Ok Guys be gentle ...

I have been trying for weeks and weeks to clear the wake. I am having trouble being pulled over the front and getting the rope ripped from my hands on every jump. Oh and lets not forget that I dont get any pop and dont make it it across the wake. I need help here. I have no problem with criticism but please dont just dont start tearing me apart. This is my first summer wakeboarding by the way.

Anyway here is a couple of my last attempts for you to examine.
Thanks in advance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhVmXiE4J4Q

Francis,

Anytime you're having trouble "going out the front" on a wake to wake jump, you need to look at where your handle position is. In all of your attempts on that video to a degree, you hit the wake and instead of pulling, or keeping the handle approximate to your leading hip, you straighten your arms, moving the handle away from your body. That will let the boat pull you over the front and make it far harder to hang on that if you had the handle in close.

Keep that handle in close to your leading hip after you pop off the top of the wake and your "over the front" and "handle popping" issues should be taken care of.

Good luck

Oh and im riding about 65 feet or so behind the boat and I go right at 22.5 mph.

I tried shortening the rope but for some reason I get all goofy outside the wake and it seems that the board digs in when im edging. Extend the rope back out and everything feels good again.

So I should pull the rope when i leave the wake or as im hitting the wake?

Don't stress too much over exactly when you pull on the rope, if you do, you'll pull too hard and end up on your arss. look you have a good edge in, when you get to the wake make sure you stand tall (straighten your legs) so you get the pop off the wake, then you'll make it across. as far as the rope, when you start your cut, keep it on your hip, when you get to the wake, keep it on your hip, when you leave the wake, keep it on your hip, when you're in the air....etc.....basically don't take the rope off your hip and you'll be balanced. don't stress over yankin on the rope, just make sure it stays at your hip the whole time and you're golden.

Hold on tight. Even if you case the wake you can bounce off of it and keep going, this happens to everyone at first. Soon you will be clearing it no problem.

a few other things to consider...

after edging out, wait for the line tension to pull you in closer to the wake... dont charge the wake with a hard cut...
with a slower approach, you can time your pop better...

also try edging out only half way and try a few big ollie pops at the tip of the wake... dont try to clear both wakes... get yout timing right first...

and also, what boat are you using? perhaps try a boat with a bigger wake?

I have to disagree with Eden, why would you try to ollie at the top of the wake? You don't ollie on a w2w.

Imho you are setting too hard an edge to early and then coming off edge just before you hit the wake, save that hard edge until the wake.
You are also breaking at the waist, your shoulders are over the handle and with the line tension you're building with you initial cut when you let the handle out and up you're gonna get pulled out the front everytime.

Slow it down, edge out on your toes and stop, get the handle low and tight to your lead hip, allow the boat to start the initial pull back towards the wake and then begin to edge (nothing crazy like you are currently doing) a gentle edge getting harder and harder as you approach the wake, once you feel the wake begin to push you up extend and push the handle down (while keeping the handle close to your body). This will take you comfortably w2w every time.

Check out Detention 2012 or The Book to really break down this trick.

Ok so I have some work ahead of me. I will try harder to keep the rope at my hip all the way through the jump. I guess it is going to just take a lot of muscle to do it because it just seems that when I leave the wake the handle is jerked really hard and it pulls my arms up and out.

Also the boat is a 21' Tahoe I/O. I put 700lbs of sacs in it and the wake is bigger but still no where near what a real wakeboard boat will do. I can not just go get another boat so I will have to make due with this one for a while.

When I get home today i will post a video of the same jumps but at full speed and i will include my cut outside so you guys can take a look at the whole thing.
Thanks again for the help. I really do want to complete the W2W before the end of the summer so I will try whatever you guys tell me to do.
Thanks

francis you don't have to worry about the rope length if you want to shorten it to 55' thats okay. just take a milder cut to the wake. i agree with jon doe you are getting pulled off your edge. i showed a student of mine just last week to clear the wake at 65 feet you don't need to cut out but maybe 8' to 10'. with proper edge and pop easily clear the wake. he was doing the same thing as you cutting too hard into the wake.you should cut out settle and let the boat pull you in and you gradually increase your edge and keep the handle at your lead hip. that way when you stand tall push your hips towards your toes and push your chest up your handle will be at your hip . it will get pulled out a little but just push it down to your waist while you are in the air. you will be fine. once you get all the technique right and are landing in the flats lengthen the line 5' at a time till you find your right spot . i would guess 65' looking at the wake. good luck

THAT'S WHAT SHE SAID! (see thread title)

You have a good edge when you're approaching the wake, but like others have said you need to stop pulling the rope to your chest and stand tall at the crest of the wake. Looks to me like your using your legs as a shock and when you do that you are working against the rocker. Stay tall and keep your legs a little stiffer and you'll get booted. You're getting close bro keep up the hard work!

You are close and your form looks pretty decent until you hit the wake. You are not racing in like many persons first learning. It almost looks like you have developed some poor muscle memory or mental block and automatically let the handle out when you hit the wake. It takes a little strength to keep the handle in close to your core but not much - more mind over matter type of thing. Maybe try some drills going for 1/2 wake jumps but focus on keeping the handle in off the wake and get that nailed and take it wake to wake. Pushing the handle down as you are going up the wake will help keep it in and will also stiffen your legs to boot you. It takes some timing but you are REALLY CLOSE.

Ohh and your wake looks clean and certainly big enough. Many of us have learned on lesser wakes.

Ok here is the same video except the speed is actual and I included edging out.
Thanks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Ms5arWcic

I didn't read the whole thread, but you only have one problem.....you're absorbing the pop instead of pushing off the top of the wake.

Imagine yourself jumping on a trampoline. You land with bent knees, and as the trampoline rebounds, you stand tall and push off to maximize the energy and get more pop UP. It's the same thing. Your edge into the wake looks good.

I don't see any "getting pulled off your edge," "pulled out the front," or any of that happening. Squat down as you come into the trough, and push off as you reach the top of the wake.

2nd vid is not working for me. IMPO and with respect it looks like your affraid to hold on to the rope. I am not bashing you bro so dont take it that way. But in the first video as soon as you leave the wake you let go of the handle. My buddy Drew Proses from a few post up taught me this...."you cant do a thing without the string" Hold on to that handle man. Lots a great advice here.I would say stand a little taller with a tad more weight on your heels and HOLD ON to the rope and you will be there. I too struggled with getting pulled over the front and with some good tips from Robert (cwb4me) and a couple of others I have really improved in just a few weeks.Getting WAY more pop and dont get pulled out the front nearly as much. Keep hitting it..it will come.

Thanks again everyone.
I guess im a little gun shy not after getting a pretty good concussion only about 4 weeks ago and im sure thats the main reason for letting go. The head is feeling pretty good now so next time out im going to hold on it win, lose or draw.

francis wear a helmet. i've had a concussion before twice that i can remember.it is much better to be teased about wearing a helmet than to be teased about having scrambled eggs for brains. i can tell the difference in a crash with my helmet. it always seems less severe. now if the only made a body suit that protected your muscles in a crash.

Oh I do wear one now. I was a little skeptical at first that the helmet was going to help that much but it has really softened the blows. Im 33 years old and really dont care if other people think i look silly or not.

Get a non streach rope!

I honesly thought thats what i had?? Its a Straitline Wakeboard rope.
Do you really think the rope is not right/

straightline should be fine i have some and they work well.

Your rope is fine.

IMO, you have developed a bad habit of tossing the handle. The last jump of your first video, your landing was pretty sketchy, but you could have rode out of that. Hold on to the handle. Bad landings are going to hurt with or without the handle, so hang on.