I’m pretty sure everyone who came out to the first contest of the Canyon Lake Wakeboard Club series is now a believer in global warming. Despite the fact that it is still the first half of April, the temperature hovered right around 100 degrees all day. On the bright side, the water temp was already in the 70s and not one wetsuit was worn all day. The contest marked the official start of the wakeboarding season for Southern Californians. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Canyon Lake Wakeboard Club, there is a little bit of irony involved in these contests. The comps are not held at Canyon Lake, but rather a couple miles down the hill at Lake Elsinore. The Lake Elsinore shoreline provides ideal spectator conditions, allowing everyone to see a rider’s entire pass. The warm temperatures brought out over a 100 spectators and more than 65 riders. The contest had divisions for everyone from beginner to open, and even had a wakeskate division. Local riders Eddie and Jacob Valdez, Chris Williams, Jesson Vedel, Justin Fisher, and Melissa Marquardt were all on hand to take part in the water slayshing festivities.
Fun was being had on shore as well as on the water. Horseshoes and raffle giveaways kept everyone on the beach entertained while the action was happening on the water. The Red Bull team showed up half way through the day to make sure everyone stayed hydrated in the heat. Oh ya, did I mention Ben Greenwood and Kyle Schmidt were at the contest as well? Well, they were. Both riders did demos and helped spread the stoke of wakeboarding to everyone who was at the contest. Jacob Valdez ended up winning the open division, followed by Jesson Vedel and Chris Williams. Big thanks to the whole Canyon Lake Wakeboard Club for working hard to put on a successful contest. Mark your calendars because the next contest is less than a month away on May 10th.