Rum Bum Skate and Wake Week

We all know Disney World is “A place where dreams come true” and at SeaWorld Orlando, “It’s as real as it gets.” For five-time world wakeboard champion, Dean Lavelle, SeaWorld was a place where his dreams came ... More »

Sporting an Oakley t-shirt, shades, straw fedora, and a little more than a 5 o’clock shadow on Friday afternoon at BoardUp Miami, Brad Smeele oozes chill vibes.  Between hitting hot lounges, photo shoots, and the ... More »

If you’re looking for the Ferrari of wakeboats, look no further than the 23V Epic Wakeboat. It’s truly a rider’s boat with all the features designed specifically for the rider including an awesome amount of stock weight ... More »

If you want to see Coach Robert laugh, try to call him the family patriarch. “I let them tell me what to do!  Their degrees are 30 years newer than mine!” he says of his sons, Alan and Jonathan Strauss of BoardUp ... More »

Lying out on the beach, hanging out on a boat and drinking a couple of beers make for a perfect day. For the laid-back band the Keyrats, these are just a couple of things that represent the lifestyle of growing up on the tiny ... More »

The shore unites the sea world to land, the rope unites the rider to the boat and the wakeboard unites a family to a sport they love. Families are constantly looking for ways to spend time together and bond. Many have family ... More »

A noble Chinese poet drowns himself protesting a corrupt government.  Loyal fishermen race to the scene to help but are too late.  They toss silk-wrapped rice dumplings into the river and beat their drums to deter ... More »

Just after noon on Saturday at BoardUp Miami, Tiffany, Material Girl, Dynasty, and Two of Hearts were just a few on the names to grace the festival’s stage.  No, it wasn’t a rad chick cover band recalling the days of ... More »

A gaggle of bright eyed boys congregated on the shore as wakeboarders flew across the aqua terrain and into the air with the greatest of ease. "I want to learn how to do that!" exclaimed one young observer named Tywan. Tywan ... More »

As an athlete, you sacrifice many things in life. Sometimes you miss family time, you give up your privacy or even put yourself in dangerous situations. Anyone who plays a sport knows you’re prone to injuries and there’s ... More »

“Everything in Wakeboarding can be learned in a simple, straightforward, this is how you do it kind of way”, says Adam Fields, Board Up Miami’s 2009 winner.  As would a seasoned professional in any sport, Adam ... More »

Nancy flies into hurricanes.  “It’s one thing humans can’t control” said Nancy Ash, Flight Meteorologist for the Hurricane Hunters and NOAA, when asked why she loves her favorite natural phenomenon.  ... More »

The word Araka is Spanish slang for “watch out.” This is the best name for a group of talented musicians that want everyone to know they are coming to get the world. And there is no doubt about it, they are ready to ... More »

With the steady escalation of action sports like wakeboarding, it’s not unusual to discover that a boarder on sea is often a border on land as well.  Sharp as a JStar Brigade slicing thru a glassy lake, the brains ... More »

This year Board Up Miami added a fresh element to their action sports festival.  Near the lip of the shore where bikini and board short clad observers cheered on amateur and world champion wakeboarders alike, BoardUp ... More »

In 1963, the country’s first powerboat stadium opened its doors on Virginia Key.  For the next thirty years, the Miami Marine Stadium hosted events including world-class racing, music concerts, live TV shows and church ... More »

No, it’s not cereal. I know you love those three adorable cartoon mascots for Kellogg’s Rice Krispies but I’m talking wakeboarding. Step one: Stand up and lean back as you snap your board onto the water. Step two: Hear ... More »

Sisters Shawna and Raequel Hoffman are truly Epic riders.  Ridiculously talented world champion wakeboarders, the women prefer to ride the monster wake behind Epic Wake Boats, which this year not only sponsored the ... More »

It all started four years ago on a cold winter day. As Matt Messina sat on a wooden chair, he rested a loose-leaf paper on the floor next to his feet. While he stared at the ragged sheet of lyrics written with three different ... More »

In black, white, and fuchsia board shorts, a BoardUp Miami t-shirt, shades and flip-flops, Alan Strauss could have been any of the pro wakeboarders at last weekend’s action sports and music festival on Key Biscayne, ... More »

"Knock knock.  Who's there?  Will you remember me in a second?"
"Knock knock.  Who's there?  Will you remember me in a month?"
"Knock knock.  Who's there?  Will you remember me in a ... More »

Wakeboarding is more than a water sport that requires riding a board, it has become a way of expression for many. Dean Smith a 24 year old from Sydney, Australia has been a pro for about six years but has been wakeboarding ... More »

Tan, shirtless and sporting dark aviators, the announcer for Friday's wakeboarding competition at Board Up Miami 2009 polished his already shiny black motorcycle before gliding home over Key Biscayne's Rickenbacker ... More »

Dissolved salt content and specific gravity of a given body of water are directly related. Basically, things float more easily in salt water. To the average wakeboarder, specific gravity means nothing - all they know is that ... More »

“I’ve got an idea.  Let’s borrow a lunch tray from the cafeteria and take it skiing”.  Twenty years ago, this stroke of genius was enough to ride the wake, carve some turns and, if lucky, throw some “lip ... More »