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I have recently (3 years ago) just taken up the sport of wakeboarding. I started on a Bayliner that had no tower and obviously did not have V-drive. I am 6 foot 3 inches tall, so I had a little trouble getting up. Plus, I have never tried it before, I was never really good at balancing (skateboarding), and all the people in the boat were spouting "How to do it" directions at me all at once. However, all that being said, I am a person who likes challenges, I am very competetive, and once I try something, I know that I will get it and will excel.

After I got the hang of it, the short summer was over especially in the state of Washington. The next year, a friend of mine got a Tige boat. It had a tower, V-drive, and the wake was spectacular. In one summer of constant wakeboarding, I was able to jump the entire wake, grab the board in mid-air, and then, began to wakesurf. This is where you have a mini-surfboard and the rider is about 4 feet from the back of the boat. Your goal is to be able to throw the rope in and ride the wake behind the boat. In order to do this you definitely need a huge wake. This is where the ballast system comes into play. My brother-in-law just bought a Centurion boat with a ballast system. With a push of a button, 250 pounds of weight will immediately be put in either the starboard, port, or both sides of the back of the boat. The wake doubles and can even triple the size especially when there are many passengers in the back. Surfing is a total rush of an experience and is a good break from getting beat up after taking all those wipeouts on a wakeboard. I have hit the water pretty hard after launching off the wake just a little bit in the wrong direction.

I am a teacher, therefore I have summers off. Every spring I look forward to the first pull. Now, after 3 years of experience, I have my own Hyperlite wakeboard with XL bindings. My feet were too big to fit in all the other wakeboards I had to ride on. I bought a wet suit so that I can go in the water on those 70 degree spring days when the weather is great, but the water is still very cold. I love to be out on the water, not only for water sports but just hanging out with friends and family. The Centurion has great features for both venues. There is large compartments for storage, a Bimini top for staying out of the sun, a built in cooler to put beer and pop, wind dam to keep out the cold air, heaters for when you get out of the cold water, and an Ipod adapter. It is the ultimate boating experience.

If you have ever thought about buying a boat or wanted to start the hobby of wakeboarding, I highly suggest that you do it. Living in Washington, I don't get out as much as I would if I lived in Arizona, but the experience and memories are well worth it.

Learn more about this author, Chris Turner.
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