History of Wakesurfing

[trayson]

So, I know that wakesurfing has been around since the 50's with people surfing outboards on actual surfboards.

http://i127.photobucket.com/albums/p126/h2oskier5/311306_10151136465227532_1707754726_n_zps9a3e3d81. jpg

But I was thinking about wakesurfing as we know it, behind the modern day v-drive wakeboard boats. As I researched, I was surprised to find out that wakeboarders were wakesurfing back in the mid 90's... basically the way that we do it now--behind the v-drive, but with ocean shortboards. I started wakeboarding in 96 and they were already wakesurfing like we do now.

I first tried wakesurfing in 2003. It was the year that they released the MB sports B52 V3 with about 2k of factory ballast. Back then, no one I knew had even heard of this and the only reason I found out about it is because I had the local boat dealer give me a demo of a new boat. (yeah, it was a joyride as I couldn't afford to throw down and actually buy the boat). It was about the time that I would consider it starting to go mainsteam as the boat dealers were starting to push it and mainstream boards were being produced...

I did it a few times afterwards in 2007 and 2009. But my first time was back around 2003, and I remember trying to describe to people this 'mind blowing' experience I'd had!

This video was also really cool. it's about a 25 minute long program (and a bit of a Centurion commercial) but I found it interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWYZf3A7aas

So, how long have you all been wakesurfing and anyone have any cool stories to tell about 'back in the day'?

[slipperyrockTKE300]

been wakesurfing since 2004.

Moomba owner and former forum member came to Rat World from Kansas City, Mo and stopped by my lake to show me how to surf...behind a 2003 Outback with no ballast.

He even traveled with his own board - a CWB Ride.

It took me 4 years to convince Skiers Choice we needed a wakesurfing forum.

Here is a copy of a post that is a few months old. Interesting Wakeworld thread and worth a read

- - - - - - - -

I posted this a couple years ago and thought I would again - for the edumacation of the newer folks on the forum.

Once upon a time, Skiers Choice posted warnings about the dangers of wakesurfing - now they design boats for the sport

http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/m...tml?1136212948

The Jeff Walker mentioned is the father of wakesurfing champion James Walker.

enjoy how far we have come!!

[slipperyrockTKE300]

here is a working link to that wakeworld thread:

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?p=597352

If this doesn't work search on wakeworld for : "why does Supra suck so bad"

the thread was created in 2005

[trayson]

here is a working link to that wakeworld thread:

http://www.wakeworld.com/forum/showthread.php?p=597352

If this doesn't work search on wakeworld for : "why does Supra suck so bad"

the thread was created in 2005

Wow, that is nutty. crazy how far we've come.

[zabooda]

You need to tell the basis for their lack of enthusiasm for not endorsing surfing and that is SC came off a big lawsuit because of teak surfing and were probably skeptical in endorsing a sport that puts a rider in the 20 foot range of the boat that the Coast Guard couldn’t endorse. The repercussions are still there as all Moomba owners in the state of Washington were mailed a package in 2003 from Skier’s Choice of the CO warnings as required by the lawsuit and the State requires a yearly registration and the CO warning sticker needs to be prominently displayed with fines if either are not displayed.
I’m sure it was a business decision not to jump in until others had tested the legality of the sport and have them take the risk. A very smart business decision as R&D can go ahead while others take a niche of a very small market at the time. It’s a risk versus benefit kinda thing and I’m sure SC is thankful for those companies who risked everything to make it happen. It didn’t seem to hurt SC in the long run.


http://www.bigclassaction.com/lawsuit/skiboat.php

[gregski]

I remember trying to "invent" wake surfing around 2000. We hadn't really heard much about wakesurfing and the only boats we had access to were DD's. My buddy is an ocean surfer and he would look at the wake when we had a full crew for wakeboarding and say "I'm sure I can surf that". We never quite managed to. He got the closest when we experimented using two boats driving side by side to create a "double pocket"... sorta.