How to learn to ride a wakesurf. 6 useful tips for beginners from a world champion

world wakesurfing champion

What’s important to know before you start wakesurfing?

Wakesurfing continues to grow in popularity. When it first came out, many people saw it simply as an unconventional and interesting leisure activity. Now things have changed. Most of those who used to ride just for fun are already actively competing with each other at international contests. There are more and more people who want to try kiteboarding for the first time, so today we will tell you what is important to know for beginners.

6 important tips for beginners

The first training sessions are always exciting and interesting. So, what’s important to know for those coming in for the first time:

• First, you need to determine which foot is your lead foot – that is, whether your left or right foot will be in front on the board. To do this, ask someone to give you a gentle push in the back. The foot that steps forward will be the lead foot;

• the most common mistake made by beginners is to pull the halyard with your hands or try to pull yourself up with it. A halyard is a special cable, one end of which is attached to the boat and the other end has a triangular handle. I always ask beginners not to pull the boat on themselves;
• very often young riders ride with their mouths open. They are overwhelmed with emotion and adrenaline, because of this they involuntarily drink water when they fall. Keep your mouth closed while riding so you don’t swallow water;
• I always ask my students to raise their heads and look at me. If you look at your feet, it will interfere with the skating;
• a lot of people worry about catching the boat and hitting the platform. Due to the fact that the boat is constantly moving forward, it will be extremely difficult to accomplish this;
• the most important thing is not to panic, relax and set yourself up to have fun. There is a well-known principle in sports: “Where you look, you go”. This applies to skiers, motocrossers and us – wakesurfers. It’s the same with attitude. The more positive you are, the better everything works out.

Is wakesurfing a preparation for big surfing?

The most common question about wakesurfing is whether it’s similar to classic surfing. They have overlaps, but the mechanics are different. So I wouldn’t compare a wave from a boat to an ocean wave. For example, in the ocean, hand work is extremely important – you need to be able to rake. In wakesurfing you don’t need to do that.

Is it possible to learn to wake surf without a coach?

In principle, you can. Another question is what kind of results you want to achieve. Having a coach will save you from initial mistakes – wrong stance, incorrect work of the body and legs. In any case, practicing tricks without a coach is practically impossible. I haven’t met any riders who have come to a good level on their own without help.

Is it necessary to have a good physical training

A person’s ability to catch balance, stay on the board and do tricks, strangely enough, does not depend on physical shape at all. Experience shows that everything is in the head. There are examples when athletes with a lot of experience in the sport with difficulty get up on the board and, on the contrary, a person in a body without any training starts to show results very quickly.

What you should have with you at the first training session

Bathing suit (for girls it is better if it will be a joint swimsuit or separate with shorts), towel, good mood and, what is very important – the desire to hear the coach. This is a very important nuance, so you will definitely leave the training satisfied with yourself. Boards, wetsuits and everything that may be needed directly for travel, usually always available in the clubs.

If you want to try wakeboarding as well, read the article below the link.

When to start competing

The earlier the better. Don’t wait for your perfect program. Competitions magically increase a rider’s level of riding. Focus, will to win, competition experience all work for you. So don’t look at the level of your competitors, compete with yourself. You will see, the results will not make you wait long.

How competitions are held

As a rule, the resource Prowakesurf always has information about all upcoming events in the world of this sport. Follow the announcements, register for competitions. Before them there is always a so-called riders’ meeting, where the organizers tell all the nuances, and participants ask questions. You are notified of the time of your ride, at which you arrive an hour in advance. The ride consists of two courses. Each of which is 40 seconds: that is, you drive 40 seconds one way and 40 seconds the other. During this time you need to demonstrate all your learned tricks, which are evaluated by the following parameters: cleanliness of execution, variation, complexity.

Wishes for beginners

Don’t be afraid of anything, don’t be shy, don’t get upset if you don’t succeed. Just do it. Ride and get high. People of different ages and builds come to training. Wakesurfing is a sport that suits everyone. But not everyone thinks so, even though it’s a great way to do something new and compete at an international level. Sometimes people come who are panic-stricken about water. With such students the learning process takes longer, but I try to build a connection, and in the end the person stops stressing and even starts to learn tricks, is quickly drawn into the sport. The coach has to let the rider know that he is on his side. That you are just like him, you have just gone further in technique and have already overcome yourself. When riders say, “I won’t make it, I won’t get up, I won’t be able to do it,” I always answer with one thing: “I believe in you.” I had it exactly the same way that beginners have it now. I made the same mistakes, fell and got up. And today I am the reigning world champion.