Kneeboard vs. Wakeboard

Kneeboarding and wakeboarding are two related activities within the broad category of water sports. Kneeboarding is one of the earliest hybrid water sports, originating in the 1960s, and combines aspects of both skiing and surfing. Wakeboarding, while mechanically similar to kneeboarding, is considered an "extreme" sport and is often identified with the host of difficult tricks that are often put on display by advanced wakeboarders.

  1. Wakeboarding

    • Wakeboarding is a water sport designed to include aspects of skiing, surfing and snowboarding. The wakeboard rider stands on a specially-made, buoyant board and is pulled along the surface of a large body of water by a motorboat. The two forms of wakeboarding include slalom and trick riding. In slalom riding, the wakeboarder stands his wakeboard in a crouched position and rides over or along the wakes of waves. Trick riding, as the name suggests, involves the wakeboarder speeding towards a wave, jumping off of it then performing various tricks in mid-air.

    The Wakeboard

    • Wakeboards are typically made up of foam and resin coated with fiberglass. All standard wakeboards include a pair of foot straps on the board for safety. Wakeboards vary in only a few ways. The "rocker," or bend, in the board is most commonly either a long, continuous bend from front to back, or a three-stage rocker with two bend points along the body of the board. The type of rocker affects the speed of the board. Length and width vary from board to board, depending on rider preference. The smaller the board, the faster it rides. Boards used for tricks also add fins in various places to alter performance.

    Kneeboarding

    • Kneeboarding is a water sport considered a precursor to wakeboarding. The primary difference between kneeboarding and wakeboarding is that the kneeboarder rides on a specially-made board in a kneeling position while being towed along by a motorboat. Like wakeboarding, there are two forms of kneeboarding: slalom and trick riding. While kneeboarding is experiencing a general decrease in interest after the rise of wakeboarding, it is considered an ideal starting point for people new to water sports. Many people gain experience kneeboarding then graduate to wakeboarding once they feel more comfortable balancing on the water.

    The Kneeboard

    • Unlike wakeboards, kneeboards have specially-shaped pads to support the shins and knees of the rider, in addition to a strap that anchors the rider's legs to the kneeboard. Due to the lower center of gravity from the kneeling posture, it is possible to ride a kneeboard without the assistance of a motorboat. Since towed kneeboarders place the same demands on their boards as wakeboarders do, the basic designs of the two types of boards are similar. Kneeboards include a rocker, which defines the amount of curve on the bottom of the board and optional fins, which modify how the board steers. Boards of varying widths and lengths, which control how quickly the board moves through water, are also available