Getting My Feet Wet

Jumping Into Wakeskating with Underground Products

Text by Justin Stannard

Photography by Kyle Schmidt

“Dude, check these out!” I was holding up a magazine while bursting into Editor Kevin Shaw’s office, like Cosmo Kramer exploding into Jerry Seinfeld’s apartment, “We’ve gotta get our hands on these puppies!”

Just moments earlier, while thumbing through my favorite wakeboarding mag, I had come across an evaluation of a new shoe made just for wakeskating by a Floridian company named UGP (Underground Products); the shoe was dubbed “The Gauntlet.” While I would ordinarily pass the wakeskating material in lieu of my favorite wakeboarding content, something nonetheless caught my attention. Aside from the “cool factor” of a shoe sporting two drain holes integrated into the sole for quick water evacuation (see Gearing Up in our ’08 March/April for details), the Gauntlet and its signature edition, the Doyle, possessed a peculiarity which had gone previously untapped by most water shoe manufacturers: they were actually fashionable. To a PWC devotee, they were absolutely brilliant. I was sold.

Now let’s not get off on the wrong foot; wetsuit manufacturers and various footwear companies have been producing comfortable, high-quality booties and water-specific footwear for decades. However, unless you’re in a matching full-length wetsuit or consider yourself an unconventional fashion trendsetter, you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing the booties with board shorts on your runabout or while dining in the marina restaurant, for that matter.

For the youthful wakeskating community, the introduction of a wakeskate-specific water shoe was a welcomed alternative to riding barefoot or ruining an $85 pair of skate shoes. To a personal watercraft enthusiast, however, it was a fashion and comfort godsend. No longer would we be forced to ride barefoot or feverishly scramble for our sandals when it came time to dock; never again would we be caught uttering obscenities while shaking jagged stones out of cheap department store water shoes. Little did I know, my excitement over a simple pair of shoes would end up taking me across the country to Florida, meeting with two of UGPs top riders to dive headfirst into the growing sport of wakeskating.

After speaking with David Papandreas at UGP, we at Personal Watercraft Illustrated decided a trip to wakeskating’s hub in Florida’s “warm tropical paradise” was obligatory to uncover the ins-and-outs of the sport and examine its spirit as demonstrated by a couple of pros. UGP, it seemed, was as excited about this trip as we were. It turns out, UGP’s Gauntlet and Doyle wakeskate shoes (as of 2008, all styles are referred to as the Doyle II) are just the newest of an ongoing BMX and boardsports legacy dating back to 1986; rumor has it, the company has its roots making number plates for competitive BMX riders. Now they’re gunning for the PWC world, offering their shoes and water-sports apparel for the dedicated weekend warrior.

Since its inception, Underground Products has been creating clothing and accessories representative to a youth subculture of bike riders and boarders. While my conservative parents might not exactly rush to the nearest UGP dealer to buy their newest summer fashion ensemble, the company’s creative designs scream of youthful originality and blatant disregard for the trendy norms.

The company works hard to retain a strong presence in not only the big BMX, wakeboarding, wakeskating, and freestyle competitions, but participate in many of the local and collegiate grassroots events as well. It’s clear that UGP isn’t just the clothing company which also makes a sweet set of shoes, they are helping build the foundation for an underground culture of board and bike enthusiasts. Getting so pumped over the trip to Florida to meet with UGP left me asking myself why I’d never made the leap into wakeskating in the first place.

Having roots as a snowboarder and wakeboarder, wakeskating has always scared me to death; and until very recently was avoided as such. As a kid, unfortunately, I was one of those without the coordination or dexterity to ride a skateboard well. The notion of traveling in a straight line while avoiding those life-threatening pebbles in my path was challenging enough; kicking a board from underneath my feet then landing on it? Get real. Since wakeskating is performed without bindings while skimming across the water on a griptaped wooden deck loosely resembling a miniature wakeboard, the ride is reminiscent of skateboarding, and the tricks follow suit.

As with skateboarding, not being strapped in also means that the hard wooden board is free to pulverize the face or family jewels after a nasty spill. So for me, a sport which invoked childhood memories of skinned elbows and missing teeth always took the backseat. But to the adrenaline junkies who make wakeskating their hobby, it’s just another day of goofing off and having fun in the water. I figured it was time to gear up and head out to sunny Florida to see what I was missing out on. But, since the warm, picturesque state is no place to be caught off guard, Editor Kevin happily volunteered to be my wingman for the risky assignment.

After spending the long, mind-numbing cross-country flight anticipating the refreshing blast of hot humid tropical air upon on arrival, we were greeted instead by an overcast, chilly gray morning in Orlando; so much for leaving cold and rainy California for a retreat in a “warm tropical paradise.” Despite Dave Papandreas’ blantant false advertising pertaining to the weather, we went ahead and met with Kyle Hyams and Stef Tor; two of UGP’s best sponsored wakeskaters, our liaisons to this remarkable sport.

Kyle and Stef are the caliber of athletes who give a good name to extreme sports like snowboarding, wakeboarding, skating and surfing, which have traditionally been branded as the pastime of destructive young delinquents. They both possess that sort of charming, laid-back unpretentiousness that instantly leaves you feeling all warm and fuzzy inside – or maybe it was just that Jumbo Latte I pounded before meeting up with them that morning. Regardless, one can instantly gather that both riders work hard and appreciate where the sport takes them, which leaves little doubt as to why they’re helping bring wakeskating to new heights.

For Kyle Hyams, a 24 year-old who grew up skating and wakeboarding in Southern Florida, the leap to wakeskating was a no-brainer. The skills acquired from years of skateboarding fused seamlessly with his experience as a wakeboarder and brought him face-to-face with his calling. Now a professional wakeskater, Kyle is known for bringing his naturally fluid skateboarding style into his sessions.

Although he comes across as easygoing and humble, he wouldn’t deny that he’s known for throwing out wild tricks during rail jams (in addition to his random movie-quote outbursts) and probably wouldn’t pass the opportunity to brag that last March he landed a Backside BigSpin (the board spins 360 degrees while the rider spins 180 degrees in the same direction), clearing an 8-foot gap while being winched between two pools.

When he’s not riding at Lake Destiny or throwing shove-its (the board flat-spins 180 degrees under the rider’s feet) onto large handrails, Kyle works his nine-to-five as the Junior Designer at UGP. While he’s quick to rattle off all of his professional sponsors and supporters – including UGP, Liquid Force, Spy Optic, DNA Energy Drinks, Performance Ski & Surf, and Melissa Zurz – Kyle confesses that his family’s encouragement has been pivotal in his quest for wakeskate domination. How sweet. Needless to say, Kyle was a perfect candidate to demonstrate the graceful motions and skateboard roots of wakeskating to a rookie like myself.

Stef Tor of Niagara Falls, Canada is another tough cookie. After seeing pictures of this striking female rider modeling a bloody, wakeskate-induced broken nose on the Liquid Force website, I knew I had found a devoted wakeskating girl who could not only whip some serious tail, but could give the boys a run for their money, too. Although Stef spends many of her days working as a Fashion Designer at UGP (her license plate frame reads, “I Love To Sew,” go figure) she is also a team rider who set her riding career ablaze after winning the World Amateur Wakeskate Championship in 2004 against a bunch of boys. Ouch.

Soon after, she signed with Liquid Force wakeskates, and since then has been riding professionally for UGP, Liquid Force, Jet Pilot, LA Fitness, Sea-Doo, Rockstar Energy Drinks, and Miami Ski Nautique. Currently, she’s one of only two females to land a wakeskate kickflip, and as of this writing, is the only girl wakeskater to grace the cover of a magazine. Additionally, she is the proud owner of the only gasoline-powered, 15-horsepower margarita blender I have ever had the privilege to lay eyes on. It was marvelous.

After meeting our team riders and suiting-up on a dilapidated, overgrown wooden dock in Little Lake Conway – which so happens is literally Stef’s backyard – I began to really appreciate what these riders are able to accomplish in such a demanding new sport. They practice almost every day, in everything from frigid 50-some degree water to dreadful humidity-soaked summer afternoons. As the morning clouds finally burned off and lit up the beautiful glassy lake in the distance, I could only reflect on how my giddy enthusiasm over a pair of stylish PWC-riding shoes brought me here with these professionals to learn about a great new sport that I had formerly neglected to appreciate.

Regarded by many as the next natural progression of wakeboarding, the wakeskating sport appears to be gaining ever-growing hype and attention. Although it is commonly compared to its older brother, wakeboarding, wakeskating is actually very different from its counterpart in both style and technical execution. While wakeboarding owes its genesis to the bound world of snowboarding – mostly a realm of grabs, flips, and spins – wakeskating pays homage to classic, old-school skateboarding, with technical tricks like ollies (popping the deck into the air), shove-its, kickflips (the board rotates 360 degrees along its long axis), and railslides (sliding over a raised rail). Moreover, wakeskating needs neither the steep wake nor the expensive full-size boat generally used for competitive wakeboarding; all that’s needed to tow a wakeskater is your favorite 3-seat personal watercraft, a spotter, and some flat water. And if that’s still asking too much, there are several winch-operated wakeskate parks nationwide. That’s right; you don’t even need a lake or watercraft to get out and learn. Just hold on to the rope and let a machine reel you in across a manmade pool of water.

After shoving off and creeping out past the No Wake Zone, our two Sea-Doo WAKE Edition watercraft sprung to life in search for silky smooth waters to devirginate. Although the cloud cover had started melting away and the air was warming up now, I still couldn’t help but feel bad for Kyle, who was preparing to hop in the seemingly-arctic water and exercise some wakeskate discipline for the camera. But those empathetic concerns dissolved instantaneously after seeing him bust out his first run; the guy is a natural. My attention was frozen to the acrobatic display behind the boat, like being four years old again and seeing fireworks for the first time. Sitting in the spotter’s seat on the back of the Sea-Doo, I had front-row tickets to the best show in town.

Next up was Stef; who didn’t even hint at the water being anything less than perfect temperature upon jumping in. Like stated before, the girl has the die-hard mindset and the talent to put to shame any guy bold enough to doubt her abilities. Watching her conquer the flats outside the Sea-Doo’s wake was equally as impressive. While wakeskating’s absence of huge wake-to-wake jumps and wild tricks may initially sound less entertaining than wakeboarding, think again. The initial disenchantment following the absence of big-air stunting is promptly replaced with the awe of watching an adept wakeskater perform. After watching just one or two of Kyle and Stef’s runs, it was obvious that wakeskating is inherently more technical than wakeboarding; these words coming from a devout wakeboarder. After the two days’ worth of wakeskating sessions, I realized that not only do Kyle and Stef ride with the fluidity and grace worthy of the highest praise, they begged the parting question: why aren’t I doing this? Why aren’t I taking the initiative to give this a shot?

Enjoying the salted peanuts and soda while wedged into my economy seat during the flight home, I couldn’t help but wonder why more PWC enthusiasts haven’t caught on to this sport. The answer, I surmised, was a matter of miseducation. Tow-sports such as wakeboarding, kneeboarding, waterskiing and others have long been the unabated territory of full-size boats on large open lakes.

With the advent of powerful, stable watercraft and emissions-legal powerplants, the PWC begs to be the next generation’s choice for towing. Wakeskating has quickly become a working example of the personal watercraft’s potential put to good use. Unfortunately, a sizeable portion of that next generation is still ignorantly clinging to the archaic belief that personal watercraft are a simple breed, meant only for figure-eights and donuts in open water. If only we could see that what we have in our possession is an untapped resource of endless enjoyment and weekend excursions, maybe we could see that $10,000 garage ornament as a valuable investment and maybe more of us would get out there and try it out.