transition - AsiaLIFE Magazine

A CabledCourseBeth Young watches riders take onthe cable at the Thai Wake Park.Photos by Bill Crang.Less than an hour outside ofBangkok, wakeboarders line upat the dock, ready to launch ontoa manmade lake. Holding a handlesuspended from an overheadcable that skirts the perimeter,they take off fast, landing on thewater with a heavy smack.Experienced riders edge hardto catapult off the first obstacle—a curved ramp known as akicker. Then, with endless greenrice paddies serving as a backdrop,they execute acrobaticstyletricks mid-air.Just before the corner theygraze across the slider—anotherhurdle—before tackling the“Fun Box”—a tiered structure—way on the other side of thelake. If they crash this far out atiny pickup truck zooms acrossto ferry them back to the dockwhere the process begins allover again.The Thai Wake Park gives ridersthe opportunity to practicetheir craft: a fusion of waterskiing,snowboarding and surfing.A sport usually performedbehind a petrol-swilling boat,the electricity-powered cable isenvironmentally friendly and efficient.(Up to 12 people can ridesimultaneously).Wakeboarding is the mostpopular form at the cable parkbut there are other activities ofvarying difficulty that riderscan try, too. Kneeboarding isthe easiest, while wakeskatingis decidedly more difficult. It isexactly like skateboarding, albeiton water with only shoes to griponto the deck.And for the not so adept atwatersports, a viewing deckfronts the lake and provides aperfect vantage point to watchas riders throw down one trickafter another.Onsite accommodation isavailable at the Thai Wake Parkand a restaurant serves upauthentic local cuisine.For more inforamtiom visitthaiwakepark.com36 asialife HCMC asialife HCMC 37