Work Hard to Play Hard
by Chris Moore, May 25, 2010
Remember 5 years ago before winches were around? You would drive by a winch spot almost everyday? Now that you have a winch, its almost like they all disappeared! My point is finding a new winch spot takes a lot of work now that winching is becoming more popular. So here are a few ways I use to dig up some good winch spots.
The most widely used winch spot navigation has to be Google Earth. We prefer to use Bing, if you haven’t tried it out, todays your lucky day. I find it works better than Google Earth. Just type in where you wanna start, zoom in a good bit then change the view to birds eye view, you shouldn’t miss much. Take your time, following rivers is always a good place to start.
Once you find a few spots, get in your ride and start driving. Keep your eyes wide open the whole time you drive. Ya Bing is great, but it doesn’t see all, especially if you are looking near a forest. Bing can’t see around thick brush unless you change the angle certain ways. Which you will be searching mostly in one angle and then circling spots once you get a bite.
Word of mouth is probably the next best thing. Ask around, and by ask around I mean ask friends, family and random people who really have nothing to do with wakebording. First of all, most wakeboarders do not like giving out their spots, and second, they’d be winching them if they knew where they were. I’ve even considered making little stickers to give to people that stop by while we are winching. Who knows? Maybe they have some good insight about spots in the area. Its a huge shot in the dark but some civilians are just that stoked on what you are doing.
The other option you have is to drive blind. I mean of course start around some water and just keep driving in a direction you think is right, sometimes you luck out.
If anybody has any other great winch spot finding ideas feel free to add a comment and help a brotha out. The way I see it, the more winching going on out there, the more coverage it gets, the greater good and more fun for all involved in the industry. And always try and have at least one person with you who knows how to talk to authority, or at least bullshit really good. _ CM
