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every trick has a number of variations and
tweaks that can be combined... |
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Leading foot.
The first thing you need to do is figure out which foot forward you
are. That is, which foot do you feel most comfortable having at the
front of the board.
If you skateboard, snow board or surf, you may already know what is
most comfortable for you.
If not, one way to determine this is to stand with your feet together
and have a friend (a very good, kind friend in whom you trust) stand
behind you and give you a gentle push. Whichever foot naturally moves
forward to break your fall is usually the one you want to put toward
the front of your board or run and jump to touch something high, the
foot you push off with is usually your back foot. However, there are
no hard and fast rules and, in reality, the earlier you start riding
both regular and switchstance, the better. So choose which foot you
want to start out forward, but don't neglect to switch it up and try
the other foot as well, it will feel strange at first but practice
this often to become comfortable and confident with it. Eventually
you will want to be as comfortable riding one way as the other. Regular
or natural - ride left foot forward, Goofy footers - ride right foot
forward. |
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Bindings.
Most riders have their bindings set centered on the board, shoulder
distance (or wider) apart with both feet slightly ducked out about
10 to 15 degrees. This allows you to ride comfortably both regular
and switchstance. Always wet your feet and bindings before putting
them on, use a little soap to help your feet slip in, bindings must
be secure when on, if too tight, adjust size to fit.
the technique to getting out of overlay type or tight fitting bindings,
is to grab the board above your toes and pull the edge towards your
shins while pulling out one foot at a time. |
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Hand Signals
Communication is important so confirm hand signals for ready, wait,
faster, slower, bumpy water, boat has reached desired speed, I'm ok
- after a fall, I'm finished my session, double up and whatever else
may be useful. |
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Speed.
Never exceed your limits or safe speed ,it's better to go too slow
than too fast, normal wakeboarding speed is between 30-35 km/hour
even for advanced and pro riders. |
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Knee Braces.
It is strongly recommended that you wear a knee brace, suitable for
wakeboarding on at least your leading knee and/or any knee that may
have suffered a previous injury for any reason. |
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Risks.
This sport like many others has an element of risk and danger, be
responsible and keep safe, always use the proper equipment, be aware
of any warnings and the regulations of the equipment and area. |
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Stance.
Beginners also often find it difficult to keep the board pointed at
the boat, especially if their rear foot is pointed away from it. The
tendency is to let the back of the board slide forward so that the
rider is now in a side slide that could result in a vicious eye-peeling
face plant should the front edge of the board dip too low and catch
on the water. Try letting go with your back hand and, this will helpto
get the board tracking straight while you get the feel of it. Concentrate
on keeping the board parallel to the boat and wake, twist your hips
toward the boat and have your chest & shoulders facing the boat. |
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Fins.
Your board most likely came with a set of fins. Make sure your fins
are tightly secured with the wider end to the outside of the board.
The longer the fins, the easier they will track in the water giving
you a more stable feeling on the board. The shorter the fins, the
easier they will release from the water, giving you a looser feeling
on the board. Deep fins will result in a more predictable and stable
track through the water, shallow fins are helpful when learning surface
spins as the board will release its "grip" and slide on
the surface more easily. |
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Rope.
You will need to use a non stretch line so when you are "steering"
your moves with the handle, you will have control moving with the
handle and with the boat. The correct type is a spectra fusion line.
Your rope should be secured to the pylon or tower at 16 -20 meters
depending upon your boat's wake. The closer you are to the boat, the
smaller the wake will be, and the shorter the distance to clear it
which may be beneficial in the beginning. However, you don't want
to be so close to the boat that you are hit with the spray of water
that shoots up at the start of the boat's wake, also known as the
rooster tail. After all, this is wakeboarding, not Chinese water torture.
Once you feel comfortable, you can start extending your rope length
so that you are hitting the wake where it is larger and further apart,
you may need a slightly increased boat speed to clear the wake. Later,
a longer rope also enables you to take a longer cut at the wake and
produces a more profound pendulum effect, allowing you to get bigger
air. |
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Vest.
Please, don't forget your most valuable piece of equipment, your approved
life vest/jacket for floatation. No one wants to see a fun day at
the lake turn into tragedy and, most likely, no one in the boat wants
to jump into the water to drag your silly butt back into the boat.
So ride smart, ride safe, ride with your vest. |
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Train or Strain?
You think you'll take a ride to ease your way back to the water,
but you forgot that the guys and girls you see on ESPN looking
as limber as Gumby are also just about young enough to carry lunch
pails with his face on 'em. Fact is, there are as many serious
injuries in wakeboarding as there are in slalom and barefooting.
Some of the world's top riders are now using pre-season routines
more strenuous than pulling on the handle to the refrigerator
door. They know that 30 to 35 km/h is plenty easy until you start
jumping, landing, grabbing, yanking and flopping. If you don't
feel it right away, wait until tomorrow morning.
Concentrated
Muscles:
Most common
problems after a long layoff:
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Coming
out as stiff as a Popsicle puts the knees and ankles at risk.
Easy stretching gets the blood flowing and helps lubricate the
joints.
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Cold
shoulders get wrenched from the frequent jerk of the rope. Loosen
'em up.
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Riding
a wakeboard is so casual compared to slalom that it's tempting
to try something new right out of the igloo. You'll go splat,
guaranteed. Surfing the wakes is as radical as you need to be
for now.
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Run
stairs two at a time to develop explosion and leg strength
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Wall
squats will build stability in the legs and could help prevent
knee injuries
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Ever
notice that none of the top wakeboarders has a jiggle below
the vest? Do slow crunches for abdominal strength, five seconds
up, five seconds down, with shoulder blades off the floor.
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The cut is the key.
Don't equate big air with speed. In wakeboarding, you don't need to
go that fast.
When wakeboarding, beginners tend to be in too much of a hurry to
generate speed. You see you're only 4 meters from the wake and you're
going 32 km/h. You think to yourself, "There's no way I'm going
to get any air going this slow," so you dig in hard. Problem
is, you dig in so hard that you can't hold it through the wake, and
by the time you are at the critical zone, you have no edge or rope
tension. You are going fast, but you have no power. Consequently,
you barely get any air.
Almost everything you do on a wakeboard should be based on the progressive
cut and loading the line (with tension), having good edge at the wake
and getting a little pop off the wake. The progressive cut, or "edge,"
you need to have the board on edge when you reach the wake and have
maximum tension on the rope as you pull through the wake. You must,
I repeat, must build your cut from a drift in at the beginning.
So for the proper cut, pull out moderately wide, maybe half as far
as you would for a full cut, and then let the board drift in toward
the wake. Once you start coming in, gradually increase the pressure
on the rail and rope until you get through the wake use the shape
of the wake to pop you in the air. The instant before you are through
the wake, stand up tall and rigid while pushing down on the handle.
This will give you that big pop off the wake without causing you to
lose speed. |
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Progression essentials for 180's and beyond.
I know what you want to do. You're looking for three eeee-zzzz
steps to complete your first flip. We're getting there, but first
you need to be doing clean 180s in all directins, paying particular
attention to good handle position.
Correct handle position will make bigger tricks like flips and
540s much easier.
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Start
your 180 just like the two-wake jump by pulling outside the
wake about 3-4 meters.
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Make
a slow turn and come at the wake with the same momentum as you
would if you were simply jumping the wake.
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As
you come off the wake, make sure your hips are up and your handle
is low, and bring the handle across your body to meet your opposite
hip (left foot forward: right hip; right foot forward: left
hip).
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Turn
your hips. This will bring your upper body around. The motion
should be smooth and continuous with no extra movement.
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Allow
the board to rotate the entire 180 degrees.
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Land
soft - with knees bent - and smoothly on the transition of the
second wake. If it feels more comfortable when you're landing
on the second wake, release your rear hand and let it fall by
your side to help keep your board in what is called the switch-stance
position.
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Double Up
As addictive as any drug, the quest for bigger and bigger air consumes
professional and amateur riders everywhere. First there were Skylons
for increased lift, then Fat-Sacs came to the rescue to boost wake
size, and now wakeboard-specific boats are taking over the market.
But no technical innovation has even remotely touched the power
of the double-up. Merely doubling back over your boat's original
wake has not only propelled riders 6-plus meters into the air, but
it has also simultaneously put the sport of wakeboarding on the
map. Despite how difficult these incredible maneuvers may look from
shore, the double-up is easy to hit and just as easy to drive -
with a little practice, of course!
Begin hitting
double-ups by starting with a small approach. As your timing improves,
you can take a larger approach by starting out wider. As the boat
makes its final approach towards the rollers, edge out into the
circle created by the boat's path. Pick a trough to get into; beginners
should follow the first trough to where the wake and rollers converge.
It won't give you the biggest potential air, but it will allow you
to practice timing. As with everything else in wakeboarding, timing
is key. More advanced riders should follow the second trough for
optimum air. Just as you are propelled twice as high, it is twice
as important to remember the basics of edging, handle control and
body orientation when hitting the double-ups. |
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Rider Etiquette.
This article will give all you freeloading wakeboarders out there
a heads up on how to not be "that guy." You know which guy
I'm talking about, the one that is always bugging you to go wakeboarding
with you on your boat. Every week it's, "When we going wakeboarding
dude? How about this weekend?" Then, finally, you invite him
out with you and he's an even bigger idiot then you had thought!
First he can't meet you at your house to help you load up because
he has to get a haircut or something else of vital importance. Strike
one! So you meet him at the water, but, of course, he's 15 minutes
late. Strike two! So he jumps into your boat, bringing with him a
fine soil sample of sand, mud, whatever your local flavor is, and
deposits it on your gel coat, then your upholstery and finally onto
your carpet. Strike three! He's already struck out, but let's clear
his slate and chalk that up to inexperience.
So now he is in your boat and he starts in on how great he is at wakeboarding
and how close he is to landing his flip. He has no idea what kind
of flip, but he claims to be the sickest "skurfer" around.
I'm not trying to be a wakeboard snob here. I'm just saying, if you
don't know what you're talking about, don't try to fake it. Let your
riding stand for itself. Nobody cares how good or not good you are.
Just have fun. This guy has now talked your ear off for ten minutes
and has succeeded in annoying you to near tears, so you ask him if
he wants to go first. Here is where I will add a small piece of advice.
If you are the guest, don't ever ask to go first. Depending on whom
you are with, some people like to be first in and when it's their
boat, it's their call. Just relax and let them offer it to you and
if they do, go right ahead. You can be excited to ride, but control
your excitement so that you don't step on anyone's toes.
Now, when this kook finally does get in the water, he rides and rides
and rides forever. Again, strike one! Take a shorter first run, especially
if you go first. Keep in mind that everyone else wants to go and this
day is not all about you.
Once the guy finishes his run, he gets in the boat and the excuses
start coming. The water was rough. The board was too big. The wake
is too small. I'll stop right here. Don't ever comment about the inadequacies
of another man's wake. That's grounds for going to blows. I don't
think I need to mention that complaining about the driver is also
a huge mistake! No one wants to spend his or her day off on the lake
listening to someone gripe and complain. If it's your boat, go right
ahead. But when you're a guest, you should definitely see the glass
half full. Let me give you an example. Say you go out and have the
worst run of your life. Of course there will be some frustration.
It can be amusing to watch a rider flipping out when he can't land
something and he's throwing out every four-letter word imaginable,
but, please, for your sake and everyone with you, leave it in the
water. When you get in the boat, it should be, "Man I suck, but
it's a beautiful day on the water!" Or here's an even better
one, "I'm sorry fellas. You have such a beautiful boat and I
went and did all that ugly stuff behind it." This might be a
little over the top, but you get where I'm going.
Okay, we got through the day of riding and now its time to go home.
Here is where most people ruin their chances of getting invited back,
so pay very close attention. You get the boat out of the water and
all of a sudden this guy gets busy again. He needs to get home so
he can take a shower for his date tonight. He needs to be home to
have dinner with his parents or some other reason why he cannot help
you clean the boat. For me, this is a big one since I ride in saltwater
and it is not just a quick wipe down of the boat. It is a full 30-minute
ordeal and when it's dark and cold, that is not fun. So this guy takes
off and gives you twenty bucks for Fuel and acts like he is a saint
when he probably drank close to that in your beverage of choice for
the day.
I'm going to take this time to tell you how expensive it is to own
your own boat. For those of you that do own a boat, you already know,
but those who don't, let me clue you in. Fuel is a huge expense, especially
when you are weighting your boat. There are oil changes in the boat,
maintenance and all kinds of other fun stuff. Stuff like bringing
food or drinks down for the people you are riding with is also a good
idea. For some people, the money isn't a big deal and they won't take
it, but always offer. And if you don't have the money, don't ask to
go. For other people, washing the boat is the most important thing.
Either way, you should always offer to wash the boat and pay for Fuel.
If, for some reason, you do have to leave early, pitch in a little
more for Fuel.
Okay, what about bringing people with you? Don't bring anyone unless
the people who own the boat know about it ahead of time and have agreed
to it. The worst thing I have ever experienced was this one time I
was called by an acquaintance that has ridden with me a couple of
times. Let's call him Matt. Matt asked if I wanted to go ride, meaning
behind my boat. I agreed and so my best friend, Matt, and myself went
out. Matt met us at the water and when he got there he asked if I
mind if his roommate rides with us. Well, his roommate was standing
next to him, so what can I say except that I don't mind. This afternoon
session was only supposed to last for a couple of hours - three guys,
a few sets each, no problem. It gets worse! The guy's roommate gets
in the boat and says, "Yeah, my girlfriend is meeting me down
here, that's cool if she gets a ride right?" I was shocked. Now
I have two extra people and I even have to loan the guy and his girlfriend
my gear. To make matters worse, they break almost every rule I outlined
earlier. Each of the three people take two runs each and I am only
able to take two runs myself, which wouldn't be that bad if I wasn't
out there for six hours dragging around complete strangers. Of course,
they don't help wash the boat, but don't worry, because between the
three of them, they gave me a whole fifty rand.
There is always an exception to the rule about bringing uninvited
guests. If you're going out with your buddies and you want to bring
along some hot single women, I don't think you will get too many complaints.
It's even better when they don't want to ride and they just want to
lie out and get a tan.
Good "thirds" are hard to find. It's easy to find any Joe
that will come out and just ride. I don't know about you, but paying
and doing all that work for someone else to ride that doesn't appreciate
it is not my idea of a good time. Being a good third is not that complicated.
Just figure out how you would want people to be if they were coming
on your boat. Respect their time, effort, equipment and money. If
you get this stuff squared away you will notice that instead of having
to be the one trying to find a pull all the time, you will have people
calling you trying to get you to come with them. Like I said, good
thirds are hard to find and everyone needs one.
Alright, now it's the moment of truth, so let's go ride! |
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