How to Wakeboard

Wakeboarding is the hottest new water skiing sport, as it well should be. Wakeboards can jump higher, turn faster, flip sicker and tweak gnarlier than any other boat-pulled water board. It is extreme, radical and mind-melting.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ski Boats
• Wet Suits
• Wakeboard
• Life Vests
• Water Ski Ropes

1. Check out wakeboarding on television, a video or at an event like the X Games to see whether it's something you'd dig. Trust me, you'll know right away.

2. Find some friends who wakeboard and go with them on their next trip.

3. Watch your friends ride for a while and let someone explain the basics to you while you watch.

4. Strap in, get on and get wet.

5. Pull you knees to your chest, and point the nose of the board up and toward the boat as it begins driving. The resistance of the board against the water will pull you quickly to your feet.

6. Ride straight for a while to get the feel of the board beneath you.

7. Do some small turns to get a feel for your edges against the water.

8. Ride over and outside the wake, then repeat faster and faster.

9. Lean back and pop up to do a bunny hop.

10. Jump the wake and practice spinning in the air.

11. Bend your knees and twist your body in the air to get the feel of tweaks and tricks. Then try grabbing the board to stretch out your air time.

12. Combine your tricks: Bunny hop as you hit the wake, then spin, tweak and land riding backwards (fakie). Or try to spin, grab, tweak and roll in the air.

13. Get your own board, buy a boat then start your own wakeboard team.

14. Win the X Games.

15. Found your own line of wakeboards and wakeboard accessories and retire at age 35 to wakeboard out the rest of your days at your private lake.

Tips & Warnings

• Learn the fundamentals first, and the harder stuff will be a lot easier to learn later on.
• Always wear a life jacket and observe proper boating safety, no matter how good you are.

Who Can Help:

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on 8/4/2006 When getting up, keep your arms close in and the board at a 5 to 15 degree angle. Tell the driver to go. Let nature do its trick; the board should want to go straight. Keep the rope close to absorb bumps.

on 7/30/2006 When you are getting up keep the board on the side, then when the boat starts to pull, you turn the board and hold on tight. You should get right out of the water.

on 7/27/2006 When you get up, keep your legs bent and your arms straight. Once the boat starts to go, don't get up too quickly.

on 7/20/2006 Make sure you choose the right board. My first time I was using a board that was way too advanced for my ability. It took me awhile to be able to get up and even then it was tough on my arms and hands. I switched to a lower level, less buoyant board and was popping up no problem.

on 6/30/2006 Just keep the board sideways, let the water do most of the work. As the boat starts to pull you forward, use the rope and your legs to help get the board straight. The water will do most of the work. Once you're on the water, stand up slowly. If you stand up too fast you will wipe out.