Axis Wakeboard Boat Forum

A few really good posts about the state of wakeboarding. Highend is not selling and people are just not buying or riding highend gear or wakeboarding at all. All the new highend gear that is on the water was probably bought at closeout.

What are you thoughts and how does it get fixed? Does it ever get fixed?

My thoughts.

Customers don't feel the excitement for the new products. Companies are not making anything that is causing the new or old school wakeboarder to feel the need for a new board. The one they have works just fine for the level of riding they are doing.

Advertising from the boat market has shifted. When Wakeboarding took over the ski market all the boat companies had shifted advertising to show the great wakeboard abilities of the new wakeboard boats. Over the past years all the new boat buyers are only seeing the Wakesurf side of boating in all the print and online media. When new boat owners are in the shops all they ask for is surf. We never see a customer asking for a full setup for the dad, mom and kids. If anything it is one entry level wakeboard in 138 with size 8-12 bindings as a boat board.

Cable parks are not creating the amount of new riders in the sport. During the cable park boom the industry was excited because the cable parks were going to create a whole generation of new wakeboarders. I don't think we have seen that. Kids might be going for day camps but they are not staying in the sport and becoming huge wakeboard consumers. We might get a few that graduate into a real wakeboard kid but not at the numbers I feel the industry was counting on. All the brands dumped money into parks for demo gear that never really panned out to create a loyal customer.

These are some of my thoughts that I have come up with after talking with my industry people over the past summer. Something will have to change with wakeboarding or it will continue down this path. "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." I feel we have begun to repeat.

I remember standing at a ski lake in the late 90s. The waterski group would not let the wakeboard group into the clubhouse...I walked away thinking those ski guys are doomed.

Over the last few years the surf community has grown tremendously with boat companies pumping majority of R/D funds and advertising funds in that direction. The wakeboarding community appeared to be shrinking, specifically in the area of grassroots contest riding.

I have been taking my son (15yrs old) since 2011 to compete in various local, regional and national wake events. Each year the rider counts declined with the exception of this season.

Examples: local INT league event 78 wakeboarders this year, almost double previous years of 40-45 riders.

WWA Nationals this year, boat and cable 200+ riders, many divisions running multiple heats of 6-8 riders.

Points chase cable nationals in ATL 2 weeks ago, approx 200 riders

While I do agree the sport needs to continue to evolve to stay relevant, I believe it is primarily economy based and it appears to me that the economy is healing somewhat and people feel they have more money to spend on these products and activities.

Nationals in Oklahoma 2012 may have been my last pro tour event and numbers were down. I am sure Mastercraft pulled out of the tour last season because they felt the attendance hit an all time low.

Good to see a little up tick in these events this season. Wonder if a chart of tour attendance is available? Doesn't WWA have these numbers?

Every time I'm on the water we pretty much only see people surfing (or tubing). Occasionally you'll see someone wakeboarding but it's pretty uncommon to see anyone else out there do any wake to wake riding. We have actually surfed more this summer bc of conditions and crowds. We really focus on wakeboarding when wetsuit weather hits.

Also, I know several of the INT stops this year were cancelled due to weather/water levels, so the increase in participants may be directly tied to fewer events. Just a thought.

I know its a broken record but I think its tied to boat prices. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able, at 30 years old, to make my boat payment each month for a wake boat. But I cant afford what is really selling and that is big dollar bling machine surf boats marketed to guys who don't want to take the hits on their body. The market isn't priced, advertised or research/developed for me; its all done for 40-50 year olds to regain some glory time in a sport that is as risk free as possible. They are taking their kids and buddies out and introducing surfing. And when you're on a boat and the owner is a surfer thats what the new people are going to try.

As for equipment, its more of the same. I've only got so much money to go around. I've given up lots of other discretionary spending to afford the boat, gas, insurance, trips to the lake and so forth. So when I wanted a new board last week I definitely was eyeing up the 2015 gear. I've got a pair of 2013 boats on a brand new Code 22 and couldn't be happier. No need to push for the 2016 equipment when the 15 was $375 and already a huge step up from my 2013 board.

And for the record, surfing is boring.

I'll echo what Jay said you just don't see people wakeboarding. Both of my boys wakeboard, I even ride a couple sets a weekend. Its rare that we see another wakeboarder and most of the time its someone just cruising behind the boat (like me). My kids actually get excited to see someone else riding a wakeboard and not tubing or surfing. Wakeboarding is just small. I've tried to explain this to my kids like this. I tell them to think of all of the kids they know their friends, acquaintances, etc including all of the kids at their school and name off the wake boarders, I mean kids that actually ride regularly not just once a summer or one time with another friend. INT and contest friends don't count. They came up with two names and one of them is a friend they taught how to ride this summer. Its just not that big. Why? These are some that me and the boys came up with costs, time, lack of instruction and the fear of pain or injury....not necessarily in that order for everyone.

I agree with what everyone has stated. However I prefer wake boarding to surfing like 8:1. I enjoy surfing after I've done my wakeboard sets and can no longer hold myself on the rope. But aside from that the only other thing that keeps me off the board is the conditions. When most people are introducing others into our sports it's usually on a weekend when lakes, rivers and other waterways are being occupied by a ton of other people that have no concern or respect for water sports enthusiasts. Now I am a solid wakeboarder and I get extremely frustrated when tubers and other idiots chop up the limited water I'm trying to ride on. Riding on choppy water fatigues me twice as fast and I get twice as mad because the wake is also unpredictable to hit. It becomes more work then fun and becomes exhausting with little reward. Now get on some glass and wakeboarding is more than just trying to jump wake to wake. It's fun to just do some surface tricks and carve on the nice flat water. Surfing on the other hand can be done almost any conditions. Windy days , heavy traffic , a few too many drinks. I recently visited deep creek in western Maryland for Labor Day weekend (I know it's a busy time) in hopes of getting some good water, we were less than fortunate and only option was to surf. Not my first choice but still an epic trip. I was able to get two runs on my wakeboard and both required getting up at 630 on vacation and the slight chill was less than inviting but you gotta do what it takes for some glass anymore. I don't think wakeboarding is dead, I just think people have options now to what activity they can have the most fun at a given time.

Agree with this too^^^^we are on dawn patrol on the weekends for sure.

The boats are not marketed specially towards 40-50 year olds. Marketing shows 20-30 year olds all over the promo videos. You buy what you can afford...chalk it up to your income and/or choice of careers that affects your desire to have a "blinged surf machine" for wakeboarding.

And for the record, I'm having fun surfing and wakeboarding equally.

Personally, me and the wife are weekend warriors. We don't try new tricks, we just enjoy the ride. I am 32 and she is 27. I found a setup I like a lot and I don't need the newest gear. The gear is always over priced and adds little benefit to my amateur ability. I prefer to get it on discount when I upgrade. Also, the top of the line doesn't always fit my riding style.