“Maybe it’s because they don’t require big, fast boats,” you suggest. “I heard they’re using fishing trawlers out in Seattle, and they’re still catching wind because the slower boats make bigger wakes to launch from.”
Porter nods thoughtfully as he gazes at a photograph of professional wakeboarder Dean Lavelle at nearby Lake Butler. He’s holding the same kind of rope and water skier holds, but he’s 15 feet in the air. His short, stubby, fiberglass wakeboard (which is strapped to his feet) is higher than his head, and from the grimace on his face, it looks like he’s mid-flip.
“I just hope none of these kids get hurt trying to imitate the pros,” Porter says.
“Nah,” you say, “Extreme sports---it’s the way of the twenty-first century. Look at what happened to snowboarding. You’ll see wakeboarders at the Olympics soon.”