From Washington’s Radar Lake to Center Hill Lake in Tennessee and beyond, wakeboarding now includes more than 3 million followers and is triggering boat purchases by many families, especially those with teenagers.
Once considered an obscure addition to the family of water sports, wakeboarding is now called the fastest growing water sport in the world. Initially called “skurfing” and invented in Australia in the ’80s, the sport was renamed in the ’90s and continues to grow in popularity. It’s particularly appealing to young people and, as such, plays into the research that reveals if youngsters are introduced to boating, particularly as teenagers, they will likely be our future boat buyers.
While builders like Nautique, MasterCraft, Heyday and more than a dozen other brands build today’s wake boats, a less recognized name that is instrumental in introducing wakesurfing to thousands of newbies is Aktion Parks. A subsidiary of Correct Craft, Aktion’s Orlando, Fla., Watersports Complex is among the largest in the nation and introduces thousands of wakeboarders annually to this water sport.
The Orlando facility also deserves recognition recently being named the Water Sports Industry Association 2023 “Wake Park of the Year.” This honor is bestowed upon the wake park that exemplifies excellence in all aspects of wakeboarding, including community involvement. And to that very point, we highlight their recent outreach, a partnership with Above the Wake.
Above the Wake is a non-profit organization that offers watersports lessons to individuals with autism. To Correct Craft’s credit, this initiative has been ongoing for the past nine years. During that time, hundreds of riders on the autistic spectrum have been introduced to and learned to ride wakeboards, kneeboards and tubes.
Tom Hart, executive director for Above the Wake, highlights the organization’s top objective this way: “Our goal at Above the Wake is inclusion, and inclusion is about creating opportunities for individuals to participate. This Orlando Watersports facility plays a huge roll in meeting that need by introducing individuals to successfully enjoying water sports.”
“Like anything else that introduces families to any aspect of our boating lifestyle,” says Jim Armington, founder of Buckeye Sports Center. “We see the importance and long-term value for all of us in programs like this one in Orlando and it models for us the value in finding ways to be involved in our own community here.”
The Above the Wake program, and the facilities and lessons tailored by Orlando Watersports to each riders’ skill level, provide a unique opportunity for individuals with autism to learn and experience the thrill of watersports, and it surely deserve an appropriate call-out.
Moreover, whether or not efforts like this one leads to even one future boat sale, it should encourage every marine dealer, everywhere, to find ways to give back in their community.
