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Making Waves: UTSA Wake Club

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar AUDRY GUERRA
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Chloe Adams
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UTSA chapter.

What is Wakeboarding? As told by Google:

“The sport of riding on a short, wide board resembling a surfboard and performing acrobatic maneuvers while being towed behind a motorboat/ motorized cable”

 
This club made its debut on the UTSA campus back in 2014, without being able to fulfill all official club necessities it was put on hold. Then in January of 2015, it came about with new members striving for acknowledgment. In April the first actual meeting consisted of 25 members, and by fall 2016 there was only 13 left. After August recruitment, the club had 55 members and it was finally established. As of Spring 2016 there are 65 registered members. And I promise there is a handful of girls! Don’t let this rough start fool you, these roadrunners are determined to get recognized by the whole university.

 The Wakeboarding club is filled with many events, such as team “Lake days” at Canyon Lake, Lake Dunlap in New Braunfels, and Lake Conroe in Houston. They have attended multiple competitions at different cable parks around Texas, Quest in Austin, BSR in Waco, Hangar 9 in Houston and TSR in New Braunfels. There have also been weekend camping trips to Mustang Island, and weekend cabin trips in Waco.

 

As you drive North on I-35 you might see a sign for Texas Ski Ranch and wonder what that place is. To UTSA Wakeboarding club, it’s their second home. TSR covers 70 acres. There are three cable systems and one lake for boat activities. TSR is open for all type of riders, and promote different discounts the days of the week (Thursdays is college days!) Don’t worry about equipment, they rent out all the necessities you’ll need. You can find majority of these members shredding the wake here when they are not studying for school!

 

For those skeptical about joining the wakeboarding club the one thing I have to say is DO NOT WORRY. It’s the best club I’ve ever joined my years here at UTSA, (and I’ve tried a lot!) I have never felt any pressure, and felt right at home. I’ve been in the club since April and I’m so excited to see what’s to come! I’ve learned a lot and it’s always a good time. Most of the members that sign up each semester have never even ridden. This club is beginner friendly! The executive council has every intention to teach each member and help them conquer the wake. Even if you wipe out the first 15 times, these roadrunners are patient and are excited to help you love this sport. Apart from wakeboarding, all water sports are welcome during lake days. Members have paddle boarded, wake surfed, water skied, and more. This club is for every UTSA student with a love for water, fun and sun. P.S. Free tans are included with joining!

As mentioned before there are competitions. UTSA has an awesome competitive team. UTSA Wakeboarding club members have competed in multiple competitions that have been all around Texas. Throughout these competitions they have had five members place:

 

March 19, 2016:

Hangar 9 Wake Park in Houston, TX.

  • 1st Place Advanced- Connor Talbott
  • 2nd Place Advanced- Tyler Knebel
  • 1st Place Beginner- Ryan Kutner
  • 3rd Place Beginner- Dawson Draycott

 

November 8th 2015:

Empire Wake Collegiate Competition at Texas Ski Ranch

  • 3rd Place Advanced- Alex Crowe 

 

The Wake Club is all about fun in the sun, and a has grown into one big family. You can catch the Wakeboarding club at their next competition at Texas Ski Ranch on April 2nd and 3rd hosted by our rivals Texas State. Come cheer on your fellow roadrunners! You can follow them on Twitter and Instagram @UTSAWAKE. Also, you can donate to help them compete at the Collegiate National Competition in Las Vegas in April. https://dm2.gofund.me/7qh9hh98fh9

 Seriously, what girl wouldn’t want to be on a boat in the middle of the summer surrounded by hot shirtless guys?! It’s never too late to join, wet suits are coming off and wakeboarding season is coming up. Come and wake it.

 

 

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Audry is a 22 year old English major at the University of Texas San Antonio. She enjoys traveling and being outdoors. Channeling her inner Pisces, she's an aspiring water-sport queen. Blood type: part coffee, part margarita. Hobbies include eating cheese fries, running late to everything, driving wrecklessly, and happy hour hopping. Audry plans on returning back to her home state of Colorado when she graduates this coming May. She may not be a Kardashian by birth, but you can keep up with her on Twitter and Instagram, @_likeAG.
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Chloe is currently a senior trying to figure out how she's going to be capable of functioning as a real adult in less than a year. When she's not currently dealing with this quarter life crisis you can find her at happy hour, watching movies she knows will make her cry (& forcing her fiance to watch them with her, becaue #love, obsessing over her December wedding, and just generally trying to relive freshman year with her friends because she knows the best years of her life are about to end.