Am I ready to try an invert?

I know this is a crazy question because wakeboarding is so different for everybody but I feel like I need some sort of input on the issue. This is the beginning of my second season wakeboarding but my level isn't quite where I would like it to be right now. My heelside jump is solid and I can do all of the back hand grabs (I haven't tried any front hand idk why) and I can jump the wake toeside but it looks very akward and def no grabs. I can toe front 180 but rarely land the heel front cuz I'm so akward switch toeside and I never take the time to work on it. It seems like everyone on these forums learns a backroll their first season and I am yet to try any invert. Am I even ready to try one right now or should I just go with my slow progression speed and wait? When did most of you guys start trying and landing inverts? The one that seems to make the most sense to me is a toeside backroll strangely. Which would you guys recomend trying first and what should I expect? Any input would be much appreciated. Thanks.

many say once you have a solid heelside progressive edge down and feel comfortable jumping the wake, you are capable of learning backrolls. For me, though, I learned heel and toe wake to wake, grabs, and heel and toe frontside 180's wake to wake before learing the backroll. I have buddies that will go out and can't ride switch or jump toeside trying inverts, but I feel if you learn all the basics after a couple of seasons your riding will really come together and you will progress faster.

It is all an opinion, do it when you feel comfortable. Make sure you have a solid heelside edge though. If you can go w2w and you feel confident try a few, and see how they go.

It is all an opinion, do it when you feel comfortable. Make sure you have a solid heelside edge though. If you can go w2w and you feel confident try a few, and see how they go.

Sounds like you are ready to give a backroll a go but keep working on the basics.

this is my second season and i've just now started to learn frontrolls.

I have very solid hs and ts w2f jumps with front and rear grabs with pokes. I also have a grabbed ts 180 and am on the edge of the hs 1. I almost landed it on the second try and most likely will on the 4'th or 5'th.

I'd reccomend givin em a shot when you truly feel ready for some fun falls

I landed a back roll before I could jump wake to wake any direction.

Josh, w2f? Is that wake-to-face jumps?

If you want to learn a back roll or any invert, Then i'd say you are ready!!!! Thats the great thing about this sport its about you, learn what you want when you want.

Yah ur ready me and my friends were "attempting" backrolls just about as soon as we had enough control to edge into the wake. But until I got solid enough to land w2w I never landed one. Took one day of just crash after crash after crash to land my first one.

here is a test to see if you're ready. take your right hand and check just below the waist of your board shorts the next time your out. if you find balls, then you are ready.

^^^^^

nick, used to be

wake to flats now tho

Just don't be the guy who does inverts, but cant cross the wake TS- what I mean is that, sure...go for it, but keep working the whole package, it will help you progress going forward

(Message edited by k9fxr on June 16, 2008)

Wow, Cody...is that all it takes.....I'm ready coach!!!

(Message edited by rnopr8 on June 16, 2008)

sure you're ready to try em, have fun with it, it took me years to figure out the b-roll... I got it finally, its fun, go for it!

So I tried a few tantrums today an it went a lot better than I thought It would. I didn't land them but at least I attempted. I felt down found my balls and went for it. I can atleast say I didn't have the problem of throwing them too early. I actually cleared the wake with it to just barely in the flats but Im not getting all the way around. I keep landing on my toes. Whats weird is being upside down isn't that bad but it felt what I expected

IS a backroll the easiest invert to learn?

It depends. For some people, backrolls are more natural. Some people like tantrums better because you can spot the landing much easier.

Tantrums are more suited to someone who takes long cuts at the wake generating lots of speed and can throw backflips. BRs more suited for persons who can take a short progressive cut to the wake and get popped and clear it. Can't say which is easier overall, although BRs tend to inflict greater levels of pain to the first timer IMO.

backroll is much easier

Do what is fun. You are going to fall when you start trying them. The important thing is to have a body that is comfortable falling. The people who should avoid inverts are the people who are afraid of falling, or concerned their body wont survive a fall.

Many purists will give you a regiment of escalation to follow, and will bag on you if you can do something more advanced but struggle with something less advanced.

I say to think of a basic invert that you think will be fun to learn and do, and start using fundamentals to attempt a few. I think you will find that basic inverts are much easier than you think. The hard part is getting the guts to try.

Purists... thats a good one.

Do what ever is fun to you. Had a guy land a roll first try last night. He can't jump toeside.

I know a guy who can do a toeside backroll but can't jump toeside wake 2 wake.

huck it.
fall. huck it again.
probably fall. huck it again. lose teeth. huck it again. seek advice from driver/shorten rope.
huck it again. just keep huckin it. it'll come.

I take it back that rolls are easier. The very next night a guy landed his first tantrum, first try of the set. Can't jump toeside either. I think it was my driving again.

Main thing is maintaining position going into the wake, getting your pop, and hucking it

I got to say you are not ready. Many will say a strong heelside edge and your good to go for a br. I don't. I leaned backside 180's before I could throw a br. I think leaning to ride switch, jumping toeside stong, 180's both toe and heel as well as halfcabs should all come before inverts. Your progression will skyrocket after that. If you can land big heelside 180's you can land roll to reverts. So learn a backroll a few sessions later you got a roll to revert, etc. Just my .02