Date: 5/28/03
Author: Evelyn Nelson

Evelyn Nelson

Summer is in the air throughout this great wakeboarding nation of ours and, as the temperature rises, so does our desire to get on the water and on our boards. But what if this is your very first season behind the boat? Where do you start? If your beginnings are as humble as mine were, you'll need all the help you can get.

Of course, five years ago there weren't nearly as many resources for beginning wakeboarders as there are today. Today there are a plethora of wakeboard camps and instructional videos. But, let's face it, if you just dropped a few hundred bucks on a board, bindings, life jacket and rope, you might be a little strapped for cash and unable to dish out another hundred on one day at a camp, or even another twenty for a video. Or maybe there aren't even any camps in your area or a pro shop to offer you the latest in wakeboarding videos.

But lucky you. You are living in the age of the Internet, where information is freely exchanged around the world and websites like WakeWorld are here specifically to help you make the most of your wakeboarding experience. So let's get started!

First Things First - The Boat Driver

Nothing can ruin a beginner's wakeboarding experience faster than a bad driver. Sure, everyone likes to blame the driver for their less-than-Byerly-esque performance, but it's true, a driver can make or break you (literally). So let's quickly review the basics:

1. Before pulling the rider up, slowly idle until the line is tight. This prevents the rider's arms from being jerked off at the shoulder when there is slack in the line and the driver merrily floors the throttle.
   
   
2. Make sure the rider is ready, then accelerate to around 19 mph. Everyone has their own funny little phrase they use to signal to the driver that they are ready, so be creative and make up your own. Popular phrases in this area include "Let 'er happen, captain," "Rodeo" or simply a barked, "GO!"
   
   There is really no need for a first-time wakeboarder to be pulled at speeds in excess of 19 mph unless you are a sadistic jerk and want to see your poor friend grip on to the handle for their dear life before flopping helplessly into the water or, worse yet, taking a nasty face plant that will surely have them doubting whether or not they want to continue this brutal sport.
   
   
3. Keep a straight line and a constant speed. Pick some sort of fixed object in the distance directly ahead of you and stay aimed at it. Some boats' speedometers are less than accurate, so you may need to watch the RPMs rather than relying on the speedo. Make minute adjustments to the speed by using your thumb and first two fingers on the throttle while resting your arm on the aptly named armrest. Don't use your whole arm to adjust speed or you are likely to jump from 15 mph to 30 mph and back down to 10 mph, throwing your rider into a state of panic and confusion.
   
   
4. When the rider falls, pull back on the throttle and turn around at idle speed. If you make the turn at regular speed, or even speed up in the turn, you will throw a huge roller down the lake that will most often swamp your rider once you catch up with it and will ruin the water for all other boarders.
   
   

Following these four basics will help all wakeboarders you pull, especially first-timers, immensely. Now that the driver knows his or her role, let's get to the business of wakeboarding.

Getting to Know (and Love) Your Equipment

So now you are ready to load up the boat with all this expensive equipment and your friends are thinking, "Ooooh, he has his very own board. He must be really good". You can keep them believing this little fairytale with just a little bit of preparation.

The first thing you need to do is figure out which foot forward you are. That is, which foot do you feel most comfortable having at the front of the board. If you skateboard, snowboard or surf, you may already know what is most comfortable for you. If not, one way to determine this is to stand with your feet together and have a friend (a very good, kind friend in whom you trust) stand behind you and give you a gentle push. Whichever foot naturally moves forward to break your fall is usually the one you want to put toward the front of your board. However, there are no hard and fast rules and, in reality, the earlier you start riding both regular and switchstance (or fakie), the better. So choose which foot you want to start out forward, but don't neglect to switch it up and try the other foot as well. Though it will feel strange at first, you will thank me for this later. Eventually you will want to be as comfortable riding one way as the other.

Now that you know which foot you'll place forward, it's time to set up your bindings. Most riders have their bindings set centered on the board, shoulder distance (or wider) apart with both feet slightly ducked out about 10 to 15 degrees. This allows you to ride comfortably both regular and switchstance. However, beginners often feel more comfortable with their bindings set a little further back on the board than dead center, again, shoulder distance (or wider) apart with their back foot pointing straight to the toeside edge of the board and the front foot slightly ducked out. This is because beginners have a tendency to let the boat pull them forward and they often fall over the front of the board. So placing your bindings a little further back on the board will help to compensate for this.

Beginners also often find it difficult to keep the board pointed at the boat, especially if their rear foot is pointed away from it. The tendency is to let the back of the board slide forward so that the rider is now in a side slide that could result in a vicious eye-peeling face plant should the front edge of the board dip too low and catch on the water. So placing the back binding in a neutral position can assist in keeping the board pointed at the boat. However, once you are comfortable getting up and riding, you'll learn the basic skills needed to avoid these common mistakes and won't need this modified binding placement as a "crutch".

Your board most likely came with a set of fins. Make sure your fins are tightly secured with the wider end to the outside of the board. The longer the fins, the easier they will track in the water giving you a more stable feeling on the board. The shorter the fins, the easier they will release from the water, giving you a looser feeling on the board. Many beginners find it helpful to use longer fins, 2" to 2.5", when they are first starting out, especially if they are riding in choppy water. Shorter fins, less than 2", are helpful when learning surface spins.

Your rope should be secured to the pylon or tower at 55' to 65' depending upon your boat's wake. The closer you are to the boat, the smaller the wake will be, which may be beneficial in the beginning. However, you don't want to be so close to the boat that you are hit with the spray of water that shoots up at the start of the boat's wake, also known as the rooster tail. After all, this is wakeboarding, not Chinese water torture. Once you feel comfortable, you can start extending your rope length so that you are hitting the wake where it is larger. Later, a longer rope also enables you to take a longer cut at the wake and produces a more profound pendulum effect, allowing you to get bigger air.

And please, don't forget your most valuable piece of equipment, your Coast Guard approved life vest. No one wants to see a fun day at the lake turn into tragedy and, most likely, no one in the boat wants to jump into the chilly water to drag your silly butt back into the boat. So ride smart, ride safe, ride with your vest.

Alright, now it's the moment of truth, so let's go ride!

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