Boating - June 2016 USA

you can even extend this

practice to the water. Tie two

wakeboard handles together

and have the child sit in the

water. Then you can literally

tow them by hand, pulling

them through a wake start as

you run along the shoreline.

If you’ve got the stamina

and they’re quick learners,

they can even take a brief

ride by edging away from

the shoreline.

When that confidence is

high and they’re

ready, move to

the water.

GETTING UP

Whether young or old,

beginning wakeboarders

can benefit from two things:

correct body position and

drills designed to enforce the

idea that relaxing, not fighting

the board or boat, is the

quickest path to success.

The correct body position

is key to the starting process.

Riders should start in the

water with towrope in hand,

arms out and knees relaxed.

As the towrope tightens, water

pressure will naturally

fine-tune that position,

extending the arms and

pushing the knees into the

chest. When this happens,

the board will assume a nice

angle of incline. Hold that

position and a rider will be

off to a great start.

Drills can reinforce the

process. Start with the rider

sitting on the sun pad, and

have the teacher extend a

hand and pull them up to their

feet. This is a reminder of how

easy it is to let someone pull

you from a seated position. It

also reinforces the idea of the

rider not trying to get up on

his own, but instead relaxing

and not fighting the pull.

Next, move that same drill to

the water. Have the rider put

on the board and get in the

water with the towrope. Then

stand on the swim platform

and pull the rider in until

his or her board contacts the

swim platform. Now grab

the triangle of line formed

by the towrope handle, brace

yourself, and pull the rider up

onto the platform. If the rider

resists, pulling with his arms

or pushing with his legs, drop

him back into the water. The

goal is for the rider to learn

to relax and let the boat do all

the work.

To help a child get a feel

for getting up on a wake-

board, have him learn in

the shallows along the

beach. Run in the sand

with a towrope to get

him used to starting in

the water and stand-

ing up, then turning his

board toward the “boat.”

Once they get comfort-

able, try a deepwater

start behind the boat.

TIMELINE?

THAT’S UP TO

YOUR CHILD.

WHAT ONE

MIGHT CONQUER

IN AN AFTER-

NOON MIGHT

TAKE ANOTHER

WEEKS, MONTHS

OR EVEN YEARS

TO FEEL COM-

FORTABLE WITH.

LET THEM

DICTATE THE

PACE ...

PHOTO: COURTESY OVERTON’S (HANDLE)

BOATINGMAG.COM JUNE 2016 81