Over the years, many articles have been written on the areas of finance, personal wealth, investing, saving, how to date inexpensively, eat inexpensively, properly finance a home, and so on. The great majority of these topics I have little to no formal education, experience or knowledge on. So why get this guy to write an article that revolves around finance?
    Simply because I am the cheapest person you’ll ever meet. Yet, oddly enough, I’ve managed to acquire the same amount of, if not more, tangible assets, life experiences and riding time than the most. This is because I live my life according to a simple principle: one can get what one desires without monetary exchange if, instead of money, thought is put to action. Because thought can sometimes, if not always, be a pain, I am here to lend my thoughts and life experiences to the fine readers of SBC Wakeboard on how to ride on the cheap. So tune in, because this may just save you some dough. Hopefully, at least the cost of this mag.
    First, I will outlay the problem that should be in the forefront of anyone who is interested in the sport of wakeboarding’s mind—especially those without a steady income, sugar daddy/mama, or a money tree in their backyard. This is, of course, gasoline. This liquid, although not a necessary supporter of life on Earth, does to a certain degree support all human life and is an essential component to wakeboarding.
    Let me break it down like a fraction. The average inboard engine burns 0.6 to 0.8 pounds of fuel per hour, per each unit of horsepower. Since a wakeboard boat weighs, on average, 4,000 pounds and carries an additional 2,000 pounds of ballast, let’s assume that we as riders burn the latter of 0.8 pounds of fuel per hour. Using “the science that draws necessary conclusion,” which others may refer to as “math,” an average wakeboard boat can burn up to 175 litres per hour. Of course, the saving grace that we have as wakeboarders is that after getting our rider out of the water, we only use about 50 per cent of our engine’s power to maintain speed. Therefore, we likely burn 88 litres per hour when riding a maxed-out wakeboard boat. Yikes! Add this to the cost of purchasing a board and boat, and a trip to Canada’s Wonderland for $60 looks more appealing.
    So, what is the solution? Read on, my fellow riders.

Have Lots of Friends Who Ride
Quite simply, the more friends you have that ride, the more invites you’ll get to shred, and the easier the gas bill will be to swallow. Also, if you don’t own a wakeboard boat, making friends who do is like a small lottery win. Just make sure you always bring gas when you come to ride. Everyone needs a spotter and a friend to ride with, but no one needs a leech. Plus, not bringing gas will ensure that your first ride invite will be your last. It’s also not a bad idea to bring attractive ladies or dudes with you, depending on the boat owner’s preference. Wakeboard comps are a great place to meet new friends who ride.

Wakeskate
If you don’t already wakeskate, start. It’s super fun, the falls (usually) hurt less, and you can do it behind pretty much anything. I will often bring out the wakeskate for a change of pace when I feel like hitting the lake but want to give my knees and wallet a rest. Most of the wakeskating tricks I’ve learned have taken place behind a 15-horse tin boat, which before camp did most of our slider pulling as well.

Work At or Run a Camp
If you own a wakeboard boat, there is no better way to spend a summer than running a wakeboard school. With a little skill, some advertising around your lake and a three-day instructors’ course, you can soon have other people paying for your gas. The other benefits? You get more people pumped on the sport of wakeboarding, you get to know the riders on your lake, and you’re getting paid to ride. If you don’t have your own boat, don’t fret. There are plenty of wake schools around Canada that pay you to teach and let you ride for free. Just make sure the school you work for has sweet boats like the Nautiques at Basecamp (shameless plug). No one wants to spend a whole summer behind a J Craft.

Cables
Cables are by far the most economical way to ride. If you like to slide and hit kickers, they may be considered superior to riding behind a boat. Personally, I’m in love with cable riding because of its similarity to snowboarding. On a cable you can ride at the same time as your buddies or ride solo if you feel like it. No spotter or driver required. The other huge bonus: you can get as much riding in a day at the cable as you can in a month behind the boat. Plus, you don’t have to feel guilty falling 100 times in a set. It is a shame we don’t have more cables in Canada, but we should be thankful that our French friends operate an amazing one in Quebec (Le Beach Club) that costs only $30 a day to ride. If you’ve never rode cable, plan a trip to do it.

Get Sponsored
This is the ultimate way to ride for free. Dedication, persistence and balls is the only way to capture this gem. If you do achieve this prize, don’t forget your original crew. Share the wealth.
 
Hopefully these ideas can help you on your shredding journey. For all other questions regarding how to live life on the cheap, please forward your inquiries to scottduke@thebasecamp.ca .