W2W help, need some clairification on Edge Technique

[kyle f]

I got the progessive edge part down, and feel comfortable getting out wide on toeside to set up. I have gotten a lot more comfortable this year on my carving but just seem to have a mental block on technique.

So, I cut out wide, let the boat start to pull me back toward the wake, then start leaning back on my heels, adding a bti more as I go. Then I get about 3/4 the way accross, or I have once cased the top of the other wake.

Now here is where the question comes in, I have headr progressively edge through the wakes and stand tall. I have watched videos and seen a nice progressive edge, but it seems like the pro riders flatten their boards out at the wake to stand tall.

So, I have tried both... staying on edge up the wake and I have trouble getting my legs to extend to pop as I am concentrating on holding my hardest edge. Then it seems if I flatten out I pop but get no distance.

On my toeside jumps, I am getting a bit of air, but it seems to be the same thing. I hold my edge into it and don't really pop.

[kriggs]

hmm, try to bring the rope in a little bit, once you get comfortable take it back and really make sure too, edge out really hold that edge, it sounds like you are just trying too hard, it's a nice and easy cut all the way up the wake and extend your legs. Good luck!

[kyle f]

So, do I stand with straight legs against the edge or do I flatten out some and stand "tall" as I crest the wake for pop?

It doesn't matter if I am at 70' or 65', I am just not getting enough time in the air I believe. Also consider I wegh 220lbs so I don't think charging the wake and using speed will get me accross, I need to get some Pop and hang time.

Think of me as a fullback out here riding. Im not the uncoordinated fat guy with a rol over my trunks, but still carrying a lot of mass.

[pet575]

Stand with straight legs against the edge, but wait until you are starting to ride up the wake to do it. Many people set that hard edge to early and it is all they have to maintain it as they approach the wake, let alone progressively increase it as they approach the wake.

I tell anyone who asks to cut at 50% of full edge when they start in toward the wake. When you hit the foam, and start to dip into the trough, 75% edge. When you first feel the tip of the board start to go up the wake, THAT is when you stand on the edge at 100%.

Got any video?

[Wakeboarder3780]

Kyle, your body type won't matter as long as you're in shape (or at least somewhat in shape). I have a friend your build (or maybe +20 lbs) who wakes to wake consistently (and he's not all muscle).

There are a few different ways to w2w. You can cut out super wide, go at the wake progressively and edge all the way through the wake, which will get you a lot of horizontal speed (left and right), but it makes it harder to time when to stomp your legs down to get maximum pop. w2w jumps done in this fashion are typically lower to the water but you are FLYING from left to right (super fast) so you still make it.

You can also pull out medium distance from the wake and barely edge hard at all as long as you are still doing so in a progressive fashion and you get more time to parse when to stomp down with your legs. Since it's easier to tell when to stomp, you typically get higher on these jumps, so the w2w jumps look higher and you don't land out in the flats you typically "just make it" and land on the down slope.

Learnwake.com has a *great* video on this and I think it's one of their free ones. Do a search on youtube for learnwake and see if you can dig it up. Also, a video will help us figure out immediately what's going on, so consider that.

That being said, without a video I would have guessed you're line was too long for the wake that you had, but since you don't think it's that, I would guess it's just a timing issue of when to stomp your legs down.

Another thing to consider as well is the fact that you can stand tall at the top of the wake and you can STAND TALL at the top of the wake. What I mean is, I can almost guarantee you can stomp your feet down harder than you currently are.

The next time you go out take one jump half force / effort. Just do a 1 wake on purpose. The next jump, try going out wide, but not forcing the progressive edge as much and really concentrate on SLAMMING your feet down as explosively as possible. You might be surprised with the air you get. Then you just need to control it.

Hope this helps, would love to see a video.

[kyle f]

I could post al older video, but I am at work and I cant get on vemeo to get the link.

I ride at 65' or 70', but have tried 60' and not much changes. At 60' I think I just feel too rushed.

I hear ya on the wake, but I really don't think its the problem as I see people get plenty of height distance behind I/Os and I have been behind my MB with 2750lbs of water in it, a Moomba GGs boat, a Supra 22SSV completely full on stock Ballast, and a Malibu 21V-Ride with Wedge down full ballast and about 8 people on board.

I actually prefer to ride my boat right now with a 750 sac in the bow and the tanks about 1/2 full. It makes the wake a little less peaked and maintains the same ramp.

[Christobull]

You mentioned seeing pros flatten out at the wake, but you have to consider different tricks require very different approaches. I think you see it more on TS jumps because at times they get very far over the nose to initiate a certain type of spin or flip. I had one of the guys on here suggest that I flatten off at the wake to get a more vertical pop and keep the jump wake to wake rather than rocketing into the flats because I was riding behind a considerably larger wake than I was used to and had learned on. When you see the guys going what looks like about 15'-20' in the air off of a wake to wake, they are definitely using a similar technique, but you also have to consider they have had far more time on the water than most of us will likely ever get.

kriggs, random question. You didn't happen to be in Kansas City recently did you?

[Chocoholic]

Also if you watch some riders they will only push their weight onto their front leg, the back one stays as a stabiliser. As Chris says there are a few ways to do it, I'm going for the prograssive edge in ad it's getting much better, because quite frankly I have the fear factor and too much speed scares the pants off me.