Reason 14.4 – Team Effort

by Andrew Pastura

as seen in the April issue of Alliance

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Teamwork makes the dream work

Participating in any water sport has never been a one man show. Yes, the idea of being able to ride without the help of others seems like it would be fun, but it would also be dangerous and somewhat boring. Without our friends and family we wouldn’t be as motivated and it definitely would be that much harder to get out on the water. We rely on our best friends to pull us behind the Sea-Doo, the cable operators slaving away in the sun for hours, the reliable winch driver, and sometimes our own family members behind the boat out on the lake. Sometimes we travel all day and night to make it to a new state or cable park with our friends. It’s important to respect your buds and help out driving, filming, or whatever it may be. Wakeskating has always been somewhat of a team effort and I personally wouldn’t have it any other way.

When you first learned how to get up on the water someone most likely gave you some tips or steered you in the right direction. Maybe they invited you out on the boat or introduced you to a cable park. It was your friends, family, or even a cable operator you’ve never met and hopefully with patience they did their best to help you battle your way on top of the water. From the get go it’s been a combination of your friends and buddies helping you get to where you are. They did their best to help you figure it out and were probably just as stoked when you finally stood up. Without them we may have given up or never been introduced to this unique hobby. Sorta like a sports team but without stupid rules and guidelines, you and your bros stick together to make it happen. You will always have a driver, operator, and friends that help you out at a session.

Fast forward some and you’re a full-blown wakeskater. Love it, cherish it, motivated by it, can’t get enough of it. That type of stuff. You can now easily find yourself out winching at the spot with the “Team” and you’re about to lose it on the driver. Yes, the last pull was a little shaky and not the most perfect speed, but was he purposely trying to give you a run for your money? No. Everyone out in the creek, ditch, waterfall, sewer, or retention pond is hoping for the best and pulling for you to stomp your big stunt. Your team wants you to land it clean and they are stoked on the clip. Winching especially is a group effort. Why would your bros have helped you drag the winch up a hill, move rocks out of the landing, or pull you fifty times if they came to purposely ruin your session? Without your buds you wouldn’t be wakeskating and it really only works with the help of others. Respect the team and rely on good communication to be the most productive. Nothing is worse than someone going off on you while you’re doing your best to help them succeed.

As much as we like to think of wakeskating as an individual sport, it has many traits similar to a team sport. Yes, you choose what you want to learn or do without relying on teammates, but your friends are driving you, filming you, or just supporting the cause – and they all want you to do your best. We support our friends and encourage them to keep trying or give them tips to land and ride away. We spend time driving, helping out at the spot, and filming until the team gets the clip. Wakeskating with friends isn’t just fun and motivating, it’s necessary. And to be honest wakeskating without friends would be pretty boring. Everyone is in it for each other and without the bros no one is gliding across the water. The team is your friends and family, the homies, and the guys at the start docks running the cable parks. They are all pulling for you and you should do the same. Wakeskating will always be a group effort, so when your team is taking one for you, make sure to remember when it’s your turn to take one for the team.