The Thrill of the Water

Boji Surf Co Embodies the Okoboji Boating Lifestyle
Splashes of water rise high into the air, the board skimming over the surface, twists and turns and a thirst for another peak. The thrill of riding the crashing waves entices many water enthusiasts!

For Rob Rodriguez, owner and founder of Boji Surf Co., wake surfing has become a personal favorite but also a passion he loves to share with others.

“When I first started to wake surf, I thought this is the best - the first time hooked me forever! But when I started to teach people, it was even cooler to share this love with others,” Rob shared. “I have found I really enjoy teaching people how to wake surf, especially at Okoboji.”

What was once only considered an ocean sport, wake surfing has quickly become one of the fastest growing water sports and has provided an outlet for surfers on smaller bodies of water. With the aid of a wake surf board and a wake boat, a rider trails the boat, riding the boat’s wake without directly being pulled by the boat. After getting up on the wake, often with the aid of a tow rope, the wake surfer will then drop the rope and ride the steep face below the wake’s peak in a manner similar to surfing. A wake surfer will generally use a special wake surf board.

Another difference from regular surfing is the use of a wake boat, as it’s specially designed so that the propeller is away from the swim platform and away from the surfer. Newer boats use a ballast system to add weight and allow for water to be sucked towards the center, which then fills the port and starboard sides, middle and front. The tabs or gates, push the water out to create a three to four-foot wake.

“When there’s a good wake, you will see everyone smiling,” Rob said.

On many warm summer days, Rob enjoys taking all ages out for a wake surf lesson.

“Depending on the time of year, it’s best to go out when it’s not as busy or visit a bay with less traffic,” he explained. “You're going to start out with a rope, and once you learn how to catch the wake, you'll be asking to go one more time, I guarantee it!”

A common tip Rob gives during lessons is the correct way to stand on the board, as it’s especially important to keep the weight on the front foot or you will fall off the back of the wake.

Besides Rob, his son Karson also helps with wake surf lessons. Most of the time they will take the wake surfer out on their wake boat, teaching them the basics of how to surf but also the appropriate ways to drive a wake boat for a wake surfer. His good friend Jeremy Mouw also assists with lessons and will partner with Rob in taking bands from Captain’s Getaway out on the water before a big show.

“This dream started with my son. In 2015, we were sitting in our wake boat and talking about how cool wake surfing is. He was 14 then, now he’s 21 and we still love to get out on the water,” he shared. “It’s an Okoboji lifestyle for us!”

For more advanced wake surfing lessons, Rob calls on one of his team riders, specifically, world-class wake surfing champion Tyler Stewart, out of Victoria, MN.

“Tyler comes down every summer to surf Lake Okoboji and shares his talents with others,” Rob said. “He’s a phenomenal surfer who makes a 360-look super easy. He can jump right onto a wake surf board without a rope and can land any trick you can think of. He’s one of the best, really the next level, and I appreciate his willingness to spend a week at Okoboji to give lessons. He's a great kid”

This love of the water is what draws Rob out to the lake many days, even in colder temperatures. It isn’t uncommon to find Rob, Wade Dixon, Kyle Hamilton, and Drew Hage out wake surfing or wake foiling – even in December if the lake is still open.

“That was fun and a little crazy. Kyle had his boat summerized in the dead of winter, and wetsuits were pretty much mandatory. It was a memory we will always remember, wake surfing right by huge ice chunks in the water,” Rob said. “We also go surfing together during the summer months too, those guys never stop.”