Collegiate Wakeboarding

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

Hey is anybody here involved with or know of any collegiate wakeboard teams? I founded the wakeboard club here at the University of Texas and I am pushing for the University's first "official" team. I was looking for other people to talk to about how their team is involved.

-Wes

Bowen · Posted: Dec 07, 2004 9:15 pm Post subject:

BurntOrangeWake, I talked to my school about this. My schools argument is that they will never make it official because there is nothing in the NCAA about it. and NCAA covers alot of insurance matters that my school doesn't want to handle. They said if I could get another school (big school, like say UT Wink

) to petition the NCAA to look at making it a sanctioned sport that would really halp my case.

Kyle Shaw · Outlaw Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Posts: 157 City: Pittsburgh

BurntOrangeWake, read this web page, and then ask yourself if your really want to subject your club to these rules and procedures.
http://www2.ncaa.org/legislation_and_governance/eligibility_and_conduct/

But if I was going to do this I would start with the athletic coordinator and see what he/she has to say.

BR_WB · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 2850

We've got a wakeboard team here at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss).

Stephan · Guest

Talk to ASU, they seem to have the best thing going or them. In CA withour budget issues & liability issues, we are not allowed to actually wakeboard in the name of our club. We did & now we are no longer recognized, it really sucks. ASU gets a new Supra that their team (top ten riders of the club) uses weekly as a training tool, on weekends it is used by the rest of their club members on a "by pull basis". I wish we could have that. I also wish we didn't have to compete in the trick ski division.

BR_WB · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 2850

Stephan,

We were talking to some girls that ride for ASU at Nationals in Orlando last month and they said the ASU team is kinda falling apart.

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

Delta138 · Outlaw Joined: 25 Nov 2004 Posts: 107 City: Springfield

i am going to university of missouri next year and does anyone know if they have a team?

King of the Tigers · Posted: Dec 08, 2004 7:25 pm Post subject:

Just my .02 on ASU's team. ASU's team seemed a bit elitist to me. I'm a student there and last semester I saw they had a booth set up and so I went to see what it was about. A bunch of meathead fratboys (yes that's a stereotype and before you get up in arms some of my buddies are meathead fratboys and very cool) were manning the booth and basically it seemed like they were most interested in talking to the young blonde sorority girls. I was checking out the Parks with Parks bindings they had right in front and even after there was no-one else around not one of them asked me a thing. Now I'm not saying that they had to talk to me and I certainly could have tried to start a conversation with them but I figured I'd seen enough. Then an acquaintance who has been on my boat and definitely made sure he didn't get himself invited again joined the team and that pretty much sealed the deal.

That being said someone for their team emailed me and invited me to join. But the way I figured it since I have a boat I would be paying more money for less water time just so I could call myself a Wakedevil. I do think it's a cool idea though for those who are not blessed enough to have a boat.

Tigerblp · Posted: Dec 09, 2004 5:59 am Post subject:

I started the club here at Rollins in Orlando... I couldn't really help you much with starting an actual team because we were rejected for that last year, But I can help you out with any other info you might need.

goofyboy · Posted: Dec 09, 2004 7:41 am Post subject:

Wes - if you haven't spoken to the UT ski team, you should approach them. I think they include wakeboarding in that group - or at least they were beginning to when I was there.

Good luck and Hook'Em - from a UT alum...

Stephan · Guest

That's too bad, although I do understand the fascination with blond sorority girls... Wink

I go to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, it's in a small town right between LA & San Francicso, pretty well known for it's engineering & architecture programs. I don't have a boat & it was my only source of pulls but I got to know the drivers & am part of the regular crew (Wake Ninjas) see my post "A Fine Day on the Water". It really is unfortunate the liability issues that our sport is plagued with, if it were a NCAA recognized sport it would be different, but then again I don't know if I'd like that too much, it's like the Olypics or something, we're too cool for that, haha. Tigerblp, how'd nationals turn out? Did you ride it as well as organize it?

dubbs2525 · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 122 City: San Antonio

I could really use some help because i am having an issue with our campus and our rec. sports department. They are not alowing us to get funding basically. We were in the motion of getting stuff donated to us so we could have a raffle so we could raise the money to buy a boat. But they are saying we cant to that unless the company puts it down as a marketing expence to what ever they donate. But alot of companies wont do it that way most want a tax write off and the school said they can not do that becuase we can not carry the schools name so they take no responsibility for it. If any one can help me with this issue it would be great.

dubbs2525 · Outlaw Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 122 City: San Antonio

sorry i was also going to ask burnt orange how long his club as been going i am the president of the club here at Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Why do all the Wes' on this site sign their name after every post? It's a phenomenon.

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

We've only been a club this semester. I've run into similar hurdles with sponsorship. As long as you're not hard selling their product you shouldn't be breaching any rules. Oh and the water ski team=weak. They have a wakeboard portion under the trick ski category. But they are very much anti-wakeboarding. They include it b/c people were demanding it. Plus they can;t even weight the boat. It wouldn't be as bad if it wasn't a wake killing ski boat.

-Wes

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

So are there any other teams in Texas?

-Wes

goofyboy · Posted: Dec 10, 2004 2:04 pm Post subject:

i thought the ski team had come around from when I was there... guess not. that sux cause they have a private lake they use to practice on...

Bowen · Posted: Dec 10, 2004 5:57 pm Post subject:

ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO GO TO BIG SCHOOLS:

What is seriously needed is someone who is willing to push it at their school. My school denied us from even having a club!, their grounds was because of insurance...whatever. Anyway, they checked out the NCAA and there isn't even anthing pending with them. Schools are allowed to have Ski Teams, why not Wakeboarding? It will be a long process, and probably won't benefit those of us in College now, but it needs to be done, and only a big school will do it. That will help pave the way for Collegiate Wakeboarding, and the future of the sport in general. The only problems I can forsee is a sponsorship issue dealing with people getting their boards for free...Anyone got any comments, or willing to push it?

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

we're pushing it. we just need people at other schools to step up and help get things rolling...

-Wes

finkle · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 22 Sep 2003 Posts: 4067

als132 · Soul Rider Joined: 10 Mar 2005 Posts: 462 City: shoreline

yo! i live in seattle, wa, and up in bellingham (about an hour from here) is where wwu is (western washington university). they have won the collegiate nationals for 2 years in a row, i'd suggest checking that out.

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

i need a contact from them to see what's up

97Response · Outlaw Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 104

The governing body would be USA Waterski/Wakeboard, they provide the necessary insurance. Go to your school with information from them.

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

97Response, negative ghost rider

USA Waterski is not the governing body...

wakesetter08 · Newbie Joined: 29 Jun 2005 Posts: 9 City: Bryan

In the latest issue of Wakeboarding mag they suggest going to the WWA (World Wakeboarding Association) for sanctioning and insurance purposes. Did anyone else read that article?

97Response · Outlaw Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 104

Damon · Posted: Aug 22, 2005 10:44 am Post subject:

BurntOrangeWake, do you need WWU's contact info?

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

97Response,
*AWA combined w/ USA Waterski
*USA WAterski from my experience is NOT receptive to Wakeboard Only teams. To quote one of their board members, "wake boarding is just another fad... everyone wants to wake baord because it's easy..." "anybody can do a hoochie glide." and my favorite "water skiing will always be bigger than wake boarding."
*Most schools don't want water ski/wakeboard teams. They want 2 different teams or one or the other.

97Response · Outlaw Joined: 21 Feb 2005 Posts: 104

BurntOrangeWake - Are these facts you've received from USA Waterski? I'm trying to figure out your point, but I'm not sure what you're trying to get across.

*AWA combined w/ USA Waterski - True, is this a problem?

*USA WAterski from my experience is NOT receptive to Wakeboard Only teams. To quote one of their board members, "wake boarding is just another fad... everyone wants to wake baord because it's easy..." "anybody can do a hoochie glide." and my favorite "water skiing will always be bigger than wake boarding."

Since AWA combined with USA Waterski, I'd have a hard time believing a board member said this seeing as how it would be the exact opposite direction they took by merging with AWA. I guess I'll have to take your word on it, but I'd speak with a different member of USA Waterski.

*Most schools don't want water ski/wakeboard teams. They want 2 different teams or one or the other.

I think this is the exact opposite, most schools would want there to be one team because both are towed watersports. Skiing and wakeboarding are not cheap and in the eyes of the school, these sports are the same. I think most wakeboarders don't want to be associated with waterskiers and thats not the attitude to have. I had a great time in college with all my teammates no matter what they did on the water. Its a great way to meet all types of people and be exposed to all watersports diciplines.

If you don't mind me asking, why exactly do you want to become an "Official" Wakeboard team? I see your school has a waterski/wakeboard team together, but there's no reason the wakeboard aspect of your team can't go compete in collegiate wakeboard competitions.

Have you been to any collegiate water ski tournaments? Up here in the midwest, it was some of the best partying I ever did in college. Skiers & wakeboarders got along great, I would never use the word "lame".

Yah, boarders get the shaft a little in the tournaments, but have you ever tried jumping?

BurntOrangeWake · Outlaw Joined: 22 Sep 2004 Posts: 173 City: Austin

southshoresledder · Criminal Joined: 21 Aug 2005 Posts: 75 City: meyers

Chico State and ASU is huge