Wake in the morning has a different meaning for Troy Welch.

Welch likes to roll out of bed after a long nights shift as a cook at Mainely Brews in Waterville and strap on his wake board, because there’s no caffeine rush like doing flips at 25 mph on Messalonskee Lake.
Welch has been wake boarding for nine years and has become a sort of wake boarding guru in central Maine.

On Friday morning, Welch invited along his co-workers to learn the art of wake boarding and help drive the boat. They were able to surf for 10 to 20 minutes at a time on the stream of waves behind the motor boat. And Welch got his fix of flight on the water before he his 11 a.m. cooking shift started.

“It sure is nice to get out on the water early on a weekday,” Welch said. “There’s no one here. The lake is all ours.”

— Michael G. Seamans