Top Innovations in the Sport

[GnarShredd]

I've been somewhat involved and at the very least a follower of wakeskating since the first Cassette line back in the day. I just finished my first winch build yesterday and was thinking about how far the sport has come and how it's become its own thing apart from wakeboarding. I've been a regular visitor to this site since 2003 and I remember threads about if 360 flips were even possible (and Nick's first kickflips on that K39) . I just can't believe the progression of this sport and that got me thinking of what it is that really helped form this in to what it is today, its own thing apart from wakeboarding.

Long story short, list what you think are the top 5 innovations from the sport (1 being the most influential) that made it in to its own thing.




5. Griptape - To me this seems like what helped wakeskating move out of the Fresh Water Traction days and start to develop a more skate-style influence.

4. Sfumato - (this is kind of a personal one) Helped to really make wakeskating stand-out to me above wakeboarding. I remember picking this up and being blown away. I showed friends, family, I couldn't get enough. But it overall helped set the tone that wakeskating can be its own thing without being thrown in to a small section in a wakeboard film.

3. Integrity Wakeskates - Proved that there is room in wakeskating for a high-quality, high-end composite wakeskate. This shows a high commitment level to the sport not only for Integrity, but for the customers who are willing to throw down all of that cash on something that is not just another toy for when they get tired of wakeboarding.

2. The 4-Trac - there were wooden concaves before this, but the overall design coupled with the 'locked in' fin setupis still a continuing thing within wakeskating and options for this fin setup can be found on most high-end boards still. It's not dying out anytime soon either.

1. The Winch - This really let wakeskating become something completely on its own. Now there are literally thousands of spots that have opened up that were previously unrideable. Lets face it, if some of these spots were discovered on a wakeboard most of these would just be boring. It's the technical aspect of wakeskating that truly gets showcased with a winch.


(I didn't get a chance to re-read. I'll edit slightly later if I need to if something doesnt make sense the way i wrote it )

[TTUFAN24]

sfumato changed me. shortly after i told my friend "to go ahead and just keep my wakeboard on his boat." he still has my wakeboard and doesnt even own a boat anymore.

[Gnarly Dancer 42]

i'd have to agree with everything you said


1. the winch

2. lock - in fins

3. concave wakeskates in general

4. portable pool gaps

5. the 4 trac ( just because i like it so much )

[-LoGiK-]

1. Cassette
2. Nubs/Trucks
3. Winch
4. System 2.0
5. Andrew Pastura

[-=AlexXx=-]

1. Thomas Horrell, Danny Hampson, and the rest of Cassette
2. Winch
3. nugs, nubs, lockin fins whatever u wanna call them
4. System 2.0
5. Andrew Pastura and Reed Hansen.

[Cyclone268]

[88skisupreme]

1 Era hyrdo tubes
2 Liquid Force Sponge
3 Astrodeck hooks
4 shawkboard!
5 that wooden handle that lets you do backflips

[Gnarly Dancer 42]

88skisupreme, dont forget kite tubes

[-=AlexXx=-]

88skisupreme, and era hydo funnels.

[88skisupreme]

[T-Hawk]

In random order:
* Griptape
* The Winch
* Scott Byerly & Erich Schmaltz
* The Winch
* The Byerly Toe Jam
* Symmetrical Boards
* The Winch
* And probably The Winch

[Evan71]

Rails

Pool Gaps

Winch

Integrity

Aaron Reed.

[Toxis]

gotta give love to byerly and schmaltz. They started it and still progress it in different ways.

shoes. Regular skate shoes typically get water logged and get heavy. Grip just made sense because of skateboarding.

Cable. Not just 'skating but for wakeboarding too. It just allows so many people to get introduced to the sports. And with 'skate friendly obstacles, it just opens a whole new world up.

Winch. Go anywhere, anytime.

Videos. Progression! You just never know where the sport can go till the new video. "you don't know how high I can fly" quote Michael Scott. Ha!

[The Bug]

Thomas Horrell, we can never thank you enough.

[uidzero]

jorts

[88skisupreme]

I think this is the big one, before this everyone was riding small or cut down wakeboards. This was the first mass produced wakeskate IMO, this one had the rounded edges and griptape on top that gave it a real skate feel: http://messageboard.wakeworld.com/skates/getboard2.asp?boardid=553

[electricsnow]

I think this is a really good idea for a thread...like probably one of the best ones that really made me think about the question and want to post. It seems like the criteria and term "innovations" have some leeway, so I'm going to take the same liberties as everyone else with my answer. And I think like Gnarshred, my answer will reflect personal inspiration and influence in wakeskating as well. I don't know if my order is necessarily full on 1-5 with one being the highest, but it's pretty close...everything listed is important to me.

1) Fresh Water Traction: While some people probably don't understand what FWT is all about, or maybe they can't really relate to what the product looks like, this is what started it all. Fresh Water Traction is the first wakeskate specific company with gear that was catered specifically to wakeskaters, be it a high end wakeskate, fins, or the traction pads to help people experiment with bindless riding. Lots of people respond to the skate aesthetic of today's gear, but the traction pads made it super easy for people to try to wakeskate without wrecking their wakeboard. And make no mistake, messer was not a wakeboarder.

In addition to the actual company, Jason Messer himself inspired a number of riders, Thomas Horrell included (he always complimented Jason's wakeskating in his interviews in the late 90s). Also, I think he's a special individual because he never took any short cuts with his riding, and he's the first guy who really committed to wakeskating and tried to promote wakeskating and its potential.

2) Cassette Wakeskates: Cassette was the next big wakeskate specific company after FWT and one of the many things that makes cassette so influential is their visibility. I feel like nowadays, wakeskate teams don't have the same presence...it's hard to describe because yeah, there are riders we see in mags and we know they shred. But those guys were unified through videos, ads, and comps (later on), etc. Plus, every rider was strong in their own way and brought something unique to the water. They're for sure what made me pay attention to wakeskating and they just made me want to actually wakeskate.

3) The Winch: What can be said that hasn't already been said? The winch not only opened up new riding potential for spots that were unaccessible by boat or PWC, but it also allows for a different demographic to get involved in wakeskating. The original wakeskates got you away from ridiculously expensive wakeboards and high end boats, because you didn't need all of that. I think the winch is a continuation of that ideal...just trying to keep aspects of wakeskating accessible to those who want it bad enough (because it's still not free ).

4) The 4-trac: I just think this wakeskate is a big deal because not only is it a kick ass shape in every way, but it was the beginning of something that's now more popular in wakeskating (and is still being explored). Of course I'm talking about set back fins and lock-in maneuvers. It's crazy because that board was pretty ahead of its time and it took years for that style of riding to really catch on, and that was something that was discussed when the deck was first released.

5) Linear Perspective/Sfumato: I can't forget one without the other...Linear is the first wakeskate specific movie and it made me see wakeskating and its potential in a completely different way. I always tell people that beg, borrow and steal made me want to get a wakeskate, but Linear Perspective is just what made me want to wakeskate. Then about a year and a half later sfumato was finally released and the way they advanced everything about their riding (from what they did to where they did it) blew my mind away. Sfumato went on to win film of the year at the first wake awards, which is a big deal because that category was primarily wakeboarding videos.

Of course there's other important stuff out there, and it's just huge that there are more and more wakeskate specific companies out there that focus on the entire range of gear and want to make something better than before. and some people probably read my post and are like, bahh, cassette, what a surprise! But it's just crazy what that brand and everyone behind it did to change wakeskating. Everyone is an individual and most creative people have their own ideas for ways in which they want to push or change things, but there's absolutely nobody like thomas horrell. As someone else I know has put it, Thomas was the messenger, not only because he had his company, but because he was able to show people how his ideas for wakeskating were relevant through applications in his own riding. The brand and his own wakeskating were creative outlets, both of which had a huge hand in shaping wakeskating into what it is.

[-=AlexXx=-]

electricsnow, i never really thought about that. the 4-trac revolutionized lock in tricks WAY before its time. I mean when did sfumato come out? 03? and i dont think i really saw THAT much lock in stuff untill 08-09 that really blew my mind like thomas in sfumato with the shuv outa that lock in on that little dock, or A.reeds big back tail. Its crazy they started at, what seems like ages ago, and just recently has it really blown up. At least in my eyes, i could be very wrong.

[burn]

electricsnow, damn go in to detail.

[RC]