We really do wish riding with us was as simple as heading down to the dock and sticking out your thumb. Unfortunately these days nothing is that simple but we do everything possible to make it easy for you to come and enjoy the ride.
Below is a stack of information that should cover everything you need to know to ride in one of our events. Of course if we have missed something or you have a question that no one has ever thought of, all you need to do is ask.
Membership
Step number one to riding with us is a membership package. Being a Wakeboard Victoria member is completely optional, but signing up with WAWA (Waterski and Wakeboard Australia) isn’t.
Wakeboard Victoria
A Wakeboard Victoria membership doesn’t just give you automatic entry to every single competition we hold throughout the season, it saves you some coin while doing it! We also make sure you get priority access to all other Wakeboard Victoria events throughout the year. And for the icing on the cake we’ll even rustle up a bit of a merch pack for you to wear with pride all summer long!
WAWA
WAWA (Waterski and Wakeboard Australia) is the national governing body of all things wakeboarding. They are the ones that look after us when it comes to insurance, lawyers and all that jazz which is why it is an absolute non-negotiable to be a member with them if you want to ride with us. The beauty of the WAWA membership is that it covers more than just Victorian wakeboard competitions. With your WAWA membership you are eligible to ride in any WAWA sanctioned event all around Australia.
The membership is structured so that it covers more than just insurance. WAWA also run a range of development camps throughout the year and help fund all the state bodies, including us. So while it is a pretty sizeable cost for the season, just know that without it we pretty much don’t exist.
Competitions
Wakeboard Victoria run around five competitions each season. We try to make sure that every competition caters to all levels of riding, meaning it really doesnt matter how experienced or talented you are, you will have an opportunity to ride with or against people at the same level as you. We’ve also focused on making every event easier and more affordable to come to. Below you will find plenty of information on what you need to know when you ride in one of our competitions. Of course, nothing is stopping you from just registering and rocking up on comp day, but if you are after more details keep reading.
Registration
We’ve worked hard over the past few years to make registering as easy as possible. To begin with, before you can ride with us you must be an WAWA member. This involves heading to their website and following the links to sign up or renew. Click here to sign up now. The process is really simple and there are a bunch of membership options on offer. If you are planning on riding all season it’s best to sign up as a full member, but if you aren’t really sure if you want to make that commitment you can ride your first comp on a Social/Day Membership.
Once you’ve got your AWWF Membership sorted, riding with us is as simple as coming to this site the week before the event, filling out the rego form and paying the registration fee with PayPal.
Ability Based Divisions
Most of these run an ability based format which groups riders based on what tricks they can perform rather than how old they are. We have found this to be a far more user friendly format than the old system, especially for new riders. The only downside is we are still required to run the old, aged based, system for our State Titles, as this is the qualifyer for the National Titles. As an overview, the ability based divisions are:
Rookie/Novice
- Open to anyone under the age of 14.
- Limited to 1 wake tricks or surface slides.
Wake2Wake Entry
- Open to all riders.
- Limited to 1 wake tricks and 2 wake tricks including 180 rotations and all grabs.
Wake2Wake Advanced
- Limited to two basic inverts.
- Spins up to and including 360 rotations.
Invert Advanced
- Limited to all basic inverts.
- Spins up to and including 540 rotations.
- No glides, high enders or mobes.
Open Pro
- Limited to whatever you can get done between the buoys.
Dodgy Dads
- Created due to overwhelming demand!
- Open to anyone with a child riding at the event.
- No trick limits.
- Sure to be one to watch!
For the State Titles (and National Titles) the divisions we run are Under 9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, Masters and Veterans. These are run seperately for men and women.
The course
When you ride at a Wakeboard Vic competition the course will be laid out with two end buoys and another buoy around the middle of the course called the three-quarter buoy. You’ll get two complete passes through the course where you will be judged on any tricks you perform within the course end buoys. You’re allowed one fall where the boat will come and pick you up, on your second fall the boat will head on back to the dock to pick up the next rider. The only exception is if your first fall is after the three-quarter buoy on the second pass. From here it’s deemed that the boat won’t have enough time to get back up to speed so the pick up boat will come and take you back to the dock.
Judging
Your ride will be judged by three judges sitting in the boat. They are looking at three categories for each rider – composition, execution and intensity – which all have equal weighting on your final score. To keep it simple this is what the judges looking for in each category.
- Composition
How well you mix your tricks up. Judges want to see more than just a pass full of inverts. Throw some spins, hit the wake toeside and event switch for good composition. - Execution
How well you perform your tricks. Examples of good execution would be grabbing your tricks, landing cleanly and putting your own style into the tricks you perform. - Intensity
How hard you go at the wake. If you can take your tricks way out into the flats, you will get good intensity scores.
On the day
We will run a riders briefing for all competitors at about 8.30am and the first rider off the dock will usually by at 9am. A run sheet will be posted first thing in the morning giving you plenty of time to figure out when you ride and get yourself sorted down at the dock. It’s best to get to the dock about 10 minutes before you are scheduled and sort out all your gear, especially your rope, so we can get through all the riders as quick as possible.
Ride Days
A ride day or camp works a little differently to a competition. They are a lot more relaxed when it comes to registration and other requirements. If you’re keen to get to one of the ride days we have planned, the best bet is to get in touch with us or stay tuned to the event page. All you need to know is what time to show up and how much each ride will cost.