Wakeboarding is an eXciting water sport that has eXploded in the last decade. A little over 20 years a San Diego surfer named Tony Finn developed a strange hybrid water ski and surfboard called the ‘skurfer’ that was pulled behind a boat and allowed people to “surf” using the boat’s wake. The now modern wakeboard has boots attached and has been perfected to create the perfect board needed to perform the most eXtreme tricks.

The sport includes several disciplines including slalom, tricks, cable, jump, ski racing, kneeboard, wakeboard, and barefoot. Regardless of your prefrence style the sport demands and develops strength, agility and endurance. Water sports are a total body workout, specifically targeting the lower back, legs, forearms and core. Wakeboarding is considered an eXtreme water sport, but can be learned by most. To learn or excel your skills check out our recommended vendors.

Directory of recommended vendors:
Gator Bait Wakeboard School, LLC
305-282-5706 (Appointment Only )
Marcos Moran & Craig Rohrer
Key Biscayne Rickenbacker Marina
info@gatorbaitwakeboard.com

Ski Rixen at Quiet Water Park
954-429-0215
401 S Powerline Road Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
One of America’s first Cable waterski resorts. The new, fun and affordable water skiing system pulls you silently over glassy smooth water. No boats and no boat hassles.
skirixen@bellsouth.net

Wake305
305-962-7427 or 786-439-7184
George Hernandez
Miami Beach on Key Biscayne
Wake 305 Premier Wakeboarding Academy is South Florida’s number one school for some of the most impressive and challenging water sports today.  At Wake 305 our professional instructors specialize in wakeboarding, wakeskating, and wakesurfing lessons.
wake305@gmail.com

Waterskiing:
McGinnis Ski School Inc.
954-321-0221
2421 SW 46th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317-6502
The McGinnis family found Butterfly Lake in 1978, the site is 50 acres of the finest freshest water you will ski on.
waterskico@aol.com

Miami Ski Club
305-592-9130
1780 NW 94 Ave, Miami, FL 33172
460 acre waterskiing lake has 5 protected slalom courses

Walkin on Water Ski School
561-762-0955
Boca Raton
Appointment only, ask for Mike Frankenbush
skiwalkin@aol.com

If  you are looking for a way to lose weight that doesn’t involve running, walking, aerobics or going to the gym try any of the number of water sports. Most people would categorize surfing and wakeboarding as fun activities rather than weight loss activities, but this is not the case, because you can easily lose weight through surfing, wakeboarding and other fun and exciting water based activities, as long as you keep some basic things in mind.
- To get the most out of surfing, wakeboarding, body boarding and other water activities, you should warm up and do a little stretching first. Since you’re near the water already, you may consider warming up simply by jumping around in the waves for a bit. Get yourself used to the water, and warm your muscles up. Once you are feeling more limber and more comfortable, you can move onto a basic stretch and then hit the water. Stretching and a warm up will allow your muscles to become more pliable, as you are more prone to injury when they are stiff and cold.
- Right off the bat, you should realize that you are burning calories and therefore losing weight when you are swimming out to find the wave. Swimming is an excellent way to burn calories, especially in the ocean where the waves are working against you. Natural resistance from the waves allows you to build stronger, leaner muscles, and also allows you to burn more calories than activities that do not involve resistance. It is like the difference between running on flat ground and running up a hill.
- Once you find the perfect wave, consider how much strength and conditioning goes into getting you up onto your board. You begin on your belly, and have to launch yourself up onto your feet, holding your balance as the wave comes up at you. Maintaining balance works the muscles in your entire body, and not only does getting yourself up on your feet burn calories, but it also conditions your body from head to toe.
- Everything that is involved in surfing, wakeboarding and other water sports promotes weight loss, building long, lean muscles, and conditioning your body from head to toe. Surfing, especially, is a challenging sport that involves conditioning your body, fighting the resistance of the water, and getting in shape. Surfing may not burn calories the same way sprinting would, but it certainly works your body over well. After your first few surfing activities you will probably find yourself feeling the ache in your muscles, a tell tale sign that you have worked them out thoroughly and that they are feeling the results.
Surfing and wakeboarding are two excellent examples of ways that you can lose weight non-traditionally, while still having a lot of fun in the process. Surfing every day may not be on your menu, but if you can hit the waves once a week, it may be the perfect way to toss up your workout regimen to keep things from getting stale.

For the Pros and Inspiring Amateurs:
Maintain/Wellness/Recover
Most water sports can be demanding on your body.  The sport requires lower back and ab strength, leg strength, and lots of core strength. As you get more into wakeboarding you’ll want to exercise to prepare yourself before you strap on your board and eventually fly through the air like the pros.

Preperation Excerses:
Start out simple by doing the wall sit exercise. This is exactly like it sounds, you put your back against a wall and bring your thighs down to a 90 degree angle from the wall. In this seated position, hold yourself there for increasing amounts of time by flexing your quad muscles. This exercise simulates the work that your legs must do as the boat pulls you out of the water.
If you are able to jump over the wake, you will want to do squats and exercise your hamstrings to make sure you have the strength to jump without injuring yourself.
One of the constant demands of wakeboarding is the need to hold onto the rope. If you’re not ready for this, you’ll realize it quickly as your forearms will start to burn after a few minutes. To prepare your muscles for this, you can work out your grip by using dumbbells, or any similar weights: grip the weights and hold them at your side while you stand straight up with a slight bend at the knee. Be sure to choose weight that is challenging to hold for extended periods of time.
Another important exercise for wakeboarding relates to your core. Balance is a key part of wakeboarding, so you’ll need all the core strength you can get to keep you balanced. Try doing lunges with a balance ball twist or lay on your back while quickly raising and lowering your legs to exercise your core.

Nutrition:
As you prepare for wakeboarding, don’t forget nutrition. It is important to have a high protein diet if you want the necessary energy and muscle strength for the sport. You should consider taking a high protein supplement like Whey Protein because it is low in calories and fat and has 90% protein content. It will give you that added boost that you’ll need to perform well on the water. Also, taking a whey protein supplement after wakeboarding allows your body to build more lean muscle and burn more calories. With a whey protein boost and the right exercise, you’ll be in shape to get the most out of wakeboarding.