I have been skiing and coaching in the Water ski and Wakeboard industry since ’95. I have many friends who compete in Wakeboarding and Wake Skating, as we all go out to train together at the same ski clubs. While many people have seen Wakeskating, often a lot of detail about the sport is missing.
Wake Skating is a cross between Wakeboarding and Skate Boarding. Take the boat/cable and board of Wakeboarding, and remove the bindings to have the feet and board freedom of skating. Kickers and rails are used along with the wake to do tricks similar to Skating.
Wake skaters have taken the wakeboard shape and design, modified it slightly, removed the bindings and replaced the top deck with grip tape similar to a slate board. Riders get up behind a boat or on a cable system the same as a wakeboarder, once up, riding is very much the same. Along with many of the wakeboarding tricks possible, there are also Skate tricks. Being able to Ollie and remove their feet from the board means Wake Skaters can do many of the same board tricks as skateboarding, they might just end up swimming a whole lot.
Typically Wake Skaters came from Wakeboarding and Skateboarding, using it as a way to fool around and have fun. The cool thing is that with a little bit of exposure, this sport began to take off as a discipline of its own, standing sperate from Wakeboarding.
Cable parks and winches have made some of the most significant impacts on the sport. As cables have become more accessible and popular, they bought more people to Wakeboarding in general. As you can spend a whole day at a wake park, people began playing on Wakeskates to change things up a little. Cables are similar to Skate Parks with the kickers, rails, and features that it also began pulling in skaters to expand their abilities.
As a competition scene began to take off, Redbull got involved, which accelerated the sport into the limelight very quickly. More recently, Wake Skate comps have become regular occurrences along with Wakeboarding at many cable parks around the world. The sport appeals to a vast number of spectators, involving the flip tricks(Kick-flips, Shove-its, etc.), Wake tricks, kickers and rails.
A Look At WakeSkate Boards
There are a few options when it comes to designs for Wake Skates. They were originally old surfboards in the 70s until wakeboarders started putting grip tape on old wakeboards. In the last 20-25 years, however, boards have been specifically designed and built for Wake Skating.
Boards can be either made from laminated and epoxied wood, or a variety of composite materials. Wooden boards have a great aesthetic, and design shapes are basically the same. They don’t have great warranties as the wood doesn’t survive in the water as long as other materials, though they are cheaper. Composite boards are lighter and more expensive, with a much longer life span.
The top deck will have either a textured rubber top or a similar grip tape to Skate Boarding. The rubber option is excellent if you are riding without shoes, as it provides great traction for bare feet. Grip tape tops are better when you use shoes; without the soft top, you only need to kick the board with a toe once to see why.
Shoes have been specially designed for Wake Skating. They have drainage built-in, so water doesn’t pool in the shoe as you ride, and made with materials that don’t rot, as would eventually happen with regular shoes.
Is WakeSkating Harder Than WakeBoarding?
Yes, Wakeskating is considered more difficult than Wakeboarding.
Wakeboarders are locked into the board, so have an easier time controlling the board and keeping it close when getting air. Without having feet attached to the Wakeskate, more balance and control need to be learned to be able to ride for longer. Keeping the board with your feet when getting air takes some time and practice.
Wakeboarders have been heard saying that they Skate for practice, as the finesse needed noticeably strengthens their Wakeboarding.
Even getting up is a little more challenging, the boat/cable needs to start moving, so the rider has some pressure to hold the board to their feet to allow them to get up.
WakeSkate Behind A Boat, Cable, Or Winch
WakeSkaters have a few different options when it comes to being pulled. Typically their speeds will be between 15km/10mph – 35km/25mph.
Boats are used for by the beginner or weekend Wakeboarder more than by pros. This is because most of what riders want to do involve obstacles and features. Behind a boat, riders can use the wake for air tricks, or any of the other flat water for surface tricks. Taking a boat close to features is tough, mostly because features are kept away from boat skiing locations.
Cables are a great way to begin riding. The pull from high above the rider makes getting the hang of it much more manageable. This upwards pull helps when trying to learn new flip tricks as it helps the rider get off the water. Cable parks have rails and kickers to be used, giving riders more variety and challenge.
Winches are for when capable riders want to session some cool spot they found. Great for setting up a feature somewhere and riding in unique locations. Or if you can’t afford a full cable and you have a piece of water in the backyard you want to play on.
WakeSkate Tricks
Watch this video, it’ll explain everything way better than a written description.
Almost all Wakeboard companies are producing WakeSkate gear, though the industry is too small to have many skate specific companies. The most significant company involvement is Redbull. By sponsoring athletes and events, they have been tremendous in bringing WakeSkating into the arena with competitions. In Europe, comps are often set up in cities with water features where a winch can be temporarily set up, and features are bought in.