Pop - I just can't do it.
 

I've been riding for about 2 years and just cannot clear the wake. I've read article after article on how to go w2w, how to pop, and progressive edge, and I still can't do it. My husband can, but he's been riding for years and can't explain how he does it.

Currently we don't have a tower or pylon, we are using the hook on the back of the boat, so I'm wondering how much of a difference that makes, and if that requires using a different technique? (When I jump, I feel like I'm being pulled down...?)

We are planning to buy a tower, but shouldn't I still be able to get some air without it?

Any tips would definitely be appreciated...

Can you try to explain your approach / takeoff? That way we can have an idea about what you might be doing wrong.

Sure.

First off, I just want to add that I ride goofy and get more pop/height toeside than I do heelside.

Toeside - I edge out as far as I can, load the line, then edge back in and try to keep my legs straight off the wake. I get some height, but no distance...and I feel like I'm about to fall over when I land.

Heelside - I can't seem to edge out as far, and the rope is always tight (no slack.) Since I can't edge out enough, I can't load the line and don't have enough time build speed, so I try to edge really hard and really fast. I get some distance but not height. When I edge hard and jump like that, I usually can't land it.

It feels like I'm trying really hard to get air, when it looks so easy in videos. I know I'm doing something wrong...

Sorry I have no video yet.

Well it sounds to me like when you're on your toeside, you're loading the line *too early*. I don't yet know the physics behind it (I can't wait until college physics next year!), but for some reason you have to edge in nice and easy and slowly load the line. Also, focus on leaning away from the line, not into the wake. Try to start closer to the wake and focus on taking as "progressive" an edge as you can.

On heelside, it sounds like mostly the same thing. Take more of a progressive edge by easing into the cut.

You're looking for the perfect balance of tension and speed. Too much tension and you'll go up and not out, too much speed and you'll go out but not up. Sounds like you've got a little bit of each.

"Also, focus on leaning away from the line, not into the wake."

I definitely have been leaning into the wake, so that explains why I feel like I'm falling over when I land toeside. I'll try not to this time.

Thanks for the tips, I'm going try again this weekend. ;)

Just in case... make sure you also have a non-stretch line. That makes a good deal of difference and is worth the extra $20-30.

It sounds like an issue with your toeside edge. The reason you can edge out further toeside is because you are edging away from the wake on your heels. It is the opposite on the heelside. I personally would spend a lot of time learning edging technique. Worry about that before you worry about W2W.

I can't even tell you how much this helped! That, combined with standing tall on the wake, gave me more pop, and I landed about 95% of my jumps! The only time I fell was when I went too high and had an "Oh crap, what do I do now?!" moment. :o

Otto - I'm going to check into what type if rope we have - It does feel a little like a slingshot...

Wake77 - Thanks, that does make sense. I really have to pull hard on my toeside, just to get out there. I did practice that side more this weekend, and really cranked it on my edge, which helped.

Glad to be of service!

melissa do you push your hips forward when you pop? by this i mean push your hips out toward your toes and push your chest up. this makes you stand tall. on toe side what i try to do is stand on my tip toes right before the wake and have the handle right on my right hip bone. having the rope low gives me more control in the air. i have really noticed a difference in my toeside because i do as many toeside jumps as i do heelside. also practice riding switch every time you go out. then when you want to do a 180 you are ready to ride on your switch edge . good luck i hope this helps.

CWB4ME - All I do is straighten my legs at the wake, but I'll try the hip thing next time.

Last year I had no problem riding switch, and could do surface 180's. But I put my fins back on (because our lake is choppy as hell) and I can't spin anymore. So I'm going to have to learn all over again. Riding switch was a little more difficult too.

How many of you can ride switch easily?

melissa surface 180's are done mostly with the handle. since you are goofy it will be easy for me to explain. if you are on your heel side cut away from the wake about 10 feet ,put even weight on your legs rotate the handle from your right hip to your left hip while you are leaning away from the line. this does not mean backwards. you draw a line from the handle to whatever pole it is attached to make your body a part of that line direction.this wil keep your board edge out of the water.then once you have rotated your 180 you would put 60% of your weight on your right foot . you will notice right away this is not as comfortable. a good drill for warm up is to cut out and back to to wake heel side 3 times when you cut out the 4th time rotate 180 and repeat the drill switch then while your still switch cut slowly across the wakes and do the same three cuts switch then do a 180 and do 3 cuts in and out goofy. i do this drill every time i ride to warm up muscles and reinforce muscle memory edging. hope thi drill will help you.

CWB4ME - That handle-to-hip thing worked like a charm for my surface 180's! I only fell once, when I got cocky. I didn't get to try the heelside jump though, since I was behind a jetski at the time, but I will let you know if the hip technique works.

GLAD TO HEAR YOU HAD SUCCESS.the pushing of your hips forward and chest up makes your body a solid unit. therefore you don't absorb the wake you react or pop off of it . good luck and be safe for the fourth[lots of newbies on the lakes and rivers.]

Just to clarify something, when you first wrote what you were doing, you said you were edging out, then loading the line, then approaching. If that is true and not just that you wrote it in the wrong order, then you are doing things in the wrong order. You should not be loading the line before your approach. You do load the line on the carve out to a degree, but then you flatten and coast with little line tension as you prepare to change edges and start your approach back to the wake. You load the line at / just before you hit the wake. You can do this slowly and progressively, or you can let the boat pull you back in almost the whole way and then load the @#%#% out of the line at the last second. Either will work, but the key is having the most line tension (load) as you stand tall (i.e., the last instant that you are touching the water before takeoff).

Oh, and hips/pelvis forward and lean down the line not toward the wake is huge, as you have noticed.

Pop - Update. I CAN do it!
 

FINALLY figured it out!

One time I got so much height and distance that I I freaked and crashed. :rolleyes: Now I'm just working on W2W, so, we'll see how that goes.

Thank you everyone for the help, especially cwb4me.

Melissa I am also putting cwb4me tips to use with great success. Along with alot of other good info on here. I have been boarding about same length oftime as you. I found that bringing the hips in with a slight tug of the handle downwards to the hips is the key for me. Keep up the good work. Wait until you get a tower then your really going to get punted!!!

congrats! melissa and kevin just let me know if you need any more help. i'll be glad to try and help. this sport is all body position and technique.