lawake
DESCRIPTION
New Orleans CablewayTRANSCRIPT
ABOUT
LaWAKE’s mission is to develop a dynamic cable park environment for watersports athletes to excel their ability.
Services: Wakeboard, wakeskate, kneeboard, or ski RIDING sessions, lessons and coaching. Riders may purchase passes for multi-hour, full-day, or season memberships.
Products: RENTAL gear includes helmets, life vests, wakeboards, wakeskates, kneeboards, and skiis. RETAIL includes longboards, standup boards/paddles, wakeboards/skates, protective gear and apparel
Amenities: obstacle/SLIDER park, sun-deck, cabana, and lakeside walkway.
SESITEC CABLEWAY SYSTEM
WORLDWIDE there are 160 operating cable watersports systems among 30+ countries.
Currently, the United States has 14 cable parks.
Supports WAKEBOARDING, wakeskating, waterskiing, kneeboarding and more.
SAFE fun for ALL AGES; 6 to 60+
Guarantees CONTROLLED conditions on the water.
Brings the COMMUNITY together as participantsand spectators.
Broadens FAMILY involvement.
Provides a safe watersports outlet for KIDS.
Regional, national and international COMPETITION for all ages.
Seasonal SHRED hours
Cableway: March – November 7 days a week, 9 hours a day
Retail: open YEAR-ROUND
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FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015
Sales $957,087 $1,558,746 $1,949,000 $2,279,276 Gross Margin $877,823 $1,421,100 $1,783,243 $2,080,192 Expenses $453,258 $697,408 $715,934 $715,504 Net Profit $424,565 $723,692 $1,067,309 $1,364,688 Rider Capacity Avg. 20.52% 24.41% 29.21% 35.43%
Texas Orlando Revolution Ski Ski Rixen Wake Nation KC MAWI Wakesport Wake Nation Cowtown HydrousSki Ranch [TSR] Watersports [OWC] Cable Watersports McCormicks Cincinnati Watersports Ranch Houston Wakepark Wake Park
Location New Braunfels, TX Orlando, FL North Ft. Myers, FL Seffner, FL Deerfield Beach, FL Fairfield, OH Paole, KC Guthrie, OK Cresson, TX Rosharon, TX Fort Worth, TX Allen, TX
Austin, TX Orlando, FL Ft. Myers, FL Tampa, FL Delray Beach, FL Cincinnati, OH Kansas City, KS Oklahoma City, OK Ft. Worth, TX Houston Fort Worth, TX Dallas, TX39mi/41mins 8mi/18mins 10mi/19mins 15mi/24mins 15mi/19mins 32mi/36mins 36mi/43mins 30mi/38mins 28mi/30mins 24mi/30mins 7mi/11mins 24mi/32mins
San Antoino, TX - - St. Petersburg, FL Boca Raton, FL Dayton, OH - Tulsa, OK Dallas, TX - Dallas, TX Fort Worth, TX40mi/45mins - - 36mi/45mins 7mi/15mins 44mi/55mins - 110mi/1hr 50mins 60mi/1hr 6mins - 38mi/47mins 59mi/1hr 4mins
- - - Orlando, FL Ft. Lauderdale, FL - - - - - - -- - - 71mi/1hr 13mins 19mi/23mins - - - - - - -
No. of Cableways 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Towers 5 5 5 5 4 6 5 5 6 5 5 6Lake (acreage) - - - - - 10 8 7 10 est. 7 est. 7 est. 8Lake Shape Oval Rectangle Pentagon Rectangular Rectangle Oval Rectangular-Oval Rectangle Oval Round Triangle OvalIsland Break Yes Breakwall No Yes No Yes [2.5] Yes [tiny] No Yes [6] No Yes Yes# of Carriers - 6 7 - - 6 6 7 8 7 unknown est. 6Speed (mph) - 20 18.5 - - - 18 20 21 - 22 - - -Direction Counter- Counter- Counter- Clockwise Counter- Counter- Counter- Counter- Counter- Clockwise unknown Clockwise
clockwise clockwise clockwise clockwise clockwise clockwise clockwise clockwiseObstacles Yes [6] 8 5 Yes [10] Yes [7] 8 Yes Yes 7 Yes [2] Yes [6] Yes [7]Co. Affiliation Rixen Sesitec Sesitec Rixen Rixen Rixen Rixen Rixen Rixen Rixen Rixen SesitecSeason Year-round Year-round Year-round Year-round Year-round April to Oct - - Feb to Nov May - Oct Year-round Year-roundPractice Pond Yes No No Yes No Yes No No No* Yes Yes Yes [2-2.0]Night Riding Yes Yes No No No No unknown No No No No YesPro Shop Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes unknown Yes No YesFood Yes Yes unknown unknown No Yes Yes No No Yes No YesEvents Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes YesSpecials unknown unknown unknown unknown Yes No Yes unknown No No Yes YesHours 10am - 8pm 11am - 9pm 12pm-8pm 12pm - 7pm 10am - 7pm 10am - 8pm 12pm - 8pm 12pm - 8pm 1:30pm-7:30pm 10am - 8pm 10am-8:30pm 9am-11pm
Ski Rixen Deerfield Beach, FL Quiet Waters ParkOpened 1983
Wake Nation Fairfield, OH Joyce ParkCincinnati Opened 2010Hydrous Allen, TX Allen Station ParkWake Park Opened 9/2011
SkiRixenUSA opened in 1983 and is the first operating cable park in the United States. The cable is best known as "Rixen", is the longest standing cable way in America. Rixen is recognized worldwide as a cable park for producing top athletes in the boat and cable wakeboarding world rankings. From veterans such as Shannon Best, Rob Mapp, and Donald Shelbrick to the new young guns like Marc Schuster, Jimmy LaRiche, and Diego Shaw.
“If you are within 650 miles of Cincinnati, you won’t find anything like this,” said Mark Hecquet, Executive Director of the Butler County Visitors Bureau. “Gone are the noise, dangers and pollution of motorboats and in is the fun from novice to expert level navigating jumps and obstacles.”Allen council members reacted positively to the proposal, which would involve no public money. The developer would lease city land within Allen Station Park and operate the wakeboard park. “I think it’s a great concept,” Allen City Council member Gary Caplinger said. “I think, obviously, it’s unique and would be a draw to the city.”
USA Full Size Cable Parks
Facility
Distance from Metropolitan Area
Full Size Cable Parks located in City Parks
www.LaWAKE.com
HOW THE SYSTEM 2.0 CABLE WORKS
• Participants wait their turn standing in line.
• The running cable has 1 CARRIERS that pick up and drop ROPES at the start dock.
• The Operator brings the rope back to the dock in manual or automatic mode, which is set during the install.
• A TRAINED cable OPERATOR manages the entire system.
• The operator terminal is equipped with ELECTRONIC push button controls and PRESET SPEEDS.
• In case of emergency the cable can be stopped INSTANTLY via by the operator.
BEGINNER and INTERMEDIATE
• EASY to LEARN; trained staff on the dock assist EVERYONE.
• No equipment, no problem. RENTAL gear is offered.
• Participants can simply CIRCLE the lake and ENJOY the ride.
ADVANCED and PRO
• Experienced participants can catch AIR and perform TRICKS.
• Riders can IMPROVE their SKILLS.
• Similar to SNOW and SKATE parks, rails and ramps are placed around the lake to ride over.
www.LaWAKE.com
BY KEPLEY DEPALMAWITH ADDDITIONAL REPORTING BY KELSEY SMITH
A Look At The Past, Present, And Future Of Wakeboard Innovation As The Sport Turns 25
This past year, wake re-tailers across the coun-try had a lot to celebrate. The sport turned 25 in 2010 and has been short listed for inclusion in
the 2020 Olympic Games. Cable park technologies are rapidly becoming a viable reality, and even more impor-tantly, after a rough couple of years, sales in 2011 are surging compared to 2010. Technological product ad-vancements play a large role in this growth along with the e! orts being made to make the sport more acces-sible to a wider range of participants.
While other action sports tend to be geared toward the individual experience, wakeboarding is able to transcend the barrier between group and individual activity allowing for its market to have a more expansive
reach. “Whether it’s a teenager wanting to hit a good rail and improve his skills, or a dad who just wants to take his kid out on the boat for a good time, wake is here to stay,” says Buywake.com Brand Manager Billy Witcher.
Hyperlite Marketing Manager Greg Nelson adds, “Every year you need new young people to grow the sport, and wakeboarding is a great way for people to interact and spend time together doing something active.”
“Wake is constantly expanding. It started from a single category and has grown into a whole variety of categories,” says Performance Ski & Surf Owner Bill Porter. Among these categories are wake skate and wake surf, two hybrids of the traditional wakeboarding sport that have progressed over time.
Brands and retailers alike are seeing immense growth in wake surfi ng. “Very few marketing dollars are put into wake surfi ng,” says Nelson. “And still the sport continues to grow like crazy, perhaps from the power of the consum-ers’ desire to associate with surf.”
Liquid Force Marketing Manager Matt Gleason agrees, “Everyone wants to enjoy the surf lifestyle, and before that lifestyle wasn’t accessible to people in mid-America because of their geographic location, but through wake surfi ng it is.”
On the retail front, Porter predicts even more growth in this sector over the next 12 months: “Wake surf is a great crossover sport that anyone who’s comfortable on a board from surfers to skateboarders can enjoy. It’s easy to do, it’s not physically demanding, and socially it’s a great way for people to get out there with a lot of friends and all enjoy the sport together.”
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2011 TRANSWORLD BUSINESS WAKE RETAIL SURVEY100 Top Wake Shops Share Sales Trends And PredictionsBY MIKE LEWIS WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY KATELYN NORCROSS, LARAMEE BISHOP, AND SARA FRUMAN
To understand the state of wake retail in the core doors driving the grassroots growth of the sport, we reached out to 100 of the best shops in the country. From California to Orlando, from the Gulf Stream waters to the New York island, we spoke with shop owners to learn more about who’s buying gear, how sales are trending, and what categories and products are making registers ring.
WHAT WAS THE BEST SELLING HARDGOODS
BRAND OVER THE LAST YEAR?
LIQUID FORCE 40%RONIX 33%
HYPERLITE 19%OTHER 8%
WHAT WAKEBOARD BRAND WAS YOUR
BEST SELLER IN THE LAST YEAR?
WAKE SURFBOARDS?
HYPERLITE 28%OTHER 27%
LIQUID FORCE 26%RONIX 19%
WAKE SKATES?
LIQUID FORCE 47%HYPERLITE 29%
CWB 9%OTHER 15%
WHAT HARDGOODS CATEGORY HAS BEEN
STRONGEST OVER THE LAST YEAR?
WAKEBOARDS 74%WAKE SURF 23%
WAKE SKATES 3%
<< Liquid Force, Ronix, and Hyperlite continue to dominate the market in both traditional wakeboards and the emerging wake skate and surf categories. CWB, Grind Water, and Inland Surfer are all making inroads as well.
SHOP 411HOW LONG HAS YOUR SHOP BEEN OPEN? (IN YEARS)
WHERE IS YOUR SHOP LOCATED?
WHAT’S THE AVERAGE AGE OF YOUR CUSTOMER?
ARE YOU LOCATED NEAR A CABLE PARK?YES19%
NO81%
<2011%
20s50%
30s26%
>4013%
THE BURBS52%
URBAN AREA39%
MALL9%
1-313%
4-611%
7-913%
10-2021%
>2042%
LIQUID FORCE 41%
RONIX 31%
OTHER 8%
HYPERLITE 20%
Wake skating, on the other hand, has not experienced as much love from the consumer lately. This is due in large part to the fact that the learn-ing curve for wake skate is much tougher than wake surfi ng or tradi-tional wakeboarding. “Two years ago wake skate was the largest growth segment of the business,” says Por-ter. “But that category has defi nitely slowed down.”
“It is a super core sport that looks really fun and is really fun,” adds Glea-son. “But it is a lot rougher on the body and the jump from beginner to pro is super steep, therefore a lot of people will just move on to wake surfi ng. But if there continues to be a boom in cable parks over the next three to four years, we could see huge wake skate growth in those specifi c regions.”
John Vincent, sales manager and head buyer for Oregon City’s Active Water Sports, agrees, “As the parks progress, and cable and winching become more widespread, so will wake skate.”
Cable parks have made it possible for anyone with a board to learn and progress in wake sports. “Cable parks are a game-changer,” says Mile High Wakeboarding Founder Steve Jones. “Not only do they bring smooth wa-ter and access to those that don’t have equipment, an expensive boat,
or a private lake, they level the training environment completely. There is no single better way to learn how to wakeboard or progress faster than when you can try something 10 times in a matter of three minutes.” The development of cable parks also allows for a greater crossover demographic with other sports, for example, a cable park put in a mountain town is going to attract snow-boarders in the summer months. And with a cable park comes a pro shop and increased penetration for the all brands in the market.
While cable parks worldwide are changing and progressing wake sports, here in the US we have only seen the tip of the iceberg. “As we catch up to the rest of the world, we’re going to see a lot more growth in wake through cable parks,” says Nelson. “Athletes will have to be profi cient both in a cable park and behind the boat if they want to be the best.”
Gleason adds, “Germany alone has 70-plus cable parks. The potential with-in our country is still untapped. Parks will be a great way to bring new people to the sport, and we will see new cities establish themselves as hotbeds for the sport.” Gleason points out that at Liquid Force’s Free For All Cable Tour stops, about 75% of attendees had never been to a cable park and about 50% of at-tendees had never even wakeboarded before, proving that there is large scale potential for growth.
“With more cable parks, wake will cross over into other sports much easi-er,” says Vincent. “Once wakeboarding is accessible for people who don’t have boats is when it will really be huge.”
Not to say that boats have be-come any less relevant to the sport. Advancing technologies in boats continue to push the limits of what wakeboarders can do behind the boat. Porter adds, “New haul tech-nology in boats is where I see the face of wake being changed.”
Throughout its 25-year history, wake has experienced several turn-ing points and advancing revelations. From foot straps, to a game-changing twin-tip board, to new boot con-structions and high-tech boat design, innovation has never been lacking in this industry. “It is important to con-tinually innovate ourselves within the industry,” says Vincent.
Porter adds, “The innovation of products drives business, and through that innovation new growth within the sport comes into play.” Retailers are predicting a continued rise in sales in the upcoming year as brands are excited about the ad-vancements that their products are making. Now is a great time to be involved in the wake industry as in-novations continue to unfold for the next 25 years.
Whether it’s a teenager wantingto hit a good rail and improve
his skills, or a dad who just wants totake his kid out on the boat for a good time, wake is here to stay.”
—Billy Witcher, Buywake.com Brand Manager
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HOW HAVE SALES COMPARED
TO 2010?
UP 57%STEADY 25%DOWN 18%
DO YOU CARRY WAKE
SURFBOARDS?
YES 83%NO 17%
IF SO, HOW HAVE THEY SOLD OVER THE LAST YEAR?
WAY UP 24%UP 24%
STEADY 20%DOWN 15%
DO YOU CARRY OR RENT BOATS?
YES 42%NO 58%
WHAT HARDGOODS CATEGORIES DO YOU PLAN TO GO DEEPER
IN WITH YOUR BUYS THIS YEAR?
WAKE SURF 31%WAKEBOARDS 21%
WAKE PACKAGES 10%STAND UP PADDLE BOARDS 7%
HOW HAVE MARGINS IN 2011 COMPARED
TO LAST YEAR?
KILLING IT 22%STEADY 55%DOWN 23%
WHAT ARE YOUR PREDICTIONS
FOR 2012?
UP 64%STEADY 26%DOWN 10%
DO YOU CARRY WAKE SKATES?
YES 93%NO 7%
IF SO, HOW HAVE SALES BEEN IN
THE LAST YEAR?
WAY UP 8%UP 10%
STEADY 32%DOWN 15%
<< Nearly 60% of retailers polled have seen increasing sales this year versus last and nearly 65% expect to see continued improvement next year.
Wake skates can now be found in almost every major shop’s inventory and wake surfboards are rapidly gaining ground. However, skate sales have ebbed over the last year while surfboards are up substantially.
With the growth in wake surf sales, many shops are planning on going deeper in the category for next summer. An interesting side note is that numerous inland shops across the country are dabbling in Stand Up Paddle boards and plan on upping the ante next year.
Looking for alternatives to waterskiing and
surfi ng, the two created waterboards that
could essentially “surf” the wake behind
a boat. Finn’s model, the “Skurfer,” was
shaped very similar to a surfboard; Red-
mon’s waterski board, produced by his
Redline Designs, was a bit lighter and the
fi rst to have foot straps.
The two met by chance when they
were placed in adjacent booths at a trade
show—the fi rst time they would see their
personalities complement one another.
Finn’s energetic personality as a natu-
ral salesman attracted much interest to
his product. Redmon, a more soft-spoken
designer, had a better product, but a less
aggressive sales approach.
Tony observed Jimmy talking to a buy-
er for several minutes—making no prog-
ress in a sale. He strolled over to the booth
and whispered to Jimmy, “Are you gonna
close this guy or what?” “What’s close?”
Jimmy asked. Finn looked at him and said,
“Ask the guy for his money.” Jimmy did, a
sale was made, and a competitive friend-
ship was born. The two acknowledge that
in the beginning they were competitors,
but it was fun, and they were always aware
of each other’s strengths.
In 1988, Redmon founded the World
Wakeboard Association (WWA), a govern-
ing body for the sport known then as “ski-
boarding,” which created several contests
and affi liations as well as outlined rules
and guidelines for the sport.
In 1991, Finn and Redmon joined forces
and started Waketech. They gathered a
roster of riders that pioneered the style of
the sport. Although board models contin-
ued to evolve, there were still ineffi ciencies
with the design of the Skurfer, mainly its
buoyancy and surfboard shape that made
it diffi cult for riders to initially stand up on
the board. Redmon’s original design was
a bit better and lighter, however, it lacked
proper durability.
In 1993, after much research, testing,
and innovation, they produced the fi rst
twin-tip board, which would change the
sport forever.
“Everybody thought it wasn’t going to
work,” said Finn. “But it worked insane.”
The twin-tip design ended up being
a total game-changer. They put three of
their team riders on twin-tip boards for
the championship while everyone else
was still riding pointed tip boards, and
they won the whole thing. At that mo-
ment Finn and Redmon recall seeing the
sport change before their eyes and they
knew it was never going to be the same.
In 1995 Finn and Redmon—challenged
by a dare that they couldn’t launch a com-
pany by the time of the World Champi-
onships only three weeks away—created
Liquid Force, a company that the two say
was “launched on stoke, faith, and a lot of
energy.” The pair hustled to get boards
made and outfi tted their riders in Liquid
Force branded gear. When they showed
up to the contest, they were able to get
people stoked on this mirage of a brand
that barely even existed.
To this day, Liquid Force continues to
refl ect its name as a strong force in the
wakeboard community. They work closely
with their athletes to achieve the right de-
signs, and their constant innovation has
driven them to stay one of the leading
manufacturers in the wakeboard market.
Based in Encinitas, California, the brand is
staying close to its roots and continues to
sponsor numerous initiatives to grow the
sport, including their Free For All Cable
Tour that brings wakeboarding to cable
park locations around the country where
people can learn to wakeboard and ride
alongside Liquid Force pro riders for free.
Tony and Jimmy are genuinely pas-
sionate about what they do, it is evident
in their excitement and expression when
they tell their story. From competitors to
collaborators, they have watched their
ideas foster a successful brand and a suc-
cessful sport.
For a more in-depth look at the state
of the wakeboard industry, visit twsbiz.com.
STOKE, FAITH, AND A LOT OF FORCEBack in 1985, two great minds thought alike. The two minds belonged to Southern California native Tony Finn and Texas native Jimmy Redmon, who separately and simultaneously thought along the same wavelength to create the foundation for what would eventually evolve into a globally renowned sport.
THE STORY OF LIQUID FORCE | BY KEPLEY DEPALMA
Margins appear to be holding steady for the majority of shops. Over 75% of retailers have seen them stay the same or increase from 2010.
Liquid Force FoundersTony Finn and Jimmy Redmon