Wakeboarding is a relatively new sport with a history of about twelve years. It is recognized as the fastest growing water sport in the world today. Perhaps, the origins of the sport will never be known, but surfers deserve most of the credit because the beginnings of the new sport most likely began when surfers started being towed with a ski rope behind a boat. It was then developed from a combination of surfing and water-skiing.

In 1979 by Tony Finn in California, the 'skurfer' was born out of surfing frustration. When there were no waves, the surfers could get towed behind a loaded-up speedboat whose increased wake provided some surfstyle relief. As the years went by, lighter more maneuverable symmetrical boards were developed.

The first wakeboard was introduced in the early 1990’s by Herb O’Brien, whose company made water skis. Herb O’Brien and some surfboard makers in Hawaii designed the first compression-molded board, the Hyperlite. It had the overall shape of a surfboard with an obvious tip and tail. The form of construction of the board was neutrally buoyant like today’s boards. It’s neutral buoyancy and better bindings allow riders to make easy deepwater and dock starts.

Herb O’Brien continued to refine the wakeboard. The board had a thin profile, sharp edges and would carve like a slalom ski. It also had phasers, which broke up water adhesion and gave the board a quicker loose feel and softer landings from wake jumps. Since then, other companies such as Neptune and Connelly also started manufacturing their own compression-molded boards. The sport was about to boom.

Until 1993, Wake Tech revolutionized the market with the first symmetrical board with single fins at each end. As the sport grew, the boards continued to get better and lighter with new materials such as honeycomb and lightweight foams. Wakeboarding ultimately became one of the most popular sports in the world.