riding blind

[jakenj]

i wanna learn how to land blind 180's and such, but i know that i need to learn how to ride blind first, i can do the hand cuff thing but every time i let go with my front hand i fall down, any tips?

[Mike McLin]

It's all about body positioning. You should be looking away from the boat. So, if you are riding right behind the boat, then you should be looking perfectly backwards. If you are out in the flats, you should be looking backwards and out towards the flats.

Think of it this way. When riding blind, your arm that is hanging onto the handle is like an extension of the rope. Imagine the rope attached to the boat, and in a straight line the rope goes through the handle, through your arm, and you head and shoulders keep that angle. It's all in one straight line.

Riding blind is about balance. It is ideal to be on your toes, but not necessary. Just like anything else that deals with balance, the best way to conquer it is through practice. You can't just learn balance in one set. This is a fun trick though, so practicing it a little bit each set shouldn't be that bad.

[Stewie]

Duh, you just poke out your eyes and wakeboard!

But really, Mike McLin is right. Landing Blind is a very valuable skill to have. Tantrum 2 blinds, HS Backroll to blinds, TS 7's, Crow Mobes, and Petes you can land blind on. Learn landing blind switch would also be a good thing to learn.

When you do them, you want to land riding wrapped for a long time. When I learned them, i kept on sliding back around, and so I tried to start looking back at the boat, and that helped a lot. Just do a bunch of ollie blind 180s and switch ollie blind 180s and ride wrapped for as long as you can, then take it inside out, then w2w.

[jakenj]

ok thanks