How to bring kids into Waveskis?

How to bring kids into Waveskis?

I will start out with a suggestion I heard from Dino at MacSki

" Create entry level composite HP waveski for under several hundred dollars new and make them affordable for young kids starting out"

Any Ideas, suggestions ? Question

_________________
Brian Kuszmar
United States Waveski Association
http://www.uswaveski.com
WaterSports Productions LLC
219 Commercial Blvd
Lauderdale By The Sea, Florida 33308
(My work "real Job" ph#) 954-821-3232

Yes, I really think that is what needs to happen. Currently most of the skis out there are geared for much larger people anyway so it is very hard to get a cheap second hand ski with the right seat to feet length and volume. Macski seems to be really working on getting cheaper skis into the US, such as the moulded and hollow ones. I personally think this could really grow the sport.

Also, I think one thing we should try to advertise is the fact that waveskis are MUCH less expensive than the top of the line surf kayaks many keep buying. We get better performance for less $, we should appeal more to the whitewater crossover market?

Alexander

Together with the smaller more radical boards, you guys should organise development days at schools and show them the Sub Graviti Films like KaziLines. Show them that Waveski is a cool sport for young people.

Morning,
The groms at squan would love to have some kind of "demo day"
I am often asked to let someone give it a try.

These young bucks are prime to try these things out, but can not.

I also think that the seatbelt is intimidating to a newbie.

In short... get out there, let them see one shred, when they ask about it, direct them to "you tube"
then when they want to try one... where should they go?

Geno

Brian, you and I have had this conversation several times. I have said the same thing that Dino suggested which is to make the sport more accessible financially to the younger set. One of the things that would help would be to have less expensive, adjustable skis available out on the market. For example, you can get a mid-level, used surfboard for just a few hundred bucks (certainly under $500), but there really is no used waveski market out there due to the fact that most are made to a specific weight and leg length. Wavemaster and Tsunami both have varying levels of adjustability but are still expensive, even second-hand. RTM makes two fantastic, very durable skis in their Slide series, but they are difficult to find. They have adjustable foot straps and seat belts and surf great and are pretty much bullet proof (just take a look at William's warhorse if you ever get a chance Shocked

) . Youtube has some videos of what looks like a demo day in France using RTM's. Check it out...maybe we can organize something like this at an upcoming comp. Just have to figure out how to get the skis...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=WRF_pHZaXLQ
http://youtube.com/watch?v=MTXCmgE3H9g

But, even if there were more affordable, universal skis available, we will always have to contend with the fact that traditional standup surfing has such an entrenched culture and "cool" factor that it may just be impossible to ever reach those levels of acceptance. We have to find ways to make the sport more visible and acceptable in the local lineups by just getting out there and shredding. I think many surfers still view anyone with a paddle as a tourist on some kind of rented kayak who has no business being out in the surf. We also have to show the upsides to waveskis as compared to surfboards such as the ability to catch more waves and the ability to simply catch waves on tiny days too. If we can generate more interest in waveskis as legitimate surfcraft for performing radical moves, we might be able to sway some of the young minds to give a ski a try.

I don't think we will ever reach the levels of popularity that standup surfing enjoys, but if we can get a portion of those guys and gals to at least give a ski a try, they might just want to add one to their quiver. And that would be good for all of us in the sport. So get out there, hone your skills and spread the good word!

Billy

	briank wrote:
	How to bring kids into Waveskis? Any Ideas, suggestions ?

Devil's advocate strawman:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maybe kids below a certain age shouldn't be using wave skis.

The rationale being that it takes a certain amount of judgement
to avoid situations that might result in spinal-cord injury - as in
going over the falls head-first in shorebreak.

Boardies, skimboarders, and even body surfers have a different
situation: the board isn't strapped to their butts to act as the
head of a nail to the wave's hammer.

I've heard something like this put forth by cycling experts:
that kids below a certain age just don't have the brain
development to be wary of automobile traffic and should not
ride in said traffic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let the flames begin.... -)

I would agree to an extent with your first statement if it was modified to read "Maybe kids below a certain age shouldn't be using waveskis without proper instruction and supervision and until they have proven they have the proper skill set and judgement to be out in the surf alone."

Pete, would you let your kid do anything at all that has a danger factor without making sure they first had proper instruction? Much less let them do it unsupervised?

When I was a kid I got my first .22 rifle at ten years old and my first 12ga shotgun at age 12. My dad was extremely safety conscious (Marine marksman and all-around competitive shooter) and pounded into my being the proper way to handle and respect any and all weapons (knives, slingshots, guns) as well as all the ins and outs and consequences of bad judgement/stupid decisions with a firearm. (DUH!!)

I see waveski surfing as the same thing. Teach them young that this is a dangerous sport and show them the "right" way to do things and they will be less likely to injure themselves. I think it's the older crowd that thinks they are invincible, are just plain ignorant to the dangers of our sport or have an ego to please that are the ones that are more likely to suffer serious injury. I know I've had a few incidents that made me stop and think about what I was doing and how I was doing it or even if I should have been out there at all. I really had no one to teach me or show me and was relying on my instincts and experience on the water in general to get me through those incidents. But, if we get the kids started early and teach/show them things to look out for, proper technique and overall good judgement on the water, they should be fine. I know I would have no problems turning my 9-year old daughter loose on a waveski if she wanted to try it. Of course, I would make sure she was armed to the teeth with whatever wisdom/experience I could impart to her. I would also add that until she demonstrated to me that she was proficient on the ski, she would not be allowed to surf without me. Again, going back to my first example, I was only allowed to hunt/shoot with my dad for several years before being able to go out only with my friends (whom my dad had hunted with and approved of as well).

Billy

	Billy wrote:
	Pete, would you let your kid do anything at all that has a danger factor without making sure they first had proper instruction? Much less let them do it unsupervised? Billy

Yes... and no...

The essence of the bicycle thing was that the kid's brain just wasn't sufficiently developed to apply whatever instruction would be given. So, below that age, instruction would be acknowledged, maybe even memorized well enough to pass a test... but not applied in the here-and-now.

But I cannot recall what the age was. If it's 3 years old... all my comments are moot.

OTOH, if it's nine years old.....

Also, I'm kind of out on the left side of the risk-tolerance bell curve. The opposite of the "risk taker" personality, if you will. Was probably the only 15-year-old kid in SouthEastern Pennsylvania that went out and bought and wore a helmet for riding his moped.... and almost certainly the only 16-year-old in the world that drilled holes in the roof of his VW bug and installed Volvo lap-and-chest belts.....

" There are old pilots.
There are bold pilots.
There are no old bold pilots."

always appealed to me....

Last edited by PeteCresswell on Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:58 pm; edited 2 times in total

I would be interested to find out about the age threshold. I totally get it because I can tell my 9-year old twenty times to put her dirty clothes in the hamper, and she'll only do it without being reminded about half the time. Rolling Eyes

But again, that brings me back to my point about being there with the child to make sure they are making the right decisions - one of the most important is to go out or not. I want to be the one to decide if it's beyond his/her capabilities or not. Only when they have demonstrated sound judgement and skill application would they be allowed to go out without me.

I also think when Brian was talking about getting kids into the sport, I think he was most likely talking about pre-teens and teens, so this whole thing about little kids might be moot.

Billy

Hi all,

In NZ we have the same issues, getting kids into it is hard, mainly I think because it is not seen at the beach.......not just because surfing is so strong and visible.

There are so many things out there trying to attract younger people, most have nothing to do with surfing.....and I am sure you will find that when things become more visible and able to be tried out easily and cheaply a lot of younger riders will be found...(this group may still be a small percentage of the whole...but still more than enough for this sport to get a young growth base) also don't forget the children of waveskiers or ex-skiers and associates, as these people get older their kids may well be attracted to wave skiing as they will have seen it in the family.
{This is all good news]}

I don't think the strength of surfing is the problem ... at least the surf publicity is out there making everyone think about waves etc rather than say golf only.

Also the strength of the Kayak and SOT market in the US will all help big time as these disciplines are training grounds out of which some riders will filter down to the waveski option

In NZ we offer a roto-moulded waveski at about $599 nzd.... it is bullet proof , although a little heavy as plastic can be..... This has been the cheapest way to go. We are looking to make this cheaper by losing the injected foam core. [Like the SOTs.]

For younger kids we have found the Airski adjustor fits the bill very nicely (little plug!) as it adjusts to fit anyone's leg length.....no other skis do this as fully. (It’s true of course that the higher cost of the Airski is initially not going to solve the much needed 'cheaper entry level' scenario how ever.)

Attached is a pic of Bad Billy's kids playing on his last Airski at the beach.... the kids had a ball and are keen for wave skiing ...also Brentt told me he had many people and parents approach him on the beach and ask him about the great toy being used......he was stoked with the public response and had a great day with his children.

cheers Nick
Tsunami
New Zealand.

By the way:

..........7'10" Tsunami roto-moulded waveski would run out at approx $480 usd.

Tsunami is actively looking for a distributor/s in the US who we can work well with long term.
Supply of roto skis could well help this issue with entry to the sport from supply ex-factory NZ or made in the US from our tooling .

Just a thought?

This is clearly a hot topic and it is great to see that the motivation and interest levels are high. What started out as a casual conversation with Brian is turning out to be a results oriented discussion.

There is no doubt in our minds that getting kids (boys and girls) involved in the sport is the way to grow it in the US. Assuming we are all on the same page and thinking very ambitioulsy, we want waveskiing to be widly recognized and enjoyed by as many people who surf. In order to get there we need momentum and to get momentum we need critical mass. If enough people get in to the sport and keep it growing, we will reach a stage when folks will actually want to get in on the action rather than standing on the beach thinking it looks interesting but strenuous.

Speaking from experience in South Africa, the way to get there is through the younger generations. With their buy in, we will start developing a generation of kids who think waveskiing is cool and they will pass this down to their childern and so on. Eventually we will weed out the mind set that waveskis are butt boards and suited for people who cant stand and surf. Nothing happens overnight and this is how the Southern Hempisphere countries got to where they are today.

To get kids involved, we absolutley need to think about all the things that have been mentioned already - surf camps, availability of boards that meet their specs, safety etc. Saftey is a big deal and my take on it is that with proper instruction, whether it is at a surf camp or just a father/ son event, we can teach children the rules of the game. Seatbelts are not the only option for waveskis today, thigh straps work just as well and are much safer for beginners. We have a 12 year old in San Diego who used thingh straps exclusively for the first 6 months and last weekend he made the conscious decision to remove them opting for the belt only.

It is no different to training wheels on a bicycle. The bigger issue in mind is availability of boards for kids i.e. price and specs. This is not the time or place to plug a brand and us manufacturers need to be thinking about Market Development right now and not just about $$$. I am working very closely with Macski in South Africa on this and I would happy to discuss this further with anyone who is interested in seeing what we have for kids and even ladies.

So, lets start by making all our wives, children, their friends, surf camp instructors and anyone else aware of the sport. Bring them to competitions and buy the video 'Amaza Africa' from Sub-Gravity and show it to everyone. Lets keep the good fight going and kick start this great sport again.

Dino (Macski USA)

This is a topic close to my heart. I remember in the 80's a strong drive was launched to teach young folk to paddleski. This effort was driven by one individual who gave up a lot of time and effort to organise, teach these kids. They held regular competitions all along the coastal areas and the numbers grew constantly. I left the country and lost contact with what was happening and so I would be interested to know if this program was still going. I do know that a number of the top international South African paddleski'ers came out of this program. It just takes one person with the will and ability to start something like this.

By the way, this program was run in Durban, South Africa.