Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Wakeboarding Versus Waterskiing

By David Hagerman

There are many similarities and many differences between wakeboarding and waterskiing. Let us take a look at some of them.

Some of the likenesses between the 2 sports include: Both are water sports. This is a no-brainer! Both involve an individual attached to a motor ship by a cable or a rope and being pulled by the same. Both involve surfing the water with smooth objects fitted to the feet of the individual. Both are glamorous sports where emphasis is not just on surfing the water but on performing tricks as well. In truth, tricks form the heart and soul of the sport. Whether an individual is a professional in wakeboarding or waterskiing is dependent on the skills and tricks that he or she's able of performing. Both are inclusive sports where intense competition does not prevent individuals from helping each other out in the numerous sides of the sport.

On the other hand, there are a lot of differences between the 2 sports. The first and most obvious distinction is the wakeboarding is a variant of waterskiing. The latter has been about for more than eighty years today while the former is a comparatively very recent phenomenon. Wakeboarding is a mixture of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing. The sport has borrowed the concept of being pulled by a motor ship powered by a cable from water skiing. It has borrowed the theorem of employing a board instead of skis from snowboarding. It has borrowed the entire idea of creating a wake from the motor ship to surf the same from surfing. It is a mish mash sport which has been made by the combination of inventive concepts and enhancements in technology.

The presence of long and cumbersome skis makes it very difficult to perform different types of stunts in this sport. Instead, the individual is prohibited to a limited number of stunts. On the other hand, wakeboarding offers a load more scope. The difference is as vast as the difference between snow skiing and snowboarding. The recognition of wakeboarding has donated tons to the recognition of water sports. It is augmented its appeal amongst the youth.

The creation of the wake by a motor ship has had a massive effect on the recognition of the sport. This has gave the chance for even people who do not live on the coast to enjoy water sports. All one has to do is get a motorboat that is robust enough to form a gigantic wake and one shall have a wave right in the middle of the lake. All one has to do is ride the wake and perform tricks and stunts when riding the turbulence.

The sport of wakeboarding is performed on a board which is very different as compared to the skis. Further, there is just a single board and not 2 units as is the case in water skiing. The sport of wakeboarding has led to its own variants like wake surfing and wake skating.

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