Let Her Rip clinic empowering women through watersports

VONORE, Tenn. (WATE) — About five years ago, MasterCraft and eight-time world champion wakeboarder Meagan Ethell had a vision of empowering women through water sports. ‘Let Her Rip” was the result.

The clinic made a stop in East Tennessee this week, one of seven stops around the country this summer. The day brought both learning and laughs on Tellico Lake.

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“I love that this Let Her Rip teaches us not only how to surf better, but the camaraderie, And to drive to boat. Because women don’t always get to drive the boat, so one of my favorites parts today was learning how to drive the boat and learn the skills to really just makes us more water aware,” said participant Marcia Kish.

For several years now, East Tennessee has been a stop for on the Let Her Rip tour, providing a day to grow the love and knowledge of watersports among women. 

“Having a boat full of women, it just really adds confidence to the group of girls that are on the boat and it makes a huge difference when women are supporting each other and that really just helped create that confidence in and behind the boat,” Ethell said.  

When MasterCraft and Ethell collaborate on the idea, wakesurfing, wakeboarding, boat knowledge, water awareness were the focus, but empowering women was always the forefront.

“Growing up, I had a lot of awesome women influences on the water and I just wanna help try and create that for other females,” Ethell said. “Because it’s that one person that can help to create that confidence that can make the difference on if you like water sports or not.”

In a male-dominated sport, ‘Let Her Rip’ inspires confidence through women supporting women.

“Everyone just being together and being so supportive that made it so fun and we had skillsets of the best of the best and people who were just starting,” said participant Ellie Watson. “To be able to bring that together and have camaraderie through that was so much fun.”

As ‘Let Her Rip has grown over the last few years, so has the amount of women in the sport.

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