I am Raphael Gandara! No, I am Raphael gandara. Reminds me of the opening scene in "Catch me if you can." What is the first critical step in creating a progressive edge, the fundamental building block upon which a progressive edge is based? It's not getting up or edging out heelside. In my opinion the first critical step is when you are standing in the neutral position. Handle position and the manner in which you turn into the wake will establish two things: 1.) Whether you establish a progressive edge at all, and, 2.) the intensity of that edge. I've heard it over and over from riders with a bag full of tricks: you want to be leaning back the hardest right at the wake. My problem has been getting "off on the right foot." Here's how I think it starts to get it right: neutral. Extend arms fully out, advance the board and pull the handle in say 30-60% of your arm length (more if you're stronger and more experienced, less if you can't handle the upcoming edge), then turn head toward the wake, drop the left shoulder and initiate the turn into the wake. Once you are on line, lean back by letting your arms out. Knees will be "rolled forward" (Kyle Schmidt's line, not mine, see May 02 Wakeboarder) shoulders will be back and the edge will be dug in hard and digging harder as you approach the wake- iow, the edge is progressive. At the wake, with arms extended you can pull forward, pop the wake and create slack for a handle pass or you can leave the line fully loaded and go for a heelside backroll. Or you can roll slightly forward to pop the wake and do a mute 180, whatever. But it is while in neutral that you "dial in" edge intensity based on how close you pull the handle to your hip. The rider by selecting handle position controls the intensity of the edge! For laughs, try pulling it in to the hip then initiating the turn and edge into the wake. In this way, when you extend your arms (again something Schmidt talks about in May 02) you will be leaning back alright, but the intensity and the speed of the edge will be too much for all but the best riders. Hence, to "adjust" for strength, trick and skill level, choose to advance the board (by pulling the handle in) say only 30% of your arm length. I'm gonna work this theory tomorrow and see what happens. Can't be any worse than some of my lame jumps with me turning arms straight where the handle is actually between the boat and the front edge of the board as I edge in. Here, it's just the same 'ol butt drop and flatten out mess that gets nowhere. I think I'll send this over to Kyle Schmidt at the Wakeboard Camp and see what he thinks cuz I might be all messed up!
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