first time on a rail. advice?

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-23-2009, 6:27 PM

im going to hit my first rail this weekend. anyone have any advice?

(wake_it_up) · (wake_it_up) **Join Date: Nov 2008** 09-23-2009, 6:39 PM

I'm new myself, so here's what I have been instructed to do by coaches, and learned myself.
First, always have your knees bent, no matter what.
Look at the end of the rail if you are having balance problems.
Cut towards the rail and flatten out right before hitting it( make sure you have time to ollie though), do not edge out and cut back in or you will be pulled off the rail quickly.
If you are falling off, don't try to save it, take the fall.
And last but the most important- always keep the board flat, if you try to edge your board will slip out making you eat the rail.

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-23-2009, 6:42 PM

okay cool, thats pretty much what i thought, and i dont know if this makes a difference, but it will be with a winch

(wake_it_up) · (wake_it_up) **Join Date: Nov 2008** 09-23-2009, 6:44 PM

Oh nice. I've never ridden behind a winch before. What kind of rail are you hitting?

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-23-2009, 6:47 PM

i know there will be atleast one flat bar, and at least one incline. its a wakeskate event. so nothing supper crazy. and there will be like 10 winches there including mine, its a perfect rail/winch spot on shore

(xbones) · (xbones) **Join Date: Mar 2007** 09-23-2009, 7:03 PM

Keep the handle low (#1 IMO)
Edge late
Center your weight (i.e. don't lean back or you'll slip out)

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-23-2009, 7:14 PM

how low should i keep it?
and what do you mean by edge late?

(wake_it_up) · (wake_it_up) **Join Date: Nov 2008** 09-23-2009, 8:12 PM

By low he means around hip height. Its a bit of a personal thing in the end though. And if you look at a video of someone hitting a rail, they edge out at the last possible moment so that they have line tension coming into the obstacle. The longer the rail, the more emphasis you have to put on this. For smaller rails its not that important, you almost do it naturally.

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-23-2009, 8:18 PM

these are like 12-15 feet tops

(wake_it_up) · (wake_it_up) **Join Date: Nov 2008** 09-23-2009, 8:22 PM

Yeah, don't really worry about it. Keep it in mind if you find yourself having issues, but other than that you shouldn't have a problem.

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-23-2009, 8:25 PM

okay. im hoping to get it after a few times. but hoping is the key word there.

(xbones) · (xbones) **Join Date: Mar 2007** 09-24-2009, 5:55 AM

Correct: Edging late helps you stay on a longer rail rather than being pulled off to the boat/pwc/winch side.

Blake... naw dawg, I mean LOW ;) As low as you can get that thing. Looks much steezier that way (see profile pic)

(chaser) · (chaser) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 09-24-2009, 12:12 PM

wear a helmet too :-)

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-24-2009, 12:34 PM

nope, wont be wearing a helmet

(chaser) · (chaser) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 09-24-2009, 1:50 PM

never mind, I see your only 17, pretty much indestructible at that age, right?

(denverd1)

"Edge late" means cruise up to it, then edge out to it hard right before you ollie. Keep line tension and keeps you on the rail. These don't sound like they're long enough to be an issue, but practice edging out before you ollie. More a wakeboard thing since you have more control, but you'll need it for longer rails.

(behindtheboat) · (behindtheboat) **Join Date: Aug 2006** 09-24-2009, 1:59 PM

but that sounds like cable advice more than winch.

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-24-2009, 2:03 PM

chasin, something like that. haha. but seriously, we just dont have a helmet, and i dont want to shell out the money for something im not going to do often at all.

(romes) · (romes) **Join Date: Sep 2006** 09-24-2009, 2:27 PM

uhh...what sort of logic is that?? you should pay $40 to keep your brains inside your skull...wear any helmet no ones gonna care. there are a lot of things that can go wrong on a rail the first few times you hit it...chances are you're gonna leanl on the rope a little too hard causing the board to slip out from underneath you and you go straight onto your ass...which could lead to the back of your head slappin the rail...which...whithout a helmet could lead to your brians oozing from your head...

just get a helmet dude..

(stxr_racer) · (stxr_racer) **Join Date: Jun 2006** 09-24-2009, 2:52 PM

Slide the whole rail on your ass like I did, haha

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-24-2009, 4:09 PM

jr, it was a joke. and the only helmet i have is a dirtbike helmet which wouldnt work to well.

(wake_it_up) · (wake_it_up) **Join Date: Nov 2008** 09-24-2009, 4:20 PM

Lol, yeah that's completely true Luker. For the first time I don't think it will be very steezy altogether though ;) Or David might be amazing, you never know.

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-24-2009, 4:25 PM

blake. im not going to try and make it look good, im going to try and land on the water board side down. haha

(wake_it_up) · (wake_it_up) **Join Date: Nov 2008** 09-24-2009, 4:32 PM

Haha I know, but you never know. You could get it right away. But good luck, rails are crazy fun.

(lfrider92) · (lfrider92) **Join Date: Sep 2008** 09-24-2009, 5:50 PM

haha, thanks bro. im hoping it doesnt take me to long. its a wakeskate camping trip though, so im not going to be hitting it all day, just when no one else is there