Shred the Wake: An Intro to Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is an adrenaline-fueled water sport that makes Arizona's lakes even more fun! This high-octane water sport has riders trailing behind boats on a single board, launching into the air to pull off mind-blowing aerial tricks and stunts. What started as a fringe pastime has gone totally mainstream with pro competitions and a massive global fan base.
The Wakeboard
At the heart of wakeboarding is the wakeboard itself - a single board with boot bindings to lock your feet in. The boards come in all shapes and sizes for different riding styles. Beginners want a longer continuous rocker board for stability while the pros shred on shorter three-stage rockers to boost monster air.
Always remember it's safety first - wear a life vest!
The Perfect Wake Boat
You can't wakeboard without the tow boat to whip you across the wake. Wake-specific inboard boats are dialed for creating huge wakes and optimal air ops. They're loaded with weighted ballast tanks, tall tow towers, and boarding platforms to make getting up and riding a breeze. Having the right boat setup means more shredding and less eating water!
HeyDay wakeboats are our most popular brand
With HeyDay boats you’ll get everything you need to shred! Give us a call and let us help you find the boat you want!
Wakeboarding Tricks
For newbies, you'll start by tackling the basic wakeboarding jumps and grabs. But as you level up, the trick difficulty amps way up with 180 and 360-degree spins, inverted flips over the wake like tantrums and backrolls, and technical sliding maneuvers. The pros take it to another planet, piecing together intricate trick combos like mobees (inverts and spins) and krpyts that are really fun to watch.
Wakeboarding tricks can be broadly categorized into several types, each requiring different levels of skill and providing various challenges and thrills.
Here are the main categories and some specific examples of tricks within each:
1. Basic Jumps and Grabs
Basic maneuvers like jumps and grabs form the foundation. The heelside wake-to-wake sees the rider jumping from one side of the wake to the other using the board's heelside edge. The toeside wake jump initiates flight from the toeside edge. Grabs, such as the tail grab where the rider grabs the tail of the board while airborne, add style points.
2. Spins
Spins make up another major trick category. The surface 180 is an essential spin where the rider rotates 180 degrees on the water's surface. More advanced are the 360s, 540s, and 720s - complete rotations that can be performed heelside, toeside, frontside, or backside.
3. Inverts
Inverted tricks are true tests of ability. The back roll is a heelside edge maneuver where the rider flips backward over the wake. The tantrum is an inverted backflip launched off the wake's transition. The raley sees the boarder swing the wakeboard into a parallel "Superman" pose above the water.
4. Slides
Sliding tricks showcase control as the board glides along the water's surface. The basic surface slide does this while the powerslide turns the board perpendicular to the direction of travel for a sideways sliding motion.
5. Advanced Inverts and Rolls
At the highest level are advanced inverted and rolled tricks. The mobe masterfully combines an invert like a back roll with a 360-degree spin. The krypt flows from a raley into a frontside 180 spin.
6. Wake-to-Wake Tricks
Wake crossing tricks are also popular like the heelside wake-to-wake jumping heelside edge across the wake and the toeside wake-to-wake making the same crossing on the toeside edge.
7. Specialty Tricks
Unique stunts complete the mix including the half-cab roll (a switch stance back roll) and the Pete Rose blending a toeside backroll with a frontside 360 spin.
Where to Wakeboard
Wakeboarding needs some open, uncrowded waters which is why lakes are prime shredding territory. You can wakeboard on large rivers and bays, too. Arizona may be desert, but it's a wakeboarding mecca with pristine lakes surrounded by beautiful scenery. Lakes Pleasant, Powell, and Havasu are a popular wakeboarding destination because of their glassy water, chill vibes, and enough room to for big tricks.
One premiere wakeboarding destination is Lake Pleasant near Peoria. Its 7,500 acres of open water make for an idyllic quick getaway for locals and visitors alike. Further north, straddling the Arizona-Utah border, Lake Powell's deep canyons block wind to create flat, glassy conditions year-round - a wakeboarding paradise. In the southeast, Patagonia Lake's pristine natural setting draws riders with its uncrowded waters, though motorized zones are limited.
Not to be overlooked are lakes closer to the state's major metro areas. Lake Havasu in western Arizona is widely heralded for its reliable flat water and ample space. While tighter quarters on Canyon Lake near Apache Junction present a challenge, other Greater Phoenix-area spots like Saguaro Lake and Bartlett Lake offer a solid mix of scenic beauty and purpose-built amenities for wakeboarding like marinas and launch sites. No matter where riders drop in, Arizona's diverse array of wakeboarding oases provide year-round opportunities to push the limits of this fast-growing aquatic pursuit.
How To Get Started Wakeboarding
New riders, get yourself some lessons from certified coaches to learn how to start and progress safely. Hooking up with a local wake club is a great way to connect with a crew that knows the best spots and can show you the ropes. The key is to take it steady, dial in the fundamentals, and advance at your own pace while feeding your stoke!
Final Thoughts
Wakeboarding is truly one of the most exhilarating water action sports to emerge. It blends mind-blowing aerials with serious skill and style. Whether you're just catching air for the first time or taking your riding to new heights, the wake world has something for everyone craving an aquatic adrenaline rush. See you on the water!