help with getting more air

[stupidpimp]

I progressive edge and try to stand tall and all that but i have trouble getting a good pop and my back leg is always lower than the front. It doesn't feel like that but my friends say it's ugly. On average i get like 4 feet or so and thats after cutting a ways out. I can get a lot of distance into the flats but no height. What should i do?

[simland]

same

[Rocket]

I had a similar problem for quite some time. (IMO) You are cutting well and it sounds like you are going far enough out as you must be hitting the wake with some speed to get into the flats. The speed will give you the distance but it is the cut through the wake that gives you the pop. It sounds like you must be coming off the edge as you go up the wake, and hitting the top of the wake with your board flat, this will cause you not to pop as much as you could. Make sure you continue your progressive edge all the way up and through the wake. You should be standing tall at the top of the wake BUT STILL THINKING ABOUT SHOWING THE BASE OF YOUR BOARD TO THE BOAT, this will put you on an edge as you hit the top of the wake and it’s this that will give you the height.
With reference to keeping the board level, just make sure you keep your weight level over the board as you leave the wake. It is probably just that subconsciously you are worried about catching the nose of your board and face planting this is why all your weight is so far back. You just have to force yourself to keep your weight level.

I hope this is of some help.

[UD)Trunks]

I seam to have to same problem, i progressive cut at the hake and i land in the flats but i don't get the hight. I don't got a great wake but i still think i can get higher. I think that i stop cutting befor i hit the wake and flaten out my board so im gonna try what Rocket said. PLuse im gonna put in a fat sack :p. Good luck stupidpimp and simland.

[Haggy102]

yea guyz do what rocket said....keep edging the entire time....you should be edging toward the wake, up the wake, off the wake and when you land you should still even be on a small edge, its thatcombo that will, as his name says, rocket you to a new height

[simland]

Think it is good practice to try edging trough the wake like a slalom edge and not worry about pop jsut so that I can get used to staying on edge through the wake? or will this invite pain?

[Doppelganger]

try pulling the handle in towards your waist when going off the wake

[stupidpimp]

thanks for all the help, im goin out today and im gonna work on it

[Sandell]

You don't need alot of speed to get good air. I think the more speed the harder it is to keep the board on edge. Cut out about 10-15 feet let the boat start pulling you in to the wake the closer to the wake the harder you edge, you should be at your hardest edge at the top of the wake with your line loaded, stand tall at the top of the wake, handle in tight and, look at the shore line. Slow down work on progressive edge through the wake and you will be happy with the air you will be getting.

[boggZ]

I agree with Sandell. Kyle Schmidt has a drill where you ride at 60 - 65 feet, cut out about 6-8 feet from the wake, get into the ready position with your knees bent and let the boat pull you in. As soon as the boat pulls you in and you feel rope tension, get on that edge and continue to build it through the top of the wake. You should be looking at the wake as you approach it and stand tall as you reach the top of it with the handle near your waistline. Your landing is usually a telltale sign of your takeoff. Try this a few times and you won't believe the pop you get when applied correctly! You will be tempted to cut out farther than 6-8 feet because it will seem like you wouldn't be able to make it across the wakes. This exercise helps you realize the power / energy of the wake and is also a good trainer for tricks such as the hs back roll. Kyle has articles in Wakeboarder magazine that will improve your riding big time.
Good luck, have fun and GO BIG!!!

[Hangtime]

Once I stopped speeding through the wake, and slowly progressive edged up the wake (as described above), I finally got some good air. The first time I tried it, I felt like I was kicked straight up off the wake.

Give it a try, you're going to be surprised

[deepcove]

stupidpimp

I used to have the exact same problem, 4 feet of air, tendancy for back leg to be lower in the air, land in the flats no problem etc. As much as I read posts on how to get air I couldn't seem to figure out what I was doing wrong because I was building a progressive edge, edging thru the wake etc........and finally decided to get a lesson from a pro.
I was amazed to find a had a "common" problem and the pro spotted it instantly.

After showing a couple wake jumps to the instructor he cut the power to the boat, came around and told me he wanted to see me bend my front leg more ( this is during a heelside progressive edge) and get more weight over my front leg while approaching and edging through the wake.
WOW! on my next couple attempts I could not believe how it felt so different like I was getting shot upwards off the wake. Basically I was riding back foot heavy and this will rob you of your pop.

I will share another tip he gave me: you hear a lot of people say "throw your hips towards the handle while riding up the wake". What you should actually be doing is pulling away from the boat with your SHOULDERS as opposed to your arms. If you do this while in a "seated" position ( again heelside)you will notice your hips will thrust towards the handle by default, while you are loading the line even harder. This will add to your pop.


Hope this helps, I know it did for me.

[KC Jazz]

<noob question>

what the hell is edge/edging?

</noob question>

[wakeguy2008]

KC Jazz, edging is using the sides of board to create speed.

getting air is all about progressive edging...getting the most speed possible at the crest of the wake.

ctreate some momentum and when u get to the wake stand tall and hold the handle at ur waist.

holding the handle at ur waist (or even lower) is the most important thing u can do when ur in the air.

it may throw u off at first but ur creating alot of hangtime if u hold the handle low.

[J_DOGG]

For the record, if you are not getting air you are not doing the PROGRESSIVE EDGE correctly. You can get mad air of a little lake roller if you load the line right so don't come back and tell me it's your little wake cuz that's bull.

Do this, start out only 5 or 6 feet before you start your cut into the wake this way you will not generate too much speed and flatten out as you will need to stay on edge all the way up just to do a W2W jump. Starting in closer will force you to stay on the progressive edge all the way up the wake.

For people that can't jump TS at all I tell them to take a stab at the wake from 2 feet out and tell me where they land. 99% of the time it's the 3/4 mark so imagine what they can do with a 6 foot approach. What gets people on TS is they generate too much speed and flatten out or try to jump the wake and get all off balance. Do a few small approaches and you will see how high you go with almost no effort at all.

You don't need speed to get air, you need to ride up the entire wake, that simple.

[Great Lakes Rider]

As usually, J DOGG is right on the money. Getting "Air" on a wakeboard is all about loading the line. That's it. To get maximum height, you need maximum line tension. To acheive this, you need to have a progressive edge "ALL" the way through the wake. Starting out too far causes you to flatten out just before the wake because you are carrying too much speed. When you flatten out, you lose all of your line tension and basically cancel out everything you were building up on your approach and therefore get no POP. Take his advise, give it a few tries, and it will definitely teach you how to edge properly.

Later...
Great Lakes Rider (AKA BigTimer)

[Rockstar]

Wow, of all the w2w posts I think that this has been the most helpful. I now completely realize what I"ve been doing wrong. When I reached the top of the wake I'd be loaded but I'd let my board flatten and not stay on the back edge when I stood tall!!!! I think I'll go to the lake now and try that

[WakeBoarder44]

always keep the handle at your hips...

and buy a instructional video (or DVD): detention I&II helped me a lot!

have fun

[boardertj]

ok i let out my edge when i get to the top too but i though that when u edge all the way through u do a raley. thats what i do for my raleys maybe its just a less strong edge?

[pooser]

boardertj, if you dont edge all the way throught the wake on wakejumps i highly doubt you can do raleys. been at castaic lately?