European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse Stripes sunday March 252007 Wake boarding finds Appeal As Ultra hip sport family Outing photos by Miami the sport of Wake boarding owes its continued popularity in part to technological improvements in boats and equipment which have dramatically enhanced performances c o e e co o to glimpse How Wake boarding has snatched the limelight in aquatic sports consider Champion rider Jimmy Lariche at 17 the High school Junior has lined up sponsor ships with Nau Tique boats hyper Lite Wake boards Fox riders clothing and Miami ski Nau Tique shop Hes still open for a sports drink sponsor ill get a free boat to use from Nau Tique every year says Lariche who has journeyed As far As Russia to compete that Cool Lariche also gets paid to tout products and talk up the sport at boat and outdoors shows in Wake Board ing which is Akin to snowboarding on water a rider wears bindings strapped on a curved Board and hitches a ride behind a Powerboat the phenomenon has exploded in popularity Over the past five years spawning boats specially de signed to kick up big wakes and a dizzying array of boards bindings vests gloves ropes helmets and towers to help aficionados perfect Maneu vers the Market is on fire says Larry Meddock executive director of the water sports Industry association in Orlando which saw annual sales of Wake boards and bindings soar 29 percent to million in 2006 every year everybody says surely it cant and every year it keeps growing How weve grown the Best word is exponentially weve pretty much doubled every year since 1991 says Greg Dick vice president of marketing for hyper Lite a Redmond Wash maker of Wake boards and related equipment the number of Wake Board boats sold last year climbed about 10 percent even As the Overall Boa building Industry Hurt by higher interest rates the downturn in housing and slower Gap growth muddled along with unit sales Down by 6 percent for 2006 in a testament to its rising prominence Wake Board ing has won a spot As a sport at the pan american games set for july in Rio de Janeiro Luke Webb sales manager at Miami ski Nau Tique the specially retailer sponsoring Lariche says Over the past five years Wake boarding has eclipsed traditional water skiing now most everyone wants Wake Board boats he says Wake boarding now occupies that Sweet spot in marketing at the nexus of mainstream Appeal a grow ing number of families do it and cultish Cool its among the fastest growing extreme its pretty easy to pick up the basics and once you learn theres so much you can do you can Excel quickly says Shaun Murray 30 a top pro from Orlando who designed a Board that bears his name and families and the older crowd Are really into it too Aaron Rathy an 18yearold Orlando rider who turned pro last year says i dont water ski anymore Wake boarding is More fun its More personal you can do a lot More tricks 720s and 900s just to Stoke the crowd up boats but specifically for Wake boarding allow the participants to More easily control factors such As Speed and Wake size
