How to Turn on a Wakeboard: A Guide for Beginners

Congratulations on learning how to get up on your wakeboard! The next step is to learn how to turn on your wakeboard. 

Turning on a wakeboard is more like carving, similar to surfing. You can achieve this by edging. In this guide, we'll go through the steps to help you edge smoothly and turn confidently on your wakeboard.

How to turn on a wakeboard

Step 1: Lean with your toes

To perform a toe-side edge, you need to lean in with your toes. When you lean in, your board will naturally use more edge. This is why it's called edging. By using more edge, you'll be able to carve and turn more effectively.

Step 2: Lean with your heels

Alternatively, you can perform a heel-side edge by leaning with your heels. For instance, if you ride regular, which means you have your left foot forward, you'll need to lean backwards to turn left. If you ride goofy, which means you have your right foot forward, you'll need to lean backwards to turn right.

Step 3: Look where you want to go

Similar to other sports like mountain biking and surfing, where you look is usually where you go. You need to keep your focus on where you want to be heading. 

Avoid looking at your feet because you might end up going under. Instead, focus on your next manoeuvre and where you want to be in the next 5-10 seconds. 

And If you are on a cable and swinging out wide to edge, look at the point you want to hit. Once you reach it, turn smoothly to look back at the cable, as that's where you'll want to be heading.

Step 4: Build speed by using the tension of the rope

Edging will slow you down, and the more edge you use, the more speed you'll lose. To maintain speed (and for short boosts of speed), you need to use the tension on the rope. The rope will help you build momentum and maintain speed throughout your ride.

Step 5: Turn smoothly

As you progress in wakeboarding, you'll notice that more advanced riders edge quickly and sharply to set up for tricks. However, as a beginner, you need to avoid this. Make everything as smooth as possible. Sudden turns can upset your centre of gravity, and you might not have the technique to counter this correctly until you gain more experience. So focus on turning smoothly and gradually building up your skills.

Conclusion

Turning on a wakeboard might seem hard at first, but with practice, you'll be able to edge smoothly and carve confidently. Remember to lean with your toes or heels, look where you want to go, use the tension of the rope to build speed, and turn smoothly. With these tips in mind, you'll be able to progress your wakeboarding skills and have fun on the water!