Wakesurfing
Wakesurfing is a water sport in which the wakesurfer rides an artificially generated wave behind a wakeboard or wakesurf boat, which is factory-equipped with special technology. Ballast in the form of floodable tanks or sacks is often used for this purpose. Depending on whether the wakesurfer drives goofy or regular, this part of the boat is flooded more. The greater the water displacement, the higher the wave generated. The wakesurfer usually starts with a "line with a dumbbell" like in wakeboarding and is physically connected to the wakesurf boat via the wave after releasing this start line - a so-called wakesurf rope. Unlike wakeboarding, the speed is lower. 15 km / h is common as opposed to 35 km / h for wakeboarding.
The wave generated by the boat gives the wakesurfer a similar feeling to natural surfing. Due to the continuous wave, longer runs are possible than when surfing. This sport is currently experiencing an international boom and world and national championships are held regularly. The repertoire of tricks comes mainly from the skate and snowboard scene. The names of the tricks have been adopted from simply holding the board (grave) and turning (spins).
Situation in Austria: In Austria, wakesurfing as well as surfing and wakeboarding are officially integrated in the water ski association.
history
The beginnings of wakesurfing cannot be fixed at a single point in time or location. Wakesurfing, as it is known today, is to be regarded as a long-term development which began in the USA in the 1950s and 60s with experiments with longboards and normal motor boats. At that time operated by “surf acrobats”, it fell into the “believe it or not” category in society, which brought real surfing fans to the plan to optimize wakesurfing with the right, self-developed equipment. It is thanks to these "pioneers" of wakesurfing that there has been a clear development from an "oceanboard and wave gimmick" to today's society sport .
Float vs. Wakesurfer
Although the connection between the wakesurfer and the water sports boat is only physically present, wakesurfer are generally not to be defined as independent floats, since the presence of the motor sports boat is a prerequisite for wakesurfing as well as for water skiing and wakeboarding behind the boat.
