W2W Question

Got out on the wakeboard for the first time this year, and it was freezing. Did some basic wake jumps and had problems landing. Everytime i landed on the other side of the wake I was getting yanked forward and almost felt like faceplanting. Any suggestions?

Try holding the rope lower so that the rope doesnt have as much leverage against your body. If you can, post a video. There are a hundred guys on this site that will have your problem fixed in two seconds.

Keep the handle tight to your lead hip.

Heres a video from last year

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raY4tafyH-Q

you're keeping your edge to the wake, but from that video it doesnt look like you're really creating much line tension. you wanna really progressively cut into the wake, creating line tension, thats gonna help you get the pop you want. Also, you're bendin your knees prior to the jump. You really wanna pop off the wake, resisting any absorption of the wake with your lower body. If you watch any vid of pro riders you'll see what i'm talking about. At 2:11 and 3:06 in this video you can really see what i'm talking about, where his legs are almost fully extended off the top of the wake. just my .02

from Norbi Vasko on Vimeo.

Something that might help you with what Ben B said would be slowing the boat down to like 20 or 21 mph and do 1 wake jumps, but just try to get as high as you can. Right now you are using speed to get across the wake and you look like you are driving a little faster than you are comfortable with. If you slow the boat down it will force you to use good technique to get across the wakes, which will help you later on.

so pretty much keep my knee bent until i get to the wake then stand up

As already stated, try one wake jumps first. Practice the progressive cut. Swing out wide, then when you feel the boat start to pull you back to center, begin to lean on your heels to start your cut. You want to "progressively" edge harder towards the wake. In other words, your fastest point should be AT the wake. When i say fastest, that doesn't mean you have to be going super fast, it just means that you want the wake to be the point in which you are traveling the fastest of that particular cut.

Make sure to keep consistent pressure on the line. That pressure should be increasing as the cut progresses. Once you get to the wake and the board begins to edge up it, you want to straighten out your legs, resisting the forthcoming "pop". Don't absorb the wake with your legs. Also, don't fully lock out your knees. Use your hip and leg muscles to remain stiff. Stand tall.

The timing is the next big issue. You want to be standing tall AT the lip of the wake, centered on your boards rocker or pop point. As you pop, ensure the handle remains low, near your waist. Look up at the horizen or towards the shore. As you start to come down, spot your landing and be prepared to now absorb the landing with your knees.

Ride away stoked. You should start small as suggested before, jumping one wake first. Pop will get you across the wake, but you need to build that first. Don't worry about clearing both wakes at this point. Make sure on your cut, to keep the handle in front of you and close to your body and waist. Don't let it get pulled to where your arms are fully extended in front of you, that will cause you to get pulled forward.