One of the best ways to define the sport is by looking at its similarities to other sports.
Wakeskate is like skateboarding on water.
With its beginnings in the 1980s, it has evolved into a sport that attracts the attention of thousands of fans around the world.
Its practice is based on developing the ability to do tricks on a board, very much in the style of street skateboarding. To do this, you need a board that is adapted to your build, which over time has been improved to make it more manoeuvrable.
It can be said that wakeskate is a combination of the best of wakeboarding and skateboarding, many of its practitioners come from one of these two categories as a result of mastering skills already acquired and enter the new discipline looking for new thrills.
The major difference with wakeboarding is the use of straps.
In wakeskate they are dispensed with, obviously riders must develop additional skills to hold the board.
This exciting water sport continues to grow worldwide and more and more young people are becoming interested in making it a part of their lives, either professionally or just for fun.
If you want to be part of this experience you should know what the essential elements are.
What do you need to practice wakeskate?
The accessories and implements for the practice are necessary for a good performance, execution and safety on the board.
And it is precisely the board that is the first and most important implement.
It can be made of wood or of some light and resistant composites, the surface has an anti-slip material, usually rubber, to provide more grip, the size of the board is adjusted to the rider’s weight and can be said to be somewhere between a skateboard and a wakeboard.
The wakeskate board has no straps so the rider is not attached to it, to improve adhesion shoes are used that allow you to stay glued to the board and let go of it at will, favouring the tricks and manoeuvres, some prefer to practice it with no other accessories than their bare feet.
When you choose to wear shoes, they should not be ordinary shoes but those made of waterproof or quick-drying materials, as well as those that prevent water accumulation on the inside.
How to choose a wakeskate board?
With sizes ranging from 39″ to 45″ when choosing a board the rider looks at their weight to select the best board, as they gain skill and experience they will be able to choose the one that gives them the most freedom of movement or stability.
Board designs are continually being improved, so new models with improved features are continually appearing on the market.
There are three basic models of the table:
Continuous rocker, consisting of a smooth and flowing curved surface, allows you to develop speed, but also to rise higher.
Three-stage rocker, the surface has three angles that allow you to vary both the height of take-off from the water as well as the impact when falling, gliding more smoothly through the water.
Hybrid Rocker, resulting from a mixture of the two previous ones, with soft edges in some parts and more pronounced ones in others, this composition makes them easier to achieve tricks and create greater effects on them.
Which one to choose depends on the rider’s experience and tastes.
The tricks of the wakeskate
Beyond the board, what creates the greatest similarity between wakeskate and skateboarding are the tricks or manoeuvres that can be done on the board, in the first case the drag is provided by the boat or the mechanical system designed for this purpose.
The most popular and well-known tricks for riders are: Backside Flip, Flip 360 or the Backside Spin with clear inspiration from skateboarding and with the challenge of being in the water being pulled by a speedboat at high speed.
These manoeuvres can increase in complexity as you grow in experience, the complexity is given by the height of the jump, the angle of the board and the speed.
If you’re looking for pure adrenaline, the best way to get to know every single wakeskate technique is to take your board and try as many times as it takes.
The only thing left to do is to start
Water sports enthusiasts find in wakeskating a chance to experience new things and put a little more action into their rides on the water. What started as an experiment of riders wanting to change has turned into a passion that gathers thousands of followers around the world.
Just as the interest of athletes has grown around the sport, so has the interest of board and accessory manufacturers, which has driven research and development of new and more functional technologies in equipment and clothing for surfers.
The new materials used to build the boards make them more durable while offering the rider more possibilities to develop known tricks or to invent some new ones, the recommendation is always to use the board according to the weight.
Wakeskate is already an established water sport that promises to continue to expand its popularity among riders and attract the attention of an audience passionate about seeing the most interesting stunts and tricks on the board.
If you are a fan of water sports you may find that wakeskating is an alternative way to test yourself and your skills on the water, the challenges are greater as well as the satisfactions.
If you are looking for the best equipment, please visit our online shop, where you will not only find the boards you are looking for, but also professional advice.
