wakeboard (wkbôrd, -brd) n.
wakeboarder n. wakeboarding v.

Wakeboarding basically involves a wakeboarder being towed behind a boat on a stretch of calm water. The rider stands on a short, very broad water ski called a wakeboard with their feet secured to the board with specially designed bindings. The board/binding setup is a concept similar to a snowboard, but obviously is designed for use on water.

The boat usually travels at around 18-24mph and creates a wake, which is used by wakeboarders as a ramp. With practise wakeboarders are able to perform jumps and aerial tricks off the wake. Other simpler surface tricks can be performed without the use of the wake.

Not surprisingly, wakeboarding is the fastest growing water sport in the world and with this growth has come a number of new innovations and ways to ride. These includes sliders (stationary structures for the riders to slide along), kickers (a similar concept to water ski jumps) and cable parks where wakeboarders are towed via an overhead cable as opposed to a boat.