MELROSE – Chad Hovsepian wanted feedback on a wakesurfing training device he developed at his Lake Area Watersports shop, so he took six ShuvIT Boards to the Masters Water Ski and Wakeboard Tournament at Georgia’s Callaway Gardens last August.
He never got a chance to set up his exhibit.

“That’s when I finally knew I had something,” he said. “I had a real product. I took five or six boards to the show to get some feedback from professional athletes. I never made it to my destination because people were stopping my golf cart and buying them. I set one out and didn’t ask anyone to get on it. Everyone flipped over it. They were gone in 30 minutes. I kept one prototype because I didn’t have any logos on it. I knew right then that this was something people wanted.”

The training device handles like a real wakesurfing board, except it stays dry. A swivel base mimics the wave a board feels behind a boat. It can turn 360 degrees and rock up and down. More importantly, it’s three inches off the ground, so it allows surfers to work on difficult tricks without the danger of a hard flop during high speeds on the water.
Specifically designed wakesurfing boats, with the propellor located far beneath the boat rather than behind, coast along at 11 mph. Wakesurfers trail just behind, riding the crests of the wake. Unlike wakeboarders, they let go of the rope for a true surfing experience.

Hovsepian was inspired to create his training device while watching his daughter Lindsay compete at a tournament more than a year ago.

“The honest truth of it is I have a daughter that competes in wakesurfing, and she competes in the national events,” he said. “I was watching her compete, and we knew that if she could land a 360 Shove, she would win. But she didn’t land it. I got so frustrated because I knew her body’s motion relative to the board was incorrect. It’s difficult to train for that off the water. So, immediately, I started searching. I knew in my mind what I needed to do.

“I bought everything on the market to help her. I bought everything that would supposedly help her fix her form or motion, the physical way she would spin. They claimed they could help with balance with people doing the same type of spin trick called a shove-it. The problem with some of those boards is they hurt. They’re sketchy and harmful to your shins and knees if you don’t land correctly.”
After Lindsay graduated from high school, Hovsepian, who has a degree in mechanical engineering, said he suddenly had more free time to take his idea from the planning board to reality.

“I found myself with a little more thinking time because I wasn’t running around to soccer games and flag football games and FFA meetings – all that goes with kids in school,” he said. “So, I was able to put a little bit more time and effort into it. I built a prototype, put her on it, and immediately knew it worked. I always had this desire to create something from scratch.”

Lindsay can now perform a 360 Shove without problems.

“It has helped several people,” Novespian said.

He also asked world champion wakesurfer John Akerman to review the ShuvIT Board.

“This is the best wakesurf trainer board there is,” Akerman said. “Everyone has always asked me if there is any way to improve and learn new tricks off the water. Finally, a trainer board that will teach you proper techniques and have you learning new tricks faster than ever.”

Hovsepian said Akerman wasn’t paid for the endorsement. He also said Amy Zackowski’s Whispering Dog Design has contributed to marketing the product.

Hovsepian has applied for a patent, but avid wakesurfers weren’t willing to wait. He’s already sold nearly 40 of the boards at $549 each and shipped them to Switzerland, Dubai and Japan. He said he has eight colors available at shuvitboard.com.