Three Extreme Water Sports for Daredevils

For some people, skimming the water on two skis just isn’t tough enough. They want more challenge, more danger. For them, three extreme water sports can offer that excitement - wakeboarding, slalom skiing, and barefoot water-skiing.

Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a combination of snowboarding and skateboarding - on water. Like water-skiers, wakeboarders ride the glass (if the water’s calm) as they’re towed by boats going between 18 and 24 mph. Like snowboarders, they’re on wide boards about five ft. long rather than on skis. These boards catch the air more easily that skis, allowing boarders to pop up high on strong wakes.

Even novice wakeboarders can learn to perform impressive feats that will get the heart pumping - even if you’re only watching from the shore.

One of the “easiest” tricks is the Ollie. Boarders push down on their back foot and jump up, leading with their front foot. In BMX biking, the move is called a Bunny Hop. To make an Ollie really impressive, the boarder clasps the board with one hand while it’s in the air. This is called a Grab.

Tougher tricks include the Front-side Spin, the Corked Spin (aka Off-Axis Spin), and the Flip or Invert. When performing a Front-side Spin, boarders rotate toward the boat first, leading with their forward foot.  During the Corked Spin, the board rises up shoulder high-- sometimes higher. Add an Invert (go upside down in the air) for one wild, impressive move.

Want a wakeboard of your very own? They range in price from $250 to over $700. Some models have more stability than others and are specifically designed for novices. Some are made just for kids. Boards come in a variety of styles to appeal to men, women, and teens.  You can purchase coordinating lines, boots, helmets, and vests too.

Slalom Skiing
If you’re bored with combo skiing, why not go slalom? While combo skiers use two skis, slalom skiers use only one. No special equipment is needed to make the transition. Just be sure of two things. The ski you’ll ride should have a rear toe plate, and the ski you’ll “drop” should be snug enough to stay on during your start, but loose enough to remove easily when you’re ready to slalom.

You can start skiing from the dock or deep water. Once the boat is going 21 to 25 mph and you’re skiing confidently on two skis, shift your weight to your forward foot, drop the other ski, put your foot in the rear toe plate, and you’re slalom skiing.

During this transition from two skis to one, it’s easy to take a tumble, particularly if you move too quickly or the water suddenly becomes choppy. Just make sure you don’t endanger others by dropping your ski in a high-traffic area.

Barefoot Waterskiing
What could be more intense that skiing without skis? Well, you could jump ramps, perform wild tricks, and ski on just one foot! That’s what barefoot water skiers who really want an adrenaline rush do.

Barefooting is more extreme than wakeboarding and slalom skiing combined. Because the contact surface between your foot and the water is smaller than it is between wakeboards and skis, speeds of 30 to 45 mph are required for upright barefoot skiing. When you’re footing it at those rates, one false move and - splat! - you’re in for a hard fall.

The danger of wrecking or wiping out, however, doesn’t keep barefooters from performing awesome tricks. Surface hopping, for instance, is common. And even beginner barefooters perform daredevil starts like the Flying Dock. In a Flying Dock, the barefooter runs off the dock as the boat starts moving and hits the water standing.

It’s hard to believe, but early barefooters didn’t even wear protective gear. Today, however, helmets and wetsuits are de rigueur, particularly for those who jump ramps, perform crazy antics, or barefoot slalom.

Tim Evans is an Interactive Director in LakeLocate.com, the largest online community of lakes enthusiasts. He is an active blogger and a frequent speaker at conferences and events. LakeLocate is the most extensive user friendly lakes database online for family lake vacations, search for lakes, and discussion about lakes.

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