Help, I can't get any air!!

mempho · Newbie Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 2

Very new to wakeboarding so please excuse my ignorace. Smile

I board behind a regualr ski boat Four Winns 200. Not alot of wake but it has some. When boarding I try to get everyone in the back of the boat.
Will this help or do I really need a tower?

I try to hit the wake with my board on one edge. I've been told this is what I should do. But I can't even jump both wakes. It's driving me nuts.
I did do a switch this weekend. I was proud of that but once I was turned around I realized I didn't quite know how to steer anymore. Laughing

Any tips you could give would be great!!

wesgardner · Posted: May 24, 2004 4:30 am Post subject:

Hey mempho,

You have a few things confused - towers/pylons help with "hang time" in the air (once you get there!) You'll need to get your technique down (progressive edge, etc.) and then you'll be able to start with the "big air".

Placing people in the stern of the boat will help make the wake larger to some degree. However, you need to EVENLY ballast the boat to make it ride lower in the water so she'll displace more water, thus kicking a bigger wake.

Check out the video clips here on the forum, get Higher Education.

Practice your timing and cutting into the wake, it's ALL there but it's subtle to watch - you'll know when you get it - it just feels right. It'd be good to have someone video you and then you can see what you're doing as far as body position..,better yet, take a lesson, ride with folks who are better than you, they'll square you away!

Search around for other discussions on getting air, you'll be impressed with the degree of knowledge....

Good luck, have fun

Wes

ryin · Criminal Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 66 City: Granby, MA

a tower/ pylon only gives you more freedom for hieght without any downward pull, image jumping holding onto a rope tied to the ground, your not gonna go very high because the rope is keeping you down, but if you put the rope above you, you can jump as high as you can without an pull down. you do want to ride up the wake on edge, but make it a progessive edge, and dont absorb the wake with your knees, stand tall at the wake.

rybassett17 · Addict Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 562 City: Cadillac

Just try and stand tall at the wake and take a progressive edge toward the wake and by that I mean start out at a easy cut and on your way in build up to the cut

mempho · Newbie Joined: 23 May 2004 Posts: 2

thanks for the help everyone!!
so i should be able to get some air if i can just figure out how to hit the wake

couple more questions

how fast should i be pulled and is a longer rope better for a beginner
i have been using a multi length rope at 50'

thanks again for all your help

i can't wait until this weekend to get out there and try again

i bought shaun murrays detention 1 and it had some good tips

wesgardner · Posted: May 25, 2004 4:23 am Post subject:

Hey mempho,

Boat speed is somewhat dependant on when the wake "cleans up" and that's dependant on amount of ballast - nice clean answer, huh....when first learning surface stuff, go slow 15-18, then speed it up to 20-23, that's about it. Wakeboarding is NOT done at high speed.

Th shorter the rope, the easier it'll be to jump wake to wake because the "V" of the wake is smaller closer to the boat. My boat's wake for instance is only "clean" at a certain spot and then gets washy (as do most) so you gotta kinda play around with it and find a good clean spot .

As far as jumping, remember, it's not about speed, you DO NOT have to cut way out to the side and then come blasting in towards the wake. Only cut out about 10 or 15 feet and then hook that beautiful progressive edge that you've practiced till your arms are dead and you should catch some air....

Oh yeah, riding switch feels very strange at first, just keep at it, it's all good.

Remember - progressive edge, stand tall - it's timing...

Have a great time this weekend

Wes

crazyjd525 · Newbie Joined: 25 May 2004 Posts: 36 City: belton

It is amazing what loading the line and using the boat to pull you to the wake does for ya! I have alot of friends who try to ollie when the hit the wake. Does that really help them much or does it give them less air?

crazyjd525 · Newbie Joined: 25 May 2004 Posts: 36 City: belton

It is amazing what loading the line and using the boat to pull you to the wake does for ya! I have alot of friends who try to ollie when the hit the wake. Does that really help them much or does it give them less air?

numbfoot · Posted: May 27, 2004 6:33 pm Post subject:

crazyjd525, tell ur friends they shouldn't ollie. It's not right, it looks bad, and it just doesn't work as good.

danni · Newbie Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 4

hey guys, im super new at this whole thing and just found out about the site today... i read what you guys are talking about but its hard to understand cause i dont really know what you mean by the progressive edge.

and ridding switch its all really new what exactly are you talking about??... any suggestions would be of great help :> thanks

twitch88 · Posted: Jun 11, 2004 2:49 pm Post subject:

danni, a progressive edge is when you start to come back to the wake you slowly start edging more. the more you edge the faster you will move in towards the wake. when you take a progressive edge you want to start out slow by first letting the boat kind of naturally start to pull you back to the center then when you feel like you are moving back in you put the board on edge but slowly at first, as you keep approaching the wake you slowly keep edging harder and when you get to the wake you should be at the "peak" of your edging then you simply stand tall and with any luck you will pop off the wake.

colefooter · Posted: Jun 11, 2004 4:46 pm Post subject:

You need to start with a progressive edge, like superx45 explained. At your skill level it doesnt sound like you need a tower, it might help you stay in the air a little longer, but that is only mainly when you can clear the wake etc. Just keep jumping using the progressive edge, and you will get better and better at the timing, and soon you will clear the wake like nothing. Good luck.

danni · Newbie Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 4

thanks guys,
colefooter, the boat I ride on already has a tower, does that really make that much of a difference?

When im landing, im having difficulty keeping the front of my board out of the water and im continually doing face plants! am i doing something wrong or does it just come with practice?

colefooter · Posted: Jun 12, 2004 9:23 am Post subject:

The tower will make a difference once you start getting very high air, i think you may be trying to jump off of the wake if your boards nose is going in the water. You will get better with practice, but its more of a pop off of the wake, don't literally jump.

danni · Newbie Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 4

so how am i supposed to pop instead of jump, what exactly is the difference and how do i change it?

Norcalboarddude · Outlaw Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 193 City: Modesto,Ca

colefooter · Posted: Jun 13, 2004 6:53 am Post subject:

Norcalboarddude, basically summed it up. You do a more ramp off of the wake, don't actually ollie.

numbfoot · Posted: Jun 15, 2004 8:32 pm Post subject: