Nearly 10 years ago, when wakeboarding was still relatively new at the lake, I attended a one-day clinic to learn more about the sport. A group of young, mostly male, riders -- or wakeboarders -- took me and several other participants out on the water.

At the time, I considered myself well past my prime to learn this sport, which seemingly had a young following, but I was determined to try my hand at it. Coaching me from the boat, my instructors told me to hold the board up and out of the water with my knees as close to my chest as possible while holding the rope between them. After a dozen or so tries, I did it -- for only about 90 seconds. But that experience gave me a better understanding about the sport and how fun it really is.

Wakeboarding is an art. It's amazing to watch the more advanced riders do fantastic flips, twists and turns in the air, and then gracefully land back on top of the water. The sport is actually a combination of surfing, waterskiing and snowboarding.

Longtime wakeboarder Eric Gerner, 25, works at Wake & Skate Board Shop at Bridgewater Plaza and loves teaching others about the sport. Each Sunday, the shop offers free on-water demonstrations for up to six people (pre-registration is a must). While participants don't actually get in the water during the demos, Gerner said they can learn about the sport by watching the riders and asking questions.

"It's not hard to learn at all," said Gerner. "Anybody at any age can learn. But you have to be physically fit to a certain extent." The biggest challenge to wakeboarding, added Gerner, is staying balanced and knowing the proper body position for riding the board.

The shop also offers, by appointment only, private lessons for $80 an hour. Half-day lessons (about four hours) are $300 and a full day (eight hours) of instruction is $560. Several participants can join together and split the cost for the lessons, which are taught by Gerner and his co-workers Davis Prillaman and Brian Reeder. All three are members of the Wake & Skate wakeboard team and also have national sponsorships (Gerner and Prillaman with CWB and Reeder with Liquid Force).

Usually, said Gerner, they'll take their pupils to Betty's Creek or somewhere on the upper arm of the Roanoke River to practice. "We generally try to ride anywhere there's smooth water," he added.

On the upper arm of the Blackwater River where I live, 16-year-old Blake Alexander and his friends can often be found practicing and perfecting their wakeboarding tricks. Alexander became interested in the sport because of Reeder.

"He was really good and I got excited about it and wanted to be as good as him," said Alexander, who also credits his sister's boyfriend, Jon Creasy, a professional snowboarder, with teaching him to ride. "They're two of the best wakeboarders on the lake."

Like Gerner, Alexander believes everyone, regardless of age, can learn to wakeboard. "You have to lean back and relax and let the boat do all the work," said Alexander. "It's just like having someone pull you up when you're sitting down."

The best advice for first-timers, said Alexander, is "not to get frustrated because when you get frustrated, you make mistakes and you can get hurt. You just want to stay calm."

As with other sports, proper equipment is essential but can be a bit pricey. From boats and boards to fat sacs and pylons, there are numerous items available to keep even the most discriminating wakeboard enthusiast happy.

Wakeboarding has its own lingo, too. There are terms for ways to ride the board (are you a regular foot or a goofy foot?) and names of various tricks like air raley, hoochie glide and scarecrow. A plethora of books, DVDs and videos are available for sale, but I believe the only way one can learn is by doing. And if I can do it, then there's hope for pretty much anyone. Alexander agreed.

"Just do it because you want to learn the sport and have fun while doing it."

Next Saturday, July 16, Wake & Skate Board Shop will host the third wakeboarding tournament of the season at the lake. Spectators can see all the action from the docks at Westlake Waterfront Inn, located off Virginia 616 (Morewood Road) in Hardy.