A Brief History of Wakeboarding and the Wake Boat

Wakeboarding has been a popular sport for a long time. Adrenaline junkies find themselves being towed behind a motor boat by only a string and the skills of their balance! The sport of wakeboarding came much sooner than the wake boat, but today we can enjoy specialized equipment and boats made for the thrill of wakeboarding. Our team at Germaine Marine strives to be a resource for all of your marine needs, so continue reading to learn a bit more about these incredible boats and the sport that inspired them. 

When Did Wakeboarding Start?

The exact timeframe of wakeboarding is often debated, but it’s mostly believed that it all started in the 1980s with “shooting the wake,” where a person would stand on a board and be pulled behind a motorboat. It was quickly dubbed as “skurfing” and was considered a mix between surfing and skiing on water. 

At first the board was only a board, but quickly the design evolved to include foot straps. This modification allowed the rider to get air and maneuver better across the water. The first televised sporting event was in 1990. 

When Was the First Wake Boat Introduced?

With the sport’s quick rise in popularity, manufacturers began creating a boat specifically designed for wakeboarding. The first model was introduced in the late 1980s, revolutionizing the world of wakeboarding. Wake boats offered more speed and control than the traditional models, as well as a deeper wake that allowed for higher jumps and tricks. Today you can find incredibly advanced models that drastically improve the wakeboarding experience!

Whether you’re new to the sport or you’ve enjoyed wakeboarding for years, we hope you’ll visit us at one of our locations to learn more about the available wake boat models. We proudly serve Arizona, California, and Utah.