O’Brien Wakeboards
The late 1980's saw the emergence of a new extreme water sport, one that needed only a large body of water, like a lake, instead of being only an oceanside sport. Taking a cue from snowboarding, Tony Finn took the idea to water and by combining skiing and surfing techniques developed "wakeboarding". This very athletic sport involves being towed by a boat that creates large wake waves and the rider being pulled behind maneuvers onto the resulting wake waves to perform multiple tricks.
When these early pioneers of the sport contacted Herb O'Brien of H.O. Sports, history and the solidification of a new sport was assured. H.O. Sports had a fine reputation for creating quality surfboards and the inclusion of the knowledgeable Mr. O'Brien began perfecting the new equipment.
As a result of this collaboration, the "Hyperlite" (tm) wave board was introduced. Using a smaller sized board with more sharply cut sides, this compression molded board was the first official brand. As the sport grew and performances were analyzed, new modifications began to emerge. For a slicker ride and softer landing, concave "dimples" were cut into the bottom surface of the boards. To perfect other complex maneuvers, different styles of fins were placed on the lower surfaces.
As an instrumental enthusiast of this new form of sport, Herb O'Brien brought his new "Hyperlite" to the World Skiboard competitions in 1990 and blew the competition out of the water. This new style and design of surfing board changed the sport so much that its name and focus was changed to "World Wakeboard Association" in just a few years.
Never content to rest on his laurels, Mr. O'Brien created a new, exclusive company called "Square One" to continue development of these swift water boards. Partnered with Championship Wakeboarder Scott Byerly, this new company specializes in only the top of the line equipment for this exciting water sport.
A Universal Wakeboard Tower Makes It All More Fun!
