Wakeboarding: what is it, how much is it and where to study

Among the various sports in recent years the most popular is wakeboarding. What this is, imagine a few, although it can not be said that this hobby belongs to the category of new. Just before the boat went the athletes on water skiing, and now - on the board. Although most extreme water fans believe that the progenitor of wakeboarding is surfing - just like he is the "father" of windsurfing, where a board with a sail is used, kiting, in which the board follows a kite, and skimboarding - skating on a board in shallow water , Or even just on wet sand.

Advantages

The main advantage of this sport is the word "wakeboarding" itself. What is it in Russian translation? "Wake" from English - a wake wave, "board" - a board. That is, a person engaged in it, does not depend on the vagaries of the weather. He does not need to catch a wave, rake, get in the right place or wait for the wind to appear. There is always a wave behind a boat, and it only needs to be able to use it. Sometimes instead of this, watercraft use a hydrocycle, but more often only in training for beginners - it has much lower power (although the hydrocycle wins in maneuverability), and the wave is not strong enough.

Equipment

It should be noted that both the board and the boat for wakeboarding have their own design features. The most important thing is the right propulsion for the athlete. Thus, the boat must have a wide body in the sides, a deep V-shaped bottom, a mast of special construction for fastening the towing halyard and a low landing. To ensure this, the boat takes onboard additional ballast, usually in the form of additional tanks filled with water. Thanks to such tricks, the wake wave turns out to be high and wide, which gives the athlete the opportunity to perform high jumps and acrobatic somersaults without the need for extra forces.

The board for wakeboarding is much wider and shorter in length than the surfboard. It is chosen according to the weight and experience of the athlete (heavy is more suitable for training, easy - for honing tricks), along the length - the heavier the person, the longer the wake, the bend - how complex the acrobatic etudes are planned to perform.

Basics for beginners

So, you are interested in wakeboarding. What is it and how does it look from the outside? The boat is motionless, the athlete from the stern launch pad descends into the body of water, settles on his back, orienting his feet towards the boat and holding on to a short halyard (not towing, but starting). When the boat starts to move, at a minimum speed, the halyard stretches, the board actually sticks to the feet, and on acceleration the athlete stands on the wave. He will have to find a balance and you can either just go, or practice tricks.

Beginners are not advised at first to get too involved, persistently trying to defeat the wave the first time. It is usually recommended to do several quarter-hour approaches with breaks for rest - wakeboarding requires the athlete good physical preparation and strength. If you are going to do it seriously, do not forget about the trampoline in your spare time. After practicing jumps and other elements on it, water exercises will be much easier, and the falls and subsequent developments on the wave will be much less.

Where to practice

Across Europe, there are more than a hundred wake parks. In Russia there are only five. The best is the "Zavidovo Summer Water". There is not only the necessary equipment and qualified instructors, but also additional slides and devices that help perform fairly complex tricks even for beginners. Wishing only to try wakeboarding the price of the beyond does not seem: a 15-minute training with equipment rental and an instructor will cost only 250 rubles (although on working days and not in the evening, and in prime time put all 400). If you ignite and decide to buy yourself a personal board, in prices you can focus on snowboard boards - the cost will be approximately the same.

We can say that wakeboarding is the most colorful, bright and accessible entertainment in our latitudes. What it is, you already know. Try acrobatics on the water. Perhaps it will be your passion for life.