8 facts about wakeboarding that will help you become a pro

Lately, wakeboarding has been winning the hearts of amateur athletes at an incredible rate. Despite the fact that it can definitely be attributed to extreme sports, anyone can try to get on a board. We have collected some of the most common mistakes of beginners, avoiding which you will be able to get more enjoyable riding experience and reduce the risk of injury.

“Championship” visited the wakebase in Serebryany Bor, tried out the wave, diving in water temperature of 8 degrees and was able to ask the most pressing questions to the coach of wakeboarding and wakesurfing professional Andrey Shevchenko. Andrey shared with the editorial staff the tips that a person needs to know in order to make his first experience in wakeboarding as positive and, most importantly, safe as possible.

Choose the right place for your first ride

“When I started riding, there were few places, or rather, one – Nordwest. All Moscow wakeboarding started from there: riders, coaches, and owners of other clubs. There was no choice – we all studied there, and, I must say, they taught and teach very well. There are plenty of places like that now, but the easier it is to go wrong.

Avoid cheap places, with non-specialized boats. The attached motors can be dangerous. Also, I do not advise you to apply to clubs where training is paid for separately. Believe me, it is not necessary. There are places where instruction is included in the price of the set and yet is of a fairly high standard.

Listen to the instructor

The process looks extremely simple and intuitive, but that doesn’t mean you can get up on your board and ride arbitrarily. Just listen and do what the professional tells you to do. Provided, of course, that you have chosen the right club and instructor.

Don’t fuss

Hustle in the water is the main enemy of success. Relax, you’re in a vest. Trust your body to it and concentrate on technique and communication with the instructor.

Determine your goal

You’ll have to choose between partying and progress. If the latter is a priority, don’t bring a crowd of spectators with you – it only gets in the way.

Technique and what not to do

Here everything is simple: do not take alcohol before skating, do not fidget in the water and do not raise your hands to shoulder level during the movement.

As for technique, I will repeat once again: listen to the instructor. In brief, I will formulate it this way: do not hurry to stand up to your full height during the start, keep your hand at the hip of the front leg during the movement, distribute the weight between both legs equally: the shape of the board is such that there is no need to overload the back leg. I will tell you the rest when you come to try this sport.

The dangers that await you

Wakeboarding at the initial stage, although extreme, but quite a safe sport. Fractures are almost impossible. Suffer from ligaments and head, and the helmet from hydro shocks will not protect. Saves skating technique and sweet tea after a concussion. The latter, by the way, is no joke. Hospitals usually give you a glucose drip after a concussion. I recommend having a sweet drink or candy bar with you for just such an occasion. This tip, as well as all the others, is proven from personal experience. As for technique, try to avoid a board position where it is perpendicular to the direction of the boat, and don’t raise your arms to shoulder height, then you’ll be fine!

Wakeboarding or Wakesurfing?

Now we offer not only wakeboarding, but also wakesurfing behind the boat. And if the first activity can be confidently called a sport, then wakesurfing is more like entertainment. It is practiced by those who like to surf in the absence of the ocean, injured wakeboarders and those who do not want to become injured wakeboarders. There is also cable wakeboarding, but it’s a different sport, completely independent, and if I had my way, I would call it something else, because “wake” from English is a wave from the boat.

Wake – for whom is it for?

Wakeboarding classes are suitable for absolutely everyone, except for bodybuilding fans. The fact is that in such disciplines (in bodybuilding) people are engaged in slow dynamics, or static, they do not have the proper flexibility and lack the necessary coordination between the brain and the body. Nothing personal, just honest experience and statistics from seven years of experience.”