Can ya help a big guy with technique?

I am having a few problems getting decent air, and need the collective genius of you guys

I am about 240lbs. First strike.

I ride on a lake that does not allow ballast. Second strike.

I ride behind a Mastercraft X7 which as you know is a ski boat not a wakeboard boat. Third strike.

With weight, actually it throws a killer wake for a ski boat but I don't weight it every time. I don't risk pissing people off for a quick afternoon run.

I have always had a problem getting decent pop off of a small wake at my size. I have a ERA 147, which I thought would help but it has not done much.

I have had pro level riders out with me, giving me advice and they said basically that I am charging the wake harder than they have ever seen anyone do it...and I am edging all the way through it....but I just cut straight through the wake. Its a little better when I have weight in the boat, but still it has to be a technique thing because I know others my size can throw down pretty much behind a skidoo.

One guy suggested that I actually back off of the edge at the lip, to keep from cutting through it. That helped...but still no height.

My wake to wake jumps behind anything other than an Xstar consist of a progressive edge...hard as crap...ending up with me going faster than a slalom skier across the wake about 12" above the water.

Any suggestions, other than taking up slalom skiing on my lake

Make sure that you're standing tall at the top of the wake. You should be coiled as you "charge" but start standing as you ride up the wake. The energy gets transferred just at the right time and "pop", you're up there. I'm 225 and the only thing I CAN do consistently is go big.

and I love the profile pic! I need a fisheye lens.

I am with Scott, you have to stand tall at the wake. I have seen people go W2W if they stay crouched in the edging position, but they don't get any height. Standing tall at the wake helps you to take things up while the speed from the progessive edge and the momentum that you have built up approaching the wake will help take you across the wake. Another thing that I read here on the board is to push off the wake with your trailing foot as you are leaving the wake. I also pull my legs up a bit when I am in the air. Good luck.

The way I look at it, Is you only have 2 strikes! 240lbs is not a strike! Im 250!

I bet you are cuttin to hard. For us big boys you need to ride up the wake. Try just goin a few feet outside the wake and take a easy cut all the way up the wake. Do a few one wake jumps ridin up the wake not through it. Let the wake pop u as you ride up it. Then cut out wide and do the same thing w2w. Try that. Hope it helps. Good Luck Later BG

These guys are giving you great advice Robert. You will note that for anyone over 200 lbs their technique becomes more important. If the pros tell you that you are cutting hard, then you have that aspect down.

Cut hard and stay crouched up until the wake. Note that you will have an easier time hitting the wake at an angle toward the boat, not straight on. This will also relieve a bit of line tension and free you up in the air. Try it, it sounds like you are hauling azz straight at the wake and plowing right through it.

Riding up the wake and standing tall is the way you get your center of gravity a little higher. It's not quite like an ollie, more like riding a small mini ramp on a skateboard. you kind of deweight the board by standing up while riding into and up it. At the top you wanna almost stomp your back foot into the wake to get some pop. Lift your knees up and you have air.

The whole thing is somewhat tricky, it's like you go super agressive to cut, lay off and smooth up the wake, and pop off the top. Hitting the wake at and angle will free you up for grabs and 180's, other tricks require a loaded line, but you should get some air first.

I can take a massively aggressive cut, mess up my approach, and get no air. Or I can take a quick cut, ride up the wake, and land in the flats with good air. I am 6'1" 220 by the way.

Best of luck, you are probably close to getting the pop right, you will know it when it happens, so will everyone on your boat.

your cut is too agressive. agree w/ flux, stephen, bg. a fast uncontrolled cut (as you know) doesn't = air. you're probably hitting the wake at a 90 degree angle. start slowly leaning in, set your edge (not as agressively) and continue to build tension as you approach the wake. ride up the wake then stand tall

At 280, I can tell you techinque is EVERYTHING! You will not be able to pull down or save a trick that is badly out of position mid air. Spinning becomes much more about handle placement and pulling into the rope, more than the basic spin and catch the handle. Inverts become more more about perfect mechanix and less about huck and hope. I really recommend a good coach early in your progression. I would recommend a 141+ board - IE LF Shane, LF Omega, HL Era, HL Drive Z(bigger size soon), OBrien Player or Natural. Good luck!

Thanks everyone. This is great info.

I will give it all a try.

Now that I think about it, some of this was what Nick and Julz recommended last year...exspecially about not trying to cut across the wake at 90 degrees...but rather try to cut fast but TOWARD the boat.

Thanks all.

Why don't you just hit the miss? You could have ballast there...

I can, but my boat is on a lift on my lake right outside of my back door.

Walk in from work, strip off clothes, put on board shorts, put 6 Bud Lights in a cooler with some ice, walk out the door and get into my boat.


Its hard to justify pulling the boat off the lake and driving to the river on a consistent basis just for weight. Heck its much easier just to get some guys in the boat rather than do that.

Brandon/Jason, you guys are dope! When are we going to ride so I can get some valuable tips from you guys? We can run my boat and all you have to do is show up with is some coaching tips

BTW, I saw "BG" ride at CIE spring ride and I think he has the whole "big air" thing figured out! Even is Jason dosen't ride he is pure entertainment!

I have never heard of laying off your edge at the wake before (maybe for a trip flip).

Do not charge hard at the wake. That will just get you hurt.

The key is to keep strong leg position with the board in front of your hips at all times. Back will be perpendicular to the board. Do not break at the waste. Keep the handle at your belly button area with equal tension on both arms at all times during the cut.

Start in nice and slow almost with knees bent in a nice athletic start point. The board will be almost flat as you start your turn in. Then build edge as you go to the wake. By building edge vision a upside down T. The T starts flat and as you get to the wake, the T starts to angle more and more with the vertical part of the T angling away from the boat. Try and show the bottom of the board to the people in the boat. As you do this, your knees will still be in there bent athletic start position and the board will still be firmly in front of your hips and back perpendicular to the board. You will just now be on edge angled away from the boat.

As you start up the wake, straighten you legs to push back away from the boat. You will not be laying down or anything like that. You will find there will be a lot of tension on the rope at point of lift off and most important, your board will still be on edge. You do not have to get a big cut to go up and clear the wake. You should be able to do it in about 10 ft when you get it dialed.

Strong edge will take you up while speed takes you out. If you do this technique you will notice your crashes will be softer, your riding will feel in control, and you will drop down onto the wake and not landing like a jot on a aircraft carrier.

People who do not ride their edge are relying on the center fins to create speed because the board is flat in the water. That is why the old adage that a board with long fins is a faster board. You want to use your edge.

(Message edited by deltahoosier on June 07, 2006)

Nice Deltahoosier....that makes a lot of sense. I like the idea of showing the people in the boat the bottom of your board. That is easy to visualize while being on the end of the rope.

Attila, Whats up bro?!? How ya been? Thanks! Anytime!! I would love to get behind that PIMP @$$ all red X1!! I'll get ya doin backrolls in no time! Later BG

(Message edited by bigpapaf1f on June 07, 2006)

Thanks Robert. I do not remember the last time I saw 240 lbs. I am around 300 lbs. One thing I can suggest is that you try and build your wake solid and not peaky. smaller and solid is more effective for me than large and peaky.

You really need to wait for your pop and get in the air before you try any tricks. As Jason mentioned (and he knows what he is talking about), the bigger you are, the better your technique has to be.

Also, do not ride too slow. You have to ride a little faster than the average guy. Do not sink your board too much. I ride at 24.7 mph. That allows me to advance my board foward with a little pull from behind the boat. I ride a 143 and I can not ride anything shorter than a 142 without issues.