Technique Question for Wake to Wake

[Nerve05]

Hey there, so I've been wakeboarding three summers now pretty casually. We got a 2008 X-2 this summer, so I've been trying to get better and actually get some stuff down. I was wondering if my technique edgewise into the wake and at the wake were correct.

I've been snowboarding for like 10 years now, and I can do alot of stuff on a snowboard and frankly it kinda pisses me off that I don't get the amplitude I want to get to comfortably throw tricks. Last summer I was goofing around doing tantrums behind a weighted Maristar and figured that behind a ballasted wakeboard boat I'd have the last little bit of amplitude to really start learning, however I'm wondering if I've had it all wrong all along.

Anyways, I'm riding behind a fully factory ballasted 2008 X-2. I ride a Hyperlite Tribute 142, and I'm a pretty big dude obviously: 6'1 246lbs. The boat is driving at perfect passed 19MPH with a Proline Dynemma rope of 70 ft.

So can anyone tell me what is up? The video is from this past weekend, its my first time out behind the new boat, still trying to get used to the wake as it is a lot different than what I'm used to. But is my technique right?


Also I was thinking of buying a used 2008 Ibex 144 for the bigger board and the three stage, any input on that? Or a Liquid Force S4 142?

Here's the vid:

http://img682.imageshack.us/img682/6290/clip.mp4

[Enygma]

1st. Stand tall. You absorbed the wake with your knees a little bit, this is a big no-no. Not a lot, just the slightest little bit.

2nd. Speed the boat up another mph or so, it'll thin the wake out a little bit as well as making it harder. A harder wake should boost you higher into the air.

3rd. No amount of expensive gear, expensive boat, ballast or money will make a newbie better, period. This goes for anything anywhere.

I don't think I would recommend the Ibex for a guy your size. 3 stage rockers are generally slower feeling boards and they drag a lot more due to the kink in the board. I think your whole riding experience would be better on a continuous rocker. Also someone at your level would likely not even notice the difference in rockers when getting air anyways. Also remember the difference between a 142 and 144 is a measly 1 inch on either side, if you're dead set on going up to 3 stage I would consider something longer yet...

Work on technique first. Also, just judging from this video, I'm not seeing the technique there to throw a tantrum. You looked completely uncomfortable the entire time. You almost fell when carving out on the toeside edge, you looked rather sketchy just climbing over the wake. Not saying you can't do them, but from this video I wouldn't think you could...

[Ethan31]

Speed up a little and just ride as much as possible. It will come.
Also lower the handle a bit (waist)

[Medina]

How long are you already boarding?

You could so join a competition haha, Open Granpa's

[pet575]

Medina, cold-blooded!

[pet575]

Enygma has you mostly taken care of here. I see you absorbing the wake with your knees and I also see you letting off of your edge at the very end a bit so that you are just riding up the wake instead of edging through it.

If you are riding fine behind the boat you're used to and having trouble because you're unfamiliar with the wake, I can relate to that. I can w2w all day behind my boat and do whatever I want to try. Prior to this year, whenever I rode with KSwakeboarder, I would get behind his boat and get tentative. I would not edge through the wake hard and would not stand tall at the wake. Fear, I guess.

Remember, it feels way better to land in the flats than to not make it and case the wake. So, if you're going to be scared of something, be scared that you aren't going to edge hard enough and edge extra hard.

[Nerve05]

Here's the new video.

http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/3999/vid00118.mp4

I sped the boat up to 20.0 MPH and shortened the rope to 65 ft, there was some decent wind chop and this after a week of riding so I was pretty burnt out.


Things I noticed wrong are: Not edging all the way through the wake, still absorbing some of the pop with my knees, and not keeping the handle at my hip.

Anyone care to chime in with whats wrong? Do I not build enough edge? Or do I try to build it too fast and not gradually enough? Let me know?

[HHI Dave]

Looks like you're building too much edge too quickly then backing off and flattening out right before you get to the wake. Slow your approach a little bit and let the boat start to pull you back to center then slowly increase your edge.

On a positive note, rocking out to Offspring gives you cool points.

[Nerve05]

Haha, yeah good stuff, I try to keep the music rotating around through my playlists.

Here's another video from earlier in the week, this one was on glass water for the most part, rope is at 70 ft, I felt like this was one of the better wake to wakes of the day.

http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/4325/70ft.mp4


Any suggestion on what length I should go at, I was thinking of trying 65ft out a little longer since that video above in my last post is the only time I tried it for like 5 mins before we left the lake.

Also, how do I go about building edge, I naturally want to dig in and like go. Is there any way to keep myself from doing such a thing?

[Enygma]

As HHI DAVE said you're edging too hard too quickly. That edge is more of a tantrum edge where you would be switching edge before the wake. In both videos you started a hard edge right off the bat then flattened out the board a good 4 feet before you even hit the wake.

Rather then trying to go w2w just do small single wake jumps maybe 3 feet off the wake and see what happens. I'd bet you'll get as much height as your w2w right now but not quite the same distance. Just make sure you're holding your edge through the wake and slamming your feet down hard as well. You may take a couple falls but I found this helped me find the proper edge technique and point to pop as well.

Once you've done a few of these jumps move out just a few feet farther and that should be more then enough to do a simple w2w jump. From what I can see you're edging out WAY more then needed for just a w2w. Seems like doing a proper progressive edge is your main problem here, you build too much too fast. By the time you're half way to the wake you've hit the strongest part of your edge already, that's is where you want to be when you hit the wake.

[Nerve05]

Alright so I tried some 3 fters and stuff, and was really getting a better feel for the proper edge technique, and I compared it to my old footage and think I'm getting better pop, and more power into the wake.

I'm starting to edge all the way through, although sometimes I still revert to my old ways. Here's one of the videos we got this weekend, I stood pretty tall at the wake, and I'm still on edge, just not as much as I have been trying to do, so I guess this is one of the bad ones from the weekend, all things considered though its baby steps, and there was alot of chop, and I landed way hunched forward, why I have no idea, but how does this look guys:

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/492/vid00161.mp4


Also, I almost got a couple Tantrums around this weekend, any opinions on that too? I know I should be working on proper edge technique but it was hard to try not to hotdog with my buddy and my girlfriend in the boat this weekend.

http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/9087/20100717190016.mp4

[tyty401]

As for the tantrum it looks like your squaring up nicely. Try edging out a little farther and coming in more aggressive like you were in your first couple vids. That should help.

[Enygma]

I think there was a pretty signifigant improvment in height off your jumps. ALso with your tantrums, you already know they use a different edging technique. You gotta go out far, then edge hard and fast(but don't lose line tension). It's no progressive edge. You seem set other then that.

[Nerve05]

Thank you for all the help/comments over the last 3 weeks this thread has been up.

I will continue to work on what you guys suggested.