(VIDEO) Lake Minnetonka Wake Surfers Shred World Championships

Odds are that anyone who spent measurable time on Lake Minnetonka this summer saw Chris Bank and Alex Brost catching a wave.

Bank and Brost are wake surfers—a sport that has exploded in popularity in recent years and one that has gone viral on Lake Minnetonka, their “home lake.” The two men finished first and second, respectively, in the amateur division at the World Wake Surfing World Championships last weekend and returned home to Minnesota to talk about their sport and the role Lake Minnetonka is playing in its expansion.

“I actually won the event using a prototype board that I just jumped on the day before,” Bank said. “They let me keep that.”

Brost, who was born in Sweden and grew up in Medina, now rents a room in a house on Lake Minnetonka owned by his buddy. He wasn’t even planning on competing in last weekend’s tournament but event organizers invited him after one of the field’s coveted 90 slots opened up at the last minute. Brost’s roommate, Brandon Tolliver, and close friend Danny Lemke—who took first place at the 2010 World Championships—also traveled to Arizona for last weekend’s tournament and competed in the pro class.

Bank grew up in Edina and currently lives in Chisago City. He owns a manufacturing company in Minneapolis and an independent sales group that focuses on water sports. For Bank, wake surfing is a family affair. He and his wife, Stacia, are avid riders and traveled together to join surfers from throughout the nation and a half-dozen countries for last weekend’s world championships in Arizona.

“It’s something we really enjoy together,” Bank said. “We make the journey out to Lake Minnetonka quite frequently to be around the other surfers of similar capabilities.”

So what is wake surfing and how is it different from wake boarding?

Like wake boarders, an inboard ski boat with a specially designed rope pulls wake surfers across the water. That’s where the similarities end. A wake surfing boat is weighted down on one side by 1,000 pounds of water, which creates an endless wave for riders to flip, twirl and nose bone on.

“If you’ve ever got up on skis or a wake board behind a boat then you can wake surf,” Brost said. “It’s extremely low impact compared to the speed water sports because in waterskiing and wake boarding you’re going at least 20 mph. With wake surfing you run probably 11 or 12 mph. So falling is no problem. You won’t get hurt unless you get hit by the board or something. It’s a good option for the whole family.”

Click here to read about how Brost got into wake surfing.

Brost said the summer of 2011 saw wake surfing become the most popular water sport on Lake Minnetonka and more and more wake boarders are turning to the waves for thrills and fun.

Bank, who sits on the advisory board of several manufacturing companies, said the industry estimates wake surfing has doubled in popularity each of the last three years. He said Lake Minnetonka has not only become one of the Midwest’s top wake surfing destinations but one of the nation’s most recognized hot spots.

“Minnesota in general, with the focus on Lake Minnetonka, is a hub as far as the progression of wake surfing,” Bank said. “There are pockets throughout the country in places like Texas and California, but Minnesota is very unique—given the short season we have—and the ability of the riders that come out of here is phenomenol. Nothing breeds progression like people of the same caliber getting together and riding.”

Bank and Brost said the budding Lake Minnetonka wake surfing community has become close over the last few years; there is a core group of about a dozen riders who are regularly on the water.

“Everyone is always keeping an eye on what the others are doing, and that’s pushing the sport a little bit,” Bank said.

The wake surfing season on Lake Minnetonka runs through October. Soon riders will begin wearing wet suits and in a few weeks switch to dry suits. Boots and gloves will be added to their attire before water temperatures eventually force surfers to shore until next spring.