Now in its fifth year, #PassTheHandle will continue to inspire first-timers to experience the thrill of towed water sports on July 22, 2018.
Founded by industry icons Zane Schwenk and Shaun Murray, #PassTheHandle is rooted in their passion for gliding across the water, with the mission of sharing this with others. The concept has quickly grown into the largest participation movement in our industry through social media, word of mouth, and several key promoters.
One key individual who makes a huge difference through the #PassTheHandle movement is Robby Maschhaupt, recipient of the #PassTheHandle Award at the 2017 Wake Awards. For years, Robby has been teaching hundreds of people how to wakesurf, and this year he also has huge plans to continue sharing this sport with others. With the support of Southtown Watersports, Robby has 75 #PassTheHandle events scheduled for this season with an average of six riders signed up for each event. Quick math: That’s 450 people. Knowing Robby though, he’ll probably sneak in an extra 100 or so on his “days off.”
With all of that boat time, you can well imagine that Robby is a busy man. However, he did find a minute to hop on the phone with us (post-#PassTheHandle event of course). For Robby, #PassTheHandle feels like it has given him a unique purpose. He not only teaches hundreds of people how to get up on a board each and every year, but he also finds importance in “teaching those people how to pay it forward and #PassTheHandle to others as well.”
Robby firmly believes that the #PassTheHandle concept is all about bringing smiles to peoples’ faces and introducing them to something new and exciting, but he also thinks it’s important for industry leaders and athletes to remember that this movement was really introduced as a way to grow our sports. “That’s why it’s so crucial for riders and companies to get involved and go out of their way to #PassTheHandle,” Robby says. “At the end of the day, this initiative is helping preserve their livelihood and all of our sports that we love so much.”
The Water Sports Industry Association highly encourages everyone who can to get involved, even if it’s just teaching a single person to get up on a board or ride on a tube. Sharing the love of towed water sports is very rewarding, and those involved look forward to it each year. If you have any questions regarding #PassTheHandle, e-mail ten.aisw@ofni.
Words: Emily Dale
HOW TO GET INVOLVED:
Teach one or more first-timers (to ride, ski, tube, etc.) on July 22, 2018 and share your photos and videos on social media with the hashtag: #PassTheHandle
DEALERS, WAKE PARKS, SCHOOLS (and other ambitious individuals):
Take it to the next level and create your own #PassTheHandle event. Be sure to use our member benefits including WAIVERS and valuable advice found in WSIA’s EVENT MANAGEMENT RESOURCE GUIDE.
DONATE:
WSIA is able to grant seed money to wake parks and schools to fuel #PassTheHandle events where first-timers learn for free! Help us continue to grow our annual participation drive with a donation to the #PassTheHandle initiative!