Now a solid month since the devastating oil spill in the Gulf Coast began, one of the busiest times for tourism, Memorial Day, has arrived. But companies in the area that rely on tourism, like hotels and open-sea water sports companies, are suffering.

Where this weekend...

The once a year opportunity for Wisconsinites is just around the corner—free fishing weekend is set for June 5th and 6th!

This means that all anglers, residents and non-residents alike, can fish in any Wisconsin waters permit-free for these two days. This includes areas of the Great Lakes and rivers along the borders of the state. All of it is fair game.

However, though any fishing enthusiast of...

I’ve read far too many news stories recently of tragic boating accidents. People were either inexperienced and/or not properly suited for potential dangerous situations, and as a result, fatalities occurred. And the most tragic part of these stories are that most of them were completely preventable. National Safe Boating Week works to bring awareness to boating safety so that the number of preventable boating deaths and injuries can be reduced.

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Who needs a lake to wakeboard, or even a boat for that matter? If you’re looking for a new water sports experience, all you need is a little bit of balance and a board. An interesting new water sport sweeping into cities and resorts is pool wakeboarding.







It requires a bit more space than a traditional pool, and there are a few designs that I’ve seen. If you don’t mind spending a pretty penny, specially designed wake pools have two tiers, a takeoff pool and a landing pool, separated by a trick rail. A giant mechanical pulley drags the rider through the pool just as fast as any speedboat. But these puppies can...

To all those water-loving people who might be trapped in a land-locked state: prepare to be astounded. The glory of surfing isn’t just for the coast dwellers anymore!







River surfing is a growing fad in the Midwest and western half of the US. While it’s not the same as traditional surfing—hanging-ten and racing through barrel waves—it will definitely still get your adrenaline flowing. It’s very similar to whitewater rafting. But instead of going down rapids in a kayak or raft, river surfers are given a board, a life jacket and a helmet and sent off into the...

Surfers, mark your calendars! June 20th is International Surfing Day and events will be taking place around the world. It marks the official start to the summer surfing season and aims to raise awareness about the oceans and celebrate the sport of kings.

Not only are plenty of surf companies giving free lessons, there will also be different contests, demonstrations of brand new surfing equipment, guest speakers discussing how surfers can take care of their environment, and free concerts and sunset parties at the end of the day. And if you don’t see an event happening...

The annual Swim Across America fundraiser is set for Saturday, June 26th! Swim Across America is an organization started in 1987 that donates all of its proceeds to the Alliance for Cancer Gene Therapy and cancer research.

This is going to be a huge event. Events across the nation, starting in Connecticut and moving onto Boston, Chicago, Nashville, Seattle and ending in San Francisco on September 25th, will hold different length races—a half mile race, a 1.5 mile race or a difficult 5 mile race. Every participant is asked to raise a minimum of $500 through sponsors.

If you’re not a good distance...

Here’s a water sport I’ve never heard of until now—tanking.

The basic gist of it is careening down a river in an enormous bucket. Said bucket is big enough to comfortably fit up to four adults on provided benches. There’s even a table in the center of the bucket big enough to fit a nice picnic lunch or a game of cards. And the best part is, since it has a low center of gravity, it’s virtually impossible to tip over. No capsizing to worry about!

It’s becoming very popular in Nebraska in particular. Rivers with...

It seems that global warming has given rafters something to celebrate this season! While whitewater rafting season in California usually hits its peak by the middle of May, this season that’s not the case.

The temperature mark is significantly above what it was around the same time last year on the west coast. All the sunshine and heat is just the key for melting snowcaps. This means that rapid rivers relying solely on the snowmelt will last all the way up until early July, and rivers fed by water release will have an amazing whitewater...

If you’re looking for somewhere to go this summer and keep active, check out this list of the six highest rated water sports resorts in the US! Some of them are in some pretty unexpected places, but all of them have been voted the best of the best.

1. Basin Harbor Club – This Vergennes, VT location is known for offering some of the best water sports on Lake Champlain. There’s plenty of room to water ski, fish, sail, canoe, and just about anything...