It was Baker, his nephew, Brian, his brother, Jon, and Daryl Walker who were there at the beginning and started teaching. “Brian was the first we developed as a talent. We knew he had it and he exceeded our expectations.”
When Brian went into military, Taylor Beaver came along and is currently ranked fourth in the nation while Baker is ranked fifth in men's masters. “WakeSurf NC has a history of producing champions. One of our early students, Christine Vacula, won the women's masters division in 2014. When she came to us, she had no idea how to wake-surf.”
Since the opening of WakeSurf NC, located at 381 Cross Creek Court in the Littleton area of Lake Gaston, Baker and his instructors have seen more than 1,000 students learn the sport. “We've taught an entire company. It was a company in the marine industry which wanted to learn what it was all about and how to wake-surf.”
In the next season, WakeSurf NC will have a group from Canada come to learn the sport and start a school there.
The majority of people who come to the school are not trying to become professionals, Baker said. They come to spend time at the lake and learn with their families. “Kids can do it, parents can do it, grandparents can do it. They have so much fun learning it. They come to Lake Gaston for recreation and wakesurfing is the ultimate family water sport.”
Boarders is one of the premier magazines in the industry, Baker said, and the article will give WakeSurf NC more exposure.
“It speaks to quality of the school,” his brother, Jon, said.
The school has become a destination, Baker said. “People search us out.”
In the past seven years, the school has built up its online store and board inventory. “Anything wakesurfing related. We do demos, exhibitions, press events. We do what we've been doing to make sure the customer has fun in a very good way.”
The magazine bio says “This is one of the most accommodating surfing institutes out there. They offer free board demos during the summer so you can try before you buy, riders can demo different models during their lessons, and they will even help you dial in the weight on your boat the proper way to produce the best wave for it.”
The article also mentions Beaver, who the magazine staff says, “can teach you the steps she took to progress to her current level, and ensure that your experience is worth telling your friends about.”
