Three boats full of gas... Check. Three rails and a winch... Check. Thirty bikini-and-boardshort clad girls ready to ride all weekend long... CHECK! The first Girls Ride The Wake Weekend at Camp Far West Lake in sunny Northern California went off without a hitch, thanks to the efforts of event organizer and NorCal Hyperlite Team Rider Becky Carter. “What ultimately made me decide to start Girls Ride the Wake is my passion... and drive to push the sport for women. When I first started wakeboarding I attended a lot of different wakeboarding events and competitions. The majority of those... had very few women involved. I had never competed against more than 3 or 4 girls... and that always bothered me. I always wished that there was a way to get more women involved," Becky said.

She found a way - by organizing the first event of its kind in the NorCal region. Girls Ride The Wake was welcomed with open arms by the more than 30 ladies who made the trek to rural Wheatland. They came from as far away as Arizona to share their love for all things “wake”, to meet others who are just as passionate about riding, and of course to get in a few sets with a boat full of chicks, something that many of them had never done before. And judging from the many stares we received from the other boaters at Camp Far West, the locals had never seen so many boats full of girls, either!

Saturday began with clinic sessions, with pro women instructors Raequel & Shawna Hoffman, Shelby Kantar, Danni Petraitis, Lizzie Williams and myself dishing out the tips. After a quick break for lunch, we spotted the dreaded Sheriff buoyed up next to our boats. But to our surprise (and delight!) they were actually there to help - they offered to block all other boats from our cove so that the pros could do an exhibition ride without any unwelcome traffic - we’d never been so happy to see the cops with their lights flashing. After a quick dance party on the swim deck, I was first to ride. I must admit it was not my best set, but you wouldn’t have known it from the cheers from both the boat and the shore. That’s one of the many great things about riding with gals - unconditional support and stoke! Danni wowed the crowd as she boosted huge inverts and tweaked, stylish grabs. Then Lizzie showed us her wakeskating skills, and why she just won the National title. Next up was Shawna, who did not disappoint with a bag full of inverts and spins, including a killer off-axis 180. Last but certainly not least was Raequel, who threw down more hammers than you’d find at your local Home Depot. The ladies on shore were definitely inspired after seeing the pros, and were all itching to get out on the boats for their evening sets. The water got buttery smooth as the sun made it’s slow descent on the horizon. However the darkness did not bring the fun to an end, because out came the tiki torches and a few ladies charged it on a nighttime rail-winching session. Sometime after midnight, the winch was put to bed, along with thirty tired but extremely happy girls.

Early the next day, all three boats were out for more riding in great Sunday morning conditions, which lasted until the gas tanks ran dry. As girls slowly started packing up their tents and their boards, the winch came roaring back to life, giving many first-timers an opportunity to hit the rails in about the most non-intimidating setting you could ask for. By late afternoon it was time to bring an end to the inaugural Girls Ride The Wake Weekend, but judging from the enthusiasm demonstrated by everyone in attendance, it won’t be the last. Becky has received amazing feedback from the girls in attendance. "I felt that the first Girls Ride the Wake event went better than I ever could have expected. Throughout the day I saw nothing but smiles on all of the girl's faces... Since the first event was so successful I have decided to make Girls Ride the Wake an annual wake event for girls only. The more women involved in wakeboarding and wakeskating the better.” Special thanks to the supporters of this event, Hyperlite Wakeboards and WakeGirls, and to everyone who helped with this landmark event.