By By CHRIST PROKOS
Staff Writer
The waves will be rolling early and often on Bath Creek on Saturday as 50 to 60 wakeboarders, kneeboarders and wakeskaters return for the North Carolina INT League competition.
The sixth stop of an eight-stop season, Bath hosted this event in 2008 before it moved to the Pamlico River in Washington last summer.
Tim Richardson, state coordinator for the North Carolina INT League, detailed what spectators can expect to see.
“Wakeskating is like a skateboard without bindings,” Richardson said. “They ride on the water instead of on the ground. Kneeboarding is similar, but they are on their knees. Wakeboarding is like a snowboard (with bindings) except it’s on the water.
“They are all pretty exciting, but wakeboarding is definitely the highlight. People really like the wakeboarding.”
Each competitor is allowed two 30-second passes during which they execute six tricks per pass. Two judges aboard the towboat tally the points total for each trick. The participant with the highest cumulative total is declared the winner.
“It gives them the opportunity to do their best six tricks per pass,” Richardson added.
The INT League season began June 12 and included four stops on Graham-Mebane Lake in Graham. As the summer temperatures have heated up, so has the competition as the top performer in each of 17 divisions at the end of the season will be invited to the U.S. Championship on Sunset Lakes in Groveland, Fla., Oct. 13-16.
Registration will be held at 8 a.m. Saturday with the event beginning at 9 a.m.
Online registration is available at www.intleague.com/northcarolina.
WHAT: INT League Wakeboard, Kneeboard and Wakeskate Event
WHERE: 122 Catnip Point Road, Bath
WHEN: Saturday
REGISTRATION: Online registration at http://www.intleague.com/northcarolina.
PRICING: $40 for adults; $35 for juniors.
SCHEDULE: On-site registration at 8 a.m.; competition begins at 9 a.m.
MORE DETAILS: http://www.intleague.com/northcarolina or call 336-598-4140.