Jump to content

Welcome to TheMalibuCrew!

As a guest, you are welcome to poke around and view the majority of the content that we have to offer, but in order to post, search, contact members, and get full use out of the website you will need to Register for an Account. It's free and it's easy, so don't hesitate to join the TheMalibuCrew Family today!

Need advice on getting my son wake to wake


shawndoggy

Recommended Posts

Shorten the rope by 5'. Hard to tell from the video (it's coming up in a really narrow vertical strip form :dontknow: ) but it looks like he needs a little longer approach (pull in) which means he would need to pull out further. Of course, what do I know...I'm a slalom skier. :crazy:

  • Like 2
Link to comment

The wake looks pretty wide where he is crossing. One way, as others have mentioned, is to shorten the rope. Do you have your ballast filled? If so, dump it. This, as I'm sure you're aware, will narrow the wake making it easier for him to clear. Increasing the speed of the boat will also narrow out the wake. If you just want to work with the wake you have in the video, have him work on his technique. It looks like he is getting out wide enough and taking a good hard cut, but it looks like when he gets to the wake, he is staying in a crouched position. Staying in this position at the wake will make his legs act like the shocks on your car when you hit a bump in the road; his legs will just absorb the ramp of the wake. Top get more "pop", have him stand tall at the wake and make his legs more rigid so that they don't absorb the power of the wake. To help him understand the technique better, you could show him video of himself as he approaches the wake and then compare his form to that of the form of the riders in instructional videos. Two instructional videos that I have used when teaching people (I'm not a professional instructor) to wakeboard are Higher Education and The Book. There may be newer videos out now, but either one of these will teach the basics he needs to build a good foundation as well as provide teaching of advanced tricks as he progresses.

Hope this helps.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Looks like he may need to add a little more edge and stand a little taller at the wake. Thanks for the video, it reminds us why we spend all of this time and money on these boats.

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Sorry about the narrow video. It's shot with an iPhone because "somebody" forgot to charge the camera battery.

This is 20.6mph @ 65'.

If I may summarize the consensus is:

Bring the rope in a hair

Bigger cut

Stand tall

Anything else?

Link to comment

Sorry about the narrow video. It's shot with an iPhone because "somebody" forgot to charge the camera battery.

This is 20.6mph @ 65'.

If I may summarize the consensus is:

Bring the rope in a hair

Bigger cut

Stand tall

Anything else?

All that, plus remind him to keep the handle at his hip. When standing tall at the wake this takes a little getting used to, but that handle needs to be in right at his hipbone.

That, with the same speed and 60' rope will git er done.

Link to comment

Stiff knees. If he bends his knees as he hits the wake it'll act as a shock absober, and he wont get a pop into the air. Also tell him when he goes airborne, no need to do anything...just keep a stiff body. What i've noticed is when folks are learning W2W and are getting some air, they feel the need to do all sorts of crazy stuff while in the air in order to land...not so. All that extra movement and stuff is what messes them up.

Also, have him keep the handle down at waist level--- that"ll help him with balance while in the air, not to pull him forward off axis, and, after he learns his W2W's, that'll have him ready for inverts where a waist high handle is critical.

Have him warm up just doing little hops over just 1/2 the wake...

Last thing is for you--talk smack to him and rev him up. Tell him not to be chicken etc etc... tell him to edge out as hard as he can and go for it, dont puss out on the way in on a hard edge and let off, he has to acclerate ALL the way thru to the ramp. Make him promise he"ll give you 5 crazy hard tries... Once he lands a solid W2W out in the flats, he'll wonder why he was ever scared to go hard for it in the first place. He"ll quickly learn landing out in the flats in like pillow soft compared to anywhere else. Plus most W2W crashes are not that bad... Inverts are murder...

Link to comment

Last thing is for you--talk smack to him and rev him up. Tell him not to be chicken etc etc... tell him to edge out as hard as he can and go for it, dont puss out on the way in on a hard edge and let off, he has to acclerate ALL the way thru to the ramp. Make him promise he"ll give you 5 crazy hard tries... Once he lands a solid W2W out in the flats, he'll wonder why he was ever scared to go hard for it in the first place. He"ll quickly learn landing out in the flats in like pillow soft compared to anywhere else. Plus most W2W crashes are not that bad... Inverts are murder...

LOL, actually, the last thing he wants to hear is advice from Dad. Nothing in this thread is new, but I'm hoping to get him to read it tonight so he knows I'm not crazy.

The "stand tall" thing did take me quite a bit of time to figure out. It's actually more like pumping a transition on a skateboard than just locking knees, and the timing is important too for max pop (i.e. stand tall too early = fail).

I'd love to hear anymore tricks if you guys have 'em! And seriously once he figures it out he's gonna be unstopable. His ground game is pretty advanced for a 7th grader...

Edited by shawndoggy
Link to comment

LOL, actually, the last thing he wants to hear is advice from Dad. Nothing in this thread is new, but I'm hoping to get him to read it tonight so he knows I'm not crazy.

The "stand tall" thing did take me quite a bit of time to figure out. It's actually more like pumping a transition on a skateboard than just locking knees, and the timing is important too for max pop (i.e. stand tall too early = fail).

I'd love to hear anymore tricks if you guys have 'em! And seriously once he figures it out he's gonna be unstopable. His ground game is pretty advanced for a 7th grader...

Well then.....I should say that I thought it was his sister out there. Took me a minute to make sure it was actually a boy. (Tssss - ouch!)

Edit: flips in front of the chiropractic office! That's too funny.

Edited by Michigan boarder
Link to comment

My coach at Ball State has us increase the line tension, that does it for most of us. It worked great for my little brother. Basically get that chair position and really pull against the line.

Link to comment

He's flattening off right before he gets to the wake. If you can get him to edge all the way through he'll get it with the rope length/speed combo you have now. Maybe get him to take a couple of practice runs where he concentrates staying on edge throughout the cut and absorbing the wake with his knees. Then add the stiff legs into the equation (without the leg extension because he'll probably continue to come off edge when he tries and be off on his timing).

My son is at the same point and is having the same problems. He is absolutely convinced he has to try to jump no matter how many times I tell him its all about the edge and stiff legs at the wake. Every time he tries to jump, he comes off edge, and lands just short - leaned over the board slightly (just like he took off). I've also tried to get him to do the learnwake stand tall drill where you edge out and practice extending your legs while staying on edge. He just ignores me though and won't even try it.

In short - My son doesn't want to hear any advice from Dad either :(

Link to comment

Tell him to really pop "jump up" when he comes off the top of the wake. That should fix it. If that doesn't do it get outside the wake another 5 ft and build a little more speed.

Like someone said above he is absorbing most of the energy when he hits the wake by not springing upwards.

Link to comment

Sorry about the narrow video. It's shot with an iPhone because "somebody" forgot to charge the camera battery.

This is 20.6mph @ 65'.

If I may summarize the consensus is:

Bring the rope in a hair

Bigger cut

Stand tall

Anything else?

Not necessarily a "bigger cut" but more progressive and carry that into the wake.

Get those hands down around his waste, much more control.

Knees are already bent before he hits the wake.

Definitely shorten the rope to 55', he'll more than likely make it at this length if he changes nothing else.

Link to comment

Look good and doesn't seem afraid of it so it is just technique. Here would be my advice both of which have been mentioned already:

1) Better/Further toeside cut away from wake will give him more time to setup for approach back

2) Lower handle position

Link to comment

Sorry about the narrow video. It's shot with an iPhone because "somebody" forgot to charge the camera battery.

This is 20.6mph @ 65'.

If I may summarize the consensus is:

Bring the rope in a hair

Bigger cut

Stand tall

Anything else?

I would shorten him up to 60', and keep the speed the same, he needs to pull out harder and as wide as possible, hold the edge and stand up before he pops the wake. Make sure he gets continuous tension the entire pull towards the wake. Sometimes kids get impatient, when he pulls to the outside of the wake let the rope slack up completely so when he pulls it will have no slack. Also hand placement near hips as others have mentioned, make sure he does not bend his legs when hitting the wake.... that will defeat the entire purpose and absorb all the pop.

and most important tip....

If he was riding behind a VLX and not an MB he would be clearing no problems! Whats up with that wake!!??? :clap: low blow, had to say it tho..... :thumbup: just kiddin'.... shred away!

Edited by Fman
Link to comment

Sorry about the narrow video. It's shot with an iPhone because "somebody" forgot to charge the camera battery.

This is 20.6mph @ 65'.

If I may summarize the consensus is:

Bring the rope in a hair

Bigger cut

Stand tall

Anything else?

Maybe he was use to the MALIBU WAKE???? :rofl:

Great vid Shawn...I'm trying to get my 7 year old little girl up, thanks for posting this!

Link to comment

LOL, the beginner/empty wake on the MB is actually a little friendlier (not as lippy) than it was on our vride. But that's a discussion for another topic. :innocent:

Thanks again for the tips. I'm going to show him this thread tonight ... hopefully it sounds more convincing from random dudes from the internet than from his dad!

Link to comment

I had the same dilemma with my 7th grader this summer. He wanted no advice, but finally let me pull the rope in a little more and he popped right over it on his 2nd try. He was thrilled. Now that he did it though I think we need to go back to all the technique tips that were given. Shortening the rope works for a while to give them confidence, but in the long run he needs to work on his form.

Good luck

Link to comment

LOL, the beginner/empty wake on the MB is actually a little friendlier (not as lippy) than it was on our vride. But that's a discussion for another topic. :innocent:

Thanks again for the tips. I'm going to show him this thread tonight ... hopefully it sounds more convincing from random dudes from the internet than from his dad!

Shawn, also would recommend a video series called "The BOOK", by wakeboarding magazine... its the best wakeboarding self teaching video I have watched. My 8 year old is watching it, and learning a bunch... they cover everything in it. Might be worth a look.

Link to comment

Some of the best advice had already been posted, but here are a couple things

- As he cuts out he's edging... edging... and then turns in (like a slalom skier would). When he's read to go, get off off the toe side edge and sit for a bit until the boat starts pulling him back torwards the wake. slowly keep adding to the heelside edge, you want to be still accelerating into the wake. Take advantage of this pendulum effect, it will make it easier. This will build the rope tension and help him get "Pop" this is the progressive edge that people speak about.

- You want the straight legs everyone is speaking about above so the pop from the wake is not absorbed. What helped me accomplish this was just before I got to the wake I shift my weight torwards my front foot. I found that since I was trying to pop the wake I had a lot of my weight on my back foot and I just wasn't getting the pop I expected. By consciously shifting my weight forward (think hips moving torward the front of the board) what I was actually doing was getting a more balanced stance. This motion also helped me think about my legs and keep them stiff. I don't know if this will help your son, but I know it helped me when I was at the stage he is at now.

Link to comment

Sorry if this has been posted already didn't read all the post. Spent the summer training some friends boys (10 & 12), first part of summer they were about the same place as your son last weekend they both were landing wake rolls. I tried all kinds of tricks with the rope and found its more a mind game you shorten the rope they almost always land in the same spot. Best thing I can say and it's probably been said. Work on the form once he has that the W2W will happen. He needs to take a nice hard cut out, flatten the board out wait for the boat to pull him back in then start his edge back towards the wake with a slight bend at the knee's holding the edge all the way through the wake standing tall at the wake keeping his head looking up or at the shore line keeping the handle low right at his hip. If he focuses on those it will happen. 60' is perfect once he has it down bet you can let the rope out to 90' and he can still charge it and clear the wake. When first learning to go W2W people tend to focus on the wake, when you focus on that that is where you are going to land. Keep his eyes looking past the wake and he will be landing the W2W work on the form and I bet he will clear the wake in his next trip out.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...