Lakes of Katy residents participate in all types of water sports. Some of the most popular include:
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Water Skiing was invented in 1922 when Ralph Samuelson used a pair of boards as skis and a clothesline as a tow rope on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minnesota. The sport remained a little-known activity for several years.
Water skiing typically begins with a deep water start, with the skier crouching down in the water. When the skier is ready, the driver accelerates the boat to pull the skier out of the water.
In addition to the driver and the skier, a third person known as the spotter or the observer should be present. The spotter's job is to watch the skier and inform the driver if the skier falls. The skier and the boat's occupants communicate using hand
signals.
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 Ansley Till (LOK North Lake)
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 Joe Shea
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Slalom water skiing uses only one ski with two plates, a front boot and either a toe plate, open binding, or another binding (similar to the front binding) behind the main one.
The bindings are oriented so that both feet point forward, with one behind the other. Slalom skiing is done at higher speeds, up to 36 miles per hour, and allows the water skier the be more agile.
When slalom skiing is done properly, the skier will experience numerous isometric contractions (good training for core muscles), and extreme upper body torque, making it a good form of exercise.
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Wakeboarding is a surface water sport which involves riding a wakeboard over the surface of a body of water. It was developed from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques.
The rider is usually towed behind a motorboat, typically at speeds of 18–30 mph, depending on the board size, rider's weight, type of tricks, and rider's comfort speed. This speed could also depend on the year, make, and model of the boat because some boats, which are not designed for wakeboarding, create a different size wake which the rider may not feel comfortable with.
A wakeboarder can also be towed by other means, including closed-course cable systems, winches, personal water craft, trucks/cars, and all-terrain vehicles.
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 Kathryn Gleason
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Kneeboarding is an aquatic sport where the participant is towed on a buoyant, convex, an
hydrodynamically shaped board at a planing speed, most often behind a motorboat. Kneeboarding on a surf style board with fin(s) is also be done in waves at the beach. In the usual configuration of a tow-sport kneeboard, riders kneel on their heels on the board, and secure themselves to the deck with an adjustable Velcro strap over their thighs. Most water ski kneeboards do not have fins to allow for easier surface spins. As in wakeboarding or water skiing, the rider hangs onto a tow-rope. The advantages of kneeboarding versus other tow-sports seems to be an easier learning curve and a sense of being closer to the water when falls occur.
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The ski jump is performed using two long skis and a fiberglass ramp. Skiers are towed behind a boat at fixed speed. The ramp height can be 5, 5 and 1/2, or 6 feet high. The boat's speed varies but may not be more than 58 kilometres per hour (36 mph; 31 kn). Professional ski jumpers can hit the ramp at speeds of up to 70 mph and travel up to 250 feet (76 m).
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 Catherine Buchanan - LOK Jump
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 Will Austin
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Wakeskating is a water sport and an adaptation of wakeboarding that employs a similar design of board manufactured from maple or from fibreglass. Unlike wakeboarding, the rider is not bound to the board in any way, which gives the sport its own unique challenges. Instead, the top surface of the board is covered with griptape, (in a similar fashion to a skateboard) or a soft, high-traction, foam, usually referred to as EVA foam, covering that is kinder to riders in the inevitable crashes and also allows a rider to ride barefoot. Riders usually wear shoes while riding to afford themselves extra purchases on the board, similar to skateboarding.The speed at which riders wakeskate behind a PWC (Personal Water Craft: Jet ski), boat, cable system, or winch is generally 16 – 22 miles per hour. However, this depends on water conditions, the weight of the rider, their proficiency in the sport as well as a preference matter of the rider.
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Barefoot skiing is water skiing behind a motorboat without the use of water skis, commonly referred to as "barefooting". Barefooting requires the skier to travel at higher speeds than conventional water skiing (30-45mph/50-70kmh). The necessary speed required to keep the skier upright varies by the weight of the barefooter and can be approximated by the following formula: (W / 10) + 20, where W is the skier's weight in pounds and the result is in miles per hour. It is an act performed in show skiing, and on its own.
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 Kathryn Gleason
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Trick skiing uses a smaller, oval-shaped waterski with a smooth bottom that allows it to turn over the surface of the water, giving the skier much more freedom to perform tricks. Trick skiers can use either one or two skis.
In trick skiing tournaments, skiers complete either one or two 20-second runs during which they perform a series of their chosen tricks. Judges asses the tricks, and the skier with the most points wins the tournament. The tricks are scored based on their difficulty, how well they were executed, and whether the skier used one or two skis.
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Hydrofoiling is an exciting sport that has things to offer at all levels of expertise. From riding and enjoying a smooth ride in rough water to performing aerial tricks anywhere behind the towing water craft. Come and join us in the exciting new sport!
A hydrofoil is made up of three major assemblies: •Seat Tower •Board •Foil Assembly
A hydrofoil is towed behind some type of watercraft with a driver and a spotter. The rider straps into the hydrofoil and secures the safety straps on the seat tower and the bindings. Starting in deep water, they lean back to keep the tip of the board out of the water and then once the board begins to plane, the rider leans forward to keep the hydrofoil from leaving the water. Once the rider is at a speed high enough to provide lift from the foil assembly, they will bring the board off the surface of the water at which time "flight" begins. This is when the "balancing" act begins. To bring the board off the water, the rider leans back and to bring the board down to the water they lean forward. The rider steers the hydrofoil by moving their knees in the direction they want to go.
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 Abigail Boulmay w/ Ansley & Molly Till
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Tubing (also known as inner tubing, "bumper tubing" or even toobing) is a recreational activity where an individual rides on top of an inner tube, either on water, snow, or through the air. The tubes themselves are also known as "donuts" or "biscuits" due to their shape.
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Paddleboarding is a surface water sport in which participants are propelled by a swimming motion using their arms while lying or kneeling on a paddleboard or surfboard in the ocean. This article refers to traditional prone or kneeling paddleboarding. A derivative of paddleboarding is stand up paddle surfing and stand up paddleboarding. Paddleboarding is usually performed in the open ocean, with the participant paddling and surfing unbroken swells to cross between islands or journey from one coastal area to another.
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 Chas & Christl Setchell
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