LATHROP – The boat motor roars as it rips through the calm water. 

And suddenly, as if on cue, what was a trace outline of a person erupts out of the water with enough force to send a wall of water careening in every direction. 

It’s said that this is the hardest thing about wakeboarding, but for the rest of this competitive run the boarder will bend physics as he uses his own weight and the momentum of the specially-designed boat to seemingly fly through the air – shifting into impossible positions and making it look effortless in the process. 

Welcome to the world of professional wakeboarding. Welcome to the King of Wake Master Craft Pro Wakeboard Tour – kicking off today in Lathrop at Mossdale Quarry lakes at 9 a.m. 

“What those guys are able to do is almost superhuman,” said Brian Terrie, a Stockton resident who likes to spend his time after work prowling the San Joaquin River Delta. “I’d be too afraid to face plant. But it’s obvious they weren’t afraid to fall – the things that they do is incredible.”

Today at 9 a.m. the first round of professionals will begin their run on the lakes – which have become a popular proving ground for watersports enthusiasts since bursting onto the scene several years – and will continue with a second heat at 1 p.m. 

The semifinals begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. with professional last chance qualifiers running at 2 p.m. the COUNTOUR Big Air Kicker contest begins on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and the finals are slated to run from 3 to 4 p.m. An award ceremony will follow. 

For more information visit wakeboardingmag.com/king-of-wake/