Water skier trying to learn to wakeboard

Hi,

I've slalom skied for the last 25 years. Now I'd like to try wakeboarding.

I get up fine, but I immediately shoot to the port side of the boat and can't figure out how to control the board. I'm guessing its because I've faced forward while sking my whole life.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,
JR

when you get up drop your back hand from the handle - that will square your body up to the board and allow you to figure your stance out a little more. Ride around like that for a while to get the feel of how the board moves when you put pressure on your toes or lift up on them. After you are comfortable put both hands on the handle and ride around more.

A good general rule to think about your body position is to have your feet and knees parallel to the board, your hips at about 45 degrees to the board and your upper body at about 90 degrees to the board, whereas with skis (like you said), your whole body faces forward.

Hope that helps...take it slow and enjoy riding.

So it sounds like you are fine cutting heelside but can't edge toeside the other direction. This is a common problem with left foot forward people at the cable which favors right foot forward. The new people have a hard time getting around the corners because they can't edge toeside. I gave this some thought while riding so I would know what advice to give. I found that having your front leg straight while bending the trailing knee helped with going toeside. You can let go with your trailing hand like Jeff suggested to help out. Otherwise if holding on with both hands get the handle close to your left hip (port cut means you are left foot forward). You need to try and square your lower body to the board as well.

You're leaning against the rope. When people ski they commonly lean against the rope and use it for leverage. As stated, you need to turn your front hip towards the boat, and may help letting go with back hand. You want a neutral and balanced position, don't lean against the rope, that sends you out on your heelside immediately, and makes it impossible to change edges.

Think of the handle as a fixed object, and you have to orient your body to it, instead of it to the handle. Push your lead hip up the handle, and bend your front knee more then you think you should. If you push your front knee cap towards the big toe on your back foot it will square you up on the board and allow you to cut on your toes.

All,

Thanks for the advice. Hope to get out on Sunday and work on it some more. I was an avid slalom skier and I definitely leaned against the rope going through the course. Sounds like I have several habits to break. I am left foot forward when I ski.

I'll probably start with dropping the back hand from the handle. I can see how that will help get me turned sideways. Then I'll try some of the other tips to get me on my toes going right. Sounds like I need to think heel-toe instead of left-right to control the board direction.

Thanks again,
JR

Sure is easier getting up on a wakeboard than a competition slalom ski!