NorCal Bros!

[Surfdad]

C'mon where are you? Greg, others, I know you're out there. I need to generate some contestants for our NorCal wakesurf series. I have new board donations from the following companies (looks like 12 boards in total) :

XBC
Inland Surfer
the Walker Project
Stripes Surf
Calibrated Wakesurf
Shred Stixx and
Trick Boardz (possibly)

The boards are going to be given away to folks that enter - so no need to win! We also have great swag from Grabbag Boardbags, Wilby Optical, Entrust Clothing, Wakesurf Magazine and we're still talking to potential sponsors.

First stop is May 26th at Villa Lagos,

Second Stop is June 9th at Modesto Res.

Third stop is in Discovery Bay as part of the Delta Hang Time August 5th.

Who all is going to make it?

[Razzman]

Surfdad, just outta curiosity why are they using Modesto Res as a stop? No offense meant but that place is a sh*thole, i wouldn't boat there unless it was the only water within a 100 miles!

[Surfdad]

LOL! Too funny - I love that "no offense, but it's a s&!^hole" Actually the story behind all of this is interesting. We started our wakesurfing with JUST the NorCal INT League, which holds all of it's events up at Villa Lagos in Gerber. That's a tough venue for wakesurfing at an average depth of 5-8 feet. I was prodding the organizers to allow us to move to a deep water venue, I was thinking Shasta! . THEN the organizers took over the Central California INT League and I think that this first year was pretty rushed to get venues.

So...I am really supportive of Chuck and Linda and I think that eventually they'll find a location that works well for everyone and is located in a non-s&@^hole venue

[Razzman]

I guess i'm just biased, I hate Modesto Res! Anyway maybe i can get out and watch the action, kudos to the organizers for putting it together. I'm just now shopping for my first board. I grew up in SoCal on the beach (Laguna & Corona Del Mar) surfing as a kid and this looks like fun. My knees are shot and wakeboarding is out so i think i'll give this a shot. I've been looking at the CWB Ride board, what do you think of that one?

[Greg Mallek]

Surfdad, I have a conflict with the first date, so I can't make that one. I do plan on going to both the Modesto, and of course the Disco events.

[NICKYPOO]

I'll ask the wife if I want to go.

[Surfdad]

Nick, it would be great if you could make it...bring the wife too, the women's division is pretty open. We have the Hoffman sisters riding - they are featured in the Chick Flick. While they KICK BUTT on a wakeboard, they don't practice wakesurfing much. For you, the Modesto venue is probably about as close as the Villa Lagos one. Villa Lagos is a nice setting, but the wake we generate isn't great due to the depth issue. I'd love to see you at all of the contests.

Greg - smart man with the scheduling conflict I kept looking for one too. I'm looking forward to the Disco event also, I'm hoping we can generate 40 riders for that contest. I've been talking with Jim from Neptunes, he's trying to get Red Bull, Wetsounds, Fusion and Nicerack as sponsors also.

Razzman, I've never been to the Modesto Res. I've been in some crappy places before - heck I rode in the deep water channel when the World's was held there a few years ago - I swear I was glowing in the dark for 2 months afterwards

I'm not a big fan of the Ride...but in order to give you any legitimate input I'd need to know how much you weigh and what size wake you're surfing (small, medium or large).

If you can make any of the contests, you'll have access to riding boards from the Walker Project, Shred Stixx and Calibrated. Rep's or owners will be involved in each contest and they always have boards available for folks that don't own one. It's probably a bit pricey for a demo, but throw in a chance to win one and maybe it's worth it. I figure at the Villa Lagos event there is a 1 in 8 chance of winning a board.

[sagmanaur]

Surfdad,

That sounds pretty cool.

More info please:
Can most of the people do tricks (360's, etc), or is it mostly style points?
Age brackets
Cost
etc.

Thanks,

Steve

[wakeboarder247]

Ya I'd be interested in the details too. I'm in the Fresno area so I might be able to make it up to one of those events! That would be a lot of fun!

[Surfdad]

Hey Steve

Doing a 3 puts you in the advanced class, automatically. Currently we are getting trophies and prizes to cover the following classes:

Intermediate - men
Intermediate - women
Advanced
Masters - men
Masters - women

depending on the ages, we MAY open up an additional class for the youngsters.

At the intermediate level it's mostly style, the Masters got a little bit better, but I can't remember if anyone landed a three, last year, in the Masters. Jerry Price rides in that division, and he has some wild surf moves...he drops down and paddles in I rode backside switch...so that is a fun class.

The Advanced is James and Chase - they KILL it.

The costs are still a little up in the air. Each individual contest is $25, but you have to belong to INT and that, I believe is $65 for the year PER PERSON!

The way that we work the prizes is when you sign up you fill out a raffle slip and we put those in a jar. None of the AWSA judges/personnel can enter this part. Then we select and give away t-shirts and usually 2 boards per event. If you wakeboard, you can also check into the wakeboarding events. I was thinking about entering just so that I had something to do while waiting for the wakesurfing

We also try to make sure that everyone walks away with something: a trophy or a prize.

247 we'd love to have you come up - the Modesto and Disco stops wouldn't be too bad of a drive for you.

[sagmanaur]

Surfdad,

Are there any cool camping places near Disco Bay? I'm thinking it would be a cool family vacation to be down in the area, and bring the boat with us.

Thanks,

Steve

Maybe I need to get the Oregon INT to start wakesurfing events... do you know any contacts up here to get the ball rolling?

[Greg Mallek]

Steve. The closest place is Orwood Resort. Alpt of riders stay there all the time. Theres a restaraunt,and ramp there as well. Orwood is only about a 5 minute boat ride to Disco. Here's the link:
www.orwoodresort.com

[Surfdad]

Greg's right - for the Disco area Orowood is the best location. I have to tell you though, if you're thinking of making that trip down the May 26 event would be better. There is free camping at Villa Lagos and it's within 30 minutes of Lake Shasta - THAT area is absolutely breathtaking. That is the traditional opening day of boating season here, so it might be crowded, but for sheer beauty Shasta is near the top.

I can get you contact info for the INT League organizers and I made a presentation to Rick Stocks about a year ago, to bring Wakesurfing to the INT League...which was met enthusiastically, but...INT League is a business, unless there is money to be made by adding the sport, the State Organizer probably isn't going to be interested.

The key would be to have 20 or so folks that would be willing to enter a wakesurfing contest - new blood if you will. I can certainly give you all the details on how to pull off a sucessful contest with INT, but...the bottom line really is can you generate enough interest from folks locally that including a wakesurfing component will make sense, fiscally, for the Oregon organizer.

Either way, I do hope you can make it down for one of our contests.

[Razzman]

Surfdad, i weigh around 190 (give or take a few ) and it'll be small to medium wake for now. Small to start untill i get some sacs. Medium if i'm behing the brother in laws boat

[NICKYPOO]

Hyperlyte Broadcast 5'6" if all you want to buy is a "pop-out" from the big 3. I've ridden all the pop-outs on the planet and it is by far and away the fastest shape around of all the pop-outs. I'm the same size as you and learned behind my old-school Tige with no ballast. That being said, for just about the same money, you can buy a real nice fast board from a company that makes real wakesurf boards.

One sac in the back of your boat is going to make a huge difference Dude. It will take you from strugling to say in the pocket to liesurely cruising with no rope just like that.