Wake surfing has been around since the 70's but it wasn't until the 90's before it started catching on. Not many people have heard of this sport. If I were to mention wakes surfing in a group of 20 people, 3 people out of this group might know what wake surfing is. When it first came to notice, surfers would surf on a long surf board (ocean boards) behind the boat and they called it, boat surfing. Finally companies began to build wake surfing boards which are thinner, lighter and smaller. Ocean boards were a lot heavier and thicker because with the amount of speed and pressure of an ocean wave you need a board that can compensate the big waves.
In the olden days, surfers would use regular boats and have, what we call, a messy wave. Once technology advanced. Surfers realized to get the perfect neat wave you need to bare most of the weight to one side of the boat. If you were to bare the weight on the right side, that would be regular stance and if it were on the left side of the boat it would be goofy stance.
Everyone at the beginning was scared and shocked. No one wanted to be that close to the boat, no one has every riding a board so close to the board. The first world wake surfing competition started in 1996 in Michin bay, in 2011 Parker, Arizona became the new home of the worlds wake surfing competition with the most competitors yet. It is one of the largest water sports competition in the world. The competition is getting greater and greater like wake surfing is getting bigger and bigger.
There is a wonderful video on youtube that is 26 minutes long. It is a wonderful video to watch to see the differences between then and now in the wake surfing world.
source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWYZf3A7aas
Saturday, 12 October 2013
Saturday, 5 October 2013
How To Wake-Surf
Wake surfing can be difficult if you do not follow instructions.
One of the most important things is getting up on your board. You can start with your feet on the board. the advantages of using this technique is it's the easiest way to get up, unless you have a large surfboard. It is also faster to get up.
You want to start in the water on the side of the boat on which you intend to surf (goofy or regular; will be explained in a different post). Put the board in front of you. Lay back and put your feet on top of the board; the board will be floating on top of the water. Hold the rope secure in your hands and signal to the driver when you are ready. As soon as the boat start moving, push down with the heels of your feet so the board flips up flat against your feet and KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT. If you bend your arms, you will not be successful getting up. Once the board is flat under your feet, stand up slowly.
Now that you are standing, you want to start creeping your back foot all the way back to the bump. Make sure you move slowly and smoothly. Once you move your foot back, you want to creep your toes forward closer to the edge of your board. You want to put more weight on the inside edge of the board, the side closest to the wave. You now want to find that "happy medium" on your board. If you shift your weight forward, the board will accelerate. If you shift your weight to the back, it will slow down. Staying in the happy medium zone takes practice and very little shift in weight or position.
Be patient, your first time wake surfing will be hard. Most people ride several times before they catch the wave. Once you feel comfortable you can throw the rope to a person on the boat waiting to catch it. You can free ride and have fun.
Once you are comfortable you can do trick, you can cut back and forth, ride up and down the face of the wave, attempt side slides, 180's and 360's.
One of the most important things is getting up on your board. You can start with your feet on the board. the advantages of using this technique is it's the easiest way to get up, unless you have a large surfboard. It is also faster to get up.
You want to start in the water on the side of the boat on which you intend to surf (goofy or regular; will be explained in a different post). Put the board in front of you. Lay back and put your feet on top of the board; the board will be floating on top of the water. Hold the rope secure in your hands and signal to the driver when you are ready. As soon as the boat start moving, push down with the heels of your feet so the board flips up flat against your feet and KEEP YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT. If you bend your arms, you will not be successful getting up. Once the board is flat under your feet, stand up slowly.
Now that you are standing, you want to start creeping your back foot all the way back to the bump. Make sure you move slowly and smoothly. Once you move your foot back, you want to creep your toes forward closer to the edge of your board. You want to put more weight on the inside edge of the board, the side closest to the wave. You now want to find that "happy medium" on your board. If you shift your weight forward, the board will accelerate. If you shift your weight to the back, it will slow down. Staying in the happy medium zone takes practice and very little shift in weight or position.
Be patient, your first time wake surfing will be hard. Most people ride several times before they catch the wave. Once you feel comfortable you can throw the rope to a person on the boat waiting to catch it. You can free ride and have fun.
Once you are comfortable you can do trick, you can cut back and forth, ride up and down the face of the wave, attempt side slides, 180's and 360's.
Sources: http://www.howtowakesurf.com
Saturday, 28 September 2013
What Is Wake Surfing?
Wake surfing is a water sport where the surfer follows behind a boat, surfing the boats wake; however, the surfer must stay a safe enough distance to avoid falling and coming in contact with the boat. When you ride close to the boat there is a risk of breathing in carbon monoxide, riding further away from the boat is so you do not breathe carbon monoxide. Normal ocean waves have relatively the same feeling as a wake created by a boat. Wake surfing is commonly recognized to be similar to regular surfing, the only difference is there is a smaller board and you are riding the wake of the boat. Wake surfing is also known to have low impact and rarely any injuries. When you are wake surfing you do not hit the water as hard as other water sports like tubing, kneeboarding or wake boarding. Wake surfers use a board with no bindings for the feet, instead of kneeling or laying down they are standing. There are different wake surfing terms that you will need to know:
There are 2 different ways to ride a board: Regular and goofy. Regular is when you ride your wakeboard on the left side of the boat with your right foot back. Goofy is when you ride your board on the right side of the boat with your left foot back.
There are also 2 sides of the wake board you can ride. Toe side and heel side. Toe side Is when your body is facing the wave. Heel side is when you are riding facing away from the wave.
There are two ways of wake surfing with comfortability. When you are holding onto a rope which is attached to the boat, you are riding lineride style. When you are holding onto the rope that is attached to the boat you are riding freeride style
My cousin is a semi-pro wake surfer and has made a video. Check it out and you will fall in love with wake surfing !
A Wake Surfing Short
Sources: http://www.howtowakesurf.com
There are 2 different ways to ride a board: Regular and goofy. Regular is when you ride your wakeboard on the left side of the boat with your right foot back. Goofy is when you ride your board on the right side of the boat with your left foot back.
There are also 2 sides of the wake board you can ride. Toe side and heel side. Toe side Is when your body is facing the wave. Heel side is when you are riding facing away from the wave.
There are two ways of wake surfing with comfortability. When you are holding onto a rope which is attached to the boat, you are riding lineride style. When you are holding onto the rope that is attached to the boat you are riding freeride style
My cousin is a semi-pro wake surfer and has made a video. Check it out and you will fall in love with wake surfing !
A Wake Surfing Short
Sources: http://www.howtowakesurf.com
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