Photo by: Clement Serrat
Crossing the wake on water skis is one of the trickiest challenges for water ski beginners. Given the fact that most novice water skiers spend 95% of the time in the middle of the wake, just venturing out past the edges is a feat in itself. It usually happens when the skier feels like experimenting, or by pure surprise when the boat is taking a corner fast whipping the water skier out of the wake.
Q: How to cross the wake?
A: You want to be committed as possible… This goes for exiting the wake as well as re-entering it or crossing it altogether. Try and cross the peak of each wake as quickly as possible, and as perpendicular to it as you can. However, keep in mind that the more perpendicular to it you are the faster you’ll be going, so don’t overdo it. Shift your weight back a little to keep from catching the nose of the skis. The most important thing you can do is stay relaxed and bend your knees and get ready to absorb the hit of the wake under your skis to avoid getting shot up into the air. With the proper technique, you can cross the wake as fast as humanly possible without getting air. Another thing, try to avoid staying within the foam of the wake where it is breaking. You’ll probably trip and fall.