-WAKESKATES-

Wakeskating is new type of watersport and is an adaptation of wakeboarding that employs a similar design of board manufactured from plywood or from fibreglass. Unlike wakeboarding, the rider is not bound to the board in any way, which gives the sport its own unique challenges. Instead, the top surface of the board is covered with griptape, (in a similar fashion to a skateboard) or a soft, high-traction, foam covering that is kinder to riders in the inevitable crashes. Riders usually wear shoes while riding to afford themselves extra purchase on the board, similar to skateboarding.

Wakeskating is a natural progression of wakeboarding. It is increasingly popular in youth culture across the globe, but is prevalent mainly in its country of origin; the United States. An aspect of wakeskating that draws many aficionados to it, as opposed to wakeboarding, is progression without the need for the large and extremely expensive boats (necessary to create the wake for wakeboarders to achieve maximum air time). An alternative to using wakeboard boats to tow riders is using high powered jet skis. This method of watercraft can provide an adequate tow, however, produce little or no wake. Jetskis are better for shallow water or where water obstacles are available to perform tricks on.

Wakeskating tricks are inherently more technical than wakeboarding. The tricks are based firmly on skateboarding as opposed to snowboarding. Numerous tournaments and competitions exist throughout the world for the sport of wakeskating.

Smaller Rider Owned Companies have started to make their mark on the sport of wakeskating, such as Distortion, Sattelyte Wakeskates and Integrity.

New materials and assembly techniques are continually introduced into the sport of wakeskating. Traditional boards are made of plywood or fiberglass, but a new technology has come out called Tri-Ax Fiberglass reinforcing. A woven fiberglass top sheet is applied. This process helps the board to be more rigid and increases the life of the board (http://www.wakeboardingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=42987).

One type of board is a bi-level wakeskate. It is basically two boards usually made of plywood and/or fiberglass connected in the middle by two brackets. The point of having a bi-level board is that the flex in the top board helps you ollie higher than you could if you had a normal single level board (http://www.360wakeboard.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=5339).

The other type of board is a Concave deck, usually either compression molded out of fiberglass, or a wood core deck. Most compression molded decks are shaped much like wakeboards, usually used by the rider with a more wake to wake style of riding, although this is starting to change. The wood core decks tend to be a tad bit heavier, but are usually favored by most wakeskaters. They state that the wood core deck feels more like a skateboard and is easier to control/feel.

Wakeskates usually size between 100-114 cm (roughly 39-43 inches), which is considerably smaller than a wakeboard. They do not usually have a sharp edge which limits aggressive edging, and reduces the risk of a face-plant.

Wakeskates are manufactured by many of the same companies that produce wakeboards such as CWB, Hyperlite, and Liquid force, along with many Wakeskate specific companies such as Integrity, Oak, Sattalyte, and New.

One of The Best Up and Coming Pro Wakeskaters

Kyle Hyams is going to be really big in a few years time. He is already on his way to being a world-wide known pro. Only 23, he has many sponsors: UGP clothing, Liquid Force wakeboards/wakeskates, DNA energy drinks, Performance Ski & Surf, Orlando Watersports Complex, Adio skate shoes, and Spy sunglasses.

Board materials

The two materials both have a different feel in the water. If you want a light weight board then you should get a composite board or fiberglass board.

Fin Technology

Fins are constructed with three different kinds of materials. The first and original fin material to wakeskating is plastic. This material will bend and crack if it is exposed to the right conditions. When the fin breaks and bends, it loses its performance. Plastic fins can only be molded down to .5 inches in width. Several materials fin manufacturers use are fiberglass and aluminum. Due to the fact that they are hand molded or machined they can be much narrower. The narrow fins will cut down on drag in the water. Aluminum fins are heavier and cost more, but they hold up to the beating that wakeskating can give them. Fiberglass fins are cheaper than aluminum fins, but in time they chip apart. They don’t weigh as much as aluminum fins either (http://www.wakeworld.com/Articles/2002/rightfin.asp).

The length of the fin on your board can vary greatly. Some fins are 5-8.5 inches long. The longer fins are good because, they don’t have to be as long to get the same surface area in the water. They will track better than a fin that is shorter. Also the long fins work better on rails and ramps because, they are short enough that they will not make a lot of contact with the rail and ramp. Shorter fins must be taller to get the same amount of tracking (http://www.wakeworld.com/Articles/2002/rightfin.asp).

A shallower fin will not track as good as a deeper one. But a deeper fin will have more drag in the water, and it will not release off the wake as fast (http://www.wakeworld.com/Articles/2002/rightfin.asp).

Getting Up

Deepwater Start

Mitch doing a Deepwater Start

Mitchell Bieberich performs a Deepwater Start

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Cabin_and_lake_054.jpg

There are a variety of techniques for getting up on a wakeskate, but they all follow the same basic rules. Orient your body vertical in the water with the board deck under your feet. When the boat starts to pull forward, you will want to bring your feet and the board up in front of you. The pressure of the oncoming water should force the board to stick to your feet. Straighten your arms so that when the boat takes off you will not hurt your arms from the jolt. Your knees should be bent so that you can keep your center of gravity low. If your center of gravity is too high, then you would be pulled over your feet. When you have done all of the previously stated requirements, tell the boat driver to start going. When the boat starts to move, the water will push on the bottom of the wakeskate, forcing your upper body to rise up out of the water. In reality, the boat does the work for you. If you try to muscle your way through things, and force yourself to get up, you will end up getting your arms jerked. Getting up on a wakeskate is the exact same procedure you use to get up on a wakeboard. The only difference is, is that your feet are not connected with bindings. The pressure from the boat will force the board to be stuck to your feet, therefore it will make it easier to get up. It is found that it is most easy to get up on a wakeskate when the pulling rope is pulled tightly before the boat takes off. When you have gotten up, turn the board so that it is parallel with the boat, and turn your upper body so that it is perpendicular with the boat (http://www.wakeboardingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=33413).

Dock Start Instead of doing a deepwater start, you can perform a dock start. A dock start is when you jump off of a dock and position a wakeskate under your feet with the rope handle in your hand. It is similar to an acid drop in skateboarding. The hard part about this is your timing and positioning of the wakeskate beneath your feet. When you land in the water you must bend your knees, otherwise the board will slip out from under you. The hard part about this is your timing and positioning of the wakeskate (http://www.wakeboardingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=33413).

Once You're Up Jumping from one side of the wake to the other is called wake-to-wake air. The first thing that you must do is edge out to the right or the left, as far as you can. Come back about half way to the wake, and then progressively edge toward the wake. Edging is when you use the edge of the board to turn. When you hit the wake, your legs should be rigid, so that they do not absorb the wake. If you do not do this, you will not get any pop off the wake. Pop enables you to get into the air. Upon take-off, your front leg should be higher than your back leg, so that when the board is in the air, the wind will push the board against your feet. Immediately tuck your feet and knees up. The board will follow. If you get high enough and far enough you will go from wake to wake. The landing is also important. Before you land on the other side of the wake, you need to extend your legs and push the board toward the water. When you land you need to absorb the impact through your knees and keep your weight centered over your feet (http://www.wakeboardingmag.com/article.jsp?ID=33413).

Winching

Wakeskating, has in recent times become more and more urbanized due to the advent of the "winch". The winch is a mechanical device that holds a spool of rope and pulls the rope in at riding speed. This invention has given wakeskaters the opportunity to ride in places never imagined possible before. Making wakeskating more accessible than ever before. The original winch was the Re-wind winch made by Tony Robinson in 2003 (http://www.winchskating.com/history/index.html). The Grinch Winch is one of the most trusted, premier winch manufacturers Grinch. However in recent times Released Winching co. has swept the winching industry with it's light weight and durable aluminum frames and its innovative releasing spool which allows the spool to free spin while the rider pulls out the rope. Winches however are not just a commercial endeavor, some people build their own using plans and forums such as winchskating.com.