Water enthusiasts take to rivers, lakes and oceans for
scores of different marine activities. The popularity of water sports has
exploded, including a growing interest in wakeboarding.
Wakeboarding is an activity where a person is pulled
behind a motorboat at about 20 to 24 miles per hour. Instead of water skiing,
the boarder uses a single board that resembles a snowboard, though wakeboards
are shorter than snowboards and slightly wider. The feet are bound to the board
with either straps or a boot-like device so that the board will not fly off of
the feet while doing tricks.
Statistics indicate that there are more than 3.1 million
wakeboarders across the globe. Roughly 75 percent of wakeboarders are males
ages 13 to 24. Wakeboarding has become the fastest-growing water sport.
Wakeboarding has become so popular that it may someday
qualify for inclusion in the Olympics.
While currently part of the X-Games
& Gravity Games, the International Olympic Committee announced cable wakeboarding
as one of eight new sports being considered for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games.
