Wakeboarding is an elite sport: a motor boat with a price tag in excess of $50.000 plus a board and various equipment make it way too pricey for the general public, automatically putting the people who enjoy riding a board in the boat's wake in the "chosen few" bracket.
There was a growing trend in the sport's popularity in Russia in recent years - or call it an extreme recreation if you like. Powerful PWCs appear in yacht clubs, there are noticeably more riders in the suburban basins during weekends and the number of competitions is also growing.
On August 4 Shore House yacht club hosted the first international wakeboarding competition in Russia Wake World Russia Cup 2007, with a prize fund of $10.000. The ten winners included riders from Kazan, St. Petersburg, Moscow and a few foreign guests: Oliver Deleforte (Belgium), Dean Lavelle and Shaun Murray (USA).
In the exclusive interview to "Aquatoria of Luxury Life" world-famous wakeboarding masters from the USA Darin Shapiro and Shaun Murray - people who became successful through the sport - share their thoughts about this extreme pastime:
-Extreme water sports are becoming increasingly popular in Russia. As experienced sportsmen, what advice would you offer to beginners?
Shaun Murray: First of all, to acquire professional skills you'll need to spend a lot of time in the water, do a lot of training. Secondly, it's very important to keep in touch with professionals. You already have such people in Russia, and it appears they tend to hang out with each other.
Darin Shapiro: It's not my first time in Russia, I've been here about five years ago and I can see how much better Russian riders got. It's not yet time to talk about a Russian school of riding but there are definitely some people around one should listen to.
- Would you say wakeboarding is a sport for all ages or there are some limitations?
Shaun Murray: I train people of different ages in my school. I have students, four-year olds, sixty-year olds. Of course, that's unusual but they can learn simple tricks so they'd be able, say, to impress their family during a weekend.
- Which country has the best riders?
Darin Shapiro: I'd say, and I think Shaun would agree, it's the US. They've got decent riders in Australia and Canada too.
- Is there a place you'd call a riders' Mecca - like the Swiss Alps to skiers?
Shaun Murray: Orlando, Florida. There are lots of wakeboard schools there, and many lakes which are just great for riding.
- Is wakeboarding your work, or recreation?
Shaun Murray: This sport made us successful, so I think you may call it business. On the other hand if it wasn't fun I don't think I'd be doing it. A lot of things in wakeboarding are fun: water, music, the boat, the job you enjoy - all of it is just great!
Darin Shapiro: I agree with Shaun - it's great when work is fun!
- What other interests do you have, when you're not in the water?
Shaun Murray: When I'm not riding a wakeboard I... ride a snowboard if it's winter and a surfboard if the waves are right. Or play computer games.
Darin Shapiro: I give my free time to music: I've been composing music professionally for about 15 years now. And when the season ends in Florida - between November and January - I go to Hawaii. I've got property there, and I keep doing things I like - writing music and riding a wakeboard.
- How important is physical training? Would it be enough just to be in decent form?
Darin Shapiro: I'm in a pretty good shape so I don't have to take any special training, like going to a gym.
Shaun Murray: Snowboarding and surfing keep me in shape. I wouldn't say you need any special training, apart from riding.
- People in Russia actively buy and sell towing motor boats. Which models do you prefer?
Shaun Murray: I own an Air Nautique, by Correct Craft.
Darin Shapiro: Malibu.
Sidebar 1: Wakeboarding is an increasingly popular sport which appeared in the mid-1980s. It's a mix of water skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing. A motor boat tows the rider whose feet are fastened to a short wide board, not unlike a snowboard. Going at 30- 40 kmph and carrying a counterweight at the stern, the boat leaves in its wake a wave about 50 cm high, which the rider uses as a jump. Wakeboarders can perform practically all of the jumps which can be done on a snowboard or skateboard: various somersaults, turns, captures etc.
Sidebar 2: Darin Shapiro is a legend in the wakeboarding world. He's a six-time world champion, winner of numerous professional tournaments (he never lost one before 2001). Shapiro rides the board for almost 20 years; before that he showed very decent results as a surfer but got really hooked by the new sport. He started earning a living by taking part in competitions and signing contracts with sponsors; when he made enough he opened a wakeboarding school called Ride the Spot in Orlando, Florida. He hires the best instructors who offer wakeboarding lessons to everybody. A week's training course costs about $1.500 – 1.700.
Sidebar 3: Shaun Murray was eight years old when he stepped on the board for the first time. Today he's regarded as one of the most prominent riders. He's among the ten best wakeboarders in the world according to WakeWorld Riders Choice Awards. Murray owns a wakeboarding school in Florida. Several wakeboard models are called after his name; he also featured in the computer game Wakeboarding Unleashed Featuring Shaun Murray.
Konstantin Startsev
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