w2w fail - what am i doing wrong?

Hey guys, need some help with my wake to wake. I had this down last summer but it's just not happening for me now. I think I just may not be edging hard enough. Any help is much appreciated.

Couple things, looks like you're coming off your edge and losing tension on the line, and it also looks like you're trying to jump before you reach the top of the wake.

3 Things to Try:

1.) Cut out just a bit further.

2.) Hold the edge all the way through the wake - don't start to lean forward as you get closer, it takes all the line tension out right when you need it the most

3.) Don't let the wake push your knees up. Instead, "Stand Tall" right at the top of the wake. (This timing has been the hardest element for me). For a long time, I would try to jump or ollie, instead of standing tall. Think of it like you are a soldier "at ease" and then the colonel walks in and someone says, "ten hut!" You stand up straight with knees locked and chest up. That's the stand tall motion for good pop. (Just remember to bend on the landing to absorb!)

Post some video!

Agree with all the above. I'd also take your rope in 5 feet. Trust me, it'll help a bunch in learning what it feels like to land on the other side. Once you have that feeling down, you can let it back out.

Best article I read about going to wake to wake was the one in the last wakeboarding magazine. Doing more with less. Can't remember who wrote it, but it made a world of difference for me. I've been boarding for 2 years. 3 weeks after reading that article, I was going wake to wake.

Video really helps too. I finally had some videos taken of me and I could see how much of a panzy I was being at approaching the wake. I would case it every time too, and those crashes hurt like hell. So I grew a pair, stood tall on the wake, and what do you know... landing them with ease now!

Here are things that make it easier, but not necessarily things that develop the 'correct' skill for clearing the wake: shorten rope, speed up, longer faster approach. I generally recommend riding at a rope length you can clear the wake and add length as you get better. Casing the wake constantly is no good, but better to develop the skills. See below.

I know you've probably heard this 100 times, but you need to develop a progressive edge. You cut hard at the beginning of your approach, but slack off the edge when you get close to the wake. Look at the spray coming from your board - lots in the beginning and not much after that. Barely drift in when you first start cutting at the wake and then crank it tight when you get close to the wake. You could actually shorten your approach to help train you to keep your board on edge through the wake. When you get good at this you should be able to clear the wake with only a 10' approach.

Stand tall at the face of the wake. Do not think about jumping, but think about cutting across the wake and push the handle down as you are hitting the wake. Pushing the handle down will help automatically stiffen your mid and lower body to get you more height.

I know the same themes have been posted, but thought it might be helpful to hear it another way.

(Message edited by bmartin on July 08, 2009)

Thanks guys. I'll give it a try tomorrow and post some video.

Bring it in 5 ft.
Agree with prog edge comments above.
Keep both hands on the handle. You're trying to transfer all the line tension down thru the board. But you keep taking your back hand off the handle right at the top of the wake. Keep it low and centered with both hands on it and LAND THAT WAY. Don't push it out, don't throw that stylie wave to the boat or anything else. All the edge in the world won't matter if you can't keep the handle low and use the tension to push you thru the wake and up.
You don't need a bigger cut, you need a bigger edge. Do some edging drills from the Book.

I usually cut in hard and suck my knees up after I'm in the air because I'm dealing with a small wake. It helps me every time. It's also great for learning grabs.

I would also ask my driver to pull in a straight line, half the time hitting the wake the boat is turning in one direction or another.

I agree with DB... your driver is turning as your jumping... no good.

I am going to suggest the opposite of above:

Don't go out as far!

The biggest issue is that you are not edging as you ride up the face of the wake. You start with a strong cut, build up speed but then your board flattens out as you approach the wake. When the board flattens out several things happen:

1) you slow down.
2) Your angle of attach changes. The closer to 90 degrees to the wake you can get the shorter the distance across.
3) Without the edge you are not getting a rope pull up the wake, and therefore you are not getting the pop. Speed is a poor substitute for pop.

My suggestion is to not go out as far. What typically happens when you start too far out is that you build up speed that you are not comfortable with and then scuff it off. Start closer to the wake so that you are still accelerating as you cut into the wake. You don't need the speed, you need the pop.

Rod

"My suggestion is to not go out as far. What typically happens when you start too far out is that you build up speed that you are not comfortable with and then scuff it off. Start closer to the wake so that you are still accelerating as you cut into the wake. You don't need the speed, you need the pop."

Bingo!