Page 14 - NSAA 2017 Fall Journal

Operations

TESTING THE WATERS:

Bristol Mountain Resort ventures into cable wakeboarding operations

BY RACHEL WALKER

THE WORD “WAKEBOARDING” brings to mind the image system, a smaller learning area with two towers (the “Lil
of someone skimming across water on a wakeboard while Bro”), and a building that houses guest services, a pro shop,
being towed from a motorboat. The momentum, the sensa- rentals, and changing facilities.
tion of gliding, the fresh air, and the choice to either cruise In just three summers, the owners have already seen
or challenge yourself with a few moves is exhilarating. a positive return on their investment, not to mention an
Sound familiar? opportunity to cross-promote wakeboarding with the aerial
Okay, wakeboarding doesn’t compare with skiing or snow- adventure park and zipline canopy tours in the summer and
boarding, but it still looks like a helluva lot of fun… which with skiing and snowboarding in the winter.
is why its close cousin, “cable” wakeboarding, may soon be “A lot of people like to vacation in the Finger Lakes
added to the list of things to do at some ski areas in the warm region, but generally access to water and especially to a boat
weather months. is limited,” said Steve Fuller, Bristol vice president. “That’s
With large waterparks where we come in.”
a growing amenity at many
resorts, cable wakeboarding— IN JUST THREE SUMMERS, THE OWNERS A New,
which uses an electrical tow- HAVE ALREADY SEEN A POSITIVE RETURN Growing Sport
ing mechanism rather than a Extremely popular in Europe,
ON THEIR INVESTMENT, NOT TO MENTION
boat—doesn’t seem like a far- cable wakeboarding is rela-
AN OPPORTUNITY TO CROSS-PROMOTE
fetched activity to offer, as tively new in the US, where
WAKEBOARDING IN THE SUMMER WITH SKIING
long as your area has access water sports are generally asso-
to a large water source. For AND SNOWBOARDING IN THE WINTER. ciated with access to a motor-
Bristol Mountain Resort in boat. Cable wakeboard parks
upstate New York, that source allow riders the same thrills
is a manmade lake adjacent to and speeds but without a boat.
their existing outdoor waterpark 15 miles from the ski area. With cable wakeboarding, an electrically driven over-
The impetus was two-fold for Bristol to get involved in head cable mechanism secured by a system of towers pulls
building a cable wakeboarding park. Two local businessmen, participants around a fixed circuit on the water. Roseland’s
Dave Clements and Jeff Arnold, fell in love with the sport five 30-foot towers have cable systems running on a con-
while in Florida and wanted to bring it to the Finger Lakes tinuous half-mile loop, accommodating up to nine rid-
region, known for its outdoor recreation and adventure. And ers spaced 100 to 200 feet apart. It takes about one minute
Dan Fuller, Bristol’s president and GM, wanted to increase and 20 seconds to do a lap, and riders may do as many
summer revenue at the waterpark, provide more consistent laps as they wish.
employment to a number of resort employees, and comple- There is one operator for the five-tower system, and one
ment the resort’s branding message of being the “Adventure dock hand to help customers launch off the dock and to pro-
Capital of the Finger Lakes.” vide coaching tips. There are ramps and rails off to the side
So Clements, Arnold, Dan Fuller, and his son, Steve, of the main path for advanced riders who want to attempt
pooled their resources—$550,000 for the cable alone— tricks, with the option of going around them (i.e., the water
and brought in the venerable German company Rixen for version of a terrain park).
the design and construction of the facility. Roseland Wake The Lil’ Bro learning area (the equivalent to the ski area
Park—the largest cable wakeboarding park in the north- bunny slope) is separate, with its own two towers, where
eastern United States—opened to great fanfare over the beginners learn the ropes at slower speeds before advancing
2015 Fourth of July weekend with a five-tower cable tow to the bigger park.

12 | NSAA JOURNAL | FALL 2017