Minahasa Wakefest 2023 World Class Air Sports Competition Held At Lake Tondano

Sandiaga Uno, Menparekraf, officially launched Minahasa Wakefest 2023 (photo: dock. Kemenparekraf).

JAKARTA - International water sports competition, Minahasa Wakefest 2023, will be held in Indonesia. Lake Tondano in Minahasa, North Sulawesi, will be the location for this prestigious event.

Carrying the theme Lake Tondano Home For Everyone, the Minahasa Wakefest 2023 event in Indonesia starts on 24-26 November 2023. This world-scale water sports event is planned to be attended by participants from 13 countries.

Minahasa Wakefest 2023 is an official event under the auspices of the International Waterski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF). There are two water sports that are contested, namely wakeboards and wakesurf.

The launch of Wakesurf 2023 was carried out in a talk show Weekly Brief with Sandiaga Uno (WBSU) which was broadcast online from the Sapta Pesona Building of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (Kemenparekraf), Monday, November 13.

According to Rio Dondokambey, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Wakefest 2023, wakesurf and wakeboard are rarely known to the general public. However, in fact, the sport has been popular in Indonesia since more than 20 years ago. In fact, Indonesia also has legendary athletes in the two sports.

Actually, many players play a role in popularizing this sport in North Sulawesi. Indeed, in some other areas it is not familiar, but North Sulawesi itself is a fairly legendary player in this sport," said Rio Dondokambey.

There is a difference between wakeboard and wakesurf. Wakeboard is a combination of waterskinski air), snowboarding, and surfing (surple). In wakeboard competition each rider is allowed to show the maneuvering routine they choose.

The assessment of this category will be emphasized on execution, intensity, and composition. Riders are expected to show smooth maneuvers and flow with a variety of tricks. All must be executed neatly and as high as possible from the surface of the water.

Meanwhile, wakesurf is a water sport in which the rider rides the surf. However, when they started surfing, the rider was holding on to a puller rope that was linked on the boat. Then, when the skateboards climbed to the surface of the water, they pulled the rope off and were free to surf.

Of the two sports, Rio also explained that there will be several categories competed in Minahasa Wakefest 2023. In the wakeboard branch, there are Junior Boys and Girls Under 14, Novice Men and Women, Intermediate Men and Women, Advance Men and Women, Masters Men and Women, and Open Men and Women categories.

Meanwhile, in the wakesurf branch, there are categories of Junior Boys and Girls Under 14, Novice Men and Women, Intermediate Men and Women, as well as Open Men and Women.

The launch of the Minahasa Wakefest 2023 on an international scale was then also appreciated by the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy (Menparekraf), Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno.

"We pray that this event is a success and let's welcome Minahasa Wakefest 2023. We uphold sportsmanship, maintain health, and prioritize safety," said Sandi.

In addition to presenting a sports wakeboard and wakesurf, Minahasa Wakefest 2023 will also be filled with cultural festivals, culinary tours, souvenir exhibitions, and music entertainment.