The Wave of Wakesurfing

Water sports were often dismissed when it came to what most considered “real sports,” but the invention of wakesurfing has allowed water sports to emerge with new popularity. Making a lasting impact, the spirit for water sports that enthusiasts have felt for generations is coming alive in new waves of wakesurfers.

Water sports always struggled to maintain their standing as legitimate sports options for prospective athletes because the sports were seen as inaccessible, one of the reasons being that they seemed intimidating to new athletes. Wakeboarding and waterskiing are heavily independent, with an unavoidable intensity and high impact on the body. This narrowed the number of people interested in taking on the challenge of learning them, but wakesurfing changed the game by flipping the reputation of water sports’ extreme nature.

Wakesurfing took off in popularity because it is highly versatile. The sport is innovative in its ability to be as relaxed or as intense as a surfer desires. The surfer can cruise right behind the boat, interacting with friends and family while enjoying their favorite music, or try their hand at more difficult tricks. Most importantly, wakesurfing has a lower impact on the body, enabling a wider range of people to try it out. Whether surfing once a year or frequently hitting the wake to perfect your skills, the sport is easily enjoyed by all who try it out.

The enthusiasm for wakesurfing, and resulting interest in other water sports, has led to colleges and universities adding wakeboarding and waterskiing teams to their rosters or reviving already existing teams. Not only does the recognition of watersports at the collegiate level breathe new life into the sports, but it provides scholarships for more student-athletes to further their education. Wakesurfing helped opened the door for water sports athletes to receive educational opportunities and reach larger goals.

Wakesurfing has a bigger impact than simply being fun. It invites a larger viariety of people to experience the thrill of water sports in a more approachable way. Water sports enthusiasts can share the love they have for their sports with the new wave of people brought into the community riding the surf.

– Josie McDevitt