No Waves, No Wind, No Worries: Nitro City’s Cable Park

“I was on vacation in the Coronado area for 10 days. With a sad swell report for the Pacific coast, I set off to Nitro City in Punta Chame to ride the cable park - It was the perfect playground for a board sports enthusiast.” – Sam Richardson Toronto Snowboarder and owner of OATS apparel. Nitro’s cable park is an electrically driven cable that pulls a rope with a handle over a man-made body of water, called the ‘wakelake’. It is usually ridden on a wakeboard or wakeskate, but kites and surfboards sometimes find their way onto the Nitro wakelake.The cable park offers a consistent experience on the water. By taking out the natural variables, like wind and waves, and minimizing the downtime of traditional wakeboarding you’re guaranteed lots of ride time and the opportunity to try the same trick several times in a session. It is the perfect learning environment.

Right now, during windy season in Panama, surfers on the Pacific coast are looking out at a flat ocean hoping for swell lines, while kite boarders are enjoying perfect flying conditions. But, on occasion Mother Nature decides to take the day off. Whether it’s a lack of wind or waves you’re faced with, Nitro City’s cable park is the answer for board sports enthusiasts.

The cable park is great for beginners and experts of all ages. If you’re experienced in a board sport, you will probably fair well on the wakelake. The beginner can take advantage of the safe environment to get comfortable on a board and in the water, while the more advanced can practice landing flips, grabs and spins.  If you are new to the cable park, the friendly and helpful staff at Nitro will help you learn the basics, and have you riding in no time.

‘Batman’ a.k.a Ricardo Conte a.k.a ‘King of the Wakelake’, is one of those friendly staffers. With Batman’s help and guidance in the cable park, everything is easier.  

Batman gained his moniker from his natural skill and fearlessness with the wakeboard. He ‘flies’ off the jumps in the cable park. He took to the wakelake during his job interview and has stayed with it since. Batman explains how the cable park is an ideal training ground for board sports.

“When you get the feel for wakeboarding in the park, and you learn to build momentum using the cable, you can try flips, spins, grabs, anything really. The knowledge you gain in the park can be applied to surfing, kiteboarding or any sport that involves the same wait time in the air”.

Nitro’s Cable Park sees beginners, professional athletes and famous people riding the line. “Everyone loves the cable park”, says Batman, “not just the athletes, Usher, the playboy girls, even Justin Beiber hit the cable park”.

Athletes like Free style skier Tanner Hall and Professional Football player Edgar Davids also loved the park.

So whether board sports are your passion or simply something you would like to try, the controlled environment of the cable park is a great way learn and progress.

Nitro City’s Cable Park is located in Nitro City Action Sports Resort at the tip of Punta Chame. It costs $25 per person, for the hour to ride the cable park. The park is open 7 days a week from 11:00 A.M with the last run happening at 6:00 P.M. During rain, the cable is shut down.

Here’s hoping for perfect winds through the kite season, and lots of swell in the coming year for the surfers.  On the off days remember you can find the adrenaline rush your seeking at the Nitro City cable park.

‘Training season with 2013 "Triple S" kiteboard champion, Colleen Carroll.’