Learning How to Wakeboard by , Boating Magazine
The ABCs of wakeboarding and wakeboat driving from our friends at LearnWake. To make it easier for everyone looking to get on board, we focused on four key areas: introducing kids to the sport, learning to get up that first time, understanding the proper hand signals and how to retrieve a rider after a fall.
Of all the tow sports, wakeboarding is king. A cross between skateboarding and surfing with an emphasis on maximum airtime, wakeboarding exerts the single greatest influence on tow-boat design for your lakefront property. In short: It’s cool, and seemingly everyone wants to do it. But depending on how you go about it, the process can be fun and easy — or a prolonged duel between rider, boat and driver. For every rider who’s a natural and every boat driver who delivers the perfect pull, there are countless others who struggle: riders who can’t get the hang of the wakeboard start or sideways stance; kids who are intimidated to even give it a try; and boat drivers who don’t do either any favors by messing up the water when those riders fall, or by having a hot hand on the throttle.
Kids First
As any parent will tell you, kids learn at their own pace. You might want them to be the next wake prodigy, but they might just be doing their best by strapping on a board and getting in the water. Don’t push them. Instead, let them learn and prepare in gradual, non-intimidating fashion. The following drills have been designed by LearnWake to help your child conquer any fears and absorb skills in a fun way. Timeline? That’s up to your child. What one might conquer in an afternoon might take another weeks, months or even years to feel comfortable with. Let them dictate the pace, and everyone will be a lot happier — and more successful.
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Posted by Scott Freerksen “The Lake Guy”