Cable Connection

words & art by Andrew Pastura

alliance cable
Mr. Pepperoni getting a little melancholy over the cable park sharks

What is there not to like about cable parks? Shredding with your friends, riding doubles, getting rocked on a rail, or cheesing a melan off the kicker – it’s all good. You can usually find some other fun things to do here along with wakeskating til you’re dead. Cable parks are popping up everywhere all over the world and at some you can even rent cabins or camp onsite. You’ll find skateparks at some and others that are a little more mellow, but they’re all usually fun and a solid place to ride. In the past few years we’ve seen more and more parks open and to my knowledge none or very few have had to shut down or close. Cables provide fresh new spots for us to ride and give us a home to teach newcomers. The versatility and variety offered by all these new parks really can’t be matched.

Who says the pool obstacle isn’t for the 50-year-old or the five-year-old grommet? Come to the cable and you’re guaranteed to see some wild things. From the old man in gloves sliding the pipe dragon smoother than anybody, to the kid in line helping you dial in your kickflips, it’s all to be had at cable parks. You might even catch somebody busting out some shoe skis or the occasional extreme kneeboarder. If you’re really lucky you’ll get in on a game of “can you ride it” – everything from lunch trays to surfboards to pure barefooting is open for trying if the cable operator lets you (usually they do, and they’ll laugh as hard as anybody else). When you’re in line ready to ride sit back and enjoy the show, usually you’ll see some cable jocks doing their thing, but don’t be afraid to call them out if they are sandbagging for twenty laps. Give them a good yank or wax the rail if you need to… Everyone rides if everyone falls and be aware of your fellow wakers while you’re whipping around – you don’t want to be that guy hogging the line 20 minutes at a time. Nowadays most cable parks have two tower cables perfect for teaching someone new to wakeskating and other watersports, just ask for help and you’ll be ready for the full size park in no time.

More than anything be helpful at your park and treat it like home. Reach out to the manager or someone in charge if you have an idea or concern. Parks are very new and many have room for growth – it’s important as local crews grow at each park that they continue to spread the stoke in positive ways. Maybe you can sketch something up for rails and new projects and see where it goes, or just be willing to help out with different things at the park. If you’re really into wakeskating or wakeboarding then the park might be a cool place to work at, especially if you’re on summer break. If not help out with what you’re good at, and keep an eye out for others in the park. You might be the closest person to help a youngster struggling in the water.

Whether you’re coming to the park for the first time or if you’re there every day as a pass holder, the cable park is a sick place to spend time when it’s nice out. The cable has quickly become one of the easiest ways to shred with the homies – and it will always be a good time and a solid place for wakeskating. Cable parks are efficient and cleaner for the environment than most other ways of riding and is more realistic and affordable than owning a new boat or watercraft, especially for younger kids. Cable parks have a good thing going and I think we are really lucky to have them. Plan a trip and include a new cable park or two on the way and don’t forget to support your local cable park.