Between taking demo rides on the MasterCraft of Orlando X Stars plowing through Lake Ivanhoe, the fantastic Greek food on the corner and glassy smooth waters, the Florida State Wakesurf Championships went just about perfectly. If it weren’t for Sunday’s inclement weather and a couple of jet skis that looked like Durritos bags harshing our mellows, it would have been absolutely perfect. But hey, all things considered, this was a pretty fantastic competition.
When you’re at a wakesurf competition, you know it; things are considerably different than, say, your average Pro Wakeboard Tour stop. For example, riders got a practice pass in their competition run where nothing counted, the rider just got to acclimate to a wake he or she may have never ridden. This buffer offered riders a little leeway to try tricks they might not have completely down and to make sure they were flowing with the X Star before their competition pass went down.
Another — and arguably more important — feature of a wakesurf competition is that the ladies are present, they’re shredding, and they don’t hesitate to hop out there in just a bikini. We love this. Short shorts are great, don’t get us wrong, but they simply can’t compare to a bikini; it feels like you’re at Cocoa Beach just hanging out.
Another great innovation to this comp was a WiFi live-feed camera going from the towboat’s tower to a massive monitor on shore. This greatly improved the spectator potential for people other than the five who were in the boat, and it has a huge potential for all types of competitions.
All in all, it was a great weekend with tons of momentum for next year; we can’t wait!
