There’s the life vest, sure.
And to go wakeboarding, obviously you’ll also need a wakeboard and access to a boat. Those are no-brainers.
But it also wouldn’t hurt to do a few stretches before going out – loosen up a bit. The pull of the rope can tax unused muscles.
“It’s a lot of shoulders and back,” said wakeboarder Collin Spradlin, who frequents Lake Stevens. “It’s a lot of the little supporting muscles you don’t use in your everyday life.”
If you’re a skilled wakeboarder, you might pop over the hard, frothing water and try landing some odd-named stunt such as a “tantrum” – basically a back flip. If you’re newer to the sport, you simply hang on, feeling the strain as the board strapped to your feet is tugged smoothly over the water.
So where do you go for a ride? Some Snohomish County sites stand out.
Lake Stevens
Picture-perfect homes with nearly floor-to-ceiling windows look out on this often crowded lake, where basically every parcel of shoreline has either a finished home or new construction.
While there’s a public boat launch, the homes have private docks, equipped with boats and jet skis. Come Saturday, those docks empty onto the water, and vessels can churn the roughly 1,000 acres of lake into a rough stew less than ideal for wakeboarding.
“We’re looking for water that is fairly smooth,” said Lorri Davidson, president of the Lake Stevens Water Ski and Wakeboarding Club. “The more boats there are, the more boat chop you get.”
Granted, crowded waters are hardly exclusive to Lake Stevens, which calms down during the week and has a view that’s the thing of postcards.
“I’ve been here 17 years,” Davidson said. “I still go, ‘Oh my god, I live here. Isn’t it gorgeous?”
Lake Roesiger
A narrow channel separates the north end of Lake Roesiger from the south end, giving wakeboarders a sort of two-for-one experience in this rural setting closer to the Cascade Range.
The only problem can be getting to the water.
Access is sparse, with no county boat launches and only one state site offering entry to the roughly 350 acres of water. That seems to discourage crowds, said Rich Patton, an official with the Snohomish County Parks and Recreation Department.
Granted, fewer boats and plenty of water means wakeboarders have some breathing room as they cruise, usually going between 16 and 24 mph.
“You have more room to spread out…,” Patton said. “I don’t think it’s near as crowded as the other lakes.”
Lake Goodwin
A bald eagle was hunting ducklings in Lake Goodwin early one weekday morning at Wenberg State Park, scaring them toward the public boat launch, where a dock provided cover. The water was calm, and only a few boats were out.
In other words, it was nothing like the weekend.
“We fill up the entire park and have to turn traffic away pretty much any weekend it gets over 75 (degrees) or so,” said Christy Broadfoot, a park aide.
Like Lake Stevens, this 545-acre lake provides ample space for water sports, but can get choppy. Homes yet again line the shore, except for along Wenberg’s beach. There, picnic tables, a public swimming area and barbecue stands offer recreation for visitors who prefer a brat to a trip on a board.
Flowing Lake
The smallest of these four lakes at about 130 acres, Flowing Lake has a fairly even mix of towering trees and homes along its shore. The air smells of pine, and undisturbed lily pads dot the shallows near a public boat launch.
While the bucolic setting might seem an ideal getaway, Patton said it’s not the best place for wakeboarding, in part because of its size – about half the area of Roesiger. The sport is allowed on the water, but Patton advised looking elsewhere, especially for wakeboarders concentrated on tricks.
“You just have the one little course to go around,” he said. “And you can’t really – there’s not enough room – just to go out and be wild and crazy.”
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