King of wake

[racerdave]

So I am watching the king of Wake competition and It has me realizing two things. One these guys are amazing at riding a wakeboard, two I suck something horrible!! I have to be doing something wrong. It looks so effortless when they ride. I ride good but how easy they make it look is ridiculous. It looks like they are so lite in the water. anyone know a good place to read up on getting better. It looks like they are using a lot more rope than I do I am 60' at about 20mph. I have never had anyone show me anything on riding I just watched youtube videos and trial and error. They are beast!

[skippabcool]

My brother and I agree with you. We watch all these videos and it seems like they are not even trying. I am guessing it is the technique. I have been trying to get some video of me riding so I can compare.

[laserfish]

Practice,practice, practice.

[Kight & Christine]

Practice,practice, practice.

And go 21.5 rope at 65 and taps at 8

[Nobody]

Try 25 mph, if that doesn't work bump it up to 28 mph, that otta do the trick.

[robert theisen]

Technique,body position and handle position.

[Joeprunc]

Technique,body position and handle position.

Well put.

Also confidence in hitting the wake is huge. Can you clear your wake both toe and heal side at 60' and 20 mph? Do you feel comfortable edging all the way into the wake? If you do, bump your speed up to 21 mph, and lengthen the rope to 65' or 70'. You goal should be to try to work up to 22-23 mph with 80' of rope.

[laserfish]

Well put.

Also confidence in hitting the wake is huge. Can you clear your wake both toe and heal side at 60' and 20 mph? Do you feel comfortable edging all the way into the wake? If you do, bump your speed up to 21 mph, and lengthen the rope to 65' or 70'. You goal should be to try to work up to 22-23 mph with 80' of rope.

That is how my son, who can do multiple invert tricks did it. Trouble is, instead of riding year round, he would only get weekends for about 3 months. Plus, these guys are gymnasts on a board. They are not 6 foot 2 and 220 lbs. Not everyone is cut out to be a gymnast, but you can have fun and get better. The KOW guys are like the motorcycle x games guys, they make it look sooooo easy and they just keep getting bigger and bigger as the boats and wakes get better and better.

[IDBoating]

I know exactly how you feel. So help me, I've never been able to jump wake to wake on a wakeboard. I've been behind all sorts of boats, on all sorts of boards, and while I'm no professional athlete I'm no couch potato either. I've tried every technique I can think of, varied speed and wake height and rope length and everything else, but the farthest I can get is just inside the opposite wake. I sweep in fast, I squat down and spring up right at the top of the wake, I try doing an ollie at the lip... nothing works.

So I comfort myself with surface tricks. I can 360 in either direction, for example.

These days we mostly surf anyway, so it's not as big a deal. But I agree, it's really frustrating. Just once I'd like to jump wake to wake, to prove I can.

[Duncan]

Also confidence in hitting the wake is huge.

Agreed.

For many seasons, I could not get wake to wake. Then I was riding on a friend's Bu last season and one ballast pump was bad. So we rode with no weight.

I jumped farther that day on a small wake than I ever did on a monster wake. I finally started holding my edge through the wake instead of flattening out.

I still cannot quite get wake to wake toe side but I am hoping for this season.

So believe it or not, I suggest running with no ballast and just the TAPS plate to build up confidence in edging right through the wake without going flat.

[Bruizza]

I know exactly how you feel. So help me, I've never been able to jump wake to wake on a wakeboard. I've been behind all sorts of boats, on all sorts of boards, and while I'm no professional athlete I'm no couch potato either. I've tried every technique I can think of, varied speed and wake height and rope length and everything else, but the farthest I can get is just inside the opposite wake. I sweep in fast, I squat down and spring up right at the top of the wake, I try doing an ollie at the lip... nothing works.

So I comfort myself with surface tricks. I can 360 in either direction, for example.

These days we mostly surf anyway, so it's not as big a deal. But I agree, it's really frustrating. Just once I'd like to jump wake to wake, to prove I can.

You don't need to Ollie at the lip. Try this next time you wakeboard. Cut towards the wake hard and just keep,repeating in your head "stay on edge, stay on edge". You will easily clear the wake. You might only get 6-8 inches of air but you will clear the wake. Then you can work on your pop. Hard cut and staying on edge will get you across the wake.

[Bruizza]

To the OP increase your speed to at least 21mph and rope length to 65'.

[WakerideN]

I know exactly how you feel. So help me, I've never been able to jump wake to wake on a wakeboard. I've been behind all sorts of boats, on all sorts of boards, and while I'm no professional athlete I'm no couch potato either. I've tried every technique I can think of, varied speed and wake height and rope length and everything else, but the farthest I can get is just inside the opposite wake. I sweep in fast, I squat down and spring up right at the top of the wake, I try doing an ollie at the lip... nothing works.

So I comfort myself with surface tricks. I can 360 in either direction, for example.

These days we mostly surf anyway, so it's not as big a deal. But I agree, it's really frustrating. Just once I'd like to jump wake to wake, to prove I can.

hmm... sounds to me like your not loading the line. to get good pop off the wake you dont even have to have a really big progressive edge. I usually ride 70-75 and vary depending on water conditions. 23 - 23.5 mph 100% in front 75 in back ballast and taps usually at 4-5, dont like 8 seems a bit rampy to me... but does for sure give you more hieght. if that line is loaded it will basically just pop you off the top pretty good.. and you will know when it does.. between standing tall at the top.. you wont even need to ollie. only question that comes to mind is if your regular or goofy? I know comming in toe side it took me a bit more time to figure out wake to wake.. but heel side.. just seemed to click. oh on the pro side. .they are insane.. riding with like 5 to 7k worth of ballast.

[IDBoating]

only question that comes to mind is if your regular or goofy? I know comming in toe side it took me a bit more time to figure out wake to wake.. but heel side.. just seemed to click.

Speaking for me, I ride either way and switch all the time to even up the loading on my leg muscles. I can cross the wakes heel or toe, either direction, and even do 180's while crossing. When trying to jump, though, I go heel side.

Also, even though I've tried various ballast setups, most of the time I have been trying to jump W2W with no ballast at all. The wake seems plenty large enough to me as a beginner.

[Kight & Christine]

I know exactly how you feel. So help me, I've never been able to jump wake to wake on a wakeboard. I've been behind all sorts of boats, on all sorts of boards, and while I'm no professional athlete I'm no couch potato either. I've tried every technique I can think of, varied speed and wake height and rope length and everything else, but the farthest I can get is just inside the opposite wake. I sweep in fast, I squat down and spring up right at the top of the wake, I try doing an ollie at the lip... nothing works.

So I comfort myself with surface tricks. I can 360 in either direction, for example.

These days we mostly surf anyway, so it's not as big a deal. But I agree, it's really frustrating. Just once I'd like to jump wake to wake, to prove I can.

I think really the only way to get pretty good quickly is to have someone on the boat that can jump wake to wake to tell you what you’re doing wrong. Normally it’s not just one thing – it can be the speed of the boat, length of the rope, TAPS, your edge, your pop and/or if you’re leaning forward or backwards after you hit the wake. I think you need someone to show you what you’re doing wrong. that’s how I learned