This is a true story that we’ve unfortunately heard far too many times, and it’s surely any wakeboarder’s worst nightmare. This particular account comes from one of our readers, and we’re thankful everyone made it out OK in the end.
The story goes something like this: A group of friends were out on the lake enjoying Fourth of July weekend. In the same cove was a second group of boaters, and they approached the first group to ask if one of them could wakeboard behind their boat. They obliged, and one of the girls prepared to ride.
Novice at best, the girl proceeded to dig her nose with each wake jump. Her friends in the second boat started following behind in her wake, attempting to get a better view of her set. With her next cut into the wake, she fell directly in front of her friends’ boat. Since they weren’t completely on plane, they failed to see her over their bow. She resurfaced from her crash only to be run over by her friends. She was disoriented at first but came out of it unscathed — only by some miracle. The same couldn’t be said for her board though, which had a large cut (eerily similar to the shape of a prop blade) straight through the center between the bindings.
The girl was extremely lucky to walk away from this unharmed, but for others who have been involved in similar situations, the outcome was sometimes much grimmer. Remember: Having a boat doesn’t make someone a safe or competent captain, so as a wakeboarder, you must always watch out for other boaters. Make sure to have a quick look behind you before cutting into the wake, and don’t be afraid to wave off boats. Be vigilant — in the end, your safety really lies in your own hands.
