It’s that time of year again. The third annual Wootown Wakefest is set for July 13-15 on Lake Quinsigamond in what should be a weekend full of activities.

For those unfamiliar, the Wakefest offers wakeboarding and wakesurfing for riders of all ages. A wide variety of skill levels are welcome, and anyone – from beginner to professional – can take part in the action.

Mike Mongeau, the co-founder of the Wootown Wakefest, hopes to build off the success of last year.

“The first year, we were partnered with the Malibu Rider Experience, a tour around the U.S. set up by the WWA (World Wake Association),” Mongeau said. “Last year was big because we were doing it on our own. We brought in a lot more sponsors than we did the previous year, with just about the same attendance as we did the year before “

For this year’s event, the organizers have raised the fundraising bar even more, adding a top sponsor to the mix.

“We’ve done even more fundraising,” Mongeau said. “Ronix is one of the industry’s leaders of wakeboarding and surfing; they are going to bring their own product line for anyone that wants to try out the new gear.”
This is an event that has both a high level of participation and is highly attended. Typically, there are anywhere from 1,500-2,000 people that attend the festival over the three days, with nearly 100 riders per day.

For the 2018 edition of Wakefest, there will be some new additions to enhance the experience.

“We are still trying to lock down a couple new things for this year,” Mongeau said. “We added a female professional division. We’re expanding our beer garden versus the selection we had last year. We are also thinking about offering floating viewpoints so people can watch the competitions on rafts, but that’s still in the works.”

Perhaps the biggest part of all is the boat. For this Wakefest, a 2018 Malibu LSV boat will be used. Considered a top-of-the-line boat, it can hold up to 15 people. For leisure purposes, the boat also has touchscreen control capabilities. However, chances are the boat will not be used for leisure purposes at Wakefest.

The event has certainly come a long way from its beginnings. Mongeau and co-founder Mark Portuondo met 15 years ago on the smaller wakeboard circuit.

“They were fun, but they weren’t inviting enough to keep people interested,” Mongeau said.

It makes sense that Portuondo and Mongeau would want to start their own festival. How did they choose Worcester to host the event?

“A typical venue doesn’t have great viewing. Quinsig is perfect for viewing. People come from all over the place to wakeboard, but it really attracts a ton of local people that have never seen wakeboarding before. We try to attract as many people as possible.”

There are 14 different divisions and levels grouped by age and ability to give everyone a chance to participate. The Junior Boys Division is for ages 9 and younger, while the Boys Division is for boys 10 and older. Next, there is the Junior Men Division for men 14-18. Two separate Men’s divisions support riders up to age 28, and the Master’s Division supports men up to the age of 39. There is also a Veteran’s Division for men 40 and older.

The names and grouping for women are similar. The main women’s division spans ages 19-29. There is also a Master’s Division for women 30 and older. In addition, there will be a Wootown Open Wake opportunity for men and women of all ages who are not entered in a specific division.

For more information, visit wootownwakefest.com.

Danny Jaillet