BURLEY — Choppy water and 20 mph wind made for less-than-ideal riding conditions Tuesday, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for those who braved the weather to participate in a two-in-one event hosted by Idaho Water Sports on the Snake River.
Held outside Morey’s Steakhouse, the event included a wakeboard clinic by former pro rider Gerry Nunn, plus a free demo day with representatives from Hobie kayaks and Hyperlite wakeboards.
“I want it to be as big as possible, so you get a couple different things going and hopefully you draw more people,” said Carol Warr, IWS business manager.
Nunn, 42, has been holding clinics in Burley since 2002. His first exposure to the area was through his boat sponsor, Malibu, for which IWS is a dealer.
Warr said it is well worth it to fly Nunn in for two days every year. His sessions fill up fast, and Warr said they had enough interested riders that they could have added a third day.
“It’s really easy to sell his clinics because he’s so good with the kids. With his teaching ability, he can see what they’re doing, the little things. He’s a really good communicator and the customers are happy,” Warr said.
Nunn’s clinic concludes today at Morey’s Steakhouse, 219 E. 3rd St. in Burley. Clinic spots are full, but the public can watch a performance by Nunn at 12:30 p.m., followed by an autograph session.
Nunn, who had an 11-year pro career and competed up until 2008, says he sees familiar faces return each year, plus he’s excited to work with new riders — regardless of experience and ability.
“I like everybody to go away having a good time, leave in one piece and take something new with them,” said Nunn, who resides in Ohio.
Despite the short season to be out on the water, Nunn said Idaho has many talented wakeboarders.
“There’s a good riding scene here,” he said. “The majority of my clinics that I do, the level of riding is probably beginner to intermediate, maybe slightly advanced. Idaho, here on the Snake River, I get a good group of riders who are above advanced, pushing that outlaw limit. They are getting some technical tricks in there, riding smooth and getting quite a few inverts and spins under their belts.”
Meanwhile on the grassy river bank, Hyperlite and Hobie representatives had gear on hand for the pub-lic to demo.
“We give people an opportunity to try different stuff that they might not normally be able to try, without having to buy anything,” said Hyperlite rep Scott Sims.
Based out of the Hyperlite factory in Redmond, Wash., Sims travels between about 100 retailers throughout the Northwest and the Dakotas. Monday he held a demo in Idaho Falls, Tuesday in Burley, today in Boise and then he’s off to Seattle for a pro tour event this weekend.
When given the opportunity, he said people like to demo the pricey items.
“You would think it would be a lot of beginners, but we have everybody wanting to test the high-end stuff,” Sims said.
According to Sims, wake surfing has boomed in popularity. In wakeboarding, he said technology has altered the board’s shape and the new high-end boots and bindings now resemble that of snowboarding.
“You get way better edge control and a lot more performance than you would with a regular binding. It’s really taken off,” Sims said.
Quality has improved as prices have dropped, Sims added.
“Now you can buy something that is twice as good for less money than you spent 10 or 15 years ago,” he said.
IWS’s Hobie rep drove from Reno, Nev., with a trailer-load of kayaks, Warr said there’s a growing market for kayaks designed for fishing and duck hunting. In Tuesday’s wind, Hobie’s sailboat kayak seemed ideal.
Posts
