History Of Wakeboarding

It’s been claimed over the years that wakeboarding originated in a variety of different places.

The most widely accepted origin is in Australia in the 1980s when a skurfing board was given to a man called Jeff Darby.  Darby and his friends set about shaping their own skurfing boards, specifically designed to be towed behind boats. They ended up setting up their own trademarked company called Skurfer, selling these boards.

Around the same time in Florida however, a surfer named Howard Jacobs was surfing his smaller surfboards behind motorboats, adding  foot straps and pads on the board to attempt tricks impossible on a normal surfboard.

By the mid eighties there were two notable brands selling wakeboards. Darby joined forces with surfboard shaper and inventor Bruce McKee to create the ‘Mcski’ board, later renamed the ‘Wake-snake.’ Bruce McKee and associate Mitchell Ross on the other hand created the ‘Surf-Ski’ board and launched it at the 1984 at Chicago’s IMTEC show.

Wakeboarding was added as a competitive sport in the X Games II. The World Skiboard Association has now been re-named the World Wakeboard Association (WWA). 

Want to get some wakeboarding inspiration? Check out these insane wakeboarding videos.

Wakeboarding Equipment

If you you want to give wakeboarding a go, most centres will be able to rent out all the wakeboarding equipment necessary. If you want to invest however, here are the essential you’ll need to get started.

A boat- The kind of boat your using has a big effect on your wakeboarding. Axis Boats, Bayliner Boats and Calabria Boats are among the best brands of boats for wakeboarding.

A Board- Beginners should look at buying a double-ended board with a fin, as they’re more stable. Look for boards with quality fins and a continuous rocker. Ronix Vault, Slingshot Choice and Hyperlite State 2.0 are all good examples of beginner boards for wakeboarding. Check out our beginners wakeboard guide here for more information.

Bindings – In wakeboarding, there are three main types of bindings available.  Velcro bindings are suitable for beginners and easily adjustable. Adjustable boot bindings can be adjusted but are slightly more supportive. High back boot bindings are best for wakeboarding tricks because of their high support. Read more about wakeboard bindings in our guide here.

Rope- Beginners should use a short non-stretch rope. The shorter the rope, the more control you have while learning.

Wetsuit- The thickness of your wetsuit depends on the conditions in which your wakeboarding. Most beginners will send a lot of time in the water, if you’re learning in the UK, a 5/4mm wetsuit will be suitable for most times of the year.

Buoyancy Aid- Does it look badass? No. Should you wear it? Yes. Use your brain, kids…

The best thing to do is get down to your local wakeboarding shop. Read our guide to the best wakeboarding shops in the UK here.

Where To Wakeboard In The UK

Wakeboarding can be enjoyed on both lakes and the coast around the UK. For beginner wakeboarders, the calm conditions of a lake are better for finding your legs and standing up.

There are various lakes where you can go wakeboarding in London, as well as many others wakeboarding parks all around the UK, plus amazing wakeboarding lakes abroad.

In Wales, the wakeboarding festival Wakestock is held yearly and beings in large crowds.