The Anchor Weekly – The Chestermere Lake News

CHESTERMERE– What a splash. From wakeboards to surfboards and rubber ducks to power boats, the annual Chestermere Water Festival displayed some of the most fun you can have on the lake. The wakeboarding competition once again proved to be the signature event as people lined the banks of John Peake Park to take in the action on July 23. Riders of all ages took turns showing off various flip, spin and grab tricks. They were allowed three falls and judged on three categories: intensity (height, distance), style (execution), and composition (diversity of tricks.) “You want to see diversity, so show [...]

CHESTERMERE– Grab your fishing poles, wakeboards and rubber duckies — July 23 is the town’s annual Water Festival, and this year promises to be tons of fun for residents and visitors alike. The Water Festival celebrates one of Chestermere’s finest assets by getting the community out to have fun, compete with each other and enjoy the water. “It’s a great way to get people out and it’s amazing how many people live in Chestermere and have never been on the lake,” said Brett Giordano from Hyperactive Watersports, who runs the wakeboarding competition. “It’s just a really good event to bring [...]

GAINFORD– At three years old, an age when most kids are slipping on water wings for the first time, Justin Gratzfeld was learning how to wakeboard. Now an 18-year-old boarding vet with a resume chalked full of competitions and sponsors, Gratzfeld recalled his early days on Lake Isle, which is about 80 kilometres from Edmonton. His father Shawn would stand on shore and pull the rope like a boat, while the young boarder tried to keep his balance. “It was a different way of life,” Gratzfeld said. “It was different than starting a lot of other sports.” He’s grown a [...]