They are waxing up their surf boards from Hell's Gate to Cypress Springs. They are hanging five from the Oklahoma Border all the way south to Waco. You might catch them snapping one off the top near "The Straits" at Ray Hubbard, or you may see them shooting the curl at the Brazos. Just off pier 121 I have seen them ride their short boards, long boards, and their trick boards. They are riding front side, back side, regular foot, and of course, we have the goofy footers. All across North Texas the newest thing on the lake seems to be "riding the endless wave'. Yes, it is true!!! The surf culture has arrived right here in DFW's own backyard...and inland surfers young and old, entire families, newbies and seasoned ocean surfers have found they too can enjoy a lifestyle and water sport once reserved for our coastal counterparts. We are talking about the sport of Wakesurfing, and the buzz seems to be…Surf's up!!!

So what exactly is wake surfing? Well, for those of you who don't know, wake surfing is the sport of riding the wake created by an inboard wakeboard boat with no strings attached. Most of us have seen someone attempting this activity, and it seems that every summer more and more water sports enthusiasts are joining in the fun. So many, that the team deemed it worthy to bring you up to speed on the lake's newest craze.

We wanted to know, "where exactly did wakesurfing get started, and better yet, who even thought up the idea of surfing here in North Texas? Well, after a lot of phone calls and interesting conversations with longtime Lake Lifer's, it seems modern day wakesurfing's beginnings can be traced to right here in the DFW area. By consensus it originated at about the same time that wakeboarding began to get popular. We are talking mid 1990's. So who got it started you might ask? A lot of folks claim they were doing it as early as the 1950's behind fishing boats. Those claims may be true, but we are talking about surfing waves behind a boat that have some size. At least gulf coast size waves. The two names that kept coming up in my inquiries as to who started the modern day version of wake surfing were two brothers, Brad and Todd Dundas. The "Father's" of modern day wake surfing it seems reside right here in the DFW area.

I caught up with Brad and Todd along with the rest of the North Texas Surf Riders(NTSR) on Lake Lewisville for their Wednesday night ride to gain a little more perspective on how it all got started, and to try and bring anyone interested in getting started the "how to" of wake surfing.

As I was standing on the dock at Charlies, located on LakeLewisville, I noticed Brad and Todd's Malibu turn the corner and start toward me. I noticed the unmistakable list (lean) in the boat, just as it was listing three years earlier when Todd and Brad first introduced me to wakesurfing. Their Malibu pulled up to the dock, and after all the hand shaking and back slapping that goes along with "it's good to see ya," I loaded my board and gear on the boat, and it was off to do some surfing. Now, I have been surfing with the Dundas brothers before, and as I found out then, and know now, wake surfing is not just about how to ride the wave. It is equally important to know how to weight your boat to maximize the size of the wave, and get the wave to the right shape. You know, as the Dundas brothers would say, "wave designing".

We cleared the marina, and at the first marker the first surfer was in the water to begin a fun filled afternoon of surfing and hanging out with some good friends... The first thing you notice if you have ever been wakesurfing with a bunch that knows how to get it done is how much more the boat is listing to one side versus the traditional wakeboarding setup. Todd and Brad use a combination of the boats standard ballast system and additional "fat sacs' (urethane bags filled with lake water) along with the weight of their guests to weight the boat properly for good wave shape and height. In between the surfing and the latest tunes being plyed on Todd's boat stereo, I asked Todd what gave them the idea to surf behind a boat? He told me "it was actually a byproduct of building bigger wakes for wakeboarding." Both Todd and Brad were out wakeboarding one day and noticed that when they slowed down while turning around to pick up a downed rider the wave (wake) behind the boat seemed large enough to ride with a surfboard. They headed to Club Dundas (Todd's home on the lake) and "took an old surfboard off the wall that was being used as a decoration, and headed back to the boat." Todd mentioned it was his first surfboard, and that he traded an old piano for it while serving in the Navy near San Diego. They experimented with riding the wake at slower speeds, and by the end of the first day they realized that "the more the boat was leaned(list) to either side, and the further down the boat was sitting in the water on the same side toward the stern, the better the wave size and shape." There you have it, it was on this sun filled Texas day that modern day wakesurfing was born.

Nearly a decade after that first ride, the "father's of modern day wakesurfing" have developed wave design to a point that makes wakesurfing resemble riding small waves in the ocean. Obviously there are some differences between ocean surfing and inland surfing that we will get to later, but there are also some striking resemblances. Board design being one of the biggest. I asked Brad and Todd for some advice regarding board selection for beginning wake surfer's and they both agreed that" a rider's weight, and the size of the wave they are riding, will determine what are the best boards to ride." The biggest mistake they see beginners making is "riding a board that is not buoyant enough for large heavy riders, or too buoyant and fast for small, lighter riders." As a general rule, they added, "the board should be as long as your height as measured in inches." In other words, "a beginning wake surfer who is 6'1 should ride a board that is approximately 6'1." Also, "heavier riders will need more board to achieve the same results a smaller lighter rider will achieve given the same wave size behind a boat." As a rider (surfer) progresses, then "other sizes and shapes can be considered."

Brad and Todd both believe that the biggest difference between having a lot of fun wakesurfing, or not having any fun at all will be determined by the size and shape of the wave created behind your boat. Brad says, "Wakesurfing should only be done behind boats that are straight inboard. The safety reasons are obvious." The biggest mistake
he sees beginners make is "their boats are not properly weighted to generate good wave size, and shape." Todd says "the more you lean the boat to one side or the other, and the further down the boat sits in the water: the better the wave shape and size." He also added that "wakesurfing is done best at speeds between 9-11mph." According to Brad and Todd most beginning wake surfers "just fill up their ballast tanks and sit a couple of people on one side." That is their biggest mistake. The boat when properly weighted should almost be down to the rub rail on one side, or the other. but definitely not on both sides." Brad says he uses fat sacs to get the boat weighted properly "because most boat manufacture's don't' provide enough standard ballast to produce good surf wakes". The amount of additional weight he employs (fat sacs) is determined by "how many people are on the boat." He says" as a general rule, the more people weight you have, the less additional weight you need from the sacs." Both Todd and Brad surf behind a Malibu Boat because of the" wedge" technology. They say that when the hydrofoil is deployed, in a matter of seconds an additional 1000lbs of down force is added to the weight of the boat. This means less weight is needed from additional fat sacs." They have also observed that the wedge adds "an additional six to eight inches of wave height and 20-30% more water displacement giving the wave more push which makes the wave more enjoyable to ride because you can ride farther back and perform more advanced maneuvers on your board." Everyone agreed that beginners should bring along someone who understands how to wake surf when first getting started. In just one session the beginner will have enough knowledge about the sport to have a good time while they learn the finer points concerning wave design and surfing. As a final comment Todd, Brad and the rest of the surfer's out that night stressed the importance of diligent boating safety practices while wake surfing. The consensus was that everyone should be seated in the boat while someone is surfing to avoid injury, or harmful boat emissions. Both Brad and Todd said they see a lot of people trying to surf to close to the boat next to the swim platform. Most of this activity they attribute to poor wave design (the wave is too small or too mushy due to improper weighting), or it could be an inexperienced surfer. They also say they see a lot people trying to surf behind the wrong size and types of boats. Wake building and surfing are best done behind boats that are at least 21 feet long, and these boats should have plenty of freeboard and horse power to set and move the weight through the water. Also, for safety reasons as mentioned earlier and again here, only inboard boats should be used. With today's boat technology, and correct wave shape and size, Todd says surfers with some ability are surfing as far back as 30 feet from the boat all the way up to about 10 feet from the boat. Brad says "anything closer is unsafe while the boat is running."

That evening I watched as some surfers were using shorter boards to perform difficult 360 and 180 maneuvers. Some members were surfing longer boards and doing heads stands, and even tandem surfing (two people on one board, or two boards on one wave). The wave I am guessing was at least waist high with plenty of push to accelerate up and down the wave and everyone was ripping pretty hard. Every surfer had at least two sets, so the surfing was plenty. As always is the case, surfing with the NTSR is a lot of good times and good company. With names like Waterdog, Summatime, Del Mar, Skinny, and "the Tank" you can imagine how colorful this crew is when they get together. The members are mostly business owners and professional by day, and wave designers and surfers by evenings and weekends.

We were running out of daylight, so Todd took me back to the marina. I said my good byes, jumped in the truck and headed back for Dallas. While driving I reflected on all the good times I have had over the past three summers wakesurfing, and it became clear to me why so many people are drawn to the sport. It is an activity that is done in a fun environment, around people you like to hang out with, and all ages can participate because the physical demands are less than other water sport disciplines. My surfing partner Brad and I were surfing Trestles near San Clemente, CA last winter, and after a big clean up set and a good 5 minutes of paddling back out to the line-up we were tired, and beat up enough to realize that wake surfing even has its finer points versus ocean surfing. While sitting on our boards and waiting for the next set in 56 degree water, we recalled how much we enjoyed the Texas summer weather and just hanging out on the lake wake surfing. We started a "top ten "list of why wake surfing is better than traditional ocean surfing. While we don't expect to see Kelly Slater or Andy Irons waiting for a turn behind our boats wake surfing in Texas this summer, we believe our list makes some worthy points. Points that were brought into even clearer focus on our recent surf trip to Hawaii this past December. So, in true David Letterman fashion I'll leave you with some closing thoughts. The Top Ten reasons why it is better to wake surf in North Texas than surf in the ocean:

• Number ten: There is always a good wave near Sneaky Pete's
• Number nine: Paddling out is not what it's cracked up to be. It's pure work!
• Number eight: There is no fighting over waves. Only over the last can of light beer at the bottom of the cooler.
• Number Seven: Texas girls in bikinis and up close. Need we say more?
• Number six: Paddling out with a cooler full of beer on your surfboard might be a challenge
• Number five: Perch bites are easier on the body than shark bites
• Number four: Fresh water just tastes better than salt water
• Number three: Pelican and sea lion attacks on small participants are less likely on Texas lakes.
• Number two: Toes to the nose means hang five, not literally removing your toes from your nose after bouncing across a lava rock reef.
And the number one reason why wakesurfing North Texas beats surfing in the ocean is:


• Party cove after along day of Texas sun and surfing.