The Sacramento State Wakeboard Team seeks to build the popularity of the sport at the collegiate level and it has been successful, as the popularity 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 said Bennett.

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 in Gerber, California.

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

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

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

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

“Each region will host a tournament to qualify for the national championship held in April,” said Bennett, “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, Bennett said. The pros will judge the collegiate riders on style, amplitude and execution.

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

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,” said McInnis. “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 that members of the wakeboard club voluntarily participate on the wakeboard team. He said the club practices three days a week; Mon. and Wed. from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Fri. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., but they are not mandatory.

McInnis said that 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.

“Water-ski Magazine named us (Sac State) a top-5 destination school for wakeboard and water-ski You can go to school Tuesdays and Thursdays, and wakeboard or water-ski Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, all day long,” said Bennett.

McInnis said that every club member is required to pay $250 a semester for fuel and maintenance of the boat.

“$250 is a bargain, just based on gas alone that the boat goes through,” said Bennett. “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,” said Bennett.

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.”

Also in his first semester in the club, junior Jesse Saenz said, “The coaches help us with step-by-step training?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.”

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

“They (the wakeboard club) have all the equipment for you, all you need is yourself and a good attitude to have fun out here,” said Whitney.

Contact Andrew Eggers at [email protected]