The Sacramento State wakeboard team is seeking to build the popularity of the sport at the collegiate level and it has been successful, as the reputation and size of the team continues to grow.

Wakeboard and Water-ski Coordinator for the Sac State Aquatic Center Brice Bennett said that last April, the team finished third in the Collegiate National Wakeboard Championship in San Diego. In 2006, the team placed fifth in a national tournament.

Bennett said the Sac State Wakeboard Team will host the Western Regional Wakeboard Championship Oct. 19-21. He said the tournament will be held about two hours north on Interstate 5 at a private ski lake called Villa Lagos, located in Gerber, Calif.

“We’ve got a board of directors now with the CWA, which is governed and insured by USA Wakeboard,” said Bennett, the Collegiate Wakeboard Association Western Conference Director.

He said this will be the first year regional championships will be held.

“The regional championships are held in an effort to organize the sport since it is so young,” Bennett said. “We developed the different regions so that conferences can work together to organize tournaments.”

Bennett said there are five regions in the nation: Eastern, Southern, Southeast, Midwest and West.

“Each region will host a tournament to qualify for the national championship held in April,” Bennett said. “This year’s site is still up in the air – it will be San Diego or Orlando.”

Bennett said there are four men’s divisions: intermediate, advanced, outlaw and pro. He said the women’s divisions are women’s open and women’s pro.

Professional wakeboard riders will ride on the boat as competitors perform tricks, acting as judges at the regional and national championships, he said. The pros will judge the collegiate riders on style, amplitude and execution.

Bennett said the boats in the competitions will be driven by certified drivers.

“That’s to make sure everything is safe, and so there is no favoritism for anybody,” Bennett said.

Bennett said the Sac State Wakeboard Team has three professional riders, the best one being Shelby Kantar, winner of the Women’s Professional Wakeboard Tour this past summer. He said she was recently invited to ride for the U.S. Women’s Wakeboard Team.

The other two pro Aaron Aubrey and Jacob Locken. They have both appeared in many wakeboard magazines and video according to Bennett.

The Sac State Wakeboard Club President Chad McInnis said there are over 30 members this semester. He said the club is in its third year and has seen substantial growth each semester.

“As far as the beginning to now, every semester has progressively grown by a couple percent,” McInnis said. “This semester we’re looking at our highest number then any previous semester. Each semester, more and more people are coming out because they are interested in wakeboarding.”

McInnis said members of the wakeboard club voluntarily participate on the wakeboard team. He said the club practices three days a week – Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but the practices are not mandatory.

Practices are scheduled to work around club members’ school schedules because they are required to carry a 2.0 GPA to be eligible to participate, McInnis said.

WaterSki Magazine also named Sac State in the top 10 water ski colleges in the country in the fall 2005.

Every club member is required to pay $250 each semester for fuel and maintenance of the boat.

“$250 is a bargain, just based on gas alone that the boat goes through,” Bennett said. “Not to mention the fact that you are riding behind a brand new boat every year.”

Bennett said the California Department of Boating and Waterways grants the Sac State Aquatic Center two new boats a year to promote boating safety. The boats are given to the Wakeboard and Water-ski teams to use.

“Every member of the club has to pass a boating safety test,” Bennett said.

McInnis said that club members are also required to pay $35 for an insurance card through USA Wakeboard and a $30 club fee to participate.

In her first semester in the wakeboard club, freshman Allison Whitney said, “it is definitely worth the money to be part of this.”

Junior Jesse Saenz is also in his first semester in the club and said the mentality is all positive.

“The coaches help us with step-by-step training,” he said. “It is a good atmosphere because everyone cheers for everyone else to do well. No one gets down on anyone. They just want to see you do well.”

McInnis agreed, saying that building team morale is what keeps the club going.

“Pushing each other to ride, seeing other people ride, helping each other out, and supporting each other, that’s what our club survives on,” he said.

Andrew Eggers can be reached at [email protected].