Boosting Airs

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Originally Posted by The General

This was helpful. Now if the lake would just thaw already :-)
Total newb asking here but why is the surf style board better for this than say a skim style?

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Watch some videos on wakeboarding Ollie's or wake skate, the motion is the same you actually push hard down with your rear foot and the board will pop and push you up. It's more a timing thing, get a gopro or camera and record all your sets then review. That's the fastest way to improve.

Well never mind then! :) Reading is fundamental eh?

General, most surf style boards have a higher volume than s skim board. The fin setup is also key. Skim boards generally have 1 smaller fin, whereas a surf style will have multiple fins.

Also think of the ollie as you're actually pressing the board down into the water then releasing that energy.

Maybe the board builder guys will chime in soon.

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Originally Posted by KnoxMojo

General, most surf style boards have a higher volume than s skim board. The fin setup is also key. Skim boards generally have 1 smaller fin, whereas a surf style will have multiple fins.

Also think of the ollie as you're actually pressing the board down into the water then releasing that energy.

Maybe the board builder guys will chime in soon.

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He already did. Skateboard Ollie reference from Parkersurfcraft

Some people have heard of an ollie, but I was trying to give a visual image of it.

I was also referring to why surf style boards are better for catching air when I brought up the board builders. And I knew Chris replied already. Thought he might be able to explain it a lot better than me.

This thread...lol. Thanks for all the tips guys. Sounds like my first to-do is practice some ollies. I had a feeling I was approaching wrong (I kind of hit it like a wakeboard jump) and this will help me get going in the right direction.

I'm pretty decent on a wakeboard, if there was a wake surf equivalent to The Book and Detention 2012 I would already be on top of that. Back around 2010 those videos were always in my dvd player. Of course if I hadn't spent so much time on heelside and toeside backrolls on the wakeboard my knees might not be so bad that I have to surf in my late 30's. 5:00 thanks for the help man, I definitely have my heelside and toeside wake to wake down on my other board :rolleyes:;)

For those following along, here are the videos that I found last year. There are a few nuggets in there but overall I didn't find them all that helpful. There is a wealth of knowledge out there on wakeboard tricks but not so much with surfing I've found.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v6vpyH6Zbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC8BpoSwiLA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP0_WB3LMlc

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Originally Posted by Poison

This thread...lol. Thanks for all the tips guys. Sounds like my first to-do is practice some ollies. I had a feeling I was approaching wrong (I kind of hit it like a wakeboard jump) and this will help me get going in the right direction.

I'm pretty decent on a wakeboard, if there was a wake surf equivalent to The Book and Detention 2012 I would already be on top of that. Back around 2010 those videos were always in my dvd player. Of course if I hadn't spent so much time on heelside and toeside backrolls on the wakeboard my knees might not be so bad that I have to surf in my late 30's. 5:00 thanks for the help man, I definitely have my heelside and toeside wake to wake down on my other board :rolleyes:;)

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So it's a lot like the ollie you do on a wakeboard in the flats or when you ollie of the lip out of the wake. Weight transfer to back foot, load up the tail, bring front knee up, spring off back foot, bring back foot up and use front to level board out. Practice the motion in the flats 100 times first. Until you get the timing right and you are getting 6" to 12' of air in the flats. Then try the same off the lip. Don't worry about flying down the line and blasting off the lip right away. It's all timing.

So there are two types of surf style boards out there, those that ride on top of the wake and those that ride in the wake. Skim boards ride in the wake and this will overlap some with hybrid style boards. Boards that ride on top of the wake have an advantage for launching above the lip maneuvers. They do not carry as much water with them and do not feel as stuck to the wake. Lifting your knees is really just about getting the board higher up off the wake, but if you do not have the technique down it will not help much. Two things that newbies tend to do. First they drop all the way to the bottom of the wake and think they have to make a hard cut up the wake to launch. All this does is loose all your speed/momentum. You can do this in the ocean, but ocean wave have real power. Second, once they learn to get a little boost they tend to land all stiff legged and upright which is a good way to be buck off a board and or break a board. To practice aerial maneuvers, learn to pump up and down the wake down the line building speed, but pump only from just below the lip to half way down the wake, do not drop all the way into the flats. This is you energy pocket, and you will gain crazy speed which will allow you to just lightly pop off the lip on your second or third pump.

Nick

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Originally Posted by Chaos

First they drop all the way to the bottom of the wake and think they have to make a hard cut up the wake to launch. All this does is loose all your speed/momentum.
Nick

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This is good insight... That's exactly what I do - now I know part of what I'm not doing right, and that explains why I can't figure out getting air so far, well that and about 50 extra pounds I carry... The solution to my weight problem is that I just need a bigger boat though right??!! hehehe...