Wakeboarding

[WRT]

Went down to Orakei Korako on Saturday for a spot of wakeboarding. Only done it twice before (about a month ago), and the second time was too rough to practice jumps etc. Managed to up my game a fair bit this Saturday, though I had a bit of trouble still crossing left to right so might have to try riding switch for that instead. Right to left however I was a lot more confident jumping and even managed to clear the wake a few times.

Pics below . . .

[Postie]

nice work, I tried wakebording once. I couldn't get up even though I tried for 45 minutes, I managed to hold on to the rope thingy, but that resulted in being pulled behind the boat face first desperatly trying to stand up on the board..... it never happened. However, I did find out what it must feel like to be fish getting reeled in at 100kph.

[slinky]

hey dude! nice pics.
Your having trouble crossing the wake? could be technique or confidence.
just practice turning left and right(carving) inside the wake for a few minutes at a time(it gets boring) eventually it just comes to you - even get the boat to slow down a little while doing it. and itl be inside your comfort zone before you know it.
going from left to right is the easiest way to do a 180(so its def somen you wana get used to). cus as you have figured it is more awkward. so when you spin around you land facing the other way and get a more comfortable landing.(aslong as your semi comfertable riding switch ofcourse )

[WRT]

nice work, I tried wakebording once. I couldn't get up even though I tried for 45 minutes, I managed to hold on to the rope thingy, but that resulted in being pulled behind the boat face first desperatly trying to stand up on the board..... it never happened. However, I did find out what it must feel like to be fish getting reeled in at 100kph.

Yeah, I had that the first day. Got up on my second attempt, then after a flurry of congratulations and well intentioned advice, I focused too much on what the others were telling me and for the next 5 or 6 goes couldnt get up. Then I just ignored them and did it my own way, havent had a problem since. I stay crouched down close to the board, and as soon as the boat guns it I turn the board and come straight up, works every time.

hey dude! nice pics.
Your having trouble crossing the wake? could be technique or confidence.
just practice turning left and right(carving) inside the wake for a few minutes at a time(it gets boring) eventually it just comes to you - even get the boat to slow down a little while doing it. and itl be inside your comfort zone before you know it.
going from left to right is the easiest way to do a 180(so its def somen you wana get used to). cus as you have figured it is more awkward. so when you spin around you land facing the other way and get a more comfortable landing.(aslong as your semi comfertable riding switch ofcourse )

I did spend some time carving back and forth for a bit and I'm fairly confident with that, havent got the confidence yet to try a 180 but that's at the top of my list of things to accomplish next time I go out, I want to be able to do a 180 both in the air and on the water so that I can flick it round before heading back across the wake. You're logic sounds right to me, I figured my difficulty with landing one way and not the other is the way you have to lean on the board. Easier to lean back on the rope than leaning forward, if that makes sense.

[slinky]

yep yep, that makes sense.
do the 180 sliding on the water first.
and practice going back and 4th. also practice baording holding on with one hand. so when you in natural holding on with your left. and if and when you get to switch hold on with right only, But also sometimes holding on with both.
and then when you go to spin a 180 on the water, hold on with the opposite hand and it will give a lil help when spinning.
you'll finding jumping from left to ride isn't so bad after a while, you don't necessarily need to put everything into. just let the wake push the baord up. and bend your legs to allow for it. but don't actually throw your whole body into it. once you've got those sussed. put your body into it and do that 180.
these are just lil tips and views ive figured that may be of no help at all to you.
i was extremely surprised. i had thought lots about it. and i was getting to the end of my turn. and decided to try a 180 - landed it first time! i was stoked!

[WRT]

Cheers for the tips, while carving on Sat I was coming up to the point of doing a 180 on the water, but would chicken out at the last minute as it didnt feel too stable. Next time I'll just suck up my nuts and go for it . . . what's the worst that can happen? I'm well practiced at face planting now!

[slinky]

the worst face plant, is once you have done the 180 slide a few times, and then next time you go to do it again - relax to much cus you think your tha man and don't quite make it round SLAP! straight onto the water. lol

[WRT]

Probably starts out something like this? The owner of the boat gets it wrong . . .

[0arbreaka]

Looks like you were wakeboarding down by the dam, I love Orakei Korako, we used to have a rowing camp once a year there, and the bloody wakeboarders almost capsized the boats on a regular basis.

[WRT]

You'd have bigger probs than just the wakeboarders last time I was there. It was the day before the powerboat racing at Taupo and some of the boats were at Orakei Korako getting in some practice time . . . fark those things are quick!