I came across a word I was largely unfamiliar with this week, although many at Smith Mountain Lake who are younger than I, probably know all about it.

Wakeboarding is a relatively new water sport which does not require the waves or incoming tide like surfboarding does. A wakeboard is a short, very broad type of waterski ridden in the same manner as a surfboard. However, a wakeboard is towed by a motorboat of some kind, and thus makes it’s own little waves, or wakes.

Many of the marinas and sports shops around the lake sell or rent the wakeboards and other equipment for this watersport, so if it sounds like fun to you, go on down to your local marina and see what you think.