Wide Boards, Edging, and FIns

I have had a couple of issues on my mind through the summer about Edging, Wide Boards and using fins to edge instead of actually edging.

I and most people have noticed a trend toward very wide boards in the past few years. I was wondering if going wider sooner for beginners was a bad thing.

I started on a board that was way too wide for me and I developed bad habits and could not progress. I finally got on a board that makes me use my edge and I have done more things in one season than I did in 3 plus years.

I notice a lot of beginners tend to ride flat and rely on their fins to get speed and hit the wake flat and just kind of ride over like a ramp and just get killed. Some people get really hurt the first time or two out due to this. We usually chalk it up to "paying your dues". If they do make it, they are horribly off balance.

I wonder if putting beginners on a wide board is really doing them justice or maybe take the fins off to make them learn to edge? I know that some may not have the satisfaction of clearing sooner, but, will it help them hit tricks sooner or maybe take it more up so the landing is not so fast and hard if they learn to edge? My experience says it may. I also notice beginner to intermediate riders as myself getting the wide boards before really learning tow side jumps and good balance in the air. They seem to rely on speed and the big board for air instead of a short approach and a good hard edge to go up and not out. I wonder if more people are hurting their toe side progression, switch riding or spins due to getting on a wider board before learning to edge?

Has anyone gone through this or noticed this? I was just having some general thoughts about this and was wondering what others think about their progression or helping others. Are center fins hurting more than helping for progression? Does a wide board really give you more air if you are truly on edge? I mean the edge of the board is in the water not the fins right?

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

(Message edited by deltahoosier on October 30, 2003)