My 7 Year old son learning to jump wake to wake.

[RZR]

I am posting two video links (or embedded videos if I can figure that out) of my 7 year old in his first week of learning to jump heel-side wake to wake. He started working on toe side today so hopefully by the end of next week he will have those down fairly well. There aren't many wakeboarders around us so I am putting my brag videos up here. I know that is okay with all of you : )

2012 Tige RZR, no ballast, TAPS at 4, Speed between 18.4 and 18.8.

Also, if my attempts to "embed" the videos don't work, would someone do it for me again please?

Thanks for watching the videos. I hope everyone not in WI is getting something that resembles summer. It was 58 degrees this morning when I was getting the boat ready.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZP6ngMDB4

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IKZP6ngMDB4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMQNbw8_Uj4

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/EMQNbw8_Uj4?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[cclarke89]

Thats bad A**. Have him pull the handle to his waist once he leaves the wake/jump and it pop him up higher and keep him leveled. Once i have a kid i hope he or she likes it as much as your son does. Nice work!!

[Cek1]

Awesome

[Duncan]

[Gaylord]

Where in WI are you at? We're down in the southeast...Lake Geneva area...and we see our share of Tige's, but unfortunately not nearly enough.

My son turns 5 in a few days, and he's been on the surfboard with me, but pretty much sticks to the tubing action. When did your son first strap on the wakeboard? Did he use a ski-trainer at all? What size board is he riding? Sorry about all the questions...but thanks in advance!

[RZR]

I started teaching Liam how to wakeboard last summer. He had just turned 6 at the time. I previously posted a video of him at the end of year 1 and also listed some tips that I picked up for getting your son started. I also started wakeboarding last year so I was doing a lot of reading and researching how to teach a child to wakeboard since I was learning at the same time.

Here is a link to the video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va5X1zlRgaE

I know the video is also somewhere in this forum but I don't know where. Someone was nice enough to embed it for me as I obviously can't figure that out. Tige also has it in their blog on the main web site from November of last year.

The "advice" I gave is:
Published on Nov 12, 2013
In the first year of wakeboarding I learned a few things to help my 6 year old learn to wakeboard. Hopefully my lessons learned will save you time getting your kids started. Start them in the grass and practice pulling them up so they learn how to roll up and get aligned. Put them on a shorter rope with some flex (I finally bought a rope that broke down to 35'). Get them a good board not a cheap one. Start slow behind the boat (I took it down to 6.4mph) to reduce the intimidation of being in the water, in gear, with a loud engine at takeoff. After some gradual speed increases, entry into a tournament, attending a king of wake stop, meeting Shaun Murray and getting some tips, and having friends in the boat he ended his summer at 19.4 mph and you can see his progress. While the summer gave him 4 months to learn, I spent a month learning how to help him get on his board behind the boat through a lot of trial and error. Also, put a helmet on your kids please. They are little and flexible. Their board can hit their heads when they fall. Liam has two dents in his helmet and no injuries.

I would also add that a person in the water on a tube could be helpful as well. Could help reduce the fear. Patience is the key. Go into it knowing you are going to be frustrated. When you get him behind the boat, realize that it will take very little speed to get him on the board. Gentle throttle and slow speed. Avoid loud engine noise and let him "stand" when he wants to. It took me a month to get Liam rolled up on his board and going down the river at 6.4 mph. We also raced around the yard in our wakeboards and do land drills on ollies and 180's. As you can see, he has come a long way.

I would also deflate the tube and put it away for a couple years. One thing I read said that if you want your kids to wakeboard, don't let them tube. Tubing is instant fun with no work. Wakeboarding is challenging. I used the tube as a "reward" for a couple weeks last summer until I read that. The tube is still deflated in a bin somewhere.

Liam is on a 2013 Ronix Vision board (120) and bindings. HO neoprene life jacket (30-50lbs) with the crotch strap cut out (because he might want kids some day) as that is the life jacket that fit him the most comfortably. His helmet I think is Liquid Force and his rope is being replaced. I had him on a coated Ronix line of some sort but it was junk (really expensive junk). I just ordered him a kids Ronix handle and rope. The handle is .94" diameter so will hopefully help him with his grip as he begins bigger tricks and grabs.

BTW, don't be sorry about all the questions because now you have this really long winded answer to deal with : )

Good luck. Once he gets going I guarantee it is going to be a lot of fun to watch the progress.