If you have some spare time, take that opportunity to learn something new! That's exactly what we did with Ride LKN, a Wake and Surf school located in Mooresville. They offer wake and surf lessons along with private cruises, tubing, and kids summer camps.

Having started in 2018, Ride LKN has grown exponentially over the last 2 years. The company had its share of struggles during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many other companies did. However, they took off after June with 500 people taken out on the charter boat, which was 10 times as many as they had the previous year! The guides here have years of experience teaching and doing water sports. They offer the perfect outing for groups with 1-6 hour lessons.

Worried that you're not experienced enough? Don't be, as many of our team had little to no experience and did just fine. If you think you're ready to quit, get ready to hear the catchphrase "just one more time," as encouragement to give it one more go before hopping back in the boat. They have a beautiful MasterCraft boat that is absolutely perfect for wake surfing and wakeboarding, which is a part of the company's new partnership with MasterCraft.

 

Our personal experiences


 

Ride LKN Cyndi Wakeboarding

Cyndi Bartley

What a treat to experience Ride LKN?!  For someone that does have lake experience, a boat owner, and versed in a multitude of water sports, I am no expert to any water sport and the guidance from the Ride LKN team was just what I always wanted. I was so excited to share it with our summer marketing team knowing some had no experience on Lake Norman before. I can relate to Martin and Justin to the joy it brings when getting people out on the lake that haven't had the opportunity to experience it. This is something that can be taken for granted until you bring friends or family out for the first time and you vicariously experience their joys and new experiences. One of my most favorite experiences with this is being a Big Day at the Lake boat host for Big Brother Big Sisters and seeing their smiling faces after a well spent lake day.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on a lavish ski boat?  I sure have and the 2021 Mastercraft X-Star was the nicest I have ever been on. I loved playing DJ syncing Bluetooth and started my Stick Figure playlist.  The song "Summertime" was the first one to play and was a great way to start the summer day. We couldn't have asked for better weather in the 80s with sunny skies and cotton white clouds over our heads. The water temperature was 75 degrees which did feel a little chilly when first getting in but in no time was comfortable with it as I shredded the wake boarding and surfing. I certainly look forward to sharing the Ride LKN experience with my family one day and bring my 7 year old out to try wakeboarding. Memories are best made out on the lake and Ride LKN is great way to start.  


 

Jennie Leng

The thought of wakeboarding for the first time put butterflies in my stomach which ultimately made me decide I wasn’t going to do it at all. I didn’t grow up on the water nor am I a strong swimmer. But with some convincing, I realized that this would be my only chance to try it with experts around. And let me just say -- it was INCREDIBLY fun and I would, without a doubt, recommend to anyone to take lessons with Ride LKN. You might discover a new hobby. Martin and Justin broke down exactly what to do and how to do it with all the encouragement I needed. They’re passionate guides that want to share the world of watersports with people of all ages and experience level and it shows. And coming from an absolute amateur, you will be sore, but you will not regret having an experience like this.

Ride LKN Jennie wakeboarding


 


 

Ride LKN (Bryce)

Bryce Desai

Ride LKN provided me with my first experience with water sports, and despite my lack of experience, I had an amazing time! Our guides were kind and attentive, and their genuine love for being on the water shined through their personalities. To begin with, we rode out on a MasterCraft X-Star, one of the finest boats on the market for surfing and wake boarding, and this set the standard for the high quality experience provided by Ride LKN. Even though I was hesitant about water sports, the encouragement and guidance provided by Ride LKN helped me step out of my comfort zone and try something new, and I was even able to get up on the board! 

Overall, the experience on the water with Ride LKN was a wonderful opportunity, and I encourage anyone to give it a shot, regardless of your level of skill. The guides will encourage everyone who steps out on the boat to give wake boarding or surfing a try, however even if you don't get in the water, the quality of their MasterCraft X-Star boat along with the great atmosphere will make for a wonderful day on the water!


 


Meredith Rogers

As someone who tubes when I go out on the lake instead of ever trying any water sports, I was pleasantly surprised at how fun it could be. I was certainly a little nervous to get out there and try it at first but I figured out very quickly that Martin and Justin knew a lot about this sport and I would definitely be safe. They not only made us feel like they were knowledgeable but they also kept our day interesting and fun. I had a hard time getting up but I am sure if I spent just a little bit longer with the guys of Ride LKN I would be up and riding in no time. They have one of the nicest and newest boats that you will see out on Lake Norman so it was a very cool experience that I would not have had elsewhere. I would recommend this excursion to anyone looking for something fun to do on Lake Norman and willing to learn something new. I will definitely be returning again to try my hand again at wakeboarding.

Ride LKN - M


 

Ride lkn 3

Robert Ferrel

There’s too many good things I could say about Ride LKN. Take it from a guy who has never been wakeboarding or wake surfing before. The guides were just all around good people to be around, and that’s not even mentioning their skill and teaching ability on the water. Don’t let the fear of it being your first time doing water sports stop you. Ride LKN provides an incredible experience for the group of 6 that we brought out there. The guides gave great instruction that was easy to understand and made a real difference for me, and that’s saying a lot because I had no idea what to do when I first got out there. They provide two main water sports, wakeboarding and wake surfing.

Personally, I enjoyed wake surfing more, I found it easier to get up on the board and the falls were much more graceful. Wakeboarding was also a fun time, and gave me the initial practice that I needed in order to get up on the board. The phrase “just one more time” can be heard a lot from the crew, encouraging you to give it one more shot. Even if there’s no way you’re getting out on the board, you can enjoy the beautiful views of Lake

Norman, all while watching your friends or family wipe out. You might find yourself a little bit sore the day after, so perhaps some stretching beforehand will help, but it’s worth it either way. If everyone on the boat is getting tired, go ahead and tell the guides to put on a show for you. We got lucky enough to see them in action, and it was incredible to see their talent on the boards.


 

Bowen Liaw

Being out on the lake with Ride LKN was definitely an experience to remember. As a person who has never done any type of water sport activities, Martin and Justin were very encouraging for everyone to get out on the lake and have fun. They were both very patient and helpful when teaching us as well as giving us tips on how to do better. They even got on the board to show us how it's done, which I thought was very impressive. For anyone wanting to try out wakeboarding or surfing, I highly recommend going through Ride LKN for the best experience possible. I had a ton of fun and hope to be able to get back on the lake in the future.

Ride LKN