My sport log: wakeboarding

[Credos]

Hey guys, before I start posting, I put this on the "Anything else" forum cause I'm not here to discuss anything, this log is just to keep myself uptodate on how I'm doing, specificly on the sports that I'm practicing. I'm trying to get the flaws out of my practice and excercises. This log is thus made for myself

I don't care if the spelling is wrong, you don't like it? Go away and read something else, I also have no need of some of you flamers and haters, nobody cares...

That being said, a little introduction to this log is appropriate. I'm a 21 kid, and I'm making this log about wakeboarding mainly. I first started wakeboarding about 3 years ago, I did that for a week. Then last year I went for another week near my town, where one of the best wakeboarders from belgium (if not the best) teaches. (David Vervenne) I got to know some new people who had about my level of wakeboarding skills. After that, during that same summer, I went to Italy to go wakeboard at the Comolake which was more for amusement than practice. Now I try to go wakeboard every wednesday to that place near my town and try all sorts of new tricks.

If you don’t know what wakeboarding is, it’s rather simple. You get pulled, by a rope, behind a boat, which goes at a speed of 20 miles per hour. The person behind the boat is wearing a board, quite simular to a snowboard, though the width is much larger than that of a snowboard. Considering you’re boarding sideways, your speed is naturally more than 20 miles, and thats the reason why falling can often hurt A LOT. I guess if you ever went waterskiing you know what I’m talking about, the only difference is that you use a board and that the speed is slower than waterskiing.

I myself am rookie though, which I’m not ashamed of, considering my best trick is wake to wake (jumping from one side to the other side). I can make a switch in the middle of the two wakes, I'm now trying to do bunny up 180 on my heelside, but I tend to bend forward, which usuallly causes me to smack my face in the water.

 

[Credos]

Wednesday 13 may 2009

First wednesday that I go wakeboard, I was kinda nervous considering it's been a year, and I wasen't certain who was going to be here today. My coach was about a half an hour late, kinda typical for this kinda surf guy, anyhow, traffic in belgium is quite screwed up anyhow so I didn't make anything of it.

They finally arrived but I had to loan my gear, but they didn't charge me for it, which I really liked, though I doubt that will be the whole year. I started to put on my swimsuit, Sh*t I'm pale haha. That's when some of the other guys arrived, two 16 year old kids, bah I never got that spoiled to be allowed to do this kind of sport every week and get a board and suit from mommy and daddy... Ow well, live and let live. I was ready to go, the kids sat in the boat, I jumped in the water (18°C, which is not too hot not to cold).

First I tried out the board a bit, going from side to side, next some small bunny ups. Then my wake to wake which I learned in Itally. It was average, I was happy I still got it, but I barely made it into the flats (the flat water after the wake made by the boat). My bunny up 180, which I also learned in Itally was sh*t though, really nice faceplant though :yes: haha. My toeside is getting better now aswell, I learned today how to decently do it, just carve it out, keep your back straight, don't jump it just cut that wake. Once I did that I had a really nice jump to my surprise and I landed that quite easily. I'll keep practicing that, maybe I'll get that wake to wake soon, I'm almost over it, I just have to speed it up a bit more.

It got me thinking, maybe I shouldn't jump as much on my heelside, maybe I just have to carve it out? I should really ask David ... My legs are burning quite a bit, and my ass hurts. Strange that my face don’t hurt haha, with all those faceplants. I should do some more fitness excercises, especially for my legs, perhaps it will improve my jumps, though it’s alwayse mainly technique.

This week I learned how to jump decently on my toeside, and I’m practicing that bunny up 180, I think I should be able to do it by next week. I’m gonna ask David about that heelside wake to wake, or maybe just give it a go, but it’s going quite good. Once I can do that bunny up 180 and got my wakejumps just where I want them, I’m guess the next step would be grabs.

 

[j0n024]

just the first post in your journal makes me want to try!

 

[Credos]

Next weeks excercises

Okay I've been reading up and know what to do now, (1) like I thought, you don't have to ollie while you heelside. Just stand tall, keep the line thight and let the speed and the line tension give you the pop. (2) Some surface 180s and practice riding, most certainly wouldn't harm. (3) after that, getting back to regular, going fast to the heelside and then going straight, reduces the rope tension, thats when to bunny up 180, keeping the handle low and keep it low where you change the sides and keep your back straight. Once that's working out, (4) inside out 180 should be the easy next step, so from inside the wakes to the outside. (5) That toeside jump is going pretty good aswell, I just gotta speed it up and practice my control on it, just gotta keep in mind, before the edge to stand tall and keep that line tight.

(by the way for the people intrested in where I get my information about how to etc This is the link, it contains info on how to do it, nice pics of the tricks and sometimes even some small movies about the tricks, nice website for wakeboarders in general.)

summary of next practice:
1) Perfectionize that heelside wake to wake
2) Practice fakie
3) Bunny up 180
4) Inside out 180
5) Practice toeside wakejumps maybe even wake to wake
(Once I got some decent control on these tricks, Its off to wake to wake 180, which is a really nice starters trick)

Hey j0n024, if you think you'll like it, and you like snowboarding, thrust me, you will love this. But the best way to find out is giving it a go. If it's your first time: don't worry about standing up, normally you'll be able to do that in about 15 min or less. Don't try to get up to fast, let the boat pull you up while your board is standing sideways, once you feel you're getting some control with your board, thats when you switch your board standing straight forward (you'll instructor will probebly show it how it's done, while you're on the mainland).

PS: If you wanna see my coach in action here's proof he's a pro

 

[Credos]

Okay sorry for the late report: 20/05/2009

I setup a time with my coach to wakeboard, he was already going to be there which was good considering we probebly all hate waiting. They were just finished with a ride for another guy. Didn't went so good today, guys my mind is kinda filled with other stuff but I did get to make my heelside wake to wake a bit better.

My coach told me to focus less on improving. One week should be improving, the other should be about having fun. Guess you could consider this a fun week. I did also talk to my coach about getting my own board. It costs alot though in my opinion (570 euro which is 800 dollars). The board would have been used a bit though not much, but I could probebly sell it again for 250 euro (350 dollars) after 2 years of own usage. So then I pay 450 dollars for my board which would be somewhat one of the better starterboards.

The original new board costs about 950 euro (about 1300 dollars). It is a board made this year so my calculations might be wrong, I might be able to sell it for more. This price includes board and bindings (which are the best bindings one could find).

I would link an image of the board, but its test material, so the board hasen't been brought out yet (even though I'm already using it , my coach is main provider of slingshot wakeboards in belgium). Its the new kind of flexboards, which make landing and riding much smoother. Those bindings are great if its your own board, cause it containts a kind of miniboot and you can get out of your board much easier, and it feels much nicer.

The bad thing about the board is thus the price but also, I do not like the collor (again sorry for no image). Its light blue, which is totally NOT my color. :crazy:

I'm still thinking about it, I'm a college student so I wanna save some money for next year, but I really love wakeboarding, and would love to have my own board. I'm also looking at websites at the moment, and I see boards without bindings for 300 dollars. I know the bindings cost 400 dollars... My coach might just wanna rip me off...

looking it up right now: I might be better off buying another cheaper board in america and get it shipped here, cause 800 dollars = full new board in america. Shipments DO NOT cost 500 dollars :crazy:, I'm getting @sspumped by my coach! fvck!