Trampoline training has become immensely popular over the past several years. It seems like every camp is boasting about how many water tramps they have floating out back and every wakeboarder has one in his or her backyard. The question is: Is this kind of training really that helpful or is it a bunch of hype?

Over the past few years I have been wakeboarding and teaching gymnastics. During this time I have found that trampoline training can be beneficial to your wakeboarding if done in the proper way and with the right techniques. A lot of the tricks in gymnastics are the same as they are in wakeboarding. A Whirlybird on the water equates to a Full in the gym. A Tantrum to Fakie behind the boat would be known as an Arabian.

Before I get to the positive aspects of trampolines, let me clear up a few of the ugly ideas I have heard people trying on trampolines. The first and probably one of the craziest things I have heard of people doing on trampolines is wearing a wakeboard while trying to jump. If you are trying this I would definitely recommend that you stop. By doing this you run a pretty good chance of jacking yourself up or tearing your trampoline with the edge of your board.

The other problem I see people doing is trying to take 10 bounces to get as high as they can before executing their trick. You should only need to take two or three medium size jumps to do most wakeboarding tricks. That includes Temper Tantrums (double back flips).

I have found two main things that trampolines can help you with in wakeboarding; inverts and spins. To help you do these tricks well, tie a wakeboard line up high and keep it short so that it remains tight. This will help you generate power into your tricks. It's also a good idea to get a friend to hold his hand on the line while you do your tricks. He will be able to tell you if you are doing them right by feeling you tugging on the rope while you are initiating your trick. If it does not feel like you are tugging at all or you're only tugging a little bit, it is because you are using your body to initiate the trick and not the rope.

While doing your spins be sure to pass the handle at the small of your back. Many people try the "under the butt" pass. I know that it looks cool, but you need to learn a regular 360 before you can start trying to do it off-axis. If you can only do a 360 under your butt, good luck ever trying a 720.

One thing to really work on while on the trampoline is your head position. Try not to look down or close your eyes. Keep your head up and looking out in front of you just as if you were on the water. The main thing the trampoline will help you with on your inverts is your air sense. You need good air sense to know where you are while upside down. Another thing it will help you with is knowing what the trick feels like so you will be more comfortable on the water.

Although the trampoline can provide some great benefits to your wakeboarding skills, don't rely too heavily on the use of your trampoline. Your best results will still come while on the water. There is just no substitute for time on the water.

Also keep in mind that trampolines can be extremely dangerous and you can seriously injure yourself even if you are doing everything properly. Take it slow and work up to more difficult tricks only when you feel comfortable to do so. Never attempt anything beyond your skill level. To increase the safety level, we highly recommend that you invest in a trampoline net such as the Fun Ring from Jump King (http://www.jumpking.com). This a mesh wall that surrounds the trampoline and reduces the chances of the user falling off.

 Return To WakeWorld Article Archives