Patent ID: 8789488

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a water sport training apparatus for training a small child or infant to water ski behind a towing craft where the apparatus includes a platform which is comprised of a surf-board type support surface that will support the weight of a child prior to acceleration of the associated towing craft, the manufacturing method comprising the steps of: providing a buoyant blank formed of a lightweight expanded foam material; cutting the blank in the shape of a platform having an upper surface, a lower surface, a thickness, a front extent and a rear extent, the platform being wide enough to accommodate at least the width of two feet; locating at least a pair of spaced apart handle bar receptacle elements on the upper surface of the platform; glassing over the blank and handle bar receptacle elements with fiberglass cloth and a suitable laminating resin to thereby form a laminated platform with portions of the receptacle elements being physically embedded within the material of the laminated platform; mounting a pair of foot grips on the upper surface of the platform in a side-by-side location on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of the platform; mounting a handle bar in the handle bar receptacle elements; locating a tow point at the front extent of the platform for receiving a tow rope for pulling the platform over a surface of water with an associated towing craft.