By Jon Show – A new watersports instruction company is making a splash on Lake Norman, offering residents across the region an opportunity to learn wake surfing, water skiing and wakeboarding — and, in some cases, experience the water for the first time.

Surf Wake Ski, founded by friends Tim Hyde and Audrey Pannell, operates out of Holiday Marina near Hello, Sailor with a mission centered on community building and accessible watersports education. The company launched this spring and hopes to fill the void left by the closing of IcyWakes, a local shop that offered instruction and summer camps for children.

The school offers four main experiences: private lessons, summer camps for children, evening events and boat-driving lessons. The founders say what sets them apart from other providers is both their range of offerings and their philosophy.

“We’re the only ones that offer skiing lessons,” Pannell said. “A lot of people are like, ‘Oh, let’s just surf,’ and it’s hard to find ski lessons. I feel very passionate about it. I’ve taught a lot of kids to ski, and I feel like it’s a really good skill that is dying a little bit.”

The pair brings nearly a decade of combined experience from Camp Aquatic, a watersports summer camp where they spent years teaching children from across the country and around the world.

Hyde said it is most gratifying to take someone with no experience and teach them something they will remember forever.

“My greatest joy is when a kid gets up for the first time and you see their face because it just lights up,” Hyde said. “It’s just something they’re never going to forget.”

Pannell echoed that sentiment, recalling a 6-year-old girl she taught to ski years ago.

“Her legs were like the size of my pinky,” she said. “I can still remember, like it was yesterday, holding her legs straight, being in the water with her, just getting her right so she could pop up on skis.”

The instructors emphasize patience and attitude over technique, drawing on values instilled during their camp years. They stress gratitude for being on the lake, maintaining a positive attitude and having the courage to try something new.

“We’re very patient, and I think a lot of people get frustrated,” Pannell said. “Being pulled behind a boat, for a lot of people, is scary. Some people are afraid to get in the water. If we need to, we’ll get in the water with people and get picked up later when they get up.”

Private lessons are available for all ages starting at $195 per hour and can be customized by length. Summer camps run Monday through Thursday in three-hour sessions — morning, midday and afternoon — giving children a four-day progression for $525 per week.

“Over four days, they go from not being able to surf to maybe dropping the rope, or learning all three activities, and they have some new friends,” Pannell said.

Beyond instruction, Surf Wake Ski has launched a series of evening events aimed at adults looking to connect on the water. For $75, participants can join themed outings, including arts and crafts nights, wellness evenings, Bible studies and game nights.

“There are a lot of people in the city who are working all day and they’d love to get on the boat this summer, but they don’t know anybody,” Pannell said. “Instead of doing it at a table or a coffee shop, you’re on the water watching the sunset. It’s just something fun and different — and a great way to meet people.”

The company also operates a Sponsor a Kid initiative that funds watersports experiences for children who might not otherwise have access.

For Hyde and Pannell, the boats, lessons and evening events are ultimately vehicles for something bigger.

“We’re geared around fun, building community and lake life,” Hyde said. “Hopefully you meet somebody, we introduce you to somebody, you connect with somebody, and you just grow this community of people who love life on the water.”