Water Skiing in England – Is it as Popular as Other Sports?

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Water skiing, in general, is a great activity, especially if you’re not afraid of getting wet or pulled by a speedboat. Things can be difficult in the UK and England as the weather might not be accommodating. The cold and rainy days are not really the best weather you could have asked for.

Even though it is a water sport which is more or less a niche thing that adventurous people do rather than professionally. There are competitions in water skiing but it is also more of a recreational activity done for fun or as a workout.

Let us cover the basics of water skiing and some great locations across England.

The Basics of Water Skiing

Water skiing is a surface water sport, by definition, where you are pulled by a boat and are floating either barefoot or using any device that can help you float. The said devices range from discs to one or two skis. Other floating devices are wakeboards and kneeboards.

Water skiing was invented by Ralph Samuelson on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota, in 1922. He used a pair of boards as his skis and a clothesline as a towrope. He perfected water skiing and went on to do shows and teach others.

Water skiing has a couple of disciplines.

Slalom

Slalom involves the usage of one ski and a multi-buoy course consisted of 26 buoys. Completing the course earns the competitor a pass and every pass is increasingly difficult as the boat speeds up.

Jump

The water ski jump is a simple discipline where only the distance is measured. The speed of the boat is capped at 58 km/h or 36 mph in professional events.

Trick

Trick water skiing is very technical and involves skiers making two 20-second runs where they perform hand tricks in one and toe tricks in the other. Tricks cannot be repeated and each of them has their value in points.

Best Water Skiing Locations in England

Now that you are familiar with what water skiing is all about, you can head to England for your water skiing holiday. There are plenty of locations to choose from, and each of them has something to offer to water skiers of every level.

Falmouth

This city is home to the National Maritime Museum and has quite a history with the sea. It is also one of the best places to go boating and water skiing.

Eastbourne

This is England’s sunniest town. It is on the south-east of England and is home to the Eastbourne Extreme watersports festival. If you wanted to go water skiing, then this town with its festival should accommodate you well.

England as a country is very accepting of water sports and water skiing in general. Their ties to water and the sea are well-known. If you want to water ski in England, go right ahead, there are plenty of places to explore, just be mindful of the speed limits.

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