Xtreme Wake Open Day

So, you’ve got your van and you’re all set up, but where to go? Well, if you fancy messing about on the water, how about a little wakeboarding?

- Steve “autoholic” Edwards

So, what is wakeboarding anyway? I’m glad you asked: It’s a water sport that was developed by surfers who were looking for a wave to ride when the sea was calm. This became wake surfing, where the rider is initially towed behind a boat before letting go of the rope and using the wake created to keep up. Wakeboarding is often described as a blend of snowboarding, surfing and skateboarding and it involves one wide board rather than a pair of water skis, the rider utilises bindings to keep their feet attached to the board. In addition to boats, that unsurprisingly require a large expanse of water, some centres have been built that use a cable system to tow the rider. There are two types of cable centres available, firstly there is a circular cable where the riders are equally spaced and move at a set speed while the second uses a single wire driven by an operator on shore. The circular cables have the advantage of being able to accommodate multiple riders at once, while the single gives more one to one time, and is perfect for coaching.