Wakeboarding in Saskatchewan

The roots of the sport of Wakeboarding go back to the same time as waterskiing was being developed in the 1920’s, when surfers experimented with being towed behind boats.  Over the course of a few decades, surfers modified their long boards by making them shorter and more manoeuvrable.  By the 1960’s, it was not uncommon to see this type of activity on the waters near the coast, and was even used in advertising.  Experimentation with towed watersports was becoming popular in the 1980s. In the mid 80’s, a surfer named Tony Finn from California patented “Skurfing”, which was one of these adapted boards that was used to perform surfboard style tricks in the boat’s wake, which also moved the activity off open waters and to inland lakes and waterways.  The design was quickly modified by adding foot straps and eventually mountings and bindings, making aerial tricks possible.  The boards became lighter as new materials were used, and the sport of Wakeboarding was launched.

 

In 1990, the World Wakeboard Association (WWA) was founded which provided for standardization of competitions, and the growth and popularity of the sport provided the foundation for it to be added to the Pan Am Games in 1995.  Wakeboarding had been introduced in our province in the early 90’s, and quickly became the most popular recreational and competitive towed watersports.  In 1996, Wakeboard Saskatchewan was founded, and then in 1997, the Saskatchewan Waterski Association added an executive position on the board to represent the Wakeboarding community.  Wakeboard Saskatchewan held its first event called the Wakeboard Challenge in Saskatoon at the Saskatoon Waterski Club site.  

 

In 2001, the first Wakeboard Provincials were held in Saskatoon, and the first Canadian National Championships were held in Calgary.  The national rankings became age group specific this year.  The interest in Saskatchewan to build Wakeboarding was high, and the training and development produced national level athletes, judges, coaches and world champions within a decade of its introduction.  In 2002, Matt Pointer and Allsion Stakiw were certified WWA Judge Course Conductors, and they trained Rusty Malinowski, Josh Dutchak, Braden Stumborg, Casey Hood, Brady Hood, Janesta Wildeman, and Adam Burwell as Level I judges.  Having local people informed about the scoring provided our athletes with an added bonus on how to train and prepare for competitions.  At the AGM this year, Adam Balon motioned that Wakeboarding be considered for inclusion in the programming and funding for Saskatchewan Waterski Association, and wakeboarding became eligible the following season.

 

With the additional support and funding, the first ever training camp for the SaskFirst team was held this year, and the team was coached by Mike Lieffers. The highly trained and dedicated volunteers in the province hosted the 2003 Canadian Nationals in Saskatoon, the first time a National Championship for towed watersports was held in the province.  The team earned 17 medals at the event.  Rusty Malinoski was named to Wakeboard Team Canada in 2003, and began his dominance on the national and international stage.  Rusty went to his first World Championships that fall, in Orlando, placing second, and competed in an International competiton in Sydney Australia later in the season. 

 

2004 saw the number of clubs in Saskatchewan dedicated to Wakeboarding expanded rapidly, and the association had a 48 foot slider that was built to travel in the province for clubs to install and riders to use for training.  Kipabiskau successfully hosted the Flying Beavers Big Air Wakeboarding event to add competitive experience and opportunities for the athletes.  There was a Level I Coaching Clinic dedicated to Wakeboarding to support the local clubs.  The Travel Clinic was full this season, and wakeboarding was the most popular grassroots choice for participants.  Provincials were held in Regina on Wascana Lake during Buffalo Days, with over 15,000 spectators taking in the event over the course of competition.  There were 40 riders competing for provincial titles.  Nationals registration for the event in Abbotsford attracted huge numbers, forcing the organizers to limit registrations per province and overall registration to 200 participants.  Mike Lieffers was named as a national Wakeboard coach for Team Canada, and Rusty entered his second year with the team.  

 

Wakeboarding was recognized as one of the fastest growing summer sport in the world from 2001-05. (source – Olympics.ca).  The provincial association underwent a name change and officially became known as Waterski and Wakeboard Saskatchewan. The additional funding potential allowed for Wakeboard to expand and grown over the next decade.  Ashley Leugner was a key contributor to the next growth in the sport, and credits the Executive Director at this time, Sheri Sieferling, with having a big hand to make the sport more inclusive to include women athletes.  “Through SaskLotteries and funding, our program was next level compared to other provinces.  We also worked on getting more women involved, I would go to do girls’-only clinics throughout the province.  Girls who attended were given a Golden Ticket which was a free entry to the clinic.  So this group of girls came together and made friends and competed.”  

 

In 2005, the Travel Clinic was once again full across 10 sites over 40 days, with high interest in learning to Wakeboard, and our province had 8 training sessions for Team Sask across the province including Oxbow, Anglin Lake, Fort Qu’Appelle, Kipabiskau,and on the river in Saskatoon.  The athlete list that participated in the various camps training to become part of our SaskFirst team included Adam Burwell, Ashley Leugner, Braden Stumborg, Brady Hood, Casey Hood, Brian Drever, Corwin Pearce, Dylan Miller, Jeanesta Wildeman, Josh Dutchak, Travis Chilliak, Matt Pointer, Aiden Glatt, Chad Lawrence, Craig McMorris, Gavin Peters, and Mark McMorris.   At Nationals in Montreal, Anthony Hollick, Braden Stumborg, Ashley Leugner, and Mark McMorris brought home medals.  The Pan Am Wakeboard Championship were held in Orlando Florida, with Rusty Malinoski winning the World cup title this season, and named Waterski Canada’s Male Athlete of the Year.  

 

The skill levels for our coaches, judges and athletes were enhanced in 2006 with the introduction of video analysis for trick development. This was the year that the Rip’n’Ride program was introduced, with Troy Monz leading the introduction to the clubs.  Troy was recognized by Waterski Wakeboard Canada for his dedication and development of towed watersports. At the provincial and the national level, Braden Stumborg and Mark McMorris dominated their age categories.  At the club level, several events were held, including the highly popular Flying Beaver event at Kipabiskau.  

 

In 2007, There were 21 clubs in the province, the highest ever, in all 8 Saskatchewan sports districts, with 7 events organized at the club level to challenge the athletes and prepare them for the provincial and national level competitions, which were becoming more competitive each year.  The Travel Clinic was once again very popular for learning grassroots wakeboarding, and the participants had access to high level coaches and athletes Troy Monz, Matt Pointer, Dylan Miller, and Braden Stumborg during this season’s clinics. Braden Stumborg landed Saskatchewan’s first ever 900 in competition this season, and Rusty Malinoski was once again named the 2007 Wakeboard Riders’ Choice Award winner.  

 

The association had clubs in all 8 districts again in 2008, with a full Travel Clinic and events at the club level to support the massive growth of Wakeboarding.  Membership numbers started to peak, and provided the association with a strong group of volunteers, officials, coaches and athletes.  O’Brien supplied the SaskFirst team with access to boards and wakeskates for the season, and also for the Travel Clinic.  The National Championship returned to Regina, hosted by Queen City Riders, called the Sasktel Summer Invasion, on Wascana Lake.  Over 100 Riders participated, with Saskatchewan athletes once again putting on a dominant performance.  Off-Water Events Organized by Off Axis Productions, included skateboard competitions and demos, headliner concerts with Hedley and Sedley, motocross shows, a Vendor alley, rider media events and family events, Concessions and after-parties featuring music.  Rusty Malinoski attended the World Championships in Russia, and was crowned World Champion.  

 

The Travel Clinic was booked solid again in 2009, and Wakeboarding continued to be the grassroots sport of choice for participants.  There were "Girls Only" Clinics held at Anglin Lake, Pasqua Lake, and Little Fishing Lake.  20 girls participated, and was a contributing factor to the increased number of women at wakeboard provincials. There were 5 events hosted by the local clubs, and the first Wakeride event occurred in Saskatoon, with 18 pro riders competing.  Rusty Malinoski became the first Wakeboard athlete in the world to have landed the first ever 1080 in competition this season.  Also, in 2009, Adam Burwell was invited to officiate at a World Wakeboard event.

 

2010 continued with the rise in Wakeboarding in our province, with fun wakeboard tournaments held in Estevan twice with 20 athletes at each event, and Christopher Lake with 50 athletes. The Travel Clinic was affected by lousy weather overall this summer, but they still were able to host 42 total days, including Girls-Only Clinics at three locations including at Pasqua Lake (Indian Head), Estevan, and Little Fishing Lake, engaging 20 participants aged 10–18. A DVDs released teaching wakeboard trick names and techniques and sent out to all provincial sports organizations.  The second Wake Ride was held with 20 participants. Kipabiskau Watersports Club began to take a key role in the development of towed watersports in Saskatchewan, with training camps and facilities for both waterskiing and wakeboarding.  

 

There were 28 certified Wakeboard officials in the province by 2011.  The provincial association had the advantage of very strong volunteers at the club, provincial and national level.  The clubs hosted 2 events, and provincials were held on Wascana Lake, with the Regina Exhibition Association charging for the use of the site for the first time.  Nationals were in Kamloops, with 15 Saskatchewan athletes participating, taking home 5 medals.  Dylan Miller from the Estevan Club made the move to Floriday, where he started to work and train.  2012 saw the continuation of the value the Travel Clinic provided to expose people to the sport, including 2 clinics on reserves.  Membership numbers peaked in these years with the high interest in the sport of Wakeboarding.  The wakeboard community were in discussions around hosting Wake Surf events but due to the focus of the association on towed watersports, it was not to become part of the programming at this time.  Nationals were in Quebec, with 10 participants bringing home 7 medals.

 

In 2013, Saskatchewan had 35 coaches registered with Waterski Wakeboard Canada who were actively working with our athletes in the province.   The SaskFirst team went to Winnipeg this season, and participated in team cable training with 8 participants in Winnipeg.   Nationals were hosted in Ontario, and Ashley Leugner won the female wakeboarding category, the first of several consecutive championships.  7 medals were won by Saskatchewan athletes. Wakeboarding was one of 8 sports shortlisted for inclusion in the 2020 Olympics but it was not selected.  Rusty was once again crowned World Champion, this time at an event in South Korea. He also won gold in Men’s Wakeboard at the Masters Open in Pine Mountain, and bronze at the Red Bull Wake Open in Tampa, Florida.  Dylan Miller and Adam Burwell focused on filming and developing their careers down in Florida, and Dylan received his first pro contract, which has lead to a lifetime career in the wakeboarding industry.

 

The program had to focus on a rebuild in 2014, as athletes had moved up and aged out of their age classes.  Sask First Program consisted of an Elite Team with Brett Morris, Mitchell Keet, Sage Dayman, Adam Benson, Connor MacNeill, Taylor Johnson, Taylor Fiesel, Brooklyn Fiesel.  The Development Team had Lyndon Rysavy, Mckinley Smith, John Davis Konkin, Jennifer Kemp, Camden Fiesel, Jayden Kushniruk.  Provincials was called WakeJam, and was held in Saskatoon, with a full event listing and activities for towed watersports enthusiasts.  The clubs focused on Wakeboarding in 2014 were the Flying Monkeys Watersports Club established in Melfort, operating out of St. Brieux. Lac Pelletier Wakeboard Club was focused on wakeboarding.  Kipabiskau Water Sports Club developed more of a wakeboard-focused club for this year. The No Boundaries Wakeboard Club also offered programs as a Wakeboard-focused club.

 

2015 had a full travel clinic offering and the association focused on delivering clinics to the clubs as a priority.  The participants this season began to shift to less of a tendency to choose Wakeboarding as their grassroots choice as young athletes who were the next generation of former waterskiiers began to train.  Wakesurf also impacted the industry as the next towed watersport for athletes to try and boats were being designed to accommodate this new activity on the water.  WSWS athletes participated in WakeJam provincials at Saskatoon River Landing , and Wake Ride.  Proceeds from Wake Ride went to purchase equipment for inner city youth activity programs in Saskatoon.  Pan Am Games were held in Toronto, and wakeboarding was featured in the event.  Rusty Malinoski won Gold at Wakeboarding at this event.  Women’s Wakeboarding debuted at this event.  

 

The next season saw the continuation of the rebuilding of the towed watersports community in the province.  In 2016, the National Coaching Certification Program for Wakeboarding Build the Skills was introduced in this season.  The Flatland Club debuted this year, and built a straight-line Cable system for Wakeboarding near Vanscoy.  Wakeboard Wake Jam provincials were held in Saskatoon again, with the focus on the Development team’s growth.  Wake Jam took place at Emma Lake in 2017.  The Travel Clinic continued the trend from the past season of having a focus serving the needs of clubs, and experienced fewer participants choosing Wakeboarding.  The program also experienced a lowered participation level at Nationals over 2016-2019.  The number of clubs declined rapidly as the athletes aged out in communities, and had shrunk to Kipabiskau carrying the entire program for Wakeboarding in Saskatchewan.

 

The rebuild years were interrupted by the pandemic, which impacted grassroots, development, and high performance programming.  There were no competitions or events held in 2019 or 2020.  The association used this opportunity to analyze its governance and programming, and the wakeboarding program had a chance to re-focus on the next generation of athletes, coaches, and volunteers.  Contributing factors included the high cost of boats due to inflation during the pandemic, and the trend of weekend warriors who simply want to enjoy the sport recreationally and not competitively.

 

The next generation began to emerge in 2022.  The children of the former competitive athletes and high level coaches in the Wakeboard program were coming of age to train and compete.  Kipabiskau lead the resurgence in the sport, having a very successful development camp and provincials event with 37 athletes participating, including the first timers for competition along with the veterans.  The 2023 team exemplified the effects of the Legacy athletes, as it included Marin Wempe Monz on the SaskFirst Excellence Team, and Jacob Clunie, Ben Lieffers, Mason Wempe Monz, Isaak Lieffers, Davis Markwart, Jonas Markwart,  and Prospects Braxton Goettler, Zoey Bracken, Max Bracken, Ben Goettler, Avery Napper, Beau Pedersen and Drai Napper. A number of athletes took part in off-season training with Rusty Malinoski in Florida to prepare for the season.  Kipabiskau held training camps and had a waiting list for the pre-provincials event, as well as hosting a very successful provincials with almost 50 participants.  5 of our athletes attended Nationals and Marin won his division. Troy Monz also competed in the Veteran’s category. He qualified for the World Wakeboard Association Championships in Portugal, where he won the Wakefoil World Championships, and sixth in Wakeboarding. Troy also participated in Wakeboarding and Wakefoil.  

 

The Wakeboard volunteers in the province were instrumental in the development of the Cable Park in Saskatoon in 2023 and 2024.  They provided the experience and corporate wisdom along with the connections in the community to make the Cable Park a reality in 2024.  The Wakeboard team was able to have a full season of development at the training camps in Kipabiskau, and once again had a very successful training camp and provincials.  Wakeboard Nationals were hosted by Waterski Wakeboard Saskatchewan in Saskatoon on the river, marking the third time it has been in Saskatchewan. The event was part of the YXE Urban Games, which was a multi-sport event in the city promoting active lifestyles and participation in sport. Over 1,500 spectators watched the finals on Sunday. Saskatchewan dominated the youth categories, and also took home the majority of the medals in the veterans category in the male and female division.  Marin Wempe Monz joined Team Canada in 2024, and attended a Pan Am Games event in Florida.  

The Wakeboard program in Saskatchewan has had many highlights over years.  The clubs, the athletes, the coaches, and the officials have provided for towed watersports enthusiasts to enjoy wakeboarding on our amazing lakes during our incredible summers.  The future looks bright, with the resurgence of the interest in the next generation, and the development of the Cable Park.  With the announcement that wakeboarding is once again one of the shortlisted events for the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia, the future indeed seems bright.