old guys only

.....anyone over 40 learn an invert...ie...backroll tantrum....or even raley at that age or over.....just wondering if my body would hold up to the punishment of learning.

I'm 54......with bad knees and waiting for a replacement on my right one. DO YOU THINK I"M CRAZY TO TRY!!!!!!

I am 36 and I feel it on Monday after 2 days of boarding.

I'm 39 and until I prove to myself that I can't learn them, I'll be progressing to those.

I'm 37 and have an inconsistent backroll in my repertoire. I also have been trying scarecrows and tantrums. Raleys.... I've tried 'em, but man they have some potential for horrendous crashes!
If you are normally active and in good shape, I'd go for it. If wakeboarding is your ONLY athletic activity, you might have a tougher road.

I am not old but Ill tell a story from my youth. When I was about 16 or 17, me and a couple of friends were out like everyday at Pedro. So we felt like we owned the place, basicalyl we were punks. Anyway, it was the perfect evening the water was glass in this little cove we found and boarded there all summer. Anyways this boat comes into our cove with the balding overweight old man, with a huge knee brace mind you, in tow on a board. I am thinking to my punk self, wow this guy is going to ruin the water for us better people and my evening is shot. So needless to say we are kinda staring this boat down, in process of "mugging" this other boat, this old man busts out a backroll, to a toe three, to a tantrum, to a ts 180. He lands them all super stylish and then casually lets go of the handel to finish his run. That moment really humbled me and my friends who at the time though we were it doing our indy grabs.

Mike Z,

I'm 44 and because of work I can't take a big chance on an injury. Otherwise I'd try some of those tricks.

I see you're a firefighter........might be tough to do that with bad knees.

That's a good point about being in generally good shape. I still think like I'm in my 20's, but I'm an avid triathlete. So my body doesn't totally abandon me when I try to dumb crap like this.

43, have those and more , always working on harder stuff. I'm in pretty good shape though, work out year round and eat clean, stay lean.

43, just started boarding last year, will try more tricks this summer, grew up waterskiing, wakeboarding much easier on the body.... except the face plants!

43 in July
I workout hard all winter
am taking lessons now for the second season
I am determined to get an invert

I follow my coaches strict advice

first....wake to wakes on all 4 edges
with some 1 wake 180's mixed in
second...1 wake 360's
third....wake to wake 360's
finally an invert

I am still on my switch wake to wakes

he claims that if I follow the plan, I will drastically reduce the risk of injury

I am following his advice, but feel like the clock is tickin!

got a lesson Sunday on Mastercrafts private lake in Fort Worth
...maybe 'cause the pros were just there, the karma will be on my side this week!

oh....and yes....I have a brand new VLX...and can't do an invert

I know that makes me a poser.....

but I know, that if I never get my invert....my daughters will avenge me! :-)

I just turned 44 and am still in good shape. I play basketball all year and still can hang with the twenty and thirty year olds. I feel good when I board and have hardly any issues with fatigue or being sore the day after. My main hangup is the fear of injury. When I was twenty and living hand to mouth I just did not care as much about what I did to myself. Now, with a son to take care of and a business to run I feel a little more cautious. I hope to build my confidence to a point where I feel enough control over the board, that attempts at some of the more difficult tricks will come easier to me. That said...I still feel pretty good about my skills in a boat full of forty year olds. I guess I need to stop comparing myself to the youngsters.

45
i compete in barefoot tournaments
my trick runs are:
first 15 second run:
flying dock front tumble up to one foot
one foot
one foot reverse
toehold
toehold reverse
360 tumbleturn to 1 foot
360 tumbleturn reverse to 1 foot
180 tumbleturn to 1 foot
180 tumbleturn reverse to 1 foot
hop

2nd 15 second run:
backdeep
back 1 foot
back 1 foot reverse
back toehold
back toehold reverse
back to front

wake slalom frontwards 1 foots about 6 crossings in 15 seconds
and then backwards 1 foots about 6 in 15 seconds


even on my wakeboard i use and recommend using a barefoot wetsuit if you anticipate some crashes, it provides a ton of protection and floatation so that you don't turn into flotsum and jetsom

I'm NOT Over 40, But I DID SEE a guy just killin it at the int practice runs, I think he was atleast 45 or so, He Did A 911, 116, 311, tantrum2blind all sorts of crazy stuff.

116, 311, I have no idea what are you talking about Tervor?

"oh....and yes....I have a brand new VLX...and can't do an invert

I know that makes me a poser....."

Heh....I just got home from the cable lake at Texas Ski Ranch where I was practicing 180's and switch riding on my brand spanking new 07 CWB Absolute. The 15-20 year olds that were there were admiring the board. I told them that was the benefit of being old: you could buy stuff because you wanted it, not because you were good enough to actually need it!}

Almost 37 and trying to kill it, but most of the time the water gets the best of me. Still haven't landed the 3 and raley. It is almost more practical for me to try the S-bend. Lovin every minute of it though.

Paul just nailed it. I'm probably not old enough to post on the old guy thread. Turn 30 this year but my wife's only 21 so sometimes I feel like an old guy.

With the exception of my eight year old though, I probably love bein' out there more than anyone on the lake.

I hope that 8 year old isent from your 21 year old wife.

Ken, no prob man, its all downhill after thirty anyways (welcome to the thread) only thing is, you probably should have waited till you were 40 to pick up the 21 yr. old!
Cliff, good advice, i am working at wrapped 360's because the crashes for me are not that bad, but be carefull of the 3's, for some reason some people really twist their knees(the crashes in trying the backrolls might be less severe) at this rate i won't hit an invert till i'm 50, but i don't care, i just love to ride, and plan on riding it for a LONG time!

I'm not 'old' yet, but sometimes 33 feels like it. I landed my first tantrum at 31, my first 360 at 32 and this year I'm going to nail a couple more. Granted, I didn't start riding until 27, and didn't have a boat until I was 31...but I will say that I'm stronger and in better shape since I started riding...so it can only help you, even if all you ever do is soul carves on one side of the wake

What is old to you guys.? Just because we can't jump as high or our knees give out while we walk, and are bodies won't do what we want them to. Yea, if your 45 like me that may be a little old. But, we can still learn new tricks, just at a differrent pace then we used to. I for one feel young because I think young. I have a baby boy due this friday and I am excited about wakeboarding with him someday and I believe that I am still young and that is all that matters. So, in my opinion if an old guy is mentally ready for an invert or a spin they should definately give it a shot.

I'm 51,tried backroll yesterday about six times.I think I can stick it today,really close and no major crash.I blew an acl landing heavy on the back foot on a backroll attempt two seasons ago.After acl replacement,8-? months rehab I came back worked on consistency and control.I feel better prepared this time.Although the acl thing was a fluke[didn't land any harder than a w-w jump],it forced me to go back and build a better foundation.If I stick it today, tantrum is next.
.

43 can do a backroll - roll to revert - half cab roll - hs 3 - bs 180 -scarecrow,...working on a o.a 3 and ts backroll.I can,t do these tricks without the extra 800kg ballast though.

Damn, sounds like an AARP convention, haha. I'm 38 & am finding out if I dont excersice/strech throughout the week, then ride, I get really sore. Plus my left ankle is getting weak. Oops gotta go, dinner is being served & if I dont make it there by 4:30, all of the jello will be gone.

...great response guys.....was out this weekend 4 times....worked on a lot of fundamentals .........I think its like cliff said the better you are at all the basics the less chance of injuries.....my wake to wake and beyond jumps I can do second nature...to fall I pretty much have to do it on purpose.,..can jump all edges.....360 ollie ,toeside 180 wake to wake....just starting heelside 180 wake to wake then on to toeside 360....for some reason I find the toeside tricks easier as I land on heelside. ... . Anyways does't sound like much...but for what I do I do it very well.....my body feels better today at 42 than I did at 37....I think at that age (37) I my body crashed from to much training(ie. overtraining)...now 5 years of recovery my body feels amazing...thats why I have thoughts of inverts etc......keep up the good work Guys!

andy...nice run.....but thats what i am talking about...I am sure I could do inverts still if I learnt before I was 40....but to learn now....I dont know how the punishment would be.....although steve smith at 51 that is inspirational..wish you hadn't mentioned the acl.....but I am a realist and recognize that injury is always possible...personally 5 years back I had tibial plateau fracture from wake jump....but since haven't looked back...got myself the best gear and going strong

richard....are you implying that you are trying!?