Wakeskating vs. Basketball

[NaRC-P rider]

okay so this is a discussion i was having with some of my friends today: basketball vs. wakeskating. Cuz lately us around Narcoossee have been frequenting the local YMCA to get our jock on and play some b-ball, but i kind of voiced my opinion today about how i didn't really enjoy it too much last time i went. When they asked why, somehow we got into this discussion.

They were making the point that "anyone can be good at basketball if they try hard enough" and hence i guess that is the appeal.

I felt like it is too intense and not relaxing, and that it is just too much of a competition. When i voiced that they were like "well that's how wakeskating is too" which i can't imagine at all. I guess the interesting points and argument that came about was that to me, wakeskating is not always a sport. It's not always like i want to go out and get better. Of course sometimes i do, and that in itself is enjoyable. But I have never ever found joy or fulfillment in establishing myself as a superior wakeskater to someone else, the whole idea of it just sounds silly to me. But to me that's what basketball and team sports seem to be about.

One of the most interesting parts of the debate was when i started discussing how "i always have to TRY in basketball" cuz when you play a team sport, if you dont perform well then you let people down. In wakeskating i can do what i want when i want. My buddy i was talking to about this seemed confused at the idea that when i wakeskated i didn't always want to just go "train" i guess you could call it.

I don't know, i guess i typed all this out and thought there would be some kind of debate we could have, but i think i either forgot the main point we made or there never really was a debate at all...so i'll make one up. what do you guys see as the main difference in these activities and why do you think that we as this group of people enjoy wakeskating so much?

[RUSSIAN]

It's the jock mentality. some people get board sports, most don't. For those people, just being out there is not enough. you have to be getting somewhere with it or why bother. Its sad really. Thats why you see lots of wakeboats filled with fools and no boards. They just don't get it

[jonnyUTAH]

I LOVE basketball. I play pick-up 3 or 4 times a week. It keeps me in shape and relaxes me after work. Now that College basketball season is over; from time to time, I get to play with members of our University team, which is dope as hell.

Personally, I think that there are some similarities between the two sports, i.e., it takes the same type of practice, muscle memory, and skill to shot 3s as it does to stomp 3-shoves in competition.

Wakeskating can be a team sport. COME TO CREW CHALLENGE THIS YEAR!!! It is actually a sha-it load of fun. Each team needs to plan out their entire strategy. The Satte team had 3 coaches: one at the start dock, one on the judges tower, and one at the rail pool. The 3 coaches needed to communicate with each other and the riders so we didn’t get docked any points or lose time (you loose points if you have a rider on the jet-ski and boat at the same time). It adds a very interesting dynamic to wakeskating.

"anyone can be good at basketball if they try hard enough" = That is complete B.S. To be a good B-ball player, you need to grow up playing the sport. Solid ball control and court vision come from growing up playing basketball. I got into basketball late in life, and no matter how hard I try, there are certain fundamentals I will never get.

I think everyone should find a good balance between team sports and individual sports. I grew up playing soccer, rugby, and snowboarding, and I have learned many valuable skills/lessons from each.

[AnnexLA23]

I had that jock mentality fro a long time when i first started which wasnt very long ago. All of my friends that got me started on wakesakting had prior experience in skateboarding and wakeboarding with me not having either. After the first couple of times on the water and not even being able to get up and watching my friends doing better than me it really frustrated me. I wasnt used of being the weakest person at a sport that i participated in. but after not going with them fro a while they convinced me to just have fun with it no matter what. And no i love being out there and finally landed my first shuv three weeks ago. still not close to catching up with them but who cares. its all i want to do, but the competition part is still there and i hope to catch with them eventually.

[Skate252]

i actually sat out our weekly lake trip last saturday to go shoot hoops....I love wakeskating, but i grew up playing basketball and just cant seem to overcome the razzamuhtazz of playing a pick up game at the rec and throwin down.....the best feeling to me is when at the end of the game and the beginning of the next one from the people who were sitting there waiting to play "whos gonna guard him? im not gonna... u do it..." so in short..... yes i do like kickin someones ass in a sport.......everything in life is basically a competition if you look at it enough.....

all that said i do enjoy just gettin behind the boat and cruising, but that could even be considered a competition with yourself...

final thought: Name one person who doesnt like to win.......

[tahoe]

jonnyUTAH, ur not i shape enough to play

[kyle13]

Wakeskating is never a competition for me and never will be. I would never look down on anyone he competes or makes wakeskating a sport but up until I quit soccer last year, wakeskating was my escape from the sport mentality. I could finally do something I loved and not worry about having to preform to a certain standered. I don't have to worry about having certain tricks or being better than anyone else. This dosen't mean that I don't have a progressive mentality, I will always have the drive to learn new tricks and get better. But for me there is a huge difference between progression and competition. I say do what's fun for you. If pushing yourself to be consistent, have the most flip tricks, or going the biggest w2w is fun for you, do it. If getting podium spots in comps is fun for you do it. I can go out and not land a single trick and have more fun than I have even had in a soccer training session. It's all how you look at it.

[Wakeness450]

personally, i can 3 shuv a basketball a lot better than a wakeskate

[jonnyUTAH]

[Skate252]

Wakeness450 i still cant three shuv a skate but i can three-dunk a basketball......

i started thinin about this more the other night and comparing basketball and wakeskating is like comparing joe dirt and ben franklin.....the only thing they have in common is...... well nothing... except they both effin rock my socks with a gold clock under a cinder block!!

[electricsnow]

Just to use an extreme example, hockey is gnarly. If you've never played before (or you've played very little on a lake or something), you'll be humbled quickly when you start messing around with dudes that started playing when they were five and went to all of their summer camps, etc. Like johnnyutah said, a lot of the good players have been playing since grade school...I know that was true with my friends who were in basketball.

Anyway, I like to progress on my wakeskate. sometimes I just want to chill, but part of the fun is having to work your ass off for a trick. Then you feel like you earn it. It's not about being THE best, but it is about improving yourself (or for me it is). But to be honest, being elite in any athletic field (mainstream or otherwise) is a big deal.

So yeah, different activities speak to different people. With that said..."GAME ON!!" (that's from wayne's world)