If you haven’t seen wakeboarding, you’ve missed some exciting water sport action. With about 50 sites operating in the United States, finding a wakeboarding location isn’t always easy. But we recently found one right next door to our RV Park.
So what exactly is this sport? In 1959, Bruno Rixen invented the activity in Germany that came to be known as cable wakeboarding. It would eventually spread worldwide, particularly in Europe. This sport is a way to ski from a rope and handle pulled by an electrically powered cable rather than the more familiar version behind a motorboat.
The Cable Factory, adjacent to Wakeside Lake RV Park off US Hwy 20 (Exit 332) south of Rexburg, Idaho, provides quite a sight for RVing guests. From lakeside RV spaces, there’s a close-up view of the action. The cable pulls the wakeboarding participant along a course past several jumps they can either attempt or ski past as they are pulled through the water. At either end, the skier turns, throwing up an impressive spray of water and making equally exciting jumps over their wake. All ages and skill levels can be accommodated. We learned that an eighty year-old skier had handled the course just a few days earlier. We personally watched a number of younger skiers tackling the course. The staff is willing to demonstrate the proper form as well as give pointers to participants.
You’ll enjoy Wakeside Lake RV Park, too. The park has recently converted side-by-side RV sites into large pull-through spaces. These extra long and wide spaces have a pastoral view of fields through the driver’s windshield. If you crave the excitement of being lakefront to watch the action on the water, lakefront sites are available. The park has a nice beach for sunbathing or swimming. There are kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals available from The Cable Factory. Or throw in a fishing line for bass or trout in the stocked lake. Fishing is $20 per day and no fishing license is required.
Paddle boarding and beach at RV park.
There is no way to be bored at this stop! It is a must see…
From along the road,
Chris