Pass The Handle is the selfless act of gifting your joy and passion for watersports with someone who has never experienced it before.
Can you remember your first time behind the boat? Pretty magical right? Passing The Handle may be getting someone up on waterskis, kneeboard, trainer board, wakeboard or wakesurfer for the first time. Or it may simply be letting them tag along on your boat for a time or two while you ride, allowing them to build the confidence to try themselves.
It dosesn’t matter if you’re on a cutting edge wakeboat or your grandfathers 14′ outboard, the goal of the day is to share your stoke, passion, and knowledge of watersports with someone new. Who knows, you may discover your new regular third!
A FEW TIPS FOR A SMOOTH PASS OF THE HANDLE
Ensure A USCG Life Jacket: Is properly fitted and worn at all times while behind the boat. Not only is it the law on most bodies of water, but the bouyancy of a USCG Life Jacket is a huge aid when getting someone up behind the boat for the first time. Remember, properly fitted, we don’t want to see armpits over ears!
Patience is Key: It’s someone’s first time, while they’re stoked, they’re likely intimidated.
Start Small : Set small goals to achieve and reassure their progress with each attempt. If you see them struggling or frustrated, get them back on the platform for a quick 5-minute break and reset. Talk about what’s not working, how to overcome it and if possible encourage them to keep trying until they get up.
Keep The Stoke High: If they don’t get up, it’s OK! Be sure to invite them back out so they can give it another go, even show them some YouTube videos (David O’Caoimh and Learn Wake are two great resources) that could help them overcome the particular hurdle they’re facing.
Share your experiences with us
We want to hear your success stories this Pass The Handle day, please tag us in your experiences with #PassTheHandle and be sure to follow Pass The Handle on Instagram and Facebook to see if your story ends up being featured, and remember, HAVE FUN!
On July 22nd, the fifth annual #PassTheHandle took place and was the biggest success since the movement’s inception. With large scale participation from global companies, professional athletes, industry legends and more, this year’s events elevated the initiative to new heights.
Founded half a decade ago, #PassTheHandle continues to give first-timers the opportunity to experience the thrill of towed water sports. The idea was conceptualized by industry icons Zane Schwenk and Shaun Murray as a way to spread awareness and thus allow others to discover the joy of towed water sports. Year after year, the movement only picks up more speed and increased support across the industry.
This year, we saw a cool first-time event take place in the heart of Orlando. With the support of Red Bull, Performance Ski & Surf and Mesa 21, professional wakeboarders Meagan Ethell, Steel Lafferty, Mike Dowdy and Guenther Oka took to the waters of Lake Ivanhoe to teach over 40 new participants how to wakeboard or wakesurf behind three of their personal towboats.
Two NFL players from the Jacksonville Jaguars joined in on the #PassTheHandle fun in Orlando.
The commitment from these athletes to help share their passion for gliding across the water is what #PassTheHandle is all about. WSIA commends them and the event’s partners and volunteers for their time and enthusiasm throughout the day.
Another memorable moment from this year’s #PassTheHandle comes from Wake The World, the organization based out of North Carolina that provides watersports opportunities to abandoned, abused and neglected children, as well as for the handicapped and our wounded warriors. Recently, Wake The World was gifted a 1979 Ski Nautique. The non-profit organization has decided to make this boat available to their past participants who are now adults, giving them the resources to #PassTheHandle to others.
The 1979 Ski Nautique gifted to Wake The World and #PassTheHandle.
The boat is fully equipped with a variety of watersports gear and will soon be installed with a stereo, Perfect Pass, a tower with board racks, and a bimini. A local marina in North Carolina has offered to keep the boat in dry storage, provide regular maintenance, as well as launch it… all free of charge. Past participants and users of the boat will be required to take a safe boaters course, be trained by Wake The World staff, and keep the boat clean and full of gas. Other than that, the boat is theirs to use as their own and to #PassTheHandle to others for years to come.
Although #PassTheHandle has a set day each year, the movement is meant to be year-long. When an opportunity arises anytime throughout the year for you to share our sports with others, we encourage you to take initiative. And as an awareness-driven concept, #PassTheHandle largely relies on social media channels and the hashtag specifically, mostly used on Instagram as well as Facebook by participants around the world. Whenever anyone learns to ski, wakeboard, tube, etc. for the first time, please be sure to hashtag #PassTheHandle.
Last but not least, thank you to all those not in the limelight who worked to promote our sports and get new-timers on the water. The #PassTheHandle initiative wouldn’t be successful without you. If you’d like to share your #PassTheHandle story, please send us a few paragraphs and images to info@wsia.net.
DEALERS, WAKE PARKS, SCHOOLS (and other ambitious individuals): Take it to the next level and create your own #PassTheHandle event. Be sure to use our member benefits including WAIVERS and valuable advice found in WSIA’s EVENT MANAGEMENT RESOURCE GUIDE.
For more questions, ideas, etc. e-mail info@wsia.net.
