"We're heading out on the boat tomorrow." It's a call that always put smiles in the forecast, and there's never been a better time to hear those words. 2019's looking like a golden age of wake-related fun, and we're hyped for the season ahead: wake, surf, skim, foil...the sheer number of ways to have fun behind a boat or at the cable park are getting to the point where it's actually getting hard to choose how you're going to have a blast! It's a great problem to have, really. We've picked out five wake products to check for this season, examples of where we're heading and how much fun we're going to have getting there.
Slingshot Hover Glide Foil WF-2
If you haven't tried a foil yet, don't wait a second longer--it's even more fun than it looks. The Slingshot Hover Glide Foil WF-2 is a great way to catch the smoothest possible ride behind a boat, with a ding-resistant soft top and a FCS fin box that'll convert it into a ripping wakesurf board when the chop dies down. This thing stays smoother than smooth, unbothered by conditions: surf when it's glassy, and rise above on its futuristic water wing when the surface boils.
Hyperlite Party Shark Quad LTD Wakesurf Board
If you love someone, you gotta be okay with setting them free. Behind the boat, that means letting go of the rope and getting in tune with the wake. This year's wakesurf boards are thinner, lighter, and more maneuverable than ever before, with the Hyperlite Party Shark Quad LTD leading the way (while fist-pumping unapologetically). Stay strapped in for Flegel-style flips, get your slash legs under you, then ditch the clampers to go full-on surfmode.
2019 Hyperlite Murray Wakeboard
Don't worry: wakeboarding isn't going anywhere. It's still tied for first place as the A-1 blue ribbon winner, the funnest thing you'll do all day. This season's wakeboards are a return to the soul of the sport, with an increase in size, buoyancy, and stability. The Hyperlite Murray Wakeboard is a sublime tool for beginners or legends, showing how much fun you can have without leaving the wake. Fast, loose, and fun: the way wakeboarding was always meant to be!
Ronix Luxe Wakeboard Bindings
Women's wake gear is experiencing a renaissance right now, in both performance and style, and we're all better for it. Ronix Luxe Wakeboard Bindings are not only an ultra-comfortable all-around open toe, sharable across a wide range of foot sizes, but they're capable and technically legit. Far from hyper-girly pink'n'shrink afterthoughts, these are simply great wake bindings.
Liquid Force Z Cardigan Comp Vest
As a necessary piece of gear, a wake vest used to be one of the make-or-breakers of a day out on the water. Luckily, the days of putting up with chunky clunkers and restrictive pinchers in the name of protection are gone: vests like the Liquid Force Z-Cardigan Comp are proof that you can have impact-cushioning, comfort, and style all at the same time.