Thoughts about the tour and the direction of wakeskating

wakeskate_revolution

I do not know a whole lot about the tour other than what was posted on the "wakeskate tour is BS". But I thought I would put my two cents in. It seems as though the tour is a bunch of BS. But I guess that is what happens when the mainstream gets a hold of things. Anyways I heard a lot of good points. Such as it will take time...It will most deffinatly take time. Another point made was we need to seperate the wakeskate tour from the pro tour. Now that to me sounds like a good idea. This whole pro tour thing is a "wakeboarder dream" not a wakeskater dream. It is great that wakeskating is getting exposure...but is it the kind of exposure we want for the sport? Do not get me wrong, wakeskating is something I love dearly, but where the hell is wakeskating headed? Is it headed for a future of wakeskate magazines filled with articles that are careful not to affend the parents of the kids who read it? I sure hope not. Go look at snowboard magazine, or skate magazine. Most of them make WBM look as though it was intended for a 3rd grader. (I will say Alliance does a decent job.) I guess what I am trying to say is lets not let wakeskating become one in the same as wakeboarding. DIVIDE AND CONQURE

ps. I KNOW I CAN'T SPELL:(

koltman · Addict Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 902 City: Sydney/Orlando

you got a point, but wakeskating is still small, and it would be hard to draw the crowds, and it was te same with wakeboarding, remember how long that took to devide from the waterski tour.

David Legler · Posted: May 06, 2003 6:17 pm Post subject:

i think they need some new friggin anouncers(sp). i was watching the vans triple crown or pro tour or whatever it was. the video of aaron reed doin the fs 360 and those announcers(still spelt wrong) sucked

pooser · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 4738

I think the wakeskate tour should remain with the pro tour for 2 or 3 years just to get exposure. After that it definitely needs to be on its own. I figure by next year they will have worked out all the kinks that make this year not that great. Then when we are sure wakeskating is big enough to make a succesful tour it should be seperated from the wakeboard tour. If it was seperate now no one would go because the competition would be to short. it would be even a full day of riding because there are so few pros. but in a few years there might even be enough interest and enough good riders to start a Ameteur section of the wakeskate comps.

kyle hyams · Newbie Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 43 City: Maitland

I agree. Get like Thomas Horrel up there to reak havoc Twisted Evil

koltman · Addict Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 902 City: Sydney/Orlando

I think they should do a best trick contest as well, maybe bring the boat out and do best w2w trick or something, and then best slider. just m opinion

SCBrips · Guest

electricsnow · Posted: May 07, 2003 5:53 pm Post subject:

In regards to wakeskating as a whole, I think it is definitely on the right track. It was mentioned in a thomas horrell/brian grubb interview that wakeboarding was brought up in the wrong hands (i.e. trick skiing, three event waterskiiers that wanted money...) Wakeskating is for a different kind of crowd and right now, I think the right people are in the drivers seat. There are also a few dope companies pushing the cause right now, namely cassette, kampus, buttermag (first book of its kind for wakeskating. wakeboarding doesn't even have anything this dope), and skate companies like dvs that are out there pushing the cause and believing in the art (dc can be in there too). I personally feel that the first three companies are doing a good job of keeping free-thinking alive and coming up with their own ideas that are radical, but they still have the faith to keep pushing (ex: four trac, anything from kampus, and obviously the book).

In regards to the comps, at this point I am just glad that wakeskating isn't such a side show and they are acutally earning something for thier time. Lord knows wakeskating isn't as appreciated as wakeboarding and I would imaging that unless you are on top, it's super hard to make it. I haven't been able to witness any of the comps in person so I dont' know how shitty they really are, but I don't think the pro tour really caters to the type of crowd that is going to be super interested in wakeskating and will actually *get it.* Continuing, I do think it is a good idea to start wakeskating with wakeboarding only in the respect that you will have a decent crowd and you may turn on some different people. However, as many of you have mentioned, wakeskating will need its own forum at some point. That way, the comp can really showcase wakeskating and there will be more time for the event (which is necessary due to the falls) and other things can take place (like kristian said, perhaps a best trick comp or something). It will need people that really care and people that really know what's up. but that will all come in time, as wakeskating is really young. Did anyone read this whole thing? Anyone? Anyone?

David Legler · Posted: May 08, 2003 12:50 pm Post subject:

i sure did. it should count for aleast 5 posts Very Happy

electricsnow · Posted: May 08, 2003 1:13 pm Post subject:

Ha HA!!

wakeskate_revolution · Posted: May 08, 2003 4:07 pm Post subject:

good words electricsnow, I can deffinatly see where the sport is going the right way. I know image is nothing...but then agian it is. Cassette deffinatly presents an image that reaches out toward the right people...Hell Thomas went on tour with Small Brown Bike and Hot Water Music..that has to count towards something. (personal aside- I don't think the new hot water music CD has the intensity of their old stuff, but the Bike still kills it) Not only is thomas pushing the sport the direction, but we have Erich Schmaltz to thank heavily. He of all people is pushing the limits hardcore style and reaching out to a totaly different crowd. Not only this but his stuff is "original".

But anyways...what im saying is yes i think the sport is rolling in the right direction for the most part...but i just hope it doesn't fall into the wrong hands on the way. Although, as long as we have inovative people like Erich Schmaltz and Thomas Horrell we should be ok.

Melanie G · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 230 City: Orlando

Everyone bashes the tour, but the riders are the ones who pick the format. They pick the judging format and they are the ones who also do the judging. If it sucks so bad, then why don't the riders change it? They have the say so in it, it's their tour.

electricsnow · Posted: May 09, 2003 8:02 pm Post subject:

The tour has been changing-look at how much the format has evolved over seven years (just to pick a number). First runs were written down, extended pylons weren't used, there weren't really any rails. Now you have all of that and more. The riders have been using their voices and it is paying off. I don't think you will ever have a perfect comp and things will be ever changing, from the judging to the formats. And I'd be willing to be that the format used today will be different from the one that is used two years from now.

wakeskate revolution, you do have a legit concern. Perhaps I am being short sighted, but I see nothing but great things for wakeskating and the people that are the future. Tim kovacich and danny hampson are two dope young'uns that are the future and will light the path. I loved the way cole munster skated, so if he is still in the game, his style is something that will compliment wakeskating and its direction too. However, anything could happen. I would have never thought that so many young kids would be interested in wakeboarding for the money and that there would already be soccer moms. Granted, some are super supportive, but I was at a comp last year and one mom made her son recite his run to her and he just looked like he was over it. It's weird because there isn't even that much money to be had.

Oh yeah, I hope coaching doesn't become a popular phenomena in wakeskating either. It's all about feeling it out for yourself and accomplishing something on your own terms through the creative process of trial and error. I just think it sucks when you need help figuring out every single trick you learn. Granted, help now and then isn't bad, but full time isn't my game. And I'm not going to bash any one person for doing it, I just don't believe in it.

Anyway, I think that one advantage wakeskating has is its roots. You could say that it has a little bit of surfing or whatever and it did spawn from a wakeboard (at first), but it is the skater kids that are going to be stoked on it. Like thomas horrell said, 99% of wakeboarders can't noseslide on a skateboard (that was from the butter interview. If you don't have it, it's a must!) In my opinion, the skate crowd is more of an edgier and looser crowd. Wakeboarding, on the other hand, not only interests the young riders, but the 40+ year old geezers that have the cash to buy a 50,000 boat, so in a way, it can't reach the potential it could or wants because you still have that conservative crowd to entertain. A wakeskate can be used behind anything (you aussies even have zodiacs, which I think is dope), so even the young pups can get in on the fun. And not to mention the fact that you aren't going to be spending 80.00 a day on gas with a seadoo.

And before ya'lls get up in arms about the geezer thing, chill. I'm 22 and I call myself a geezer. peace:

:geezer

Josh R · Posted: May 10, 2003 1:42 am Post subject:

Carn' the Zee boats! Cool

electricsnow · Posted: May 10, 2003 5:23 am Post subject:

Exactly! I love that picture! Aussies seem badass too, like care free and chill (or they just seem that way...most, I mean. I am generalizing here.)

Josh R · Posted: May 10, 2003 5:53 am Post subject:

Thats a pretty fair statement, it's a cultural thing I think.

The scene here has a few issues though.

77 · Posted: May 12, 2003 1:08 am Post subject:

I had no idea that they werent behind a boat at the tourneys?! Thats insane. What the hell is the point then if you cant do it behind a boat???????

jibn-it-all · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 248 City: apopka

thomas has the best style for the way these wakeskate comps are set up. hes so teck. any one know how long the rope the pros use and how fast they are going at comps