Memories of your first time
 

Hey Guys

I am a member of a team of post-grad designers and engineers who are developing a mechanical device to help to train noobies on dryland, so that they can develop their launch and standing techniques.

We are currently gathering research, asking those who wakeboard (at every level - including trainers) about their wakeboarding experiences. If you have two mins, it would be awesome if you would fill in this questionnaire so that we can learn about your experiences.

Your information is anonymised and we will only keep your answers for the duration of our project.

Here's the link, any information would be great:

Fred

I think I was 16 or 17. We were pretty inexperienced and just learning together. I strapped on the necessary equipment and held on tight. I got right up but crashed soon there after, not a very long ride. After resting for a few minutes I gave it another shot. I knew then I was hooked and it was all I ever thought about.

^ HAHA yes! I was waiting for something along these lines...

Oh damn Darren NAILED it...

Done with the survey.

My first time was on a camping trip when I was 14 on an offshore site we just happened to overhear some locals talking about. A 30 minute boat ride and we were there for the week.
One of the guys next to us had his sons wakeboarding that weekend. We talked a lot and eventually they asked if I wanted to give it a shot. They weren't quite ready to go out for the day, but one of his sons came out with us with his board (an old school hyperlite with honeycomb indents on the bottom and bungee bindings) gave a few quick pointers and we went out on our I/O to give it a shot.
I watched him at first and then went out. I got up on my first try, but didn't get turning the board (water skiier up until that point). The second try I did and managed to ride for a while and did about a half dozen more pulls.
After that weekend we went straight to the sporting goods store and bought a board and bindings. That weekend we went camping again and I just couldn't get it right, I kept blaming the board, or the fins, or whatever. It turns out I just forgot what I did and was overthinking it.
I went back, exchanged the board for another one, same problems the next weekend. Same problem. I eventually just let go and relaxed and it just clicked and I have been riding ever since.

Who did I recieve lessons/instuction from???? NOBODY. I started wakeboarding in the late 90's and I was the first person I knew to try it.

My buddy had just bought a '95 MB Sports Boss 200 and one of us threw down and bought a Neptune GTO wakeboard. I'd grown up water skiing as a kid and had been snowboarding for a number of years. None of us had ever tried wakeboarding nor did we have anyone we could go to that had done it. I'd heard about "skurfing" but my family sold our I/O when I was in H/S before I had a chance to try it.

So, my first time wakeboarding was as straightforward as strapping the board on my feet, yelling hit it, and standing up and riding. Up on the first pull and crossing wakes on that same pull. Easy peasy.




I've taught a lot of newbs and have lots of dialogue to teach them what to do, but for me, it felt as easy as getting up on 2 skis but in a "snowboard" position.

I already had 18 years of trick, slalom, and barefooting under my belt before i ever strapped on a wakeboard. So it wasn't a new experience for me.

It was 1986, used an old Burton 150 snowboard with sorrel boots. Boat was a 55horse Johnson fishing boat. Fun times being a kid..even better as an adult when you can afford a few toys.

^pics or it didn't happen

Done. I would recommend participants start at an early age,as i didn't start till i was in my 40's and it hindered my progression.

I was a bit of late bloomer but I still managed to get started when I was 18. People knew I'd be having some trouble because I was riding in the back seat. Sure enough, after a few seconds I was out of control and it was all over. I couldn't wait to try it again though.

Well I was talking to a friend about it and starting to recalll details of our first times. I was actually able to pinpoint it to the second or third week in September 1997. I also was able to remember and figure out that I was riding some older stuff single tipped stuff between that time and the early 2000s when I bought my own gear.

This thread is NOT about what I thought it was...

How's this?
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