I need some advice on teaching others to get up.

Wicked Bite · Outlaw Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Posts: 115 City: Germantown

I am taking some friends that are new to wakeboarding to the lake Friday, and i was wondering if i could get some advice to give to others about getting up. I know there were good posts about this but i can't find them. So some new advice or a link to the old advice would be helpful.

Thanks.

_Vishnook_ · Outlaw Joined: 20 Feb 2004 Posts: 182 City: Wauwatosa

If you can, check out HE. Otherwise you should remember to let the boat do the work. A tower should make it eaiser.

christy · Posted: Jun 09, 2004 5:54 pm Post subject:

1. Curl up in a ball, elbows outside the knees, holding rope handle horizontally, not vertically like some skiers do, board lateral to the boat.
2. Roll shoulders forward, pushing knees against chest.
3. Stay in a ball as boat takes off.
4. DON'T pull against the force of the boat pulling you forward.
5. Stay locked in a ball, like a statue, and let the boat pull you out of the water.
6. Keep weight centered over the board as you plane out of the water by keeping the rope close to your body. Letting the rope out by extending your arms will pull your body weight forward causing FACE plant! Same thing goes for pulling back on the rope - a$$ plant!
7. Turn the board towards the boat as it comes up out of the water and stand up gradually as comfort level permits - if weight is centered over the board, you can stay squatted down as long as you want to.
8. The boat driver can help a lot by starting off slow so that the rider gets the feel of the board as it planes out of the water. Try that a couple of times, then go faster to get all the way up.
9. The biggest thing is letting the boat pull them up on top of the water.
10. Once they get up, tell them to watch the boat for best balance results. Your body tends to follow your eyes - looking down is risking a face plant.
11. Letting go of the handle with the back hand, once up, helps with the urge of that back foot wanting to come around towards the boat. By letting go with the back hand, the shoulders aren't squared up with the boat, making it feel more natural until they get used to riding and can start surfing the wake.
12. Finally, try really hard to RELAX and have FUN! Tense muscles make for very sore muscles the next couple of days.

Hope that helps. I've taught a lot of people how to ride and have seen the things they do wrong and learned what to tell them to fix it. Guys usually struggle the most because they want to muscle their way up instead of letting the boat do all of the work. Good luck!

srh00z · Outlaw Joined: 09 Nov 2003 Posts: 128 City: Birmingham

Christy's advice was great, she is right about guys trying to muscle up, we do an illustration on the dock beforehand that seems to help, we give them the handle, have them lay back or sit down on the baml, tell them to hold on while someone smoothly pulls them up, then we tell them to try and muscle their way up, of course it is struggle and it shows them to let the boat pull them up. Sometimes a little out of the water coaching helps them to put it all together in the water

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

I tell people to think about being helped up from sitting on the ground.

You anchor your heels leg press up against the pull.

Bambamski · Posted: Jun 10, 2004 10:01 am Post subject:

also when they're in the water, have them face the back of the boat and have their board resting against the platform. Get them in position (tucked) and pull them up using the rope. That's exactly the motion they'll use. Don't push with your legs.

I agree with the guy thing as well. Women always get up and learn faster than guys.

chuck · Outlaw Joined: 22 Apr 2003 Posts: 170 City: Arlington Wa

Maybe you need a "fluffer"... Very Happy

Gbgonzal138 · Addict Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 887