Summertime is here! We’ve had an amazing year with higher than normal water levels and decent temperatures. I hope for those of you who have been striving for a solid progression for this season did take the winter months to train. It isn’t’ always fun spending hour after hour in the gym, but it pays off when the season opens and you get to start riding. A good off season gets us a little lighter, and the soreness isn’t as bad. Maybe it’s just me, but even when I was younger, no matter what, opening day left me unbelievably sore. Those kind of mornings where you cant extend your arms out and put your palms together because the back and shoulders were screaming from those opening day pulls. Nothing seems to replicate the boats vs rider pull in the gym, so riding doesn’t have a substitute. We can just lessen the pain and that being said… It’s time to get out and do some summer riding. So what’s new out there in wakeboard land..
I was having a conversation with my young bud, Ben Watts, about the technology in wakeboards today. We were specifically talking about Harley Clifford and his pro model, the “Remedy”. I casually asked Ben if Harley was still the best rider in the world, and without even a blink of hesitation he responded, yeah, NO QUESTION, there are a few guys starting to catch up. The Austrailian is hands down the best and mostly because of his consistency. Ben coached with Harley on a few of the Liquid Force “Trip Across North America” tours and actually is riding Harley’s pro model… which was what I were chatting about.. The Remedy, it’s not for the average rider. It’s made especially for Harley and those who really charge the wake. Ben said for most the Harley classic is a perfect board, but if you are a very advance rider, the jump might be what helps you get that little bit of extra somethin somethin to make it happen. Both models are stiff and really fast, the Remedy, is faster and designed to have more pop. It has this crazy V notched tail for more hold and bite since they increase the surface area of the tip and tail. The Remedy is set up with a triple concave bottom, of which the center is slightly lower than the two sides. The three channels flow together and get wider out the back(what us old school slalom skiers might remember they called the Venturi effect) Jimmy Redmon, the Liquid Force board designer/shaper added more rocker, which normally would slow down the board, but overcame that obstacle with the triple channel and increased speed from the Venturi tunnel…..so more speed, and more rocker equals more pop. The Harley Classic which is now on it’s 6th year of production is a really good all around option, it’s fast, and has great pop and holds on the landing. The body hasn’t changed so you can even score a older model w/ previous years graphics and get yourself a deal.. the boards are pretty easy to come by and well worth the coin. With all of this talk about the product, I figured it’d be a good month for Ben to hook us up with a Trick Tip:
The wake to wake is the first big step you take in intermediate to advanced level wake boarding. You need to know how to do it in order to do any other trick in these categories.
To start the heelside wake to wake, edge out on the side where your heels are facing the wake. Cut out at least 20 feet, then you will start what we call a progressive edge. In doing this you will start out by edging back towards the wake slowly and then continuing to increase your speed all the way to the wake. When you reach the wake, hold your edge all the way to the top. It is important not to flatten your board off and also not to try and jump off the wake. Instead you need to approach in the seated position, and stand up at the top. Keep the handle low and your momentum will carry you across to the down side of the other wake. You can also add your own style to it by grabbing your board on the nose or tail, or in the front/back middle of your board. -ben
Come check out Ben and the new Liquid Force gear June 20 at Blue Creek Marina. The demo day will be split into 2 sessions 9-12 and 1-4, reservations only with 32 spots per session. Call now and get your spot reserved in the boat!
See you on the water-
Sawyer
