If you have spent the winter cooped up, picturing yourself out on the lake throwing great tricks, now is your chance to make it happen. Russ Wilde, renowned wakeboarder, is hitting the road with a Moomba XLV in tow and carrying O'Brien's full line of wakeboards and accessories. We are extremely excited to be starting our 5th summer traveling to your local dealership putting on demonstrations and providing the personal instruction you have been looking for. Teaching over a thousand students each summer, Russ Wilde and "the Wilde Experience" can help anyone take their wakeboarding to the next level. Check our event calendar to see when we are heading to your town.
The first time I rode a wakeboard I was hooked. It was 1992, and my brother, Pete, invited me to his friend's lake house just outside Denver, Colorado to enjoy a good day on the lake.
Growing up we have always enjoyed friendly competition as we moved into new sports and wakeboarding was no different. Waterskiing since I was six, I was used to the pull of the boat and got up on my first try, noticing the similarities with snowboarding; I edged out and charged the wake. All it took was that one day, making hard cuts, learning to jump, and more importantly landing-and I was hooked.
That fall, I headed off to Florida to go to college. I had the opportunity to live on the chain of lakes in Winter Haven, Florida which gave me the chance to be on the water 300 days out of 365. I would ride behind my grandparents tri-haul bass boat or if I was lucky my friends Master Craft. Spending this much time on the water you can't help but learn a trick or two. I met a Pro Wakeboarder named Shannon Starling who took me under his wing and coached me. At the beginning of my second year, I competed in my first pro tour event in Shreveport, Louisiana. At this event I did well enough that I was picked up by my first sponsor O'Brien Wakeboards. Little did I know then that that one event would change my life.
Wakeboarding on the pro tour for 8 years gave me the opportunity to see the world. Traveling to places like: South Africa, Brazil, England, Mexico, Canada, Bahamas, and of course all over the United States. While visiting these places I put on demonstrations and taught students how to wakeboard without the major crashes I had to endure. During this time I realized that my true passion was helping others learn to wakeboard. So, for many years I would fly into a city and meet up with a company representative and travel with them through their territory putting on demonstrations and conducting wakeboard lessons. This turned out to be a great way to promote the sport but I was limited to only a few select products that I could carry on the plane.
I started thinking, how I could bring the public the setup I used at home. I approached my sponsors about starting a tour. I would drive across country, stopping at dealerships carrying their products and conduct wakeboard clinics. By teaching my students on the top of the line products from my sponsors I would be able to increase the visibility of their products and promote the sport. My sponsors at the time, O'Brien and Moomba Boats, were more than happy to join in my efforts of giving the public the ultimate riding experience. With O'Brien giving me the full line of wakeboards and accessories and Moomba giving me an XLV with all the options they had to offer. The Wilde Experience road tour was born.
The Wilde Experience has been promoting wakeboarding for over ten years. Each year, I travel from Florida to Maine and as far west as South Dakota and Texas. In a 4 month time window, I visit anywhere from 60 to 80 dealers and teach over 900 students. Typically, I am at a dealership for just one day helping promote the shop by conducting wakeboard lessons, and educating the staff about the products.
What makes my tour different from the rest is that I travel with the whole line of wakeboards and boots on my boat. This has allowed me to accommodate everyone and gives the students-as well as the dealership staff-experience with the newest and best products wakeboarding has to offer. My boat, a Moomba XLV, can handle 22 boards with boots on the tower and the remainder fits in the on-board storage.
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Ready to take your riding to the next level? Register today.
If I miss you this summer don't fret. I also conduct lessons from my home in Orlando Florida starting early September going through early May. Please fill out a registration form, include when you would like to come out, and I will book your vacation. Lessons are $140 for Half Day and $280 for a full day. I am 5 minutes from Orlando Airport (MCO).
