Needing some advice

So I've been wakeboarding a few years now and I feel like I'm stuck in a rut with my riding. W2W 180's no prob, landed a few 360's a couple of years back but haven't tried them since because I took a hard fall on one. I know the old phrase, if your not falling you're not learning. I guess I'm just looking on some pointers in regards to progressing my riding. I was wanting to try some inverts this year but I haven't even attempted any. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

get THE BOOK

for me it was/is just a matter of either A. imprving your "in the bag tricks" i.e. really get good at grabboing 180s, boning out grabs, etc.

B. just pick a new trick, that you think is in your realm, sounds like you could start tryin some tantrums, study videos, or forums, and just go for it man, a lot of times youll find that once you start trying a new trick, you wonder why you waited so long to go for it.


Attitude too, dont be like "ahh ill never get this im not even close" mind over matter, visualize. execute.


hahah hope this helps a bit

Ya I have a tantrum and backroll in my bag of tricks but I am still workin on my 180s.

Thanks for the help guys. I do have the Book but the problem stems from when I watch it to when I ride I always forget what the hints are. I know I could take notes and all of that fun stuff, I just don't want to go through the hassle. It just sounds like I need to bag up and go for a backroll or a tantrum. Derrick, how can you have inverts in your back but not 180's? Thats crazy sick!

yeah i just started tryin bajckrolls today, havent landed one yet, but as i said before once i tried one i was like "wow why did i wait so long"


haha still have a sore left side from smackin the water though haha

Haha well you see girls dig flips.... No really last year I started clearing the wake and developed a nice progressive edge. I figured hey why not try a backroll. I tried, I tried, and I tried. Finally by the end of the summer I landed one. I was actually using a friends board and boat so never got to ride to much. Then this year came around, new boat, new equipment, I was stoked and dialed in ready to ride. Not only that I kicked my but at the gym all winter. In March I began riding but decided to knock down toeside w2w before I went any further. Within 2-3 weeks I had it just as good as my heelside w2w. Then I began riding with people alot better then me (hint: this helps alot). I watched them do a couple tantrums and was like how hard can it be. I got out there tried twice just came up short cause I wasn't popping before I threw the trick. The third one I stomped. Next thing you know I got obsessed and I think I did like 6 in one run. lol. Well now I was like damn I need this backroll in the bag so I decided to work on it. From spending 4 days a week and riding with some good guys the backroll was no problem.I figured hey now that I can show off a couple flips I decided to work on my 180's and I have only landed a few ts180's. Mainly I need to work on switch riding cause thats the reason I stray from them. I even have thought about tryin the 360 instead but I have to stop skipping steps, otherwise I will only hit a wall later down the road. I am also working on a frontroll. I am really hopeing to bag them all up by the end of the season.

Overall I have alot of work to do cause I skipped steps. Sounds to me your on track. Im positive a tantrum will be cake for you. To tell you the truth you just got to really want it and try. Don't go out there and say o well I will try some other day. Go out there and kick your butt. Thats what I do and well I guess it pays off.

2 cents spent...and good luck!

also bored here is one of my tantrums....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiJvxZ-xuxs

(Message edited by dnannen on July 21, 2008)

"Haha well you see girls dig flips.... "

no truer words have ever been typed.

having basic inverts makes you lok like a better rider, i was watching some guy out here the oher day, he had the 3 basic inverts (i guess you could call em that) i.e. tantrum, backroll, scarecrow but the wasnt spinning at all, or doing much else. but there were girls in the boat and i heard them cheerin haah

The hardest part of learning an invert is getting the "nads" to try it the first time. Lots of ways to get the mojo to try one: ride with someone else trying them and form a pact, ride with a crew of really good riders that will will be able to tell you the "book" tips and provide inspiration, go to a coach and put some of your own dollars on the line, bring an audience..... When you get the idea to try them, have a quick warm up set and then early in your second set, start trying them. Just visualize what you want to do and committ 100%.

I do not know if this will help motivate you or not, but I learned my first invert at the age of 41 and and working on my second now. If a frail old man like me can learn them, you young'ns certainly can as well.

Try at a new every set you take. If it's only once, its ok. Twice is great. Three times is better. If you don't land the trick in 3 tries, wait till the next set.

This rule has kept me excited for riding, constantly progressing, and frustration (read: injury) free for a few years now.

Dude if you have been only riding for a couple (thinking that means two) years your doing really well to be where your at. At least compared to me ;) Im in my fifth year and i just got the three. You will dig yourself out just have no fear.

Thanks for the tips! I really do appreciate them. I'm hitting the water up on Thursday after work so I will fill you all in. Garret I love your idea! I will let you know how it goes.

Good luck Chris, let me know how things go! As a side note...I landed my HS 540 for the third time tonight (which means, it is no longer luck or coincidence). I am stoked.

I don't think you want my advice, but what the hell I will give it anyway. If you don't grow some balls get rid of the boat. I can tell you this, I wouldn't have my boat if it wasn't for my 9 year old, because I will not try anything new!!! I am to old for this crap. He has been trying backrolls for about a year now. He has hit three now, as soon as he stops trying, it is time to move on to another sport.

Good luck.

Remember "just do it".

Chris, I'm at the exact same place as you. What we need is to find 'better' riders to ride with to help push/instruct us. And I disagree with the 'grow a set' comment. For 1 year after a bad concussion, I just rode because it gave me pleasure...no pressure to try new tricks, just get out there and take a set and enjoy the fact that we are one of the privileged few who have the resources to de-stress with this great sport.

Robert thanks for your advice, I do agree that I need to grow a set and throw some stuff. I don't agree with you about getting rid of the boat just because I'm stuck in a rut and haven't tried any new tricks. Loren, the one rider that usually rides with me that pull off some big tricks has been out of town so needless to say we haven't been riding together. I agree completely that we are lucky to have the opportunity to just get out and ride. Well, tomorrow's the day. I will let you know what I land, and damn it I'm going to land something new today!

Chris,

I was only trying to get you mad so next time you go out, you go big.

Good luck and don't be a little girl.. Ha ha

Robert,
Now youve pissed me off and I'm going to throw a tantrum.....

That a boy!!!!

Well all of those, mainly Robert, whom wanted to hear a great story about me pulling off an awesome trick unfortunately it didn't happen. So I screwed my bad knee (the one that has had two ACL reconstructions, and two meniscal repairs) last year while attempting a double up. I went to the doc last year and he diagnosed it as a bone bruise. Went to get a second opinion today and figured out that I have a torn lateral meniscus that needs surgery. Needless to say, I got injected today and was pretty sore after it so I just focused on the basics and worked on surface tricks. Give me about a week and I will post on the progress. So if your counting at home, this will be my 5th surgery on this knee and I'm only 27. Robert, thanks again for pissing me off!

Chris,
That suck! I feel for you. Good luck with the the surgery. I am back to sell the boat or you can do what I did have a son that loves going wakeboarding. For me it is almost as fun watching he ride.

Take care yourself.

Well went out riding today and for some odd reason I grew some balls! I attempted a backroll for the first time ever. Attempted it close to 15 times, never landed it but I was getting completely around just letting go of the handle. For some odd reason I kept getting extended on it. Oh well, its a start and I'm pumped. Hopefully by the end of the year I will be landing it. Thanks for all the support guys

Chris

remember cut all the way at the wake. The cut will help you with the roll. Make sure you focus on getting the height and not the roll until you half way up. I have been teaching my 9 year old to do a back roll. Here is a picture. Good luck and keep it up.