Wakeboarding to open season at the beach

The Mundelein Park and Recreation District will sponsor its first ever "Diamond Lake Hypertour" on Saturday.

The event, which features a wakeboard competition and demonstrations, opens the season at Diamond Lake Beach.

Activities begin at 8 a.m. at the beach and recreation center, 1016 Diamond Lake Road, and runs through 2 p.m.

Competitors will compete on Diamond Lake as part of the Hyperlite Hypertour.

Hyperlite selects locations and local venues throughout the country to showcase the sport. Judged divisions include Outlaw, Wakeskate, Beginner and Intermediate. The event is sponsored by Chicago Sea Ray Ultimate Wake Watersports.

Beachgoers can enjoy free music, receive information about wakeboarding products, sand castle building and more. Admission to the beach is free until 2 p.m.

A boat-towed sport that involves waterskiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques, wakeboarding first debuted at the ESPN X-Games in the early 1990s.

The event will features brother and sister Cody and Kaila Coffey from Medinah who will compete Saturday. Both train in Lake County, and compete nationally and around the world. They've been featured in trade magazines and on ESPN.

Now 11, Cody holds the WWA World Wakeboard Nationals title for 2005, and placed second in Australia's Wakeboard World Competition in his division. Kaila, age 10, placed second in the AWA Nationals 2007, and also the Wakeboard World Competition 2005.

Free parking is available across from the beach's main entrance and hike or bike-ins are encouraged.