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Domi Gührs flies through the air on his wakeboard in Lithuania.
© Vytautas Dranginis / Red Bull Content Pool
Wakeboarding
Dominate the waters: Learn how to wakeboard with Dom Gührs's top tips
Want to try out a new water sport? Here's everything you should and shouldn’t do to kickstart your wakeboarding journey.
Written by Andi Spies
4 min readUpdated on
Learn from a pro. Here are some key tips with professional insights from wakeboarding professional, Dominik Gührs.
01

Prepare yourself for success

Get started with the right stance: When on your board you need to know which foot is in front. If you skate, snowboard or surf, you should be able to easily answer the question of whether you are Goofy (right foot in front) or Regular (left foot in front). Don't know yet? Then try what feels more natural or have a friend push you lightly from behind and see which foot you land on first (which will be your front foot).
Strength: Wakeboarding is especially hard on the arms and shoulders. It does no harm to prepare for your first day of wakeboarding with a little strength training.
02

Time to get started

Every facility is different, but most have a starting block that floats in the water and offers you two starting options. A so-called sit start, where you sit on the block and your legs hang in the water with the board, and a jump start, where you stand on the block and jump off.
The easier start is the sit start. To start, lift the front leg slightly out of the water and hold the barbell at hip level until you feel the pull from the line. As soon as the line is pulled, you are automatically lifted out of the water. Now it is important to build up body tension, keep your arms close to your body and bend your knees. It can take a while to get your first launch right. The launch is the most difficult part of wakeboarding, but once you get it, you won't lose it.
The start is the most difficult part of wakeboarding© Stefan Scheitl
The start is mastered! Keep your body under tension and straighten your legs so that your knees are still slightly bent. Your weight is equally distributed on both legs and your gaze is directed forward. Keep the barbell at hip height and not too far away from your body.
The most difficult thing in wakeboarding is the start. As soon as you know how to do that, it runs all by itself. You can usually do the first few laps on the first day!
03

Here's the fun part: how to turn

Felix Georgii tackles a more conventional wakeboard obstacle© Lukas Joas/Red Bull Content Pool
Now you're ready for the first turn. At most facilities, the turns are marked with two buoys that you have to pass through to master the turn well. For the turn, bend your knees again, look into the turn and shift your weight slightly backwards and to the side you want to turn.
There you go - you've successfully completed your first lap. Don't worry, its normal for your arms to feel a little heavier. Do a few laps, loosen your arms and move on.
04

The four most common mistakes

Canal crash course
Canal crash course© Esben Zøllner Olesen
  1. Straightening up too quickly at the start: Keep your knees low until you've passed the start and have a straight line in front of you.
  2. Not letting go in time: As soon as you fall, let go of the barbell! Thanks to your waistcoat you'll float in the water. Holding on for too long will only drain your energy and pull the board off your feet.
  3. Having the barbell too far ahead: Hold the barbell at hip height and bend your arms slightly so that you can easily compensate for a sudden change (slackening or pulling) on the line.
  4. Looking down at the board: Your gaze should always be forward and not on your feet or your board. If you're riding the lift, it's best to look at the top of the sled before the turns. This way you can see how steep your turn will be. On straight stretches, always look ahead.
I was so hooked after my first try that from then on I was on the board almost every day in the summer. I've been wakeboarding for 17 years
Follow these tips during your first attempts on the wakeboard and it won’t be too long before you take the leap of faith with some wakeboarding tricks!
Looking for some inspiration? Watch the Red Bull Wake Capital 2021 highlight video below to see where dedication can take you.
3 minWakeboarding highlightsSee 16 of the world's best wakeboarders go into battle at Hamburg's Elbphilharmonie concert hall.
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Dominik Gührs

Dominik Gührs is a wakeboarding pro who overcame serious injury to become one of Germany's most decorated wakeboarders and a world champion to boot.

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