How do you get the courage?

[WakeGirl]

If you have someone that can videotape you while you're riding, I highly recommend it. I had someone do that for me last summer & it showed me how I was clearly coming off edge as I rode up the wake. Also, I've been told & read about "standing tall" but I always end up trying to jump - 2 different things, at least for me. That's why I just started trying to lock up as I ride up the wake, it seems to work much better for me even though I'm inconsistent.

Edited June 6, 2005 by WakeGirl

[hyperlitenerd]

Video taping my runs helped me alot. having a short rope I think I was doing like 50-55ft, way short an 19 mph, and I could clear the wake, did take some work, but now I am at full (65 ft) and 22 mph and it is sooo much easier. When I was working on w2w, I would do a jump from the inside of the wake out, just a practice for edging. That helped me. Im not sure if this would help or not, but I just thought of it, so why not say it. But um if you are afriad of hard crashes, cut into the wake fairly hard/fast. But when your in the air you can let go, and you will slow down and not crash as hard, but you also realise that you landed on the other wake, and are coasting away and you didnt crash.

ooooo I just thought of another thing that helped me ALOT, no ballast! go out with just 2 other people, run no ballast, small wake, it is not a big scary wake that malibus are able to put out.

[jklein]

One of the best pieces of advise I can give you is to keep the handle low and close to your body near the hips or top of thigh area at all times as you take off from the wake. If you think about it, that's the centerpoint of your body and if the rope pulls you from that point, it's not going to throw your body off axis.

However, if the rope is too high, it will tend to pull you over most likely you will bend at the waist pulling you over and forward. That can be tough on the back as well as make it difficult to land gracefully.

[gvnightrider]

My g-friend just landed her first w2w the weekend before.....the things we worked on

1. Practice edging in and out on the flats, dont hit the wake until you have board control.

2. Most people want to hold there arms in at chest level, arms need to be straight and towards your hips or belly button

3. Let the rope out completely, charge the one wake slowly until getting comfortable. Then charge the wake if you were going w2w.

4. Dont look at the boat until you are on the other side of the 2nd wake.

5. When frustrated, practice riding switch if you learn this at the beginning it will help you down the road. I know several good riders that cant ride switch and it prevents them from moving forward. Plus, it is harder to learn latter down the road.

6. Lastly, until you are consistent lading w2w, keep the rope out for first 5 or 10 minutes of riding, so dont lose your confidence, then bring the rope all the way in and go for it.

Now far as wake size and speed. Initialy first couple of outings we left it at 19, and she wasnt progressing, and then with out telling her we went to 21 and that helped alot.

IMO - its all mental, I found that after me giving her repeated instructions and getting frustrated with her and vice versa, I let some one else do the talking some times some one else can explain things better. Another big key is if you can get another girl rider, they will tend to bond and a little competition will beging.

This past weekend was really cool, my buddy and I were to lazy to go riding and his wife and my girlfriend took the boat out and they both came back to the dock with excitement, one had landed a tw2w and my gfriend learned a bunch of surface tricks. Hope this helps, just takes one time to land to get the feeling. GL

[Boomer]

The whole "don't look down!" concept is what gets me. I've tried to look at the tower, horizon, whatever, but if I don't see what's under me I freak out, can't land, etc.

Sorta like jumping off a house with your eyes closed, I don't know when I'm about to hit.

How can you look at the boat, and freaking land right? Maybe if I could figure this out, it would help greatly...

[gvnightrider]

Shouldnt have to look at the boat until you start trying raileys, try looking at the second wake

[WakeAndSnoWife]

The whole "don't look down!" concept is what gets me. I've tried to look at the tower, horizon, whatever, but if I don't see what's under me I freak out, can't land, etc.

Sorta like jumping off a house with your eyes closed, I don't know when I'm about to hit.

How can you look at the boat, and freaking land right? Maybe if I could figure this out, it would help greatly...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

.

Very good point...I think that might be it too

[Headhunter 2317]

The 24mph and slingshot works well for us "larger" riders. I'm 6'4 235 so I have to do something. A bad landing looks sort of like a "depth charge".......

Edited June 6, 2005 by Headhunter 2317

[EubanksCFO]

You are definitely not the only one struggling with this, and it was encouraging to hear that someone else has the same frustrations I do. I've been riding for 3 years now and have the same issues everyone's been talking about. I bring the handle up to my chest, I bend at the waist when I land after one-wake jumps, I don't stand tall at the wake even when I think I am, etc. I've also tried inside-out jumps, but I stand tall too early because I can't feel the timing of when I'm at the top of the wake. And I definitely have a hard time getting up the courage to try jumping...especially when there are many people in the boat watching! I guess you gave me courage in one area...to make my first post on this site!

Thanks to everyone's advice. Gives me a lot of good pointers to work on.

[eubanks]

The whole "don't look down!" concept is what gets me. I've tried to look at the tower, horizon, whatever, but if I don't see what's under me I freak out, can't land, etc.

Sorta like jumping off a house with your eyes closed, I don't know when I'm about to hit.

How can you look at the boat, and freaking land right? Maybe if I could figure this out, it would help greatly...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Some people say this but I disagree. You always want to be looking in the general vicinity of the direction you are traveling...not straight down but not up at the sky either. This will get more comfortable over time and you won't even really be able to notice where you are looking...you will do it naturally. The only time I had to look at the boat (tower) was when learning raleys...other than that type of trick, you should always be looking in the direction you are going and will be landing.

[WakeGirl]

You are definitely not the only one struggling with this, and it was encouraging to hear that someone else has the same frustrations I do.  I've been riding for 3 years now and have the same issues everyone's been talking about.  I bring the handle up to my chest, I bend at the waist when I land after one-wake jumps, I don't stand tall at the wake even when I think I am, etc.  I've also tried inside-out jumps, but I stand tall too early because I can't feel the timing of when I'm at the top of the wake.  And I definitely have a hard time getting up the courage to try jumping...especially when there are many people in the boat watching!  I guess you gave me courage in one area...to make my first post on this site!

Thanks to everyone's advice.  Gives me a lot of good pointers to work on.

Welcome. We're getting so many girls on the site, maybe we need our own forum? Don't give up, you can do it. Focus & the mental side of it is huge. Once you get it, you'll always be able to do it.

[WakeAndSnoWife]

You are definitely not the only one struggling with this, and it was encouraging to hear that someone else has the same frustrations I do.  I've been riding for 3 years now and have the same issues everyone's been talking about.  I bring the handle up to my chest, I bend at the waist when I land after one-wake jumps, I don't stand tall at the wake even when I think I am, etc.  I've also tried inside-out jumps, but I stand tall too early because I can't feel the timing of when I'm at the top of the wake.  And I definitely have a hard time getting up the courage to try jumping...especially when there are many people in the boat watching!  I guess you gave me courage in one area...to make my first post on this site!

Thanks to everyone's advice.  Gives me a lot of good pointers to work on.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey! Welcome! It's great to hear from the women on this board and those who are in the same boat as I am. When are you getting behind the boat again? We should work on these techniques together!! Keep us updated!

To all helpers on this site:

Thanks for all of your help. I am dreaming about w2w in my sleep and prepping myself for this weekend...hopefully we will get out (right honey? )

[WakeAndSno]

Thanks for all of your help. I am dreaming about w2w in my sleep and prepping myself for this weekend...hopefully we will get out (right honey?  )

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thats the right idea, babe!!

[skibabe]

My daughter Kayla who is 15 has struggled with this too - the best bits of advice a friend gave her was don't look down, and to stand tall. Once she was able to get both, she was going great - but, having said that, I still think she jumps best when she shuts her eyes tight at the last minute and lets rip one of those teenage girl screams!!! That always seems to produce the most air!!!

Jill

[WakeAndSnoWife]

My daughter Kayla who is 15 has struggled with this too - the best bits of advice a friend gave her was don't look down, and to stand tall.  Once she was able to get both, she was going great - but, having said that, I still think she jumps best when she shuts her eyes tight at the last minute and lets rip one of those teenage girl screams!!!  That always seems to produce the most air!!!

Jill

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I will have to try that one too.

So my list for the weekend to try and do a w2w, 1)slingshot, 2) shot of tequila or vodka, 3) don't look down, 4) scream

One of these will work, I'm sure of it!

[WakeGirl]

LOL! I'll be rooting for you guys. FWIW, I'm not that far ahead of you in the progression of things, my screen name is more an aspiration rather than a reality. I do crash & burn really, really well though. There are very few around that I can't keep up with on that count.

Edited June 9, 2005 by WakeGirl

[blake0401]

men be prepared to start your own forum. the women are taking over and getting stronger.

[skibabe]

men be prepared to start your own forum. the women are taking over and getting stronger.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good luck on the weekend, I hope you get that w2w (make sure someone grabs some pics!) you're braver than me, I can still remember the hurt, so I'll stick to the wakeskate - at least it's not stuck to me when I crash

Jill

[bradb]

Going W2W takes a nice progressive pull. Start your turn into the wakes nice and easy, and build edge all the way through the top of the wake. Make sure you aren't flatening the board out as you hit the wake.

If you find that you are flattening out, try taking really narrow cut into the wake from about 5 feet out and really try to hold your edge through the top of the wake. You will probably find that you will go almost as far with that short cut as when you cut from WAY outside but flatten the board out. Work on these narrow cuts, and as you get more comfortable with edging all the way up the wake slowly start your cut wider and wider (making sure you start your turn in nice and easy, and edge harder and harder until you explode off the top of the wake).

Good luck,

B

[jcbatt]

After I wuss out a couple times and have poor jumps, I start to get mad... I'm out there, expending a lot of energy, and basically, sucking. Then I use this anger to get mad at the wake, and mad at myself for being a wuss. I'll often start screaming at myself. This at first scares the people on the boat, but it eventually becomes funny to them, which gets me even madder. All of this serves to psych me up enough that I start riding better. Then my anger turns into happiness as I'm finally seeing the fruits of my labor. Use anger - it works very well for me. Or else maybe I'm just a bit of a nut case.

[Boomer]

Dude...that image.

Whatever works though, right?!?

[WakeAndSnoWife]

After I wuss out a couple times and have poor jumps, I start to get mad... I'm out there, expending a lot of energy, and basically, sucking.  Then I use this anger to get mad at the wake, and mad at myself for being a wuss.  I'll often start screaming at myself.  This at first scares the people on the boat, but it eventually becomes funny to them, which gets me even madder.  All of this serves to psych me up enough that I start riding better.  Then my anger turns into happiness as I'm finally seeing the fruits of my labor.  Use anger - it works very well for me.  Or else maybe I'm just a bit of a nut case.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'll add that to my list. Trust me, if you could see my face when I am out there...I get so mad at myself and say some really um... "offensive words", especially when I go for it and then wuss out. Thanks!

Edited June 9, 2005 by WakeAndSnoWife

[jklein]

There's a nice little article in the July issue of WBM about edging and hip placement while edging by Kyle Schmidt. It's actually very good advise. Pick it up if you get a chance.

[WakeAndSnoWife]

There's a nice little article in the July issue of WBM about edging and hip placement while edging by Kyle Schmidt.  It's actually very good advise.  Pick it up if you get a chance.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks, jklein...we get that subscription, I just have to steal it away from the husband somehow...

[RoverOn]

Try taking a lesson...it is a lot easier for a stranger to give good advice.

At the end of last season, I was only hitting the W2W every so often.

I took a lesson at OWC in April and it made all the difference....I can hit them evey time.

Also try demoing a new board...they can make a ton of difference.

Dave