Holland brothers open Action Water Sports

SANDPOINT — For wakeboard and waterskiing lessons, you could certainly do a lot worse than two professional snowboarders for teachers.

Brothers Nate and Pat Holland, currently snowboardcross (SBX) racers on the U.S. Snowboarding team, are opening a new business in downtown Sandpoint called Action Water Sports with the Holland Brothers.

The Sandpoint natives are opening the business for the summer months, offering not just wake surf, wakeboard and waterskiing lessons, but tubing, lake tour cruises and even a pickup service.

Nate Holland, who has won five consecutive X Games gold medals in SBX and competed in the past two Winter Olympics, has been providing a similar service for the past seven years during the summers in Lake Tahoe.

“Growing up in Sandpoint, I was the kid sitting on the dock with $5 in my hand waiting for a wakeboard ride,” recalls Holland, who doesn’t just excel on snow. “I’ve always loved water sports on the lake.”

The new business is located downtown on the boardwalk, between Spuds and the Bistro, and will basically provide whatever service the customer is looking for on Lake Pend Oreille from mid-June through September.

The brothers hope to offer something for everyone, especially families, and are able to take as many as six people out in their new 21-foot Malibu boat.

“A 3-year-old waterskiier, a 70-year-old wakeboarder, somebody tubing or a dad who wants to get out there and show he can still do it,” offered Nate, who boasts more than 20 years of water sports experience. “We can get them up and going. We’ve got the equipment and the know how.”

The balance elements of wakeboarding also provide the brothers with a great cross-training sport in the summer months, to say noting of some summer income.

“It’s a fun summer job for both of us,” explained Pat, who nabbed his first ever World Cup podium spot in the final race last season and is eager for the SBX season to resume. “I’d rather be on water in the summer than land.”

The brothers made an appearance at the Brian Farber Pro Soccer Camp recently, where they offered up two free lessons for a camper and five of their friends, then proceeded to get peppered with penalty kicks by a procession of campers until two winners finally emerged.

The brothers are excited to race alongside each other on the SBX World Cup circuit again this winter, their second together as members of the U.S. team. Until then, they’ll be tearing up wakes on Lake Pend Oreille in their new business venture.

“We provide a safe, fun environment for families to utilize the lake through water sports,” described Nate. “We’re always trying to find the next Sandpoint ripper.”

For more information and rates, visit “www.actionwatersportslessons.com.”