Wake surfing is actually fun even right before the winter season! | Remi Fukamachi / Power Earth Hopper
Hello everyone! I'm Remi Fukamachi, a Power Earth Hopper and professional photographer.
I got really hooked on snowboarding last year, and starting this year, I've been serving as an ambassador for the off-season training facility Chiba KINGS and the goggle brand HIMASS MANIA.
This is my third article as a Power Earth Hopper. Following my previous posts on solo camping and mountain biking, this time I'd like to introduce you to "wake surfing"!
It's not just for summer! Wake surfing is also recommended before the winter season.
I visited "TRIBE Marina", an Earth Hopper partner facility located in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture.
It's a shop where you can enjoy wake surfing and wakeboarding, from beginner to intermediate/advanced levels. It has an attached BBQ area, and I heard there's also a water park that's very popular with children in the summer.
This time, I used my Earth Hopper pass to experience the beginner plan for wake surfing!
By the way, I've done wakeboarding once and wake surfing twice, but honestly, I can't say I'm very good at it... (lol)
I love the water, so wake sports themselves are fun, but I haven't been able to stand up well, ended up swallowing quite a bit of water, and had painful experiences with water getting up my nose, so I was half-excited and half-anxious this time too.
However, the reasons I decided to go to TRIBE Marina were:
1. It's the only wake facility in the Kanto region that partners with Earth Hopper.
2. You can enjoy it even after the peak summer season.
3. They have wetsuits available for rent.
And in addition to those reasons,
4. Because their website says, "We guarantee sure skill improvement and the best memories for everyone from beginners to advanced riders.".
I headed there with a faint hope that maybe, just maybe, I'd be able to stand up easily here!
Safe even for beginners! Beginner plan with land-based instruction.
After about 2 hours from Nerima IC, I arrived at Fujikawaguchiko.
It was October 9th. The autumn breeze was quite chilly, and my friend who came with me and I were terrified, thinking, "Are we really going into the lake in this!?" lol
First, I finished the Earth Hopper reception and started choosing a wetsuit that fit my body.
There are so many types, so I felt relieved knowing it's unlikely they'd run out of wetsuits even if a large group came.
They selected ones that would fit well according to our body types.
Since I'm extremely sensitive to the cold, I chose a semi-dry suit, which is even warmer than a regular wetsuit.
After that, I received land-based instruction inside the shop.They took the time to teach me theoretically, so my anxiety decreased, and I became even more excited!
In wake surfing, people tend to lay their feet flat like this when they're about to stand up, but you can't stand up well if you do that. (I tend to do this, which is why I haven't been able to stand up very well until now.)
By placing your heels on the near edge like this and keeping your feet straight up, the board naturally pulls up, apparently.
Other tips included:
1. Once the board starts moving, stand on your toes to get the board upright, continue moving a little like that, and slowly move forward while staying in a squat.
2. Stand up slowly when the staff gives the cue to "Stand up!".
3. After standing, slowly move outside the wake. If you do a nose drop (pointing the board vertically) immediately, you'll fall because of the large waves, so move outside the wake before pointing the board vertically.
4. To point the board vertically, take your right hand off the handle. When you let go with your right hand, your body will turn vertically, so it happens automatically. When letting go of the handle, don't switch your left hand to the center; just let go of your right hand quickly while keeping your left hand in the same position. (If you are right-handed.)
5. Once you're using one hand, try bending and stretching your knees to see if you can touch the water surface.
They taught us these steps in detail with demonstrations.
I've had brief briefings at shops I've been to before, but this was the first time I've been taught so thoroughly.
They didn't just tell me "do this," but also explained "why you should do this," so I understood the reasons why I couldn't do it before, and it was one "Aha!" moment after another.
Off to the lake! Wake surfing isn't cold even in October.
Although I headed there shivering from the cold, once I put on the wetsuit and jumped into the lake, huh? It's surprisingly not cold.
After being absorbed in riding for 15 minutes, I even forgot about the cold.
By inputting what I learned on land into my head and getting advice again on the lake, I was able to stand up smoothly!
I was happily surprised that I could stand up properly from the first try, to the point where I wondered what all the struggle was about before.
The two people who came with me were doing wake surfing for the first time, but both of them stood up on their first try. After all, if you can't stand up, you just end up swallowing water and suffering, but it's exhilarating and so much fun when you can stand up.
The staff drove the boat in circles, continuously creating easy-to-ride waves, so I was able to keep riding the waves for a long time, making it a very satisfying day! ♡
After getting out of the lake, take a breather with a warm shower.
Even if you're not cold while riding, you're definitely cold after getting out...! But TRIBE Marina has well-equipped facilities where you can take a warm shower, so you can head straight to the bathroom as soon as you get out of the lake.
The changing room also had coin lockers and hair dryers. I'm grateful that I didn't have to go home with wet hair, so I didn't catch a cold.
After warming up in the shower and changing, I had a relaxing time at the attached bakery.
There was a row of very delicious-looking breads, and I bought some to take home as souvenirs!
As for the usage fees you're curious about...
Here are the basic fees for TRIBE Marina.
・Wake surfing/wakeboarding experience half-day course
6,000 yen
*Includes beginner land instruction -> water instruction / rental set / visitor fee
-> This fee is free when using Earth Hopper!
There were 3 of us this time, and since everyone had an Earth Hopper pass, the cost was 0 yen.
If you go by car with multiple people, transportation costs can also be kept low.
Considering that ski resort lift tickets are generally 4,500 to 5,500 yen,
it feels like a great deal for the same one-time usage.By the way, at TRIBE Marina,
Earth Hopper usage is only supported for the beginner plan, and the usage limit is up to 1 time.Also, while the shop itself is open until December, Earth Hopper can only be used until November 30th. Since there's only a little time left in the period, please consider using it next year too!
Earth Hopper Official Twitter
https://twitter.com/earth_hopperEarth Hopper Official Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/earthhopperpass/
*This article is from November 2022.
