Bigger air help

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 15, 2009 6:24 am Post subject: Bigger air help

Well I've got w2w down consistently if I only go for about 2-3 ft. of air. I've started booting into the 5-6 ft. range and now I'm back to landing inside the wake. I'm not getting the distance I was with lower air. I ride at 65' 20-22 mph. I feel that my edge is solid and I'm really getting the feel for popping harder, I just seem to have lost distance. Any tips for this would be appreciated. I'm more interested in technique then the usual shorten the rope, or speed up. I did try riding a little faster last night, got w2w but with only about 3-4 ft. of air, and I don't care much for riding at 24-25 mph just feels to fast.

tcaseymcclure · Criminal Joined: 12 Jun 2009 Posts: 85

take a harder cut at the wake and see what happens

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 15, 2009 8:05 am Post subject:

As in cut harder at the beginning of my edge in? Or try to cut harder at the end closer to the wake?

the_dude · Outlaw Joined: 09 Jul 2008 Posts: 201 City: Long Beach

Distance is primarily driven by the speed you travel on the board towards the wake. It's easy to take a super wide cut out and then cut back fast towards the wake and clear it with little air.

Height is driven by your edge *at the wake* and line tension.

So if you do a regressive edge, cutting harder at first and letting up even slightly at the wake it will be possible to clear the wake but not get much air. If you are practicing a more progressive edge to get the pop you may not be cutting hard enough in the beginning to build the speed to clear the wake.

Either way it can be fixed by increasing your edge right before and up through the wake. Once you really get a feel for edging and pop you will be surprised at how little distance you need to cut away from the wake to go W2W at 65'

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 15, 2009 8:19 am Post subject:

the_dude, Thanks that helps, so what you are saying is to amp up my progressive edge all the way through?

kent2010 · Soul Rider Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 281 City: Needles

Yes, thats what he is saying. thats the most important thing(in my opinion) to getting good air on w2w jumps. Having a progressive edge. and make sure to hold it all the way up the wake and then stand tall. it will shoot you up pretty well if you do it right. even on the smaller wakes.

I know you didnt really want to hear this but when you are trying to get your technique down it doesnt hurt to have a smaller wake width wise. So dont go any faster just bring the rope in a bit.

Riddick · Outlaw Joined: 14 Feb 2008 Posts: 212 City: Knoxville

Speed doent equal height.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 15, 2009 8:17 pm Post subject:

Riddick, I'm aware of that and past that point, I'm looking for height AND distance....in other words HANG TIME Wink

Medina · Posted: Jun 16, 2009 4:16 am Post subject:

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 16, 2009 12:07 pm Post subject:

Well....it's Tuesday afternoon and I'm heading out to the lake to give this advice a try.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 17, 2009 5:34 am Post subject:

Thanks alot guys, worked like a charm. I just stepped up my edge all the way through and landed some 5-6 footers consistently.......till the last one that broke my board. Everyone on the4 boat said I was looking smooth as silk and it feels sick sick sick. Laughing

taitrt · Soul Rider Joined: 11 May 2009 Posts: 413

Sounds like you got it all under control... I thought I'd add something that helped me out a lot.

A few weeks ago I figured out I was holding my handle way too high while cutting. I moved my handle from my chest to my waist and it probably added 2-3 feet of height to my jumps.

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 17, 2009 7:45 am Post subject:

taitrt, For sure, I spent most of Sun. working on that. I was riding right on the edge of my HS wake and pulling myself up the wake drawing the handle to my hip. It not only builds muscle memory for that motion, it's also a hell of a upper body workout.

m_lesney · Soul Rider Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 358 City: Austin

you broke your board? wow did you land way out into the flats or something?

JeffreyCH · Posted: Jun 19, 2009 6:35 am Post subject:

No I nose dived it into the back lip of the wake from about 6' up.