Cable parks are suitable for any surface water sport that doesn't require a boat's wake. Water skiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding, and wakeskating are examples of sports where (despite their name) a predictable, relatively calm, or even glassy water surface is preferred. This predictability allows riders to take advantage of higher speeds and supports a much wider variety of acrobatic moves and tricks with less risk of injury. The particular geometry of a cable system also permits considerably more complex maneuvers. For example, compared to a towed experience, an overhead cable provides a higher angle of pull, making bigger air and sharper turns possible.
Even better, if you're looking for an exciting option with little or no learning curve, wake tubing offers a thrilling ride that should be available at any cable park.
Water Skiing
Water skiing is a surface water sport in which an individual is pulled over a body of water, skimming the surface on either one or two skis. Variations of the sport include speed skiing, trick skiing, show skiing, slaloming, jumping, barefoot skiing, and wake ski. Millions of people around the world participate in some form of waterskiing. In the US alone, there are over 900 sanctioned water ski competitions every year. While snow skiing is a popular and familiar Olympic sport, water skiing has never been recognized as a sanctioned event.
Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider stands on a wakeboard (a shortboard with foot bindings) and is pulled either behind a motorboat across its wake or on a moving cable across specially designed obstacles to perform aerial maneuvers. Common tricks include spins, edges, inverts, and tantrums. Competitive wakeboarding is an intense sport featured in competitions at the X Games, WWA Wakeboard World Championships, and similar events.
Kneeboarding
Kneeboarding is one of the most versatile, family-friendly sports that guests can enjoy at their local, cable, wakeboard park. Kneeboarding is widely popular, with a relatively quick learning curve and closer proximity to the water (making a fall or wipeout less alarming). The primary equipment is a buoyant, specially shaped board on which riders are secured in a kneeling position. Popular tricks include slides, jumps, spins, Ollies, and rotations.
Wakeskating
Wakeskating grew out of wakeboarding, and the boards are similar. The difference is that the rider is not bound to the board in any way. The sport bears an unmistakable resemblance to skateboarding, and many skateboarding tricks can be easily adapted to water using specially shaped obstacles.
Winter Sports
Not surprisingly, cable parks are becoming popular for non-water sports too. Winter-suitable parks that feature skiing, snow tubing, and snowboarding can offer year-round fun, using natural or artificial snow -- an excellent option for areas where snow-capped mountains are a day's drive (or more) away.
