New Boat = New Tricks

Gir · Newbie Joined: 12 Jul 2009 Posts: 7

If you don't have a good wakeboard boat and you're thinking about changing it, then here is something that might make the decision easier. I used to ride behind an I/O boat with a tower, no fat sacks. Despite lots of efforts, I could only do grabs and 180s. Then we got a Super Air Nautique 210, and the difference is truly amazing. We jump sooo much higher. On the first day, I got tantrums on the third try, and front flips on the first try. I had never came close to landing a flip before. Anyway, I'm just writing this because I wish someone told me this, I would have changed the boat much earlier. Peace !

STANG KILLA SS · Posted: Aug 10, 2009 10:23 am Post subject:

yeah i had a freind ask me to pull him in his I/O last night at the lake. it had a 350 in it, but what a dog. wake seemed decent. but holding a set speed was near impossible. so was maintaning the wake shape. made me feel blessed.
i aint got nothing near as nice as a SAN but made me really appreciate the factor the boat makes.

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Big wakes scare me now. I had to turn it down to 10' cuts before I could w2w without throwing myself for a ride. I want one so bad.

kriggs · Posted: Aug 10, 2009 12:16 pm Post subject:

I was riding behind a ski nautique and rode behind an x-2 for a week.
Took all of my tricks so much bigger and learned scarecrows + ts frontrolls

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

But, I think you'd have to appreciate the solid techniques you learn behind a small wake.

holdsworth · Posted: Aug 10, 2009 1:17 pm Post subject:

It's not the boat...it's YOU
http://forums.wakeboarder.com/viewtopic.php?t=74343&highlight=scott+byerly+video

kent2010 · Soul Rider Joined: 14 Jun 2008 Posts: 281 City: Needles

i was just about to mention that vid.lol

OuachitaWaker · Addict Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 577 City: Hot Springs

ive seen that before but it was a while ago.

Love that vid!

thanks for the link i get to resave

Baker0788 · Criminal Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 60

Damn it, it is me. I do suck.

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

Baker0788, we all pretty much do. Holdsworth is pretty hardcore, but most of us are behind the same boat, so to speak.

holdsworth · Posted: Aug 11, 2009 4:19 am Post subject:

All I'm saying is it really isn't the big, fancy boat that makes you better. That video with Byerly was behind an outboard barefoot boat, which I am going to guess is a Flightcraft (could be wrong) and he's doing heel mobes, switch heel mobes, roll to reverts all four ways and a lot more. That was is probably about 8 inches tall at the most...no need for a huge wake.

toothpick · Posted: Aug 11, 2009 6:58 am Post subject:

Prizzy · Soul Rider Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 360 City: Milwaukee

toothpick, Tpony is even though byerly is and was one of the greatest wakeboarders of all time, a tiny wake didnt stop him from being amazingly good and it shouldnt stop us either as long as we have fun and go out to ride and before every set rememeber that your doing this because you love too and that it doesnt matter as long as your having fun.

ryan351w · Addict Joined: 26 Jan 2009 Posts: 532

No I agree with holdsworth, he was simply saying that the equipment makes your tricks "bigger". Its all about technique. I've been riding for a long time behind the same type of boats. I now have an 86 Supra Comp. no tower no wedge. etc. I started to really study up on how to ride. Progress the wake. Ask alot of questions watch the pros on slo mo for hrs. Looking at handle position how they approach the wake what they do in the air etc etc. In 6 weeks I went from only being able to cut heel side and just barley clear the wake. My surface work went from eh to not bad, being able to ride switch, W2W toe side, heelside tantrum, 3's. All i did was lean proper technique.
I'm just saying. I am nowhere near good, but proper technique is everything.
Ryan

Christobull · Addict Joined: 29 Jun 2009 Posts: 898 City: Tulsa

That Byerly video is discouraging, and encouraging all at the same time. Do you need a big wake, obviously not. Does it make it easier, yes. I couldn't imagine how many hours he put in behind a boat like that to be able to do what he did. Most of us don't have the option of doing that, so to stay on topic, yes, you will progress faster behind a big wake assuming that your fundamentals are correct to begin with. It's not going to turn you into a pro, but learning new tricks will come much easier, IMO.

b33nine · Soul Rider Joined: 04 Sep 2008 Posts: 311 City: Salem-ish

I've got to agree with Toothpick here, a boat can make a HUGE difference for us mere mortals. It's just not near as fun or as easy on a smaller wake. That's not to say that you can't have fun on a smaller wake, but you definitely would not have seen this sport progress as far as it has without the big wakes we have today.

I've done a couple tantrums behind waverunners/old fishing boats, but man it was next to impossible. If I had tried any other kind of trick I'd have eaten it hard. I think what's more impressive about the Byerly video is that he's doing it with sandal bindings and one of the old directional boards that were basically a plank of plywood and what was probably a stretchy rope. If you watch that video, the wake isn't *that* tiny and it has some decent shape to it.

Wakes can make a huge difference and to try and make light of it is naive, but it is definitely not a fruitless endeavor to ride without a huge wake.