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Snowboarding to Wakeboarding, vice versa...


Kalamazoo

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Just curious...how closely related are the two? If someone (like me) sucks at snowboarding, how much trouble will I have at wakeboarding or are they very different?

I can snow & water ski just fine.

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I am what I would consider an above average snowboarder and when I tried wakeboarding I assumed the same principle would apply. Well I was completely wrong, the biggect thing I noticed was there is no edge to grab when carving. and jumping the wake you have this thing in your hands that you have to pull on to build up speed then suddenly you have to set up to hit the wake. I am by no means a "Good Wakeboarder", my bag of tricks is limited to a few grabs crossing the wake and that is about it.

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I am an ok snowboarder and blow a** at wakeboarding. But I generally see wakeboarders get going on snowboarding a bit easier. Whole reason I bought this boat was to do something when I couldn't snowboard but wakeboarding is.. it's tough haha. I have grown to like wakesurfing more.

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I have only been wakeboarding behind a bayliner one time no tower and behind our jet ski. We just got our A22 home a week ago and am excited to see how riding behind a real wake boat feels.

I have been snowboarding and skateboarding for a couple decades. There are not many jumps im afraid of on a snowboard. I don't really throw huge flips or spins anymore but love to tweak out a method on a big booter. But in my limited time wakeboard/skating I am finding the rope changes everything. I have a pretty high Ollie on a skateboard and when I Ollie on the wakeskate I barely get off the water and usually feel like the rope is pulling me into a nose dive.

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Funny, I went from a decent wakeboarder to a crappy snowboarder. I could hit fun boxes and small jumps on a snowboard, and that was about it. I look at snowboarding as a chance for me to work on my switch riding.

I think the hardest part of the transition going from snow to wake is the rope/handle positioning. That's why usually gets most IMO

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another thing i noticed was the size of the wake, when I was starting wakeboard it was behind an Xstar with all ballasts full and 8 people in the boat. My next comment will make me sound old but if you are just learning there is no reason to have a wake that size as all it did for me was increase the fear and the size of the crashes, who's kidding who though, regardless of size the of the kicker/wake the "Man" metallity is just pin it and hold on!

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Funny, I went from a decent wakeboarder to a crappy snowboarder.

I think the hardest part of the transition going from snow to wake is the rope/handle positioning. That's why usually gets most IMO

I completely agree with this. The biggest difference I find is that with wakeboarding you're pulling sideways with a rope in your hand so there tension to keep you balanced. Where as with snowboarding you're cruising straight ahead with only your own momentum and hitting jumps seem harder to balance in the air. Also landing with a wider wakeboard and on water seems more comfortable compared to snowboarding and packed snow. Doesn't help that I probably only snowboard 3 times a year compared to wakeboarding nearly every weekend in the summer.

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IMO the rope/handle thing is the biggest adjustment. Wakeboarding you need to keep tension on the rope as you jump, flip, etc. Whenever you get slack in the rope when you are in the air, it's a problem and you're probably not going to recover from it.

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Been Wakeboarding for 4 years and Snowboarding for 3 years. Wakeboard all the time. Snowboard 10 to 12 days a year at most but when I snowboard it sun up to sun down and I'm talking hardcore (guys trip). Balancing wake boarding is way easer because of the rope but everything else is harder. Snowboarding is hard to learn to balance but once you have it. Hang on for the ride of your life. Landed my first 180 this year. Been doing 180 for awhile wakeboarding but I also do it way more. I think it's mush easier for a wakeboarder to learn to snowboard than the other way around.

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I find the only thing the two have in common is standing sideways.

Snowboarding has more in common with wake surfing in my opinion sone as you add a rope it's a hole new ball game different stance different,body position the feel is like being pulled as compearid free falling.

But I love them both !!!

Cheers

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Now if you pull a snowboarder behind a snowmobile because it's the late 1980s and they don't allow you on the ski hill yet, then they get a little more similar. Yeah, I'm old.

Constant leaning back against the pull of the boat vs. staying balanced over your own center.

Look at the carve shape, snow is a c-shape toward the contact edge of the board. Wake is a c-shape away from the contact edge because of the pull of the boat.

That's part of the reason snowboards have sidecut )( and wakeboards have the opposite ().

The other reason for the shape difference is on snow your turn (COG) happens between your feet, while on water it happens at or behind your back foot.

Edited by jk13
  • Like 2
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Now if you pull a snowboarder behind a snowmobile because it's the late 1980s and they don't allow you on the ski hill yet, then they get a little more similar. Yeah, I'm old.

Constant leaning back against the pull of the boat vs. staying balanced over your own center.

Look at the carve shape, snow is a c-shape toward the contact edge of the board. Wake is a c-shape away from the contact edge because of the pull of the boat.

That's why snowboards have sidecut )( and wakeboards have the opposite ().

Perfectly explained

"Your only as old as you want to be"

I sill think I am 25 Till the next morning.

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It's pretty funny to watch snowboarders try & understand things like line load & a progressive cut on the water. They done have to deal with a rope on the mountain so they just don't get it.

Edited by Bill_AirJunky
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Now if you pull a snowboarder behind a snowmobile because it's the late 1980s and they don't allow you on the ski hill yet, then they get a little more similar. Yeah, I'm old.

my dad would pull us back up the hill for hours on my burton performer elite 150 backhilling near our cabin in southern utah in the 80s. Those were the days.

First time I wakeboarded it felt just like riding in 4-6 inches of slush. carving was pretty easy.

jumping on a wakeboard is totally opposite. I'm way better off my tow edge on a snowboard, but heel for sure on wakeboard.

I think snowboarding (or any standing-sideways board sport) helps for wakeboarding, but wakeboarding definitely has its own key sport-specific elements.

EDIT: for the record, Craig Kelly knew how to throw the method.

08-pr-craig-kelly-story.jpg

Edited by shawndoggy
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It's simple if you ride a snowboard like you ride a wakeboard you will spend a lot of time on your butt. Starting out on a snowboard as beginner it will be frustating as hell. On a wakeboard "still tough" just a little more forgiving from what I can remember. Ive wakeboarded for about 15 years, and really got into snowboarding about 6 years ago. By the spending time on your butt, I mean you lead and lean/steer on your front foot in snowboarding. That is a hard concept for beginner snowboarders to grasp that wakeboarded first. Another is riding switch. I can kill it on a wakeboard. I can ride switch on a snowboard for a few feet before eating it! Ive been trying to get better at it but its tough trusting yourself in switch at any considerable amount of speed. Slow switch riding on the mountain I'm good. Speed=I'm done!

On a side note, I absolutely love wakeboarding don't get me wrong, but riding a snowboard will change your life. Get to the top of a Colorado mountain, turn on the tunes and just cruise it's freeing and nothing like it in the world. No ropes, screaming and hollering, restrictions, dumb boat drivers, making sure everyone is being safe, not to typsy, no worries, Just you! Like I said, change your life :rockon:

Edited by vigwilson
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Now if you pull a snowboarder behind a snowmobile because it's the late 1980s and they don't allow you on the ski hill yet, then they get a little more similar. Yeah, I'm old.

Constant leaning back against the pull of the boat vs. staying balanced over your own center.

Look at the carve shape, snow is a c-shape toward the contact edge of the board. Wake is a c-shape away from the contact edge because of the pull of the boat.

That's part of the reason snowboards have sidecut )( and wakeboards have the opposite ().

The other reason for the shape difference is on snow your turn (COG) happens between your feet, while on water it happens at or behind your back foot.

hyperlite-roam-wakeb-229116238.jpg

StepChild lol

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Wakeboarding is quite different, but the basics of turning are familiar between the two. The twist required for toe-side + dealing with the rope makes a difference. Also, depending on your snow style, you can't as easily just swing the tail around, you have to carve the curves & trust your edges, particularly to get more air behind the boat.

I've been wake boarding for about 10 years, but not doing many tricks beyond 180s & wake - wake or wake -> flats. I've only been snowboarding for the last 2.5 years.

As others have said, face plants still hurt - probably more on a wakeboard until you get to the point where you can feel them coming & change how you enter the water slightly.

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I don't find them similar at all, other than both are considered board sports. In comparing the two, I think wakeboarding is easier for beginners. Most people I've had up for their first time are able to turn both ways and go across the wake the first day. Go to a bunny slope and watch how many people just go sideways down the hill their first day on a snowboard.

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