Running a slalom course on a wakeboard?
 

I know, it's a crazy idea. But have any of you tried it? I mean seriously--up the boat speed and try to run a slalom course and see how many bouys you can get?

I started snowboarding before I started wakeboarding (by a couple years anyway). So I've been doing them both since the late 90's. On my snowboard, I LOVE getting a good speed run and carving turns. Yet it seems that wakeboarding is way more analogous to park snowboard riding than to 'all mountain' snowboarding and 'freeriding' or even snowboard slalom/GS.

I have most certainly run an Alpine Slalom race course on my snowboard. So why not see if I could run a slalom water ski course on my wakeboard? I mean, more speed and hard carves could actually be fun as a change of pace...

So, has anyone done it? What was it like?

I've done it at Wakeboard speeds. 22 to 23 mph. I don't think I could handle 36 mph.

Well, I only slalom at about 28mph and I just freeski, so I wonder what wakeboarding would be like at 28.

I did watch that video and the yank from the slack of the turn looked pretty harsh!

The problem with wakeboarding at slalom speeds is the crash. The ski has a smaller surface area and it comes off when you crash. The wakeboard just rips your ankles off and puts you in the hospital.

If you make it around 2 ball at 28 I'll buy you a case of beer, haha.

I used to work at a ski school and there was a slolam course on the wakeboard lake. We use to cruise through the guides and run the course goofing around all the time. I've ran at least 30mph on an 80ft line behind a wakeboard boat. It isn't that bad or scary.

Trick skiers used to go through the slolam course for drills and exercise all the time.

Oh god, now I am about to REALLY date myself. That was actually a sport in the really early days of wakeboarding, the Skurfing days. Way back when event organizers were trying to figure out what to do with wakeboarders, like really early 90's.

There was one setup a few weeks ago at our local lake.....I was going to go try it but never went over. Was going to bet with the kids.

Andy, That is before my time, but I used to watch old home recordings of the Bud Tour out at Lone Star Ski School and it was on it. It was super goofy on the thick single fins with toe straps. The crashes were pretty sweet.

I'll need to drink a few of those beers before I can decide to attempt that. They don't say, "Hold my beer" for nothing.

Zane's out the boot crash was hysterical. Gotta try ripping it like that

You bet! I used to work at a ski/wakeboard camp so we'd do the sideways slalom a few times a year. I ran 24mph at 15 off, I think my PB is 2 or 3 at 26mph (15 off).

Thank God there's no water equivalent for moguls. Those are the dumbest things ever. It would be like slalom skiing on chop. Not just a little rough water, but white-capping, f*ck this *****, I can't even surf in it kind of chop.

All the time. I maintain our lake's slalom course and only use it early weekday mornings for slalom. The rest of the time we wakeboard, barefoot and whatever's fun. Try running a course on combo skis too! Fun as heck, start at 20 and move up in 1mph increments. Great in chopped up afternoons after a few beverages.

At the first tournaments we had Wakeboard slalom. We even had an event called Tommy's Slalom that you ran the course but did tricks across the wake between balls. 20 mph. It was fun but the crashes were brutal and not worth the price you paid. Please visit Wakeboarding Hall of Fame on FB if you can. Much or this is being logged and will be available on our website soon. God bless.
Tommy Phillips
Wakeboarding Hall of Fame.