WAKESKATE, WAKESKATING 

is a water sport, derived from wakeboarding and water skiing, which in practice has similarities with the skateboard but on the water .

Unlike wakeboarding, the rider is not bound to the board in any way, which gives the sport its own unique challenges. Instead, the top surface of the board is covered with griptape, (in a similar fashion to a skateboard) or a soft, high-traction, foam, usually referred to as EVA foam, covering that is kinder to riders in the inevitable crashes and also allows a rider to ride barefoot. Riders usually wear shoes while riding to afford themselves extra purchases on the board, similar to skateboarding.The speed at which riders wakeskate behind a PWC (Personal Water Craft: Jet ski), boat, cable system, or winch is generally 16 – 22 miles per hour. However, this depends on water conditions, the weight of the rider, their proficiency in the sport as well as a preference matter of the rider.

Wakeskating tricks are inherently more technical than wakeboarding. The tricks are based firmly on skateboarding as opposed to snowboarding. Numerous tournaments and competitions exist throughout the world for the sport of wakeskating.

 

IT'S GO TIME: THE 2026 IWWF WORLD CABLE WAKEBOARD & WAKESKATE CHAMPS ARE LIVE IN BEIJING

Shunyi, Beijing – Alright, strap in, because the biggest cable event on the planet just dropped the gate. The 2026 IWWF World Cable Wakeboard & Wakeskate Championships are officially underway at the legendary Shunyi Olympic Cable Park, and day one did NOT disappoint. The world's hardest-charging cable riders hit the water and immediately set the tone: this week is going to be absolutely unhinged.
We're talking 170+ riders. 30 countries. Wakeboard, wakeskate, AND seated divisions all stacked with absolute savages gunning for that world title. Sanctioned by the IWWF, this is the one event where the global cable family converges to see who's truly been putting in the work all year. And trust us – the level on display from the very first heats? Insane.
Competition runs August 10th through the 15th, with quals shredding through the week before finals go down Friday and Saturday. Individual titles, team titles, bragging rights for the next two years – it's all on the line.
And can we talk about this venue for a sec? Shunyi Olympic Cable Park is the spot. Beijing hosted IWWF World Cup events back in '13 and '14, and seeing elite-level cable come roaring back here hits different. China keeps showing up for this sport in a massive way – from building out the infrastructure to backing cable wake's inclusion in The World Games 2025. The growth is real, and it's beautiful to witness.
Whether you're trackside or refreshing your feed from the other side of the world, you do NOT want to miss this one. Live streams, results, photo galleries, all the event news – everything's running through the official IWWF World Championships site. Pull up. Watch your favourite riders go to war. Lose your voice screaming at a screen.
This is cable wake at its absolute peak. Let's go.
Stay locked in all week. We'll be covering the madness.

LIVESTREAM IS HERE