The wakeboarding planet is growing each year. There are now over 400 cableways spread out across the world, with 40 five-pylon and 180 two-pylon structures being built in the 20122013 season alone. This explosion of new playgrounds has motivated us here at Unleashed Wake Magazine to come up with “THE GUIDE” of all the cable parks in the world. “THE GUIDE” is dedicated to the man who invented cableways some 50 years ago, a visionary by the name of Bruno Rixen who will be celebrating his 83th birthday this year. Also, big thanks to Christian von Lerchenfeld, owner of Sesitec, who pushed the sport into the next level with the System 2.0 “THE GUIDE” will be like a bible for all riders keen to discover new spots on the planet, and it will allow them to ride their favorite spots all year round just by changing hemispheres. But first of all, here’s a little history lesson. The first cableway prototype was built in BORDESHOLM, Germany, in 1959. After several prototypes, the company “RIXEN CABLEWAYS” built the first 5 pylon structure, which was put into commercial operation in COLTON, USA, in 1965. Cableways were initially used only by water skiers, and the “wakeboard era” would come much later thanks to Tony Finns’ invention “The Skurfer”. Skurfing, which was wakeboarding’s ancestor, was one of the most highly progressive sports at the time and would remain that way for the next decade or so. It’s by building cableways in highly populated areas that water sport complex owners have been able to reach out to a larger amount of riders, and these riders can continue to practice their hobbies at a much lesser cost. From OWC (Orlando Watersport Complex, USA), the first cableway to be transformed into a real “wake park” with floating obstacles built in 1985, to CWC (Camsur Watersport Complex, Philippines), the first wake park to be built with a permanent pool gap in 2007, but also Turncable, the first «full and complete» wakepark and finally to Terhills Cablepark in Belgium which was built in July 2013, the evolution of our sport is only just beginning. Cableways have become a virus in the world of board sports, and “THE GUIDE” is here to help people discover all of the amazing spots our planet has to offer. Happy reading and happy travels to all of you! Unleashed Team
- all infos in the Guide have been sent by the Wakeparks - Photos and infos are not contractual -
How it works
The GUIDE wanna thank Victoria Collins and Marion Pinet...
Dieter Humpsch - Pic: Raynald Tanny
What’s that ?
What’s a «System 2 Towers» System two towers have been used in more professional level events around the world than any other. It can be used as a standalone solution, a great addition to a Full Size Cable, an additional revenue source for an existing business, or an attraction in other more traditional style venues. It has proven to be a rewarding investment and the simplest access to the sport of wakeboarding. The system two towers are by far the simplest and easiest way to learn to wakeboard. The upwards pull enables effortless starts and has proven to provide the steepest learning curve to beginners than any other tow device on the market. That system provides a continuous ride that not only provides the best learning platform for beginners, but also allows advanced riders to progress water tricks or improve their rail-riding skills more rapidly than traditional towing methods. It is simple to install, maintain and operate. Minimal operating costs and zero carbon emissions demonstrates that it is as sensible as is it innovative. With over 300 installations across the globe and a variety of different climates, the System two towers have emerged not only as the simplest but also the most reliable water sports tow device.
Who’s who
Bruno Rixen When I look back, there are many positive circumstances that contributed to my success, such as growing up in the country and in a family business environment that included a guest house, a colonial produce business and a small farm.
First I needed a 600 m long running cable with a diameter of at least 4 mm. A friend bought one for me. I obtained the deflection pulleys from a combine harvester belonging to my brother. I was allowed to use trees to suspend the cable at a height of 6 m, for which the forest ranger charged 3 DM.
When my father died in 1944, I had to take on responsibility at an early age and help my mother with the many To begin with, a borrowed Lanz Bulldog tractor was used additional tasks that needed to be taken care of. as the drive. I used a small trolley to travel down the 3 m long start ramp. The start worked immediately, and I traMy transition to professional life occurred as soon as I velled across Bordesholm Lake. Hurray, it had worked! At left secondary school (ìMittlere Reifeî). I managed to the 38∞ bend I suddenly had slack cable, and the accelerafind an apprenticeship as a vehicle mechanic in a small tion that immediately occurred threw me into the reeds. repair workshop with two master mechanics and two My first thought was: I’ll never manage to do a full lap! apprentices. I mainly worked on tractors and diesel engi- But where there’s a will, there’s a way. In my drawings nes, which gave me an extremely challenging education. I had discovered that the problem of changing direction I took the apprenticeship certification exam ahead of could be solved if the skier veered to the right several metime, and passed it with distinction. I gave advice to the tres before reaching the bend. farmers in my home village of Grofl Buchwald and the local area during the change from working with horses I soon discovered another much more serious problem. to the use of tractors, for which I was occasionally paid The running cable wraps around itself. If the skier did not commission. keep his towing rope taut, it wound around the running cable. The connecting hook between the tow rope and the In the second year of my apprenticeship I established a running cable levered it over the sharp edge of the next company for threshing flax for the farmers, for which I deflection pulley, it was nipped off and everything fell into purchased a machine and modified it until it was func- the water. tional. I financed my studies in Kiel from selling tractors I dread to think about the number of hours I spent splicing and threshing flax, and was even able to afford a brand the two pieces of cable together! new BMW «Isetta». In my second year, my voluntary helpers (and myself, of Following my studies, I invited a fellow student to go on course) did not want to have to stop after every lap, but a trip around Europe in the Isetta, and saw some young wanted to travel round continuously. In order to do this, people water-skiing behind a boat in Holland. This was the running cable had to be driven above water using anowhere I made a long-cherished wish come true. My tran- ther cable that led from the 2-groove cable wheel to the sition to 2 skis was seamless, and I was so impressed by drive on the hill. the experience that I paid for my friend to have a go and even had to persuade him. The narrow 176∞ angle of this freely suspended double cable wheel was not a problem for us. Since the Bulldog As an engineer at the Olympia typewriter factory (one was not always available, I attached my Isetta with the flax of 13,000 employees), I then spent a great deal of time thresher and used it as a drive. considering how I could continue to water-ski without the expensive motor boat. In order to multiply the capacity, additional runners had to be coupled and uncoupled at full cable speed. This was A cableway was an obvious choice as the pulling me- the biggest challenge yet, and was at the back of my mind chanism. I then started to draw and calculate. The fact whatever I was doing. Finally I came up with an idea that that I had never seen a cableway before was an advan- was too good to be true: not starting beneath the cable like tage. I therefore had no preconceptions in my technical all the other cableways, but from the side on an 18 m long decisions, but also had no idea of the many technical tow rope. difficulties that I would encounter. Otherwise it would have been more sensible to give up. However, I had read The first drawings and theoretical calculations of the acthe book by Oskar Schellbach entitled «Mein Erfolgs- celeration produced fantastic results. The practical proof Systemî - My Taste of Success, recognised the power of was provided by a model of the cableway on land. It also positive thinking and learned that you can only achieve confirmed that the invention of the 2-cable system for your goals if you believe it is possible. compensating for cable twisting was the only way to go. Manufacturing a pair of skis had already unexpectedly However, the decisive test could only be carried out on taken up several days of my holiday. the water.
Who’s who
Christian Von Lerchenfeld Hi Christian, could you introduce yourself?
How do you explain the success of the System 2 towers?
Hey Raynald, well, I am wakeboard and cable enthusiast from the beautiful Bavarian Alps. I grew up at one of Germany’s first cable parks (opened in 1971) and spent all my days riding there (jumping and trick and slalom-ski back then, of course). When I got older I started to work at the park more and more until I managed the whole park at the age of 18. In an internship I had to do for my university I worked at Rixen Cableways and was hooked by the passion to build cable parks almost 10 years there. I had plenty of ideas of what to improve and do different, that’s why I started my own company Sesitec in 1992. From then, it was an incredible adventure to the company that we are today, with almost 30 employees and more than 350 clients all around the world.
The success comes from the possibilities it offered. Putting up a cable system that quickly, with two towers only, ready to ride the site within just one day. That offered such a big field of new locations and such a simplification compared to what it takes to get a Full Size Cable up and going, all this for just a little money but still much more capacity than a boat. And then we realized that this would mean something big for rail-riding too.
How did the idea to develop the System 2.0 come to you? We built a two-tower cable back in spring 1994, and another one in fall 94. Pretty much different from what it looks like today, although the principle of two towers was there. But back then there were no rails, almost no wakeboards in Germany, and nobody could imagine the potential this had. In 2007 we wanted to realize a great winch park at CWC, and realized that a winch is not the ideal solution. This is how we got back to the two-tower cable and engineered the System 2.0. How long did it take to finalize it? The development and testing process took about 8 months. I can still remember the first session we did at Wakepark Allgäu, with Patrick Viererbe, Benni Sühs, Pat Panakos, Matt Hickman and my sons. Nobody could believe that it is so easy to ride continuously and to get up on a board as a beginner.
What sized lake is good to run a System 2.0? This is what I meant, there is now so many different location it can be put up. On a beach front in the ocean, in that little pond behind your house, in a swimming pool, or simply in a little lake you can dig yourself. Obviously a good shape is when the lake offers enough space for easy and safe riding, and for many features! In numbers I would say: 120 to 170 meters long, 30 meters wide is quite ideal. The range goes from 40m till 270m. It looks like the System 2.0 helped the sport to grow with some contest like FISE, Wake the Line, Wake Open... When you created the system 2.0, was that something you thought of, or was it a surprise? Well, we realized this really quickly. Just a few months after the first tests, we did the first Wake Stock in Toronto, Canada. What Pat Panakos did there was just incredible. What’s your favorite System 2.0 park in the world?
How many System 2.0 have you sold since the beginning?
This is so hard to tell! I am happy about every System 2.0 that leaves our halls. I am really excited about the parks our team riders put up to push the sport (Shredtown, Reed Hansen, Kevin Henshaw). And then there are so many clients that are just running amazing businesses with a lot of passion and progression!
We have sold almost 300 now. Incredible if you think about that, this all started just a few years back.
Do many people buy a system just for themselves ? I mean «not for a business“?
Is the first System way different than a brand new one? What´s new?
Yes, this did start in 2009 already. Some did start private and later turned it into some small business, or even opened the door for a Full Size Cable later.
Yes it is! Everything has improved so much! The ladders, the construction for the motor head, for the deflection pulley, the carrier, the software. We are always working on big improvements, on simplifying. And this is why we have the most elaborate two-tower cable system from which all the other brands try to copy.
Any last words? Thanks a lot for the interview, I am really looking forward to the next years. We will continue to do everything we can to keep on growing wakeboarding.
Christian Lerchenfeld - Pic Sesitec
Who’s who
Tony Finn Hi Tony, I’m guessing that every wake boarder knows that you created wakeboarding. But for those who are only just starting out in the sport, could you explain to us who you are and how you got the idea to ride a surf behind a boat? I used to live in Mission Beach, which is a skinny strip of land in San Diego with waves on one side, and a bay that’s good for wakeboarding on the other. So, when I was in college and delivering pizza to make money, I somehow thought about creating a business for people who wanted to surf behind their boat. I want to make it clear though, that I did not create wakeboarding. There were a lot of people that stood sideways behind a boat way before me. I was just lucky enough to make it into something I could spend my life doing. We figured out some innovative ways to make boards, improve them, and sell them all around the world. It’s been an awesome ride and wakeboarding stokes out millions of people every year!!! So, it’s pretty cool… When did you realize that it could be a real sport and even a business? I think that I always thought it was a real sport and a cool business. “If you do what you love, you will never have to work a day in your life” - some famous person said that, (possibly Confucius), and that’s how I have always felt about Liquid Force and wakeboarding. Today wakeboards are way different than the first ones you created. Do you think brands have found the ultimate boards for wake boarding? There is no way in the world that the ultimate board has been created yet. We are working on boards right now that won’t come out until 2017 that are lighter, stronger, have more unique flex and rebound characteristics, etc. We are relentlessly working to make the most innovative boards and bindings we possibly can, that’s what makes it so FUN!! How have cableways change the industry? One of the bummers about wakeboarding was that you had to be rich (or at least know somebody rich), to wakeboard. My first boat cost $1000, and I owned it with two other people.
So we have always wanted wakeboarding to be as accessible to as many people as possible. That’s why Liquid Force has been so involved in cables around the world for so long. It is so awesome that you can grow up anywhere in the world and come from kind of background, and for about $20 you can learn to wakeboard. In the states, we actually have Free For All, where you can come to the cable and ride for free one day each year. It is such a fun sport that we want as many people as possible to experience wakeboarding… That’s what cables and innovators like Bruno and Christian have done for the sport! Did the increase in the number of cable riders make you adapt and develop new wakeboard models? More flex, less stiff? We have been leading the charge with wood, different types of foams, and different construction methods to make the best cable boards possible for years. We developed our own Grind base material to make the boards slide great and be way more durable on rails. We can control the stiffness, flex and rebound in the tips, under the bindings and all over the board. We create boards for riders of all levels and styles, and will continue to develop more moving forward. It’s super fun to be able to continually develop new options for riders to use! I know that you surf and also wake surf, so how do compare those two sports? Similar? Way different? A real Mix? I have to say, real surfing is more fun than wakesurfing. But, wakesurfing is totally fun and a great, great sport. If you don’t live by the beach, wakesurfing is the next best thing! For you, what the biggest revolution in the fabrication of boards? The biggest revolution in making boards has been our ability to use a wide variety of materials… We use a ton of different construction techniques and CNC based applications to make some freaking sick stuff!!! Thanks for your time Tony, any last words ? Have fun and see you on the water!!!
Tony Finn - Pic: Flo Suess
“Liquid Force Founder Tony Finn relaxes at the pool on a recent trip to Germany”
Interview - Wakeboarders Legends
Daniel Grant Country: Thailand Town: Bangkok Date of birth: November 23th 1997 What is a good wakepark ? A good cable for me is when the cable runs a bit fast and is full of fun rails and really good kickers. Haha like a lot of cables these days. Clockwise or anti-clockwise cable? Anti Clockwise all day! 4, 5 or 6 towers? 5 towers System 2 towers or full size cable park? Full size park. Why do you wakeboard instead of doing another sport? I don’t know... Maybe because I live close to the best wakepark of the world! Your best memory on your wakeboard: When I won worlds when I was about 12, because it was the first ever international pro contest I had ever entered and I won. One of the craziest experiences ever! Your best podium memory: The best podium memory I think I ever had was, I don’t know…probably the ones where I had to make a speech hahaha!
Daniel Grant - Pic: Raynald Tanny
About the Country
Australia Australia is a country full of extremely talented riders such as Daniel Pyne, Dean Smith, Mitch Langfield, Harley Clifford, James Windsor, Chris O’shea, Amber Wing, Angelika Schrieber, Sophie Hogben… and these athletes have given wakeboarding a great image in this immense country. Australia doesn’t have that many cableparks, with only roughly a dozen spots on the east coast, but its surfing and skating culture makes it a very influential country in terms of wakeboarding. The warm climate, beautiful beaches and multiple generations of talented riders have made Australia one of the best destinations for riders who love to travel. One thing is for sure, if you’re still hesitating whether or not to go to this incredible country, don’t think about it…just do it!
About the Country
Brazil Known especially for its carnival, soccer, Havaianas and thongs…Brazil has now become a great destination for wakeboarding. With only one cable park in the entire country, we’re betting that plenty more will be built in the next few years and that Brazil will become the new hot spot for wakeboarding. One thing we know for sure is that Brazil has a lot of potential. With its warm climate, splendid nature, and extraordinary culture, we can’t wait to see new spots being built over there. NAGA Cablepark is the first and only cablepark in Brazil and we certainly hope that it won’t be the last!
About the Country
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south. The characters that make up Japan’s name mean «sun-origin», which is why the country is sometimes referred to as the «Land of the Rising Sun». Japan is an archipelago of 6,852 islands, the four largest being Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku and... one Cablepark !
About the Country
The Philippines The Philippines….where it all started! I don’t know if many of you remember Chris Grüner’s video “STATEMENT”, but let me tell you that this video made a huge wave in the world of wakeboarding! Most of us were discovering this insane wakepark by the name of CWC for the first time! With crazy obstacles, and a lake that was specifiaclly made for wakeboarding, other cableparks were going to have to step it up a notch in order to stay in the game…or fade out as many did back in those days. These days, you couldn’t imagine seeing a cablepark without obstacles, and this is thanks the Philippines! The Philippines have become a standard destination for wakeboarders, but the great thing is that they always have new surprises in store each year! So if you’re planning your next wakeboarding trip, then don’t hesitate any longer! The country is magnificent, the people are adorable and it the nature is breath taking!
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
WACO
6 Pylons Regular
BSR Cable Park
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Note: 20/20 English
BSR is an award winning Cable Wake Park and water sports complex located on 450 beautiful acres in Waco, Texas. BSR opened in June of 2012 and quickly became known as the best cable park in the US, taking home the industry’s highest honor, “Best Wake Park” at the 2013 season ending Wake Awards. The park features a clockwise 6 Tower Rixen Cableway System, 5 lakeside rental cabins, gorgeous bar and grill, the country’s first Bi-Level Cable Lake for advanced Wakeboarding, two world class boat lakes equipped with Nautique G23 & G21, first ever Barefoot cable, kids fun lake, lazy river, outdoor pavillion and beach areas. With so many amenities, BSR is the perfect destination getaway for a day trip, corporate retreat or vacation. To learn more about BSR, visit www.bsrcablepark.com
BSR Cablepark 5347 Old Mexia Rd Waco 76705
+1 254-227-6388 www.bsrcablepark.com bsrcablepark@barefootskiranch.com
$6 / Hour 12am - 8pm January - January
Wakeparks List 2014 Non-Exhaustive List
Graeme Burress - Pic: Raynald Tanny
Tertre
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