Untitled Document

Wakeboarding

New sport grows in popularity

By Hengky Li

Hengki Li

Wakeboarder demonstrates typical moves. Wakeboads can cost $8000.

Kareim M. Abbouda, an Egyptian executive of a technology firm, remembered the days when he
first tried wakeboarding two years ago.

"I found it difficult to jump on the water because I was used to water skiing. I was mentally unprepared.

"Once you do it, however, you will surely get addicted to it. It is far from simply riding on the water."

Though wakeboarding is gaining more popularity, some people consider it a dangerous x-sport with lots of requirements. According to a professional instructor, however, it is suitable for all people.

"It is not necessary to be a good swimmer or a brilliant water-skier before taking up the sport; however, one does have to feel comfortable with water,"said Mr. Frankie Mak, a local instructor teaching wakeboarding in Stanley.

"And of course, choosing suitable gear, including wakeboards, life vests and wetsuits, is also important," Mr. Mak said.

A wakeboard has two fins at either end of the board for stability. The turning capabilities of a wakeboard have very little to do with the fins of the board.

There are also two bindings on the wakeboard that are made of rubber compounds for flexibility and comfort. They are the shoes for the rider.

For safety, a rider must wear a life vest to keep him afloat in the water. Beneath the vest, a wetsuit must tightly cover the whole body to maintain the body temperature.

According to Mr. Clement Sin, another local wakeboarding instructor in Repulse Bay, it is easy to take up the sport without any experience.

"To start, the rider places his feet in the bindings of the wakeboard in shallow water, holding the rope,"Mr. Sin explained.

"The rider must then sit in the water in a crouched position so that the nose of the board is pointing upward, and continue to hold the rope with both hands."

As the boat moves, Mr. Sin advised, all riders must keep their toes up and their heels down to bring the board out of the water. Once the board is out of the water and on the surface, riders should be able to stand up as long as they maintain equal pressure on both feet.

Riders are then confined to the wake from the speedboat while surfing in the water.

"Once you can stand firmly on the board, you can start doing simple tricks such as jumping," said Mr. Sin.

Basically, the rider jumps into the air, lifting the front foot first, while pushing down on the other foot. By then pulling the back foot out of the water, he becomes airborne.

After mastering the basic skills, all that remains is the creativity of the rider. Discovering new moves and tricks is the thrilling and interesting part of wakeboarding.

"You can try some sophisticated tricks like grabbing the board with your hands as you are airborne,"said Mr. Sin.

Owing to the high cost of wakeboarding gear, especially hiring a boat, wakeboarding was once a privilege for the upper classes only. In Hong Kong, wakeboards are generally imported and cost from about $3,000 to $8,000.

Nowadays, more Hong Kong people can enjoy this heart-pounding sport at relatively low cost by renting the gear from professional instructors such as Mr. Mak and Mr. Sin. They also provide all beginners with full guidance and instructions.

"The number of Hong Kong people wakeboarding has risen in recent years. Most people do it during weekends and holidays in Stanley and Repulse Bay. It is bound to be a trend,” said Mr. Sin.
Foreseeing its popularity, Mr. Sin complained about the lack of support from the government for wakeboarding.

"The government provides no support for the development of sports," said Mr. Sin.

"The designated waters where the government permits wakeboarding are undesirable. Shipping routes interfere. There may be accidents like crashing into a ship when wakeboarding is done there."

Despite the difficulties and potential dangers, wakeboarding lovers are still fascinated with the sport.

"It is marvelous to get a suntan on your boat, compete with your friends and show off any tricks you have learnt. It is undoubtedly the coolest thing," said Mr. Abbouda.

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Hengki Li

Wakeboarder demonstrates typical moves.			Wakeboads can cost $8000.
Kareim M. Abbouda, an Egyptian executive of a technology firm, remembered the days when he first tried wakeboarding two years ago. "I found it difficult to jump on the water because I was used to water skiing. I was mentally unprepared. "Once you do it, however, you will surely get addicted to it. It is far from simply riding on the water." Though wakeboarding is gaining more popularity, some people consider it a dangerous x-sport with lots of requirements. According to a professional instructor, however, it is suitable for all people. "It is not necessary to be a good swimmer or a brilliant water-skier before taking up the sport; however, one does have to feel comfortable with water,"said Mr. Frankie Mak, a local instructor teaching wakeboarding in Stanley. "And of course, choosing suitable gear, including wakeboards, life vests and wetsuits, is also important," Mr. Mak said. A wakeboard has two fins at either end of the board for stability. The turning capabilities of a wakeboard have very little to do with the fins of the board. There are also two bindings on the wakeboard that are made of rubber compounds for flexibility and comfort. They are the shoes for the rider. For safety, a rider must wear a life vest to keep him afloat in the water. Beneath the vest, a wetsuit must tightly cover the whole body to maintain the body temperature. According to Mr. Clement Sin, another local wakeboarding instructor in Repulse Bay, it is easy to take up the sport without any experience. "To start, the rider places his feet in the bindings of the wakeboard in shallow water, holding the rope,"Mr. Sin explained. "The rider must then sit in the water in a crouched position so that the nose of the board is pointing upward, and continue to hold the rope with both hands." As the boat moves, Mr. Sin advised, all riders must keep their toes up and their heels down to bring the board out of the water. Once the board is out of the water and on the surface, riders should be able to stand up as long as they maintain equal pressure on both feet. Riders are then confined to the wake from the speedboat while surfing in the water. "Once you can stand firmly on the board, you can start doing simple tricks such as jumping," said Mr. Sin. Basically, the rider jumps into the air, lifting the front foot first, while pushing down on the other foot. By then pulling the back foot out of the water, he becomes airborne. After mastering the basic skills, all that remains is the creativity of the rider. Discovering new moves and tricks is the thrilling and interesting part of wakeboarding. "You can try some sophisticated tricks like grabbing the board with your hands as you are airborne,"said Mr. Sin. Owing to the high cost of wakeboarding gear, especially hiring a boat, wakeboarding was once a privilege for the upper classes only. In Hong Kong, wakeboards are generally imported and cost from about $3,000 to $8,000. Nowadays, more Hong Kong people can enjoy this heart-pounding sport at relatively low cost by renting the gear from professional instructors such as Mr. Mak and Mr. Sin. They also provide all beginners with full guidance and instructions. "The number of Hong Kong people wakeboarding has risen in recent years. Most people do it during weekends and holidays in Stanley and Repulse Bay. It is bound to be a trend,” said Mr. Sin. Foreseeing its popularity, Mr. Sin complained about the lack of support from the government for wakeboarding. "The government provides no support for the development of sports," said Mr. Sin. "The designated waters where the government permits wakeboarding are undesirable. Shipping routes interfere. There may be accidents like crashing into a ship when wakeboarding is done there." Despite the difficulties and potential dangers, wakeboarding lovers are still fascinated with the sport. "It is marvelous to get a suntan on your boat, compete with your friends and show off any tricks you have learnt. It is undoubtedly the coolest thing," said Mr. Abbouda.