Wakeboarding to be part of Tempe Music Festival

This years Tempe Music Festival will feature more than top music acts.

The 2009 Tempe Music Festival, taking place at the Tempe Beach Park, will also feature a wakeboarding competition and exhibition.

The Red Bull Wake Lab according to the music festivals official website “will elevate the sport of wakeboarding to a level unparallel to any wakeboard event ever seen in Arizona”. The Wake Lab is describe as a floating skatepark for wakeboarders.

The course itself includes a raised pool and handrails and the biggest wall ride ever built. The Red Bull Wake Lab will be placed along the water near the north of Hayden Ferry.

Some of the best and brightest from the world of wakeboarding will compete in the event scheduled for April 3rd and 4th. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 13th and are $35 in advance and $45 the week of the event.

Red Bull Wake Lab is an attraction for 2009 Tempe Music Fest [TempeMusicalFestival.com]

Water sports in our own backyard?

Water skiing, jet skiing and wakeboarding in the East Valley?

It sounds crazy but some residents don’t need to leave their backyard let alone town to enjoy a weekend on the lake.

Communities in the cities of Gilbert and Queen Creek promote luxury housing and backyard water sports as a few of the amenities to lure potential buyers in a down market.

The Playa del Rey Estates, the San Tan Lakeside Estates and Crystal Point Estates are communities in Gilbert with Buchli lake being the community that calls Queen Creek home.

Residents in the Playa del Rey Estates enjoy a lake that measures 4 feet to 7 feet deep with homes that have their own direct access to the lake including boat houses and slips. The entire housing development contains 109 homes with 34 of them having yards that back up to the lake. The community is located on McQueen Rd. just south of Guadalupe. The lake is not a tournament waterski lake.

The San Tan Lakeside Estates , the newest water skiing community in the East Valley, is located in South Gilbert and is home to 19 houses that have backyards with direct access to the water sports oasis. The lake includes a luxury boat house and is used for competitive water skiing, wakeboarding and jet skiing events. The next event slated for the lake is the INT League Slalom and Kneeboard competition on July 19th at 9 AM. The lake can be found on Riggs road just east of Higley.

Crystal Point Estates is a professionally crafted championship ski lake. It is located on Elliot road just west of Cooper in a gated community. The area includes 18 customs homes and the lake itself includes a critically acclaimed slalom course and a ski jump that is host to the American Water Skiing Associations’ western region tournament.

Buchli lake, located in Queen Creek, is the creation of engineer David J. Buchli. The lake is home to recreational and competitive water sports including the AWSA Arizona September open on the 28th of September. The lake and development are located at 8550 E. Lake Road in Queen Creek.

These lakes truly are a unique way to beat the heat and the high gas prices this summer.

Everything you need to know about, The Arizona Wakeboard Association

We had a chance to catch up with Christine of the Arizona Wakeboard Association. She discusses everything from the benefits of the AWA to the finer points of competitive wakeboarding.

Fanster: What is the Arizona Wakeboard Association all about?

Christine: The Arizona Wakboard Association (AWA) is about promoting the sport of wakeboarding. Although we pride ourselves in providing a save environment for competition, we also help with rail jams, learn to wakeboard clinics and the general promotion of the sport in AZ.

Fanster:What are the benefits of membership in the AWA?

Christine:There are many benefits of being a member of the AWA. I think that one of the best is that it is a great way to meet other riders and/or families with similiar interests. Also, many of our local sponsors offer discounts on equipment and merchandise to AWA members, which is a great perk.

Fanster: How many members are in the AWA?

Christine: The AWA currently boosts over 100 members with an average of 50 riding per event.

Fanster: How many AWA competitive wakeboarding events are there in a year?

Christine: Although the number of competitive wakeboarding events can vary from year to year, we have averaged 6 competitve events for the past several years. We have also held numerous fun events such a wakesurf contests, charity rides and learn to wakeboard days.

Fanster: What is the format of a competitive wakeboarding event?

Christine: Basically we have 8 divisions for riders to choose from: Grom (11 & under), Masters (35 & older), Women, Wakeskate, Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Outlaw. Two judges score each rider against other riders in their division based on three catagories: composition, execution, intensity. In layman’s terms it is basically what you do, how you do it and how big you go.

Fanster: What AWA events are upcoming?

Christine: There are two events remaining for the 2008 season. Mastercraft of AZ and O’Brien are hosting the July 19th event and Century Marine and Liquid Force are hosting the August 23rd event.

Fanster: What different locations are events held?

Christine: The majority of our events are held at Lake Pleasant’s Two Cow Cove. However, we have been fortunate enough to hold events at several of the private ski lakes such as San Tan Lakeside Community and Spring Mountain Ski Ranch.

For more information on the AWA please check out our website www.theawa.com.