Wakeboarding

Wakeboarding
Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snow boarding and surfing techniques.

The rider is usually towed behind a motorboat, typically at speeds of 17-24 miles per hour, depending on the water conditions, board size, rider's weight, and rider's comfort speed. This speed can also depend on the year, make, and model of the boat because some boats, not meant for wakeboarding, produce a different size wake that may not be adequate enough for the rider. But a wakeboarder can also be towed by other means, including closed-course cables, winches, PWCs, trucks/cars, and ATVs.

Wakeskating
Wakeskating is a water sport and an adaptation of wakeboarding that employs a similar design of board manufactured from maple or from fibreglass. Unlike wakeboarding, the rider is not bound to the board in any way, which gives the sport its own unique challenges. Instead, the top surface of the board is covered with griptape, (in a similar fashion to a skateboard) or a soft, high-traction, foam, usually referred to as EVA foam, covering that is kinder to riders in the inevitable crashes and also allows a rider to ride barefoot.

Riders usually wear shoes while riding to afford themselves extra purchases on the board, similar to skateboarding.The speed at which riders wakeskate behind a PWC (Personal Water Craft: Jet ski), boat, cable system, or winch is generally 16 – 22 miles per hour. However, this depends on water conditions, the weight of the rider, their proficiency in the sport as well as a preference matter of the rider.

Wakesurfing
Wakesurfing (similar to but not the same sport as wakeboarding) is a water sport in which a surfer trails behind an inboard ski boat, surfing the boat's wake without being directly attached to the boat. The wake from the boat mimics the look and feel of an actual ocean wave.

After getting up on the wave by use of a tow rope, wakesurfers drop the rope and ride the steep face below the wave's peak in a fashion reminiscent of ocean surfing. Wakesurfers generally use special boards, usually five feet or shorter.

Kiteboarding
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a kiteboard (similar to a wakeboard). The terms kiteboarding and kitesurfing are interchangeable. There are a number of different styles of kiteboarding, including freestyle (most common and utilises standard kite and board) or wake-style (flatter water using board with bindings) and wave-riding which is focused on big waves using a board designed for wave riding.
Source: Wikipedia