Need a little help please

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

I've been wakeboarding since i was about 12 and i've always been able to get decent ammounts of air but i cant consistantly clear the wake.

I'm wakeboarding off of just an 18 foot crownline and my board is just this crappy little hyperlite i've had for a while. I have wakeboarded off of my buddies 2001 air nautique and i could get about twice as much air with the tower but even at that i still want more, the funny thing is, is that i can completely jump the wake easily on the kneeboard and get about twice as much air on the knee board so i'm starting to wonder if there's something wrong with my wakeboarding tecnique.

usually i shorten our 75 foot rope by only 10 feet cuz thats about how much my dad is willing to shorten it and i know its nothing to do with the length since i can get it on the knee board. my dad also pulls me at about 20-22 mph and our crownline puts out a decent ammount of wake but nothing really special at all.

it seems like no matter how hard i hit it i cannot completely clear it i usually land right on the edge and when i cut im cutting as fast as i possibly can and i bend my knees but maybe not enough (this is heel side btw im not too toe side yet)

if someone could give me a few tips or somethin that'd be awesome cuz im really close just not quite there and its frustrating when you can get it easily with the kneeboard but not wakeboard. id post video but our camera sucks

thanks very much

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

when do u bend your knees? at the wake or the landing?

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Sounds like you're in the same position I was at the first of this season, and it was very discouraging until I figured out what I was doing wrong.

First of all, speed is NOT the key to clearing the wake. So, if you're cutting at it as hard as you can, which is exactly what I was doing, you're sacrificing your pop off the wake. You're not on a slalom, you need to make a gradual progressive cut at the wake with your strongest edge right at the wake, but not before.

Make sure you're handle is down low at your lead hip throughout the jump.

Don't bend your knees that much, just about halfway between sitting and standing.

Once you get to the wake, make sure your back is straight and stand tall off the top of the wake. Don't lean forward when your stand, you still need to be leaning back against the rope on your edge. Good advice that I heard on here was don't just stand up, but push your feet through the floor because remember, the wake will push harder against you and you don't want any part of your body to be absorbing the wake at all. The reason you can probably do this on a kneeboard is because there is little room to absorb the wake while kneeling. But, when you're standing on a wakeboard, you have to make a conscience effort to avoid absorbing it.

Try practicing your timing of your jump by not cutting out so wide until you get used to it.

Remember, you aren't "jumping" in the sense that you would on the ground. You're letting the wake boost you up. On your HS, press down with your heels, and on your TS, press down with your toes.

Let us know how your progress is, and see if you can upload a video or something.

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

pet575 · Posted: Jul 09, 2009 7:59 am Post subject:

ballsdeep, Christobull has you on the right track. However, it is really easy to take advice when compared to putting it to work. Video, video, video. Get some. The camera doesn't lie-it shows you when you are not actually doing what you THINK you are doing.

Post it up-it is the easiest way to help you.

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

pet575 · Posted: Jul 09, 2009 12:14 pm Post subject:

Hell, I didn't even notice you were from Lawrence. Where do you ride? Clinton?

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

Yes sir, I usually go to Clinton since its close, but the water is much better at Perry so we try to go there a lot too. Where do you go at?

pet575 · Posted: Jul 09, 2009 12:48 pm Post subject:

I ride here in KC every so often at Raintree Lake in Lee's Summit with kswakeboarder, but I do most of my riding at my home lake-Pomme de Terre. Give me a shout if you're ever in town to ride or down near PdT.

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

Ok i definitely will thanks again ill get that video up here when i hit up the lake next

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

ballsdeep, I might clarify the part about knee bending. There's really nothing wrong with bending your knees as much as a sitting stance. I think that's called ollie stance, but IMO it's harder to learn that first. Just a slight bend will take care of you most of the time, but definitely for now. The ollie stance is used to get more height, and is more difficult when you're working on getting your timing down. It can be taken out to the flats, but usually the goal is to land on the downside of the opposite wake. It's important to learn both stances, but not right away. You'll start using the other for spin tricks, and maybe some others. Hopefully someone will correct me if I said that wrong.

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

Oh ok ok i gotcha.. im just gonna try and get some video up here asap. were heading off to grand lake for vacation in a couple of weeks so i should be able to get some good video then and before that but thanks again

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Grand lake in Oklahoma? You don't want to go there. Hit me up, and I'll take you to a good lake. Grand lake is nothing but rich pricks.

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Tablerock is nice. I'm sure you'll have a good time. I don't know where you'll be staying at, but it can be difficult to find good water if you don't know the lake fairly well, and like I said, there's a lot of rich people who live in the Tulsa area that go there who don't have any business driving a boat, let alone the 40' and 50' yachts they're out there on, and if you don't have a $100,000 boat, they are just really rude to you.

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

That kinda sounds like Lake of the Ozarks, but yeah hopefully ill have a good time, i do get reallly pissed off tho when rich folks in there big ass cabin cruisers come by and be complete dicks to you so it should be interesting

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Post a question about it, and get some people that go there to tell you some good coves or something. I don't go there for the reasons I mentioned. I drive twice the distance to go to better lakes.

ballsdeep · Newbie Joined: 08 Jul 2009 Posts: 10 City: Lawrence

That's a good idea and well were going up on monday and coming back friday so hopefully we'll avoid some of the weekend traffic. but thanks again dude youi've been a big help im going to print your first post and bring that with me when i go boating again next, haha