How to Jump when Wakeboarding

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: May 28, 2022 References

Getting big air is one of the most thrilling parts of learning how to wakeboard. Before you can jump, you need to know the basics of balancing and steering. Put those skills to use by learning how to ollie, which is a jump you do in open water without a wake. If you’re looking for more hang time, steer toward the wake to jump it. Practice basic jumps and variations on them to fly further through the air or even lead into more tricks.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Performing an Ollie

1
Ride behind the boat with the tow rope in front of you. Position yourself in the center of the wake with your board pointed towards the boat. Start with your dominant side forward for an easier time practicing the trick. Hold the rope in front of your chest with both of your hands on the handle, and bend your arms so that you are able to hold the rope in front of your chest while still standing upright.^{[1]
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- Keep your dominant or stronger hand on the rope at all times. Use it to maintain your balance and stay upright throughout the jump.
- Balance your weight evenly between both your legs to maintain your balance as you move across the water.
2
Bend your knees when you’re ready to jump. Bend slightly, but don’t lose your balance. Keep your head and chest up with your back straight as much as possible. If you lean forward, you might end up getting the wrong kind of air, face-planting into the water instead of leaping out of it.^{[2]
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- Leaning backward also throws off your balance, so lean only when you need to in order to stabilize the board. Maintain a strong base with your legs and monitor your balance on the board at all times.
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3
Shift your weight onto your back leg to start the jump. Ollies are all about popping your wakeboard into the air with a sudden burst of energy. Lean back on the board very slightly to transfer your weight to your back foot. Stay in your bent-knee stance with your hands on the rope ahead of you to maintain your balance as much as possible.^{[3]
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- Try to avoid moving your torso at all. If you move your torso, you might end up leaning forward and losing your balance. Crouch down slightly by bending your knees.
4
Lift your front leg up while popping the board with your back leg. Move in one fluid motion immediately after transferring your weight to your back leg. Think of the ollie as a balanced reaction. Your front and back legs have to move at the same time in opposite directions for the trick to work. Push down with your back leg so the board rises with your front leg.^{[4]
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- Many wakeboarders like to remove their trailing hand from the rope. Doing this helps you stay balanced with your board straight and your body oriented in a sideways position.
5
Raise your back leg to stabilize the board while you’re in the air. You have successfully launched yourself into the air. Now, all you have to do is keep your cool to land safely! Shift your weight to your front foot so the back end of the board rises. Then, level out the board when you reach the peak of your jump, which is when you feel the board stop rising and begin heading back toward the water.^{[5]
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- When you’re preparing for the landing, your best bet is to keep the back end of the board a little lower than the front end. It helps you avoid a wipeout. Instead of leveling out the board completely, focus on staying balanced.
- You may feel tempted to stand up at first. It’s an easy mistake to make when you’re in the rush of a successful trick, but try to stay calm and move quickly. Keep your feet planted on the board and maintain your momentum from the push-off you did to lift off of the water.
6
Bend your knees to absorb the impact as you land. Basically, stay in a crouched position as much as possible throughout the trick. You do have to extend your legs when you jump out of the water, but get back into a stable position at the peak of your jump. This isn’t too tough to do if you use the movement of your back leg to get back into a crouching stance. Hold that position as you hit the water to absorb the impact.^{[6]
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- Ollies are fun ways to jump without a wake. Many wakeboarders use this trick to spin, jump obstacles, or grind on top of them. If you’re thinking of trying that, stay safe by mastering the trick first before approaching any solid obstacles in the water.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Jumping the Wake

1
Turn your board to move as far away from the wake as possible. Trail behind the boat until you establish your balance and gain momentum. When you’re ready to jump, steer the wakeboard toward either side of the boat. The travels all the way past the boat, although the exact distance depends on the length of your rope. The side you choose doesn’t matter, so go wherever you feel most comfortable navigating.^{[7]
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- Balancing and steering are some of the basic techniques you practice when you first learn to wakeboard. Balance as you move by standing with your dominant leg forward, your knees bent, and your hands on the rope.
- To steer the wakeboard, pull the rope away from the boat. The board moves in the direction you pull the rope. You don’t need to move your legs at all to steer.
2
Change direction with your lower body to move back toward the boat. Wait until you feel yourself being pulled back toward the wake. As soon as you feel it, steer the board back with your lower body. Keep your knees bent, leaning back slightly on your heels to put your weight on the back edge of the board.^{[8]
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- Hold yourself steady as your board cuts back. Use your body weight to maintain your balance as you lean toward the toe and heel edges. These edges steer the board in opposite directions, so lean toward the heel edge to turn the board back to the boat at a faster rate.
3
Pull the rope until it is near your front hip. Position the rope handle about 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) ahead of you. Turn your chest and front shoulder slightly to face the boat. Don’t turn the rest of your torso, since doing so could throw you off-balance.^{[9]
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- Holding the rope this way adds tension to it, also called loading the line. Loading the line increases the air you get during the jump.
4
Stand up tall as you hit the wake to jump out of the water. Pretend like you’re jumping out of the water. As soon as the board reaches the top of the wake, pop up into a standing position. This can be a little tricky to time at first, but the better your timing is, the more hang time you can get.^{[10]
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- Pull the line toward your hip if you haven’t already. Keep the line tense with the rope handle right in front of your hip to maintain your posture.
- While you’re in the air, monitor your board’s positioning. Leaning forward causes the board to tilt forward, which means a wipeout when you land. Always lean back the entire time to keep your weight on your heels.
5
Keep your back straight and bend your knees as you land. Continue leaning back slightly as you travel through the air, making sure your back stays aligned with the heel edge of your board. Bend your knees again to form a strong base that absorbs the impact of the board hitting the water. After landing, use the rope and your weight again to steer away from the wake and regain control of the board.^{[11]
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- Try to land at about a 45-degree angle. Don’t point the board toward the boat and don’t turn completely perpendicular to it either.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Mastering Variations on Wake Jumps

1
Move in a wide arc without using your legs for a beginner’s jump. This technique is very similar to the basic wake jump except you don’t straighten your legs when you hit the wake. Move away from the wake as far as you can, then cut back in. When you hit the wake, stay in a crouched position until you land.^{[12]
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- Since you aren’t lifting with your legs, you need more speed to clear the wake. Cut in sharply toward the wake by leaning on your heels to turn the board. This is a good way to practice basic board control, especially if you’re having trouble timing jumps with your legs.
- Many beginners perform this type of jump by accident. They assume that speed is enough for a big jump. Without a good push from your legs, you won’t get much height this way.
2
Travel in a shorter arc to clear the wake with less hang time. Start moving away from the boat, but cut back in before the board reaches the end of its arc. When you hit the wake, maintain your balance but don’t push off. Lean back with your weight on your heels until the board hits the water.^{[13]
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- This is often called a speed jump. It’s a quick way to get to the other side of the wake. You don’t get much air, but it is handy as a transition and for jumping practice.
3
Increase your board speed and push off harder to jump further. Combining a fast board with plenty of leg power enables you to clear the entire wake. Steer away from the boat as you normally would. Instead of moving back toward the boat in a wide arc, cut back toward the wake at a sharper angle by leaning on your heels, turning the board manually toward the wake. When you hit the top of the wake, push off with your legs to launch yourself further.^{[14]
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- This type of jump requires more strength to control the line tension. You also land on the flat part of the water outside of the wake, so losing your balance is easier.
4
Cut in at a more aggressive angle and push for a regular jump. Instead of moving away from the boat as far as possible, cut back in when you’re about halfway from the maximum distance you can travel to the side. Straighten your legs with a big push when you hit the wake. Performing this jump puts a lot of tension on the line and pressure against the edge of your board. When you do it correctly, the line tension makes it perfect for tricks like backrolls..^{[15]
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- This type of jump nets you a similar hang time to the standard wake jump. The difference is that the sharp angle in this jump puts more tension on the line and requires better board control.

Warnings

Jumping on a wakeboard can be painful. Master the basics, such as wakeboard control and steering, before attempting to do tricks. Remember to bend your knees so they don’t lock when you land.

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Jumping obstacles is dangerous for inexperienced wakeboarders. Leave trick jumps and grind tricks to the professionals unless you have plenty of experience jumping in open water.

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