Sep 08 2008
Wake Boarding Tip: Ropes
Woo! Great weather the last few days, huh? Definitely wake boarding weather! When you’re out there on the water making your own surf and spraying some serious H2O, you may notice that the type of rope you have drastically affects how your boarding goes that day. Although some would argue that the type of rope doesn’t matter if you’re good, even the most experienced boarders would beg to differ.
A line that stretches and has an “elastic” feel to it will be jerky and will not give you the same control as a stiff rope. Therefore, a stretchy rope is going to be out of the question if you like extreme jumps. Stretch will only hinder your jumping abilities and the air you can reach.
On the contrary, a rope that is stiff and won’t give will provide you with more height when jumping, more control on the water, and an overall better ride. It’s definitely the route you’ll want to take as you learn and progress through the various skill levels and manuevers boarders can perform.
Remember, the rope is like a photographer and his camera. A good photographer can do some amazing things, but if the camera is junk, the pictures will turn out bad, no matter what adjustments are made. Same thing with the rope and the wake boarder. Choose a good rope and you’ll reap the benefits of such an investment.
