times. Is that slang for slalom or am I missing something?

I did not invent an unknown sport. I was just typing as it came out and didn't bother to proof my text.

I just love being on the water mixing it up.

Well I wakeboard alot and wakeskate some. The past few times out I took some time to learn how to slalom ski. I have to say it took about 30 tries to get up, and once your up it is very tiring. I give props to someone who can slalom well, it seems extremely difficult just based on the 4 times I've done it. Also I've never wakesurfed so I have nothing to say about it.

The surfers side. I have surfed most of my life and when we moved to seattle well there is no surf. It is a 3 hour ride to the cost and you don't know what kind of waves you will get. Now i have surf in Cali, hawaii, mexico, central america so i have surfed some nice waves. SO when i found out about wakesurfing I had to try it. Having an endless wave is great. This year i bought a new boat almost specificly to wakesurf. Its is a pain to have the boat leaning to one side but you get use to it. As for the exhaust you can get the Fresh air exhaust or side swipe to fix that issue.

Now i have wakeboarded and still go out first thing and board some but i all ways go back to surfing.

Wake surfing will never be as popular as wakeboarding but as long as your on the water doing what you like how cares.

tim, i hope your fishing boat is an inboard and you live in florida and don't surf? whats up with that?
wakeboarding got me into snowboarding, surfing, and kitesurfing(just got the trainer kite), if i had the money i would even buy a longboard skateboard(closest thing to surfing on land) i will probably never give up wakeboarding, but it did get me into the board sports
i am still looking to get a wakesurfer to keep on the boat and will probably be doing it for a long, long time

you have a kite but can't afford a longboard skate? I'll trade you!?!

i said it was a training kite, the training kites are only 2m and only used on dry land, its fun, but i still need to buy a 12-15m four line kite, that i could actually kitesurf on
i do have an old bic beginner windsurfer(big board, small sail)that will never be used again thats in excellent shape that i would trade
oh, i almost forgot, i might use the sail and make an ice boat with it, but lake erie hasn't been freezing over lately, but that would be fun!

I've surfed but never got into it much, too much work for a short ride, so I preferred to windsurf. My wife gave me kiteboarding lessons as a gift but my problem is the time necessary for another addiction. I snowboard, fish, dive, dirtbike, bicycle, kayak and everything possible behind the Malibu and now I have a 3 month old son.

The inboard is twin diesel and you don't need add ballast. However, there is a slight problem with fumes. We wakeboarded behind it but the wake was so steep you were thrown almost straight up. If you run a long line, the wake washes out.

That water sounds cold.