Vital Stats & their effects on performance

[Buergday]

I've been wondering lately about the effects of age, weight, height and body type on wakeboarding performance. I've noticed that as I get older, even though I'm more focused on my riding and in better shape than I was when I was 18, I don't have the guts to try some of the stuff I did back then. I think about the time I turned 23 I became more aware of my mortality. A serious snowboarding injury at 22 didn't help much either.
Also, I 've noticed that many of the top riders are pretty short guys, with a stocky build. I assume that their body type helps, but I'm curious to know what you guys think about these factors, so I've put together a 10 part Q&A/poll.... (try to keep each answer short and to the point though)

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?
2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?
3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?
4. How often do you ride?
5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? (I know this last one sounds lame, but a lot of people claim that drugs or alcohol improve their performance or relax their tensions, while others claim clarity is crucial to keeping focused - just curious)

Remember, short, to-the-point answers are perferred. I know it's a long list of questions, but I think if enough people answer honestly we may be able to get a good idea of how these factors can help or inhibit our performance. Thanks for answering (if you do). If you don't, then F-you fool!

[Buergday]

I'll start:
1. How old are you? 26Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way? Yes, I seem to be lacking the nuts I had from 18-20
2. Height 6'2"/ weight 183/ body type muscular, I guess
3. How long have you been riding? 2 yrs. Do you do any similar sports? snowboarding, Mt. Biking How long & at what level? Mt biking 4 yrs, intermediate - Snowboarding 11 yrs, intermediate/advanced
4. How often do you ride? once or twice a week during spring/summer
5. Do you ride with other people at your same level? Not really, nobody else is very serious
6. What tricks can you pull? w2w 180, w2w 360, various grabs, surface tricks What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season? hopefully a backroll, and I want to grab my 3
7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way? YES, I think I'm too tall and heavy for many inverted tricks
8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu? Not yet
9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? Yes How often? every other day, 1 hour What do you concentrate on? mostly shoulders back, arms, abs - I also do 15 mile trail rides on my mt. bike twice a week to strengthen and loosen my legs
10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? Depends who I'm with. Sometimes I find a beer or two will loosen me up.

[byerly2003]

1. How old are you? 29
Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way? no

2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?
5'11 185 lbs, average

3. How long have you been riding,
2 years

and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?
snowboarding, motorcross, use to skate

4. How often do you ride?
2 or 3 times a week

5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
pretty much

6. What tricks can you pull?
w2w spins, surface tricks, grabs, hs backroll

what tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
raley

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
yes, need to get in better shape, let myself slide this past winter

8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
no

9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
not yet, about to start

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort?
well i start sober the end of the day though is another story

[rjva]

1) 34, yes
2)6'2'', 200lbs, athletic build
3)3 years, Moutain Bike, Snowboard
4)Almost every day
5)Yes
6)Trying to land my first invert...
7)Weight, to damn heavy to spin like those little guys
8)Yes, when I first started to wakeboard
9)During the winter, free weights, every muscle group
10)Better sober, more fun not!

[J-Dub]

Buergday, don't be so hard on yourself. If you think you are too old, too tall and too heavy to do inverted tricks, you should talk to MichaelB on www.wakeboardatlanta.com, he'll prove you wrong.

If you are "lacking the nuts"...perhaps you should seek some professional assistance from either a wakeboard coach or Dr. Dugan.

[Dees]

1)25 yes
2)5'10", 150, atheltic
3)Almost two years, Snowboarding 6 yr inter/adv
4)4-5 days a week when healthy, have ridin for a week and it will probable be another month before i can ride, unless i need surgery on my knee
5)same and more advanced
6)180's 360's close on my ts 5, basic stuff, want to learn tatrum, backroll, raley
7)no, im pretty felxiable and lanky
8)im there right now but when my knee healty it on like donkey kong
9)3-4 times a week. all muscle groups, tatas ecpecially and cardio
10)sober but i may have a beer before I ride

[MinnDizzyG]

I'll bite. Since I'm a verbose, rambling idiot though I'm just using the question numbers...

1. 31
1b. Mildly, in flexibility, susceptibility to injury, muscle strength & recovery time.

2. 5'7", 160ish. Guess I would be called muscular - broad shoulders & lats, heavy quads & calves. I dunno, maybe stocky...?

3. Fourth season, but I'm still a first-year for experience - cabin's 3 hours away, so I could only go 5-6 times a year.)
3b. I don't do anything that would translate well - running, distance/endurance blading, swimming are my sports.

4. Previous years, about twice a month. This year I'm trying to get out once a week, more if I can.

5. Previously, no. I'm better than they; the folks I found on this site to ride with are much better than me, though.

6. Beginning stuff - ollies, surface 180s, wake jumps, w2w jumps, 1 and 2 wake 180s; I can do all of these reg & switch, hs & ts except I haven't done ts w2w's yet.
6b. Basic grabs on the jumps and the air 180s. HS 3's. Again, everything reg & switch. And TS w2w jumps - I need to just shut up and grow a pair on these for Heaven's sake!!

7. Not at all; if anything it's an advantage - strong upper body and low center of gravity. For once a sport where being the shrimp isn't a big deal!

8. Not in wakeboarding - I've learned at a quick pace ever since started, I just don't get enough practice.

9. Running mainly - 15/miles per week off-season, up to 35 when training for a race. Weights for the upper body sometimes - there I concentrate on low weight/high rep sets of very slow movement - I do a slow count to four on the lift and recovery of each rep.

10. Cold sober - it's usually my boat so I have to drive a lot and simply will not drive it under the influence. Not to say I wouldn't have a headache from the night before...or the last faceplant...

Cool thread, man, thanks! I'm interested to see the results!

[heliboy911]

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?
17 1/2; not really

2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?
6'3" 150lbs. thin

3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level? Mt. Biking but how does that have anything to do w/ wakeboarding?

4. How often do you ride?
Once per week or more June-September

5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
No

6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
Simple grabs 180's and such. I would like to be able to flip this summer

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
My height might? I'm not sure this is the only body I've had

8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
A what?

9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
Only to work on my legs and run every now and then

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? (I know this last one sounds lame, but a lot of people claim that drugs or alcohol improve their performance or relax their tensions, while others claim clarity is crucial to keeping focused - just curious)
Nope never touch the stuff

[Se7en]

[Josh R]

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way

16, In respects such as srength, yes, but not really.

2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?

5'4", 130lbs, lean.

3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?
Solidly, one year. Is Trampboarding a sport?

4. How often do you ride?

In summer, once a week.

5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
I'm probably the worst in our little crew, but they did have a head start on me. (Like 6 years)

6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?

I can't do s#!t consistantly... So next season, get consistant and learn how to work style into my riding. Switch too. Also looking to get into wakeskating in a big way.

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?

Height and weight wise, no, but I'm a bit of an un-co so kinda.

8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?

Not really.

9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
No, but I have been known to strap on the wakeboard and bounce on the trampoline.

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort?
Sometimes I ride after 2-3 beers, but after I have more than a few things start to look ugly. Other drugs... Occasionaly.

[WakeJunkie]

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?

43. Not my age, but... (read on)

2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?

Hmm, have to calculate fm European measures: 181lbs / 186cm (about 6ft something or a 142 board and 44 cms / average

3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?

I'm in my 2nd season. I'm skiing, mtn biking, jogging (half-marathons), swimming, some squash and tennis. Used to play soccer for about 30 yrs and icehockey for a while.

4. How often do you ride?
Depends on weather and work, but I try to ride 2 - 3 times per week.

5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
Mixed, depends on who comes onto the boat, beginners to advanced riders.

6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
w2w and basic stuff, currently learning to ride switch. Next I'd like to learn some grabs and maybe a backroll.

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
YES . Due to soccer I had several bad injuries and surgery on my ankle, hip and back . I'm "paying" almost every ride with back problems , but... (see question 9)

8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
No, not really

9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
Yes, 2 - 3 times a week, especially to strengthen back but also arms, shoulders and legs (followed by a professional trainer). I'm also jogging and/or biking about 2 - 3 times per week.

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? (I know this last one sounds lame, but a lot of people claim that drugs or alcohol improve their performance or relax their tensions, while others claim clarity is crucial to keeping focused - just curious)

Always sober, don't want to add unnecessary risk...

[Jay Dutton]

. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?
28, no
2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)? 6'3", 185-190, average

3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?
Three years, I snowboard, skate and surf.

4. How often do you ride?
3-4 days a week
5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
Mainly, there's a few dudes that ride w/us that rip.

6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
All sorts of grabs, ts/hs 180s w/grabs, ts/hs half cabs, occasionl fs 3. Backroll is what I'm working on now.

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
I like to use that fact that I'm tall as a excuse, but that's b.s.

8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
Yeah, when I was riding behind a small outboard. Now that I have a real wake I've been progressing rapidly.

9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
No gym for me.

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? (I know this last one sounds lame, but a lot of people claim that drugs or alcohol improve their performance or relax their tensions, while others claim clarity is crucial to keeping focused - just curious)
I'll occasionaly ride w/a few beers in me (1-3). I don't mine burning every once in a while if I don't have driving/trailering responsibilities, I ride the same regardless.

[Buergday]

Great stuff guys! I don't know about you, but I'm finding this really interesting! Keep 'em coming!

[Partyb]

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?
35, I don't really think so. I think it does affect "fearlessness." I am pretty willing to throw stuff now thought.

2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?
I'm 5'8" 191 lbs. I guess you would call me stocky/muscular.

3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?
I've been riding about 5-6 years, but all of it, until now, in Ny/LI where the conditions usually suck so it is hard to get better. I used to snow ski competitively, did a lot of mt. biking, blading.

4. How often do you ride?
I now ride about 3 times per week. I could ride everyday if I had people to go with.

5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
yes, I ride with several people of similar level. However, I just moved to FL 7 months ago. Before that I was better then the rest (b/c it was my boat, therefore I went the most)

6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
My best tricks are backroll and just started landing method 3. I can do lots of different grab 180's. Working on ts backroll, almost got it, then would like to do tantrum, and then ts 5, half cab roll.

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
I am not out of shape, but I think lighter would be better. If I lost 10 lbs I think it would help. I am relatively short for a guy though.

8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
I was. You get a plateau in boarding, IMO, when you stop trying stuff b/c you are scared. Since I moved to FL I have been more apt to try stuff, b/c the overall riding is better, and therefore, I am getting better. You obviously have a better chance of landing a trick the more you try it. If you never try anything, you will always stay the same.

9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on? I go to the gym on a regular basis, 3 days on, 1 off. I concentrate on legs so my knees are strong. I'll mt. bike or blade if it is not too hot.

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? Never ride with a buzz, but I love to burn afterwards or back at the dock.

[wakekrypt]

1. 17, no
2. 6', 183lbs, ripped
3. about a year , football and powerlifting, 5 years plus
4. 1 or twice a week during the summer, every 2 weeks during Dec to April
5. pretty much they are a little better than me
6. w2w almost, , grabs ,basics
7. no
8. not yet
9. yes 2 hours daily 4 days a week :upper, lower, upper , lower routine
10. depends

[NAW]

1. 24, yes
2. 6'2", 190lbs, average
3. 3 or 4 'seasons', ski sometimes (I suck), wakeskate, wakesurf
4. 3 or 4 evenings during the week, Sat and Sun all day.
5. I try and ride with as many people, of all abilites, as often as I can.
6. Grabs, 180's, 3's. Switch TS tricks, shuvit, backroll if I try.
7. Sometimes it feels like a grab is a mile away with long legs.
8. I'm there now.
9. No Gym. some stretching, some pillates, lots of walking, some running
10. If I'm buzzed and the water is decent, I'm ridin'.

[anti-shoobies]

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?
16, nope but being stonger would help.
2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?
5'8", 140, average
3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?
1 yr. Skate a few years off and on, Snow 1 year
4. How often do you ride?
When it's good we roll.
5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
Yes
6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
Grabs, 180's, and 180 grabs. Bigger is better. Consistent 3's, grab 3's crazy backside 180 grabs, maybe a 5.
7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
Maybe a little strength
8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
Nah
9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
Video game training
10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? (I know this last one sounds lame, but a lot of people claim that drugs or alcohol improve their performance or relax their tensions, while others claim clarity is crucial to keeping focused - just curious)
Sober is better

[jvanick]

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?
- 27... yes, because it's easier to take the falls when you're younger

2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?
- 5'11", 185 pounds, muscular

3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?

- 2 years, a bit of mtn biking, since wakeboarding I now snowboard too.

4. How often do you ride?
- daily

5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
- better than me
6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
- HS w2w, 1-wake 180s
hope to learn backrolls and ts w2w (ts very soon)
-- raleys would be nice too.

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
- stronger would be good
8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
yes, right now... need to work out more
9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
yes. 3 times a week, mostly cardio (Spinning)

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? (I know this last one sounds lame, but a lot of people claim that drugs or alcohol improve their performance or relax their tensions, while others claim clarity is crucial to keeping focused - just curious)
drinking makes me ride much worse.
I prefer to ride completly sober.

--J

[Todd Armstrong]

1. How old are you? Do you think your age limits your abilities in any way?
24, I know my knees and back are not what they used to be.

2. Height / weight / body type (i.e. stocky, thin, average, muscular)?
6'2" / 195/ Average(stocky)

3. How long have you been riding, and do you do any similar sports (i.e. snowboarding, skating, surfing, Mt. Biking)? How long & at what level?
This would be my 5th summer, I used to ride BMX I snowboard and skateboard a little.

4. How often do you ride?
In the summer once a week

5. Do you ride with other people at your same level?
Yes we are all lower intermediates

6. What tricks can you pull? What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season?
I manly wakeskate now, so smoe small rails, slides, shuvits, I was hoping to get really consistant wiht my shuvits and a FS boardslide to BS 180 out.

7. Do you think that your body type limits you in any way?
I used to be 240 lbs so not now.

8. Have you ever found yourself at a performance plataeu?
Yes, I cant land an invert or a 3

9. Do you hit-up the gym for cross-training? How often? What do you concentrate on?
No, I keep ion shape some but not enough

10. Do you ride completely sober, or do you ride with a buzz of some sort? (I know this last one sounds lame, but a lot of people claim that drugs or alcohol improve their performance or relax their tensions, while others claim clarity is crucial to keeping focused - just curious
Never have, never would

[BR_WB]

1. 19/nope
2. 6' 1" / 185/ muscular
3. 5 yearsand do you do/ I used to skate a
4. 2-3 times a week
5. Yea yea
6. All basic inverts, off 3's and 5's, I've been working on some handle pass inverts and I'm trying to get my whirly dialed
7. Being smaller would help but my size doesn't restrict my riding by any means.
8. Yea, right now I'm not satisfied at my progress.
9. I usually go to the gym 3-5 days a week depending on how much time I have and I only work a body part once per week.
10. Usually sober but alcohol isn't bad.
Later,
Brad

[Mel]

1. 24, No
2. 5'4 (and a half! ), 115 lbs, muscular
3. 3 summers, Gymnastics 16 yrs competed nationally, slalom and barefoot a few years just for fun.
4. In the summer 3-4 afternoons during the week, weekend.
5. I ride with people better, usually.
6. wake to wake ts and hs, grabs, 180's both sides, wrapped 3. Just have fun and be consistent.
7. No
8. Always
9. Run daily for an hour, pillates 4 times a week
10. For me, drinking and riding don't mix

[Mister C]

1. 15, no
2. 5'10/140lbs/average, but on my way to muscular
3. 1 year, no similar sports.
4. 2x a month in the summer if im lucky
5. I ride with 3 other people, 2 better, 1 about the same
6. surface 180, one-wake 180. Hope to go w2w, w2w 180, ollie 180, and possibly a half-cab.
7. No
8. Rarely, only once.
9. Hit the gym for weights 4-5x a week. Run or jog every other day. Concentrate on power lifting.
10. Since im 15, Im always sober when i ride.

[Craiggy]

1. 16, nope
2. 5-10 / 140 / average
3. 4 years, snowboarding- very beginner 2 years
4. 2/3 for 2 months
5. about the same level or lower except one friend who is a lot better then me
6. 180s, nose grab, butterslide What tricks are you (realistically)hoping to learn this season- method......?
7. i don't have great endurance for a long set
8. no
9. do all round weight training at school, not consistantly
10. completely sober