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Wakeskating on Lake Tahoe

Alex Close
Jack Bernstein wake skates during his non-stop wake skate across Lake Tahoe's width.
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In the record books of Lake Tahoe, there are probably no entries under the category of “Longest wake skate.” But if there were, Jack Bernstein would be right there on top.

The 13-year-old from Piedmont, Calif., managed to wakeskate behind the 19-foot family Cobalt without falling or resting for the entire width of Lake Tahoe, from Tahoe Park on the West Shore to Secret Harbor on the East Shore ” roughly 10 miles ” on Wednesday, June 21.

Perhaps most amazing about the feat is that it was only the second time Bernstein had been on a wake skateboard.



Wakeskating is essentially the same as wakeboarding, with one major difference ” there are no bindings.

According to Bernstein, a wakeskate board is slightly smaller than a traditional wakeboard, with no bindings and a corregated neoprene top sheet for grip.



“It’s harder to jump and harder to get up,” Bernstein said.

According to Josh Bernstein, Jack’s father, the trip took about 30 to 40 minutes.

The elder Bernstein was amazed that his son could hold out so long.

“I would have given out for sure,” he said.

Jack Bernstein, however, is no stranger to strenuous athletics. The soon-to-be eighth grader is ranked second in the state of California for the 50-meter freestyle in swimming, and also plays water polo and lacrosse.

Bernstein said he snowboards, skateboards does a little surfing and has been wake boarding for about four years or so. He saw a wake skate in Cope and McPhetres marine store and thought it looked like fun, so he rented one for the day and ended up riding across the lake.

Some records are made to be broken, others never even existed.


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