By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

PELHAM—Residents of Shelby County don’t have to travel farther than Oak Mountain State Park to go wakeboarding this summer. Flip Side Watersports, located on Beaver Lake, opened its doors and cable to riders of all ages in mid-June.

“I love cable, I love wakeboarding and I got tired of driving six hours to go do it,” Flip Side Watersports co-owner Josh White said. “Out here I can have kids come from downtown Birmingham. It just helps grow the sport as a whole.”

The park at Beaver Lake is one of only a handful of wakeboard cable parks in the country, and at 817 feet long, the cable is “the longest on this continent,” White said.

An electric motor pulls riders across the cable, and speed is controlled by an operator on the land.

“It’s very beginner friendly,” White said, noting a majority of the park’s riders have had little to no experience wakeboarding. “You progress very quickly on this type of cable. We (instructors) can get out there on the dock and walk (beginners) through the steps of what they’re doing right and what they’re doing wrong.”

However, the cable park is not just for beginners. With a number of jumps and obstacles, it is great for advanced riders too. Several professional wakeboarders have already stopped by for a ride.

“We have quite a few sponsored riders coming through,” White said, naming Trever Maur, Matt Sims and Chris Armstrong. “The water is pretty calm, it’s butter water, wakeboarders love that.”

Flip Side Watersports is open everyday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and riders of all ages are welcome.

“We rent boards, lifejackets and helmets for all ages and sizes,” White said.

Riders can purchase cable time in hourly increments, two hours costs $25, four hours is $35 and an all-day pass is $45. Flip Side Watersports also offers one-on-one lessons Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information can be found on the Flip Side Watersports website, Flipsideal.com.