In recent years, new water sports have also arrived in Italy, immediately attracting many people and becoming popular along the coasts and in the lakes.
These include wakeboarding, a water sport that is an evolution of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing, offering a unique and adrenaline-fuelled experience. The wakeboarder is attached to a wakeboard and is dragged on the water by a boat or by a pair of cables held by poles and towed by an electric motor.
Wakeboarding, which has recently spread and grown rapidly, was born in the 1980s in the United States to combine the spectacle of these three sports, taking advantage of the waves created by boats to perform breathtaking stunts. Today wakeboarding has become a real sport in its own right, with international competitions, professional athletes and an ever-mushrooming community of enthusiasts.
To practice wakeboarding you need some essential equipment: a short and wide shaped board with foot attachments and a tow cable, and safety devices such as a helmet and a life jacket. The rider’s posture and ability to keep his or her balance are critical for performing moves on the water, such as jumps and twirls.
In terms of benefits, wakeboarding not only offers an exciting adrenaline rush, but also helps improve balance, hand-eye coordination, physical strength, and the cardiorespiratory system. In addition, since a great deal of mental concentration is needed to perform the moves, it allows you to improve your reflexes and reaction times, even out of the water.
For those interested in getting started, it is important to become familiar with the basic equipment and techniques, before venturing into more advanced moves. With the right practice and dedication, wakeboarding can become a rewarding activity, both physically and mentally.