Date: 4/8/01
Author: Jason Buffalow

It usually happens when you set out to step up your game. You're trying to add a new move to your bag of tricks, so you seek the advice of those who have gone before. Inevitably, their instructions will be based upon some basic terms that you've probably heard a million times. However, has anybody really defined them? Without knowing the true meanings of these basic building blocks, the mastery of that new maneuver may prove elusive. Here I will break them down as simply as I can.

Progressive Edge - The best way I can describe this is to think about your board being completely flat on the water as a 0, and your board being perpendicular to the water as a 10. For this concept, forget everything else like wake, speed, board shape, etc. The idea of a progressive edge is to go from 0 to 10 as slowly as possible.

Now, throw a wake into the picture. You are still going from 0 to 10, but you only have enough time as you have cut out for. For example, take a five foot cut (a few feet outside of the spray) and STOP! that is 0. Slowly start drifting into the wake, increasing the angle of the board (toes toward your face if you're heelside) as you approach the wake. When you arrive at the wake, the board should be close to perpendicular to the water (not the wake). In reality, the board will actually be closer to 45 degrees (which would be a five on our 0 to 10 scale) to the water on most normal tricks. The key to a progressive edge is taking everything slow!

Loading the line - The loading of the line comes from a progressive edge. Since you are pulling away from the boat, tension is generated tension between you and the boat, just like a tug-a-war with the boat. This is called line tension. You'll know if you've got it because at the top of the wake, right before you release, you will feel a lot of pressure on the rope. This increases on the tricks like Raleys, where you have tons of progressive edge and TONS of line tension.

All tricks require some line tension. The key is a solid, slowly-built edge. A great way to get a feel for it is to drive someone that can really ride. The boat will slow as they approach the wake and speed up as they get airborne. A great rider doing a big trick will pull the boat super hard to the point that the driver needs to speed up during the trick. Someone who is not practicing this will jerk the boat and you will not see the speed change at all.

Standing Tall- At the peak of the wake before take off, you want your entire body to be as straight up and down as possible. If you are crouched over and bent at the knees or at the waist, you will lose everything you built up. Remember, the way you leave the wake is the way you will land, so if things aren't going right then check your landing. Most people bend at the waist or pull up there knees as they ride up their wake and it kills their pop.

So for that solid wake jump, follow these steps. Cut out five to ten feet and STOP! Drift in while building your edge and hold it all the way through the wake. Keep your arms in, back straight, and stand as tall as you can when you leave the wake. Let the board and wake do all of the work and for God's sake, hold on!

 Return To WakeWorld Article Archives