Dead??

senza wake · Backside 180 Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 600 City: SLC

Just curious for an update on wakeskating.

Are these companies dead/not-currently producing anything for wakeskating?
-Remote: we've seen graphics for 2019, are boards available?
-Nike Wakeskating: is there still a team/people being paid?
-Aquarium: randomly still seeing stuff from them

Will these companies take over from EU and beyond?
-Heca
-Fattitesi

Is Watermonsters the new world dominator for wakeskating?
Did something happen between the Pastura bros, or did Austin just decide to leave it behind?

Will Ben Horan return ever?? I expect a goodbye part like Aaron Reed and Hampson.

EU seems healthy and growing for wakeskating

carive · Frontside 180 Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 403 City: Manila

sad

in the phillies its much alive.

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10751 City: Jefferton

I don't know about remote, but it takes a long ass time to get those boards from the philippines. It seems like the brands don't operate on a strict schedule, so I'd just give it some time. I hope they still are. I have so much gratitude for the folks who are still making boards for us to ride.

Nike does not have a team anymore.

I personally doubt the euro brands will infiltrate the US, but it is rad to see that stuff being made! My theory is cable parks have been huge in europe for ever. Even when I was a young wakeboarder, the mags talked about how prohibitive boat riding is, which makes wakeskating a great fit, vs. boats and wake surfing for the folks in the US. And in that way, again, it is so awesome to see the talent in wakeskating overseas! They seem to have a healthy showing at the wakeskate only comps.

senza wake · Backside 180 Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 600 City: SLC

Agreed, cable seems to play a big role.

Something I totally forgot that shows a huge sense of wakeskating living on is the Black Water Junction event going on right now. Ben Horan is even riding it looks like. Plus a few of the euro guys I love watching hopped the pond for it.

Ya, I really want to buy one of the Fattitesi skates. They look like WM but made in Italy.
And Heca look like what I would have hoped Integrity would have done if they’d stayed around to keep wood decks going like they started to that last year. A wood deck with base and wrapped board.

carive · Frontside 180 Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 403 City: Manila

yes cable is a big role i'm managing one as well.

and yes i heard there are some changes in the factory here in the phillies that is why its taking a long time for them to make those boards. new boards that is coming in is heca which is pretty strong.

stack · Ollie Joined: 05 Jun 2007 Posts: 79

Coming from a Euro who spent the last decade importing decks with big shipping/ customs charges and void warranties to what we have now in Europe Im pretty stoked.

Also our cables are great but they get busy and choppy quite easily and most of us would quite happily go in for a glassy ski set with some home made flatbars and inclines just as much.

deepcove · Posted: Aug 05, 2019 7:52 pm Post subject:

Elelctricsnow

You bring up an interesting point regarding boat riding being prohibitive..... When I started wake skating I thought it was so awesome that you could skate behind anything. It did not have to be a v drive, direct drive. You could ride behind a Seadoo, tin boat, winch, behind a dirt bike in a ditch , or cable or whatever. There were so many aspects of the sport you could progress with weather it be lip tricks, flat tricks, gap, w2w and so on. I thought the Byerly Toe Jam was great because it allowed riders to showcase different aspects of the sport. Then came The wake skate tour which was a cool concept however it focussed on a gap or drop which very few people have regular access to....which imo has a role in where wake skating is today in North America vs 15 years ago.

I agree it is super cool to see the talent in wakeskating overseas.....it is some what deflating that a sport with so much potential is in its current state on this side of the pond.

I am happy that there are still people manufacturing wakeskates.....there is hope! : )

senza wake · Backside 180 Joined: 07 Jun 2011 Posts: 600 City: SLC

deepcove, I think you’ve pretty much summarized the issue that was fairly polar in the past of whether we are tied to other wake sports or not. I used to think not, or didn’t really care. Now I wish we were still riding wakeboardings tailcoats just a touc more. Nothing taken away from what is done now; just that added back on.

I love watching the amazing stuff going down from all the amazing riders out there. It’s interesting that someone like Bob Soven who occasionally posts a wakeskate clip is probably getting better exposure out than most

DaleFish · Posted: Aug 06, 2019 3:34 am Post subject:

Deepcove hit the nail on the head their.

Man it would be so cool to see an event like Toe Jam again with all the different facets of Ride, Boat, PWC, Drop and Rail/Cable Park.

What do you guys think we can start doing realistically to gain more interest in the sport globally, I feel like Europe is on a good path, but I feel like its mainly because of the access to cable parks, to put it in perspective, here in South Africa we only have two 2.0 parks (which are by appointment only), and 3 Full size parks. Whereas the UK (smaller than SA) has 25 spots (mix of full and 2.0)

carive · Frontside 180 Joined: 19 Apr 2006 Posts: 403 City: Manila

there is hope guys! here in asia it will be included in the South East Asian games which is recognized by IWWF and the Olympics. Everyone just has to keep on pushing getting pulls anywhere any kind. Thailand, Singapore and Philippines has some good riders. We are lucky enough that our weather is on our side and cable, 2.0 and winch access is easy.

cheapskate · Backside 180 Joined: 09 Sep 2008 Posts: 1424 City: Baytown

Hello

skim2live · Ollie Joined: 14 Aug 2008 Posts: 69 City: Wesley Chapel

Hey, its been a while, but this is my opinion about how wakeskate could grow and why it has not grown as much.

background:
I started wake skating when the Navy moved me to OKC (Tinker AFB). I am from Florida and grew up skimboarding; so naturally, I found a cable park and first thing I wanted to try was wake skating. I eventually started working at the cable park part time in Oklahoma. I was one of two regular wakeskaters and some others only went out periodically.

My opinion on why I didnt grow as much:
Being a wake skater and cable park employer, I have seen people try wake skating but never get too far. I could only do 3 shuvs, big spins and other general tricks because I have been doing them a long time from skimboarding and the muscle memory is the same (other than the handle). The good wake skaters never really wanted to hang out or help us novice wake skaters.. They were a clique and only after a few years did they start really becoming more friendly (but never asked me to ride them outside of the cable). I would watch the pros, but they seemed only to be doing the wakeskate tour which as others have said previously (we the common everyday wake skater does not have access to that). I would rather watch a rider wake skate on cable than a winch gap because I can relate to it. I feel like the pros and good wake skaters only stuck around the wake skate tour; however, they should of incorporated CABLE PARKS into their wakeskate tour because it would of allowed more kids to see the possibilities of wake skating.

essentially: wakeskate tour with only bi-level gaps in the middle of nowhere and not stopping at local parks for competitions has not helped with the popularity of wake skating (in my own opinion).

How I think it could be more popular is by more presence of wake skating in the cable scene and the pros should try to help other riders (advanced to progress); those riders try to help the local intermediate to beginners to progress as well. I think that will help the scene grow when cable park locals and beginners see the possibility of wake skating.

canalskater · Taco Bell Fa'Lyfe Joined: 22 May 2005 Posts: 649

skim2live, I think you're pretty spot on with the observation that bi-level only events in the middle of no where are not the best way to represent wakeskating to the masses. While I do believe it is the most fun, and the best way to demonstrate what can be done on a wakeskate, its definitely a stretch for the average person to understand exactly what is going on, and that it could also be done behind most vessels on most bodies of water.

I still want to see the bi-level events, because in my opinion its more important to keep the events interesting for the participants, so we can continue to see the limits be pushed, but I think it would be very beneficial to include aspects that make it seem more inviting and attainable as well. The energy drink backed event never really made sense to me, because none of the athletes are drinking that stuff, nor would they advocate for doing so. Seems like partnering with smaller brands that actually have a presence in sport (because people are actually using the stuff) would make more sense. Coolers, tents, sunscreen, supplements, tools, speakers etc, are all things you'd find in most of the riders kits, and there is plenty of companies competing for an edge out there who would love to make their products look cool at an event like The Wakeskate Tour.

One of the main reasons wakekskating ever grew in popularity during the late 2000's was its accessibility. Getting back to that could definitely breathe some new life into it. It's one of the main reasons why I made the switch from wakeboarding as a kid. You can only go so far strapped in behind a 13' Boston Whaler, but the possibilities were endless for what could be done on a skate. Electric winches are definitely reinvigorating the winching scene, and while they may be a bit on the expensive side, you'd be hard pressed to find a vessel you could ride behind for cheaper, and you can also use it on many bodies of water that wouldn't be accessible by boat. I'd love to see some of these winch companies get their products into the hands of riders so that they can take them on the road for demo days at cable parks and other local swimming holes.

Incorporating cable parks into the "tour" side of things is definitely an avenue worth exploring as well. There is some stuff in the works right now for wakeskating events next year, and I can't give too much away just yet but, the community is pulling together to give us some stuff to look forward to in 2021! The bright side about being into a sport that hardly anyone knows about, is you can pull up to your local cable and blow minds with some shuv its and bigspins. It never gets old seeing how stoked kids will get over an acid drop off the dock or a big tuck knee off a kicker. It's only a matter of time before the masses get wind of how much fun we're having out there, and the sponsors come rolling back in hoards! Wink

DaleFish · Posted: Sep 08, 2020 8:46 am Post subject:

canalskater, well said bru, couldn't agree more

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10751 City: Jefferton

deepcove, i forgot i even posted on this thread. I totally agree with you on the boat piece. That idea, coupled with getting hurt on my wakeboard behind a big boat (my family has a ski boat from the 60s) is what made me switch to wakeskating full time. its' still what I prefer to ride behind and I love it. Now there are two cable parks in northern illinois, so it's nice to have that option. But my heart is at the lake with that boat!

I actually want to look into getting a kite set up for wakeskating. My family still pulls me behind that boat, and I know I would not be the rider I am without their time. But I want to find a back up option for when I don't have anyone to pull me.

SCBrips · Posted: Sep 11, 2020 3:49 am Post subject:

A while back I bought a little RV off of Craigslist and moved to the coast for about 6 months, mainly to get into kiteboarding.

Definitely take lessons from a reputable instructor. With a good wake/skate background it won't take you that long to be riding upwind. Once you're riding upwind consistently, you can pretty easily switch from a kiteboard to a kiteskate. It actually feels a lot like cable, and I mean that in a good way.

However, it's not cable... It's a huge ass kite pulling you which just feels f-ing gnarly. I spent most of my time on a wake style board, but skating was just as much fun. Even just pulling off a shuv feels incredible.

electricsnow · cassette Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 10751 City: Jefferton

Thanks for the advice SCBrips. It looks like there are lessons in the southern part of the state. Honestly my only goal is to wakeskate behind the kite, and I think the challenges will add a different dimension and enjoyment to the experience. I appreciate the challenge. It will just be interesting to feel out the board shape situation.

Iwksk8 · Ollie Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Posts: 56 City: New Port Richey

I am still at beginning stages of learning to wakeskate, but it sounds getting more visibility to the sport might be a similar problem to another one I am into. That is radio control motor-less DLGs (Discus Launch Gliders) and F3K competitions. You hand throw (discus style) the 1.5 meter 250 gram gliders 150 to 200 feet in the air and find thermals to take them up high. Flying them is usually away from the general public in big empty fields or just flown in empty lots that you can find. We don't typically fly at the normal RC club fields because of how they are hand launched and DLGs are flown fly all over the area trying to find lift. Because they are not seen much in the public eye, people just don't know about the sport so it doesn't grow much.

I think it could help to find a way to bring demos and competitions out into more public areas. I definitely want to see wakeskating grow.

southpaw · Posted: Oct 18, 2020 9:38 pm Post subject:

where are watermonsters boards manufactured now? how much do they weigh?

DaleFish · Posted: Oct 19, 2020 1:44 am Post subject:

southpaw, as far as i know still in the Philippines, not sure on the weight but its a good weight. I think it may be around the 9-10lbs region