Axis Wakeboard Boat Forum

My girls can ski on 2. Bought them a wakeboard last year, didn't try it. Now they want to. Biggest question I have is if I should tell them to rotate the board one way or the other. I've tried the whole "push a person back" to determine which foot should be forward, but it didn't work. They are right handed/footed, but so am I, and I'm goofy.

Any other pointers beyond that would be welcome. They are 9. I have a boom for the boat that I'll be using with my son (4), as it worked well with them on skis. Thanks for any input!

The most important part with kids is their desire to wakeboard, congrats because it sounds like they already have that and its the biggest hurdle. Don't be concerned with which foot forward that much, let them do what comes natural at first, they will change if it feels wrong. The boom would work great for them on a wakeboard as well. Most times I longline all my students from 3 years old the first day. I start at the back of the boat and with their board against the platform I pull them up on the platform to fix the 2 biggest issues getting up. (knees bent arms straight) It gives kids (or any of my students) some practice in a calm controlled way to start with. If I have a driver and the kids are small enough I will hold the rope and have them get up about 15ft behind the boat, but most time I send them right to longline and never have an issue with kids, they are the easiest to teach. Maybe try just a handle off the end of your boom to start with as well. Good luck, let me know how it goes and always feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Rob Coyle
Ridebutter Wakeboard School
Raleigh, NC

My 8 y/o son last year just went. I was in the water with him to just steady his board. Once he finally got up, he turned it on his own. He's right handed for everything and regular. Same as me. Just let them figure which is best is my motto. Good luck and don't push them too hard. They'll do great!

I have skied all my life. Just started wakeboarding two years ago. Biggest thing for me was the way the board was in the water. At first I positioned it like a slalom ski and let the boat pull me up that way. With all of the drag against the bottom of the board I was tired before ever starting.
After watching my son I have started positioning the board under me completely submerged and using my toes to edge the board up as the boat starts. Much easier for me. My son actually looks like he is almost completely out of the water before I even start the boat. From the way he stands on the board and pushes it down just before I start.

Thanks for the feedback! Rob, I had them take ski lessons from a local guy, Dave Curmi, and he used the boom with them, which is why I got it. I had been teaching them, but wanted some professional reinforcement, and they progressed very quickly. Also found it helps friends of theirs who've never been on the water. 2 years ago when the boat was relatively new, and I was trying to learn to wakeboard (more on that), they were intrigued, and wanted to do it, so I got a board, and then nothing, they just wanted to tube (groan.....I HATE tubes). Anyway, after they decided last week to ski, and one of them got up without the connecting bar on her first try, they decided it is time. So, yippee! Best news is my 4 year old said he'd give it a go, now, too. He's been reluctant until now.

'Bama, I'm in the same boat as you, no pun intended. Dad had me skiing at 4, on one at 7, then it kind of all went away when I was 13, but anyway. I've tried to learn to wakeboard, and I've been out with some decent guys a few times, but I'm more and more convinced I'll be skiing more than anything. Just can't get a feel for getting the board to move in teh water. But at this point, I'm able to do for my kids what my folks did for me, and I have more fun with that.

Very well said. My Dad would spend hours and hours on the water pulling me while I skied, knee boarded, trick skied, or barefooted. His true enjoyment was not to be out there doing it, but rather watching me get better while driving the boat. It so funny how we are now in that same position, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

I took my son to the cable in Waco after he said he wanted a wakeboard, I told him if he could ride the cable id get him any board he wanted, now I never get to ride, the boat usually runs out of gas before he does

Here he is last weekend at the AXBU reunion

Nice Walter! Now
Just to get him to put that other hand palm down.

My son will ride and ride and ride as well. I get as much enjoyment of him riding than I do riding myself.

Me also. Ski jump at 4. single a couple of years later. Dad put a pulley in a fence near the pool and he would run/pull us across the pool in skis. We were used to skis before he let us ski behind the boat. Back then we wore a ski-belt as flotation. Now that we have life vests, it is much safer for the young to start skiing and boarding, IMHO. Bad knees and other damage has stopped me from skiing and I absolutely LOVE teaching and pulling the kids, their friends, and hopefully soon the grandkids.

In terms of advice, if you are confident and make it fun, they will learn. The only caveat is that they must be comfortable in the water first.

that's called a deep water start .... learnwake has an awesome video on deep water starts. I find that they are a little tricky for new rides because you have to balance the board under you and deal with the tension from the boat once the line gets tight. but it is a option if they are having trouble from the seated position


to 67king

ridebutter is spot on the only thing I would add to is I find that telling the person im teaching all the info about getting up and about riding is to much info to process when they are learning so we break it down to steps ..... tell them what the need to get up and out of the water and that's it. if the get up but do get into the correct position then tell them to repeat the start again but this time ........ an so on until they have all the info as what to do