Wakeboarding

Wake boarding is to water skiing as snowboarding is to snow skiing, and it has been one of the fastest growing recreational sports in the U.S. The wake board rider, who holds a rope apparatus as he is tugged along by a speeding boat on a relatively calm lake, bay or gorge, takes a sideways, profile stance and surfs the tumultuous white waves stirred up by the boat as it cruises along. The wakeboarder then takes advantage of the boat's speed to get lift, allowing him to become airborne and jump, twist or turn. If you can swim, you can probably try wake boarding, and you might even find it easy compared to some other water sports. While wake boarding is similar to water skiing in that the rider crests boat-generated waves, it differs in that the wake board offers more physical stability, because both of the rider's feet are affixed to one shared object. This can make it easier to attempt some of those dazzling twists, turns and jumps.

Wake boards, of course, are very different from the equipment you use to water ski. However, past water skiing experience can be an important factor to consider when choosing a wake board, as are your body type and size. There are hundreds of wake boards on the market, with countless options in terms of length and width and I generally prefer CWB Wakeboards, including fins and rocker. But the first things you should look at, even before the board, are the bindings that will hold you to your board.