Progressive Edging?

OK, I've been riding for a hair over a year now. It's safe to say that I haven't made my way past beginner, I lack consistency and all I ever hear from anyone is "progressive edging". I know for a fact that I flatten my board out about 3 to 4 feet away from the wake, and I know that's not good. What I don't know is how you're supposed to stay on edge and stand tall at the same time. the instant I begin to stand tall the board flattens out. On a heelside jump for example, are you just supposed to stand tall against your heels? I've heard of swing thoughts for golf, does anyone out here have any thoughts to keep your board on edge through the wake? Any help would be great as I think if I could generate some consistency here I could begin to progress rather rapidly

There's an article on all of the above right smack dab in the middle of our front page.

Dave

I appreciate the information and I did read the article but it didn't really answer the question (at least for me). I was hoping to get reponses from numerous riders just so I can find something that works for me, I asked some specific questions that the article was too generic to answer, it sounded alot like every other one I've read. I was under the impression that this is what this discussion area was all about.

whoa.....chill Mike. You too Dave, you must admit, that was a pretty smart ass answer you gave him. Anyway, Mike, you don't really want to edge thru the wake. You want to have a progressive edge all the way up to the wake and then when you get to it, stand up. That gives you the pop. And the more speed/tension on the rope you during the progressive edge, the more pop you will get. It's all about timing bro. You will get it.

Mike, you're saying that you try to stand tall about 3 to 4 feet before you get to the wake. 3 to 4 feet before you get to the wake is where you should be on your hardest edge. It's right as you get to the wake that you should flatten out and take the jump up into the air. Good luck with it.

Try not cutting out too wide as you tend to build a lot of speed and that has a tendancy to make you want to flatten out at precicley the wrong moment. Cut out about 10-12 feet and then drift until the boat begins to pull you in to the wake and then bury your heelside edge and hold it.

Don't let off your edge!!! Don't try and hop... The boat weighs a hell of a lot plus it's going 20 something miles per hour. If you want air--you need to have the boat do the work--not you.

Read Buffalow's article again--I have never seen it explained better. If you are not getting pop--guess what you are doing hitting the wake wrong... Most likely you are trying to do to much work to get in the air...

Thank you Bill, that seems like my problem right there, I do always feel like I've generated too much speed. I appreciate the postive feedback I've gotten from almost everyone, I'm going out this weekend for the 1st time this season, I hope this feedback will help.

I have the same problem Mike and it gets frustrating. I try to take everyone's advice and it is like golf...sometimes you end up thinking too much and really screw it up. The one consistent thing I've heard is to just keep practicing. Some make it look so easy..they make me sick, but the amaze me also. Good luck!

look at it more from a timing perspective. When we start wakeboarding we have the ability to only cut so hard. As we get better, we learn to cut harder. When we cut, no matter what our skill level or how hard we can cut, we eventually reach a maximum speed and have to flatten out or let the board skid out. The object is to leave the wake at the same time you reach maximum speed. You are climaxing to early (ok, no jokes..haha)reaching max speed and flattening out. You can correct this and practice your skill in a couple of ways. One is dont cut so far out and give yuorself all that room. Keep it a shorter cut so you dont max out early. Or, make your progressive tension on the rope later in the cut. Think of this in combination with what you read in that well written article. If you have any more questions feel free to ask.

Thanks Jason, that's what I was looking for, just a different way to think about it. I'm not concerned about being able to do it, I just needed to have something to focus on...

this may feel like a step backwards for you but humble yourself and try this. start on the inside of one wake and edge harder and harder towardsthe otherwake (inside out jump) and then stand tall against the rope try, getting more and more air every time. this will teach you progressive edge.i can get 3-4 feet on these jumps somtimes more.also helps your olly power(which is really what a wake jump is)

i do the same thing travis does. it's good practice.

Correctemundo!

I make ollies 4-6 feet high, without a wake (cable track). Just by rope tension and progressive edging.
Took me about a year to finetune the technique but it was worth it!

Keep up the praccy and remember this: IF IT HURTS IT'S PROBABLY WORTH IT!!!

I try to do what Chris is talking about. Are you getting tension and then literally jumping off the wake? I don't get it. Any tips?