July 2007 — VOLUME 5 ISSUE 7
Wake up and ride the wave
If you enjoy riding the crest of a wave or watching those who do, the Kamloops Family Festival Wakeboard Tournament is the place to be July 21 and 22.
For the second year running, both amateur and pro riders will tow the line and take it to the limit on the Thompson River for a two-day showdown of tricks and tactics. This competition is part of a provincial tour organized and sanctioned by Water Ski Wakeboard British Columbia, and is hosted at Riverside Park by Kamloops-based up-and-coming wakeboarding company, Wake2Wake.
Owner of the young company Craig Macleod couldn’t say enough about the event or the sport in a telephone interview and encourages everyone who loves it to either enter the contest or catch the tide and watch from the sidelines.
“It’s going to be awesome, bringing so many people together for the purpose of recreation. There will be lots of people, a great atmosphere and it’s family-oriented,” he says about the festival, which he also says is affordable to participate in and is expected to attract experienced riders from around the province.
Last year around 70 wakeboarders cruise into Kamloops for the competition and this year Macleod hopes to exceed that number.
“The last two years have been really good because of all of the support. It’s a growing industry—[wakeboarding’s] the fastest-growing towable water sport, and this is another opportunity to get out and participate,” Macleod points out about the tournament, which he describes as a “bring yourself and ride” event, because boats, gear and equipment can be supplied if need be.
Expect to see riders of a variety of levels and abilities battling it out on the water as well as participants of all ages, as the tournament’s open to anyone from kids to veterans within its 13 categories. There’s also a wake skate segment—a form of wakeboarding that incorporates skateboarding techniques on the water. A smaller board is used instead of the regular wakeboards making it a little more difficult to ride the wave.
“It’s very tricky because there are no bindings,” confirms Macleod, explaining too that wakeboarding is a little more challenging on the surface of a current-driven river, rather than a calm lake.
Despite this Macleod says he and his partner, who have been running their wakeboarding business for over a year now, want to hold more wakeboarding lessons and clinics utilizing the river in Kamloops.
More and more people in the area are taking to this recreational sport seriously, he says, and through Wake2Wake he’s aiming to tighten up enthusiasts’ techniques, perfecting tricks and exposing newcomers to the fun of the sport.
“We want to keep it available to people in Kamloops because there’s not a lot out there for this type of recreation,” he says.
Next year it could be you flying high—riding the wake of the current hot summer sport at the annual Kamloops wakeboarding festival.
For more information visit the Waterski and Wakeboard BC website at www.wswbc.org
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