How to learn to wakeboard for a beginner. 14 important questions for the Russian champion

The weather this year decided to synchronize with the calendar and “turn on” the cold on schedule. Despite this, there is one skating sport that can be practiced year-round. In the summer – on the open water, and in the winter – in the pool. It’s wakeboarding.

He is a four-time Russian wakeboarding champion and a team-rider at the annual Wake Weekend festival.

He tells about the basics of this sport and how to progress in skating.

–Kolya, tell me, what should you think about before you start wakeboarding?
– You don’t need to think about anything. You should just go and try it. The more you think about it, the more scared you’ll be.

–Can I do without a trainer?
– One lesson with an instructor on a reversible winch (pulls forward and backward in a straight line) is enough to get up on a wakeboard. Next, you can go to the “ring” (pulls in a closed circle). But if you want to ride professionally, you 100% need someone on shore with riding experience to point out your mistakes.

– Okay. And how do people decide which wake park is the “best” for them?
– Usually people ride wheretheylive. But to progress in wakeboarding, you have to go to different parks and try new shapes. That’s when you visit all the possible parks for you, realize where was the best, and find “your” wake park.

–Iselebetter for a beginner to rent a board or buy all your own?
– At first you can riderentalequipment until you realize that you really want to keep going and that it’s for the long haul. If you really want to get into wakeboarding, you should buy all your own equipment.

–Who can’t wakeboard?
– If there are no contraindications from a doctor, go ahead. With the right approach, amateur wakeboarding is, first of all, to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But before professional training, you will have to undergo a full medical examination.

–Do you need specific physical training or will high school physical education lessons be enough?
– If you want to train professionally and win at competitions, in addition to training on the water, you need to go to the gym. Crossfit workouts will work, as you will need endurance during races. If you want to ride for yourself and pleasure, special sports training is not required. You can “pump yourself up” during the ride.

– Let’s move on to the riding itself. What should be the first step in learning to wakeboard?
– The first step is to find awakepark and sign up for an introductory lesson with an instructor. All the necessary equipment is usually available on site. If you decide to go professional, first choose your own equipment. It is necessary to choose crepes and board that will match your weight and height. Try to choose the lightest equipment possible so that you can jump higher.

–Tell us about the main mistakes that every beginner makes.
– If the technique of riding, the main mistake of a beginner is to pull the halyard (the long end of the rope with a handle) on himself, his legs go forward at this time. Further the rider falls down. Guys, always listen to the instructor, and you will be happy.

And one more thing. Calculate your strength and do not jump above your head. If you see a new interesting figure, do not run headlong into it. Approach the mastering of a new element with intelligence.

– Can you tell me the secrets? How to get on the board right away?

1. When you first get on the water from land, don’t pull your arms over yourself.
2. Ride on half-bent legs, distributing your weight evenly on both.
3. To determine the lead foot, ask for a gentle push forward. The foot that steps first will be the first to stand.

–Now that we have mentioned the stance, what is considered the correct stance?
– Leading leg – in front, body turned in the direction of the pull, arms strictly straight, you can lean back a little. For convenience, if the leading leg is the right one, lower the left hand, hold the halyard with the right hand only, and similarly for the left leg.

–When a person can already stand up and stay on the water, what’s next?
– Try turning around, riding with the right foot forward, then with the left. Go for simple shapes like slider (long box) and kicker (springboard) little by little. Don’t be afraid to fall, and if you do, swim out and try again. It will all work out.

– I see. And what should be the right strategy to progress in skating?
– From simple to complex. The quality of tricks is more important than their quantity. If you want to learn to consistently do tricks from the kicker, practice them to perfection. Don’t spread yourself over different figures, so you avoid injuries.

–What can I learn in the first lesson?
– In the first lesson you can learn how to “roll” the board and change the lead foot. As long as you listen to and follow all the instructions of the coach when you first learn to stand up on the wakeboard.

– One last question. Why do you need to wakeboard?
– First, it is a charge of new, bright and inexpressible emotions. Secondly, wakeboarding is a community where very interesting people gather and you can get acquainted with them. And finally, wakeboarding makes you travel more, it becomes interesting to visit all the wake parks of the world.

Read more about the history of wakeboarding and the necessary equipment for this sport in this article.