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Darin Shapiro: Wakeboarding’s Master Champion – Part Two

February 21, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Darin Shapiro is reknown as the first rider landing an Air Railey – but what is interesting is that the Air Railey wakeboard trick was actually named in honor of one of his coaches in Team Hyperlite. Actually, Darin was riding for Herb O’Brien who actually founded Hyperlite. The reknown “Hyperlite Pro” Wakeboard is widely deemed responsible for the tremendous growth of the sport. Due to his talented and proficient displays of first-rate riding and therefore high profile and influence on the sport, Darin is widely deemed as being responsible for promoting the Hyperlite Pro Wakeboard.

Today, Hyperlite team riders influence greatly the progressive design of Hyperlite boards. Pro Wakeboarders visit Hyperlite home office in Redmond, Washington and spend a week or two doing research, development, and graphic design. Hyperlite have on their team three CAD designers who operate two expensive C&C machines to get the right wakeboards shape as each shape can go through 20 prototypes. The commitment to improving cutting-edge innovation at Hyperlite has seen the company develop amazing products each year backed substantially by a lifetime warranty.

A showcase of 23 proficient 2007/8 Hyperlite wakeboard designs with various rocker types from 130 cms – 144cms lengths suitable for every all ability level including Beginner, Immediate, Advanced to Expert for child’s, men and women’s are presented at the popular Hyperlite-featured ‘Evogear’ website: www.evogear.com

Hyperlite wakeboard prices range at between $125 to $499.

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Darin Shapiro shows up in most major Wakeboard movies and tutorials. Check out this excerpt highlighting “Learn to Wakeboard” The Heelside BackRoll” where 11 pros show you the moves. “Narrated by X-Games champion, Gravity Games champion, and 3-time world champion Darin Shapiro and world famous pro-coach Mike Ferraro.”

Want to see more? See Trick tips and secrets you won’t find anywhere else! Tricks include: Board Control Cut Back Drill No Air Wake Cross Ollie Hop In, Hop Out Riding Switch Surface 180 Boardslide/Lipslide Ollie 180 Heelside Wake Jump Toeside Wake Jump Grabs TS/FS 180 HS/FS 180 TS/FS 360 HS/FS 360 Backside 180 Back Roll Roll to Revert TS Back Roll TS Back Roll to Revert Front Roll Scarecrow Tantrum Raley Riders include: Darin Shapiro, Dallas Friday, Danny Harf, Loren Levine, Cobe Mickacich, John Nadolski, Josh Sanders, Zane Schwenk, Chad Sharpe, Jeff Solei, and Daniel Watkins. Buy Waketrix the DVD here.

Watch Darin Shapiro in this excerpt “Wake In Paradise” from June 2007 here:

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As for Darin’s activities away from the water, Darin enjoys surfing and music. In fact, his in-home recording studio is where Darin spends most of his time when he’s not on the road. And of course, spending time with his girlfriend. Darin changed board companies after seven years and is now under contract to ride for O’Brien. Darin Shapiro has not competed in the pro tour since the 2004 season. He currently runs the Ride the Spot wakeboarding camp.

Darin’s website for Ride The Spot is www.ridethespot.net although the site at the time of writing the site is undergoing an upgrade to show off the new accomodation.

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How To Wakeboard – Tricks That Will Get Serious Reactions And Make You Look Like A Pro, In No Time!

February 1, 2008 by Leave a Comment

The ONLY “how to wakeboard” instructional with the training method used by World Champions

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I’ll just bet you’re reading this post because you are serious about learning how to wakeboard well, getting down all the wakeboard tips and tricks to truly dazzle your friends – well let me tell you – you’ll be really, really super-glad you joined us today!

There’s nothing more exciting about learning how to wakeboard – mastering wakeboarding tips and techniques through practice sessions and really getting them down – feeling the adrenaline rush that comes from doing it super-well and hearing a enthusiastic spectator reaction. You know what I mean: the wakeboarding trick and rider’s technique looks great, feels good. It’s like there’s this moment when the world is your oyster. Who doesn’t like to be admired? Hearing comments like “how on earth did they do that?” or “That really looks super-cool out there!”

I’ve seen a stack of clips and footage now on how to wakeboard “with promise,” and yes they may have showcased some tasty tricks by ‘Backyard Bob’ and ‘Ned The Novice’ but really missed the mark in delivering effective “how to” wakeboard training – training that actually has the enthusiast wakeboarder at heart in bringing him/her forward with strong “how to” commentary.

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The truth is, when you get onto the right teaching resource that helps you effectively pull off that winning crowd-pleasing trick because one bright afternoon you decided to finally “step things up” about your wakeboarding hobby – something suddenly broke in the atmosphere, the heavens opened, the birds chorused, the sky became bluer and you rose up to reach your fullest potential before the entire world!! … Or something like that!

Well, after doing my best ‘net detective,’ and literally stacks of my favorite archived wakeboarding resources I finally came across a How To Wakeboard DVD one morning that just got me super-excited! After finding out a little more about it on the internet, something inside me said “you better get this one!” I mean, I had to have it! I didn’t have to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce that I had found an elementary super-clue – to transferable cool wakeboarding! I gotta tell you: Waketrix – the DVD has really opened up for me and my friends a new pasttime that we all totally enjoy together!

Let me fill you in a little more: Waketrix is the only wakeboarding instructional I could find with the training method that is actually used by World Wakeboarding Champions. That’s serious stuff! Plus, Waketrix is also the only one demonstrated by ALL-PROS — plus ALL-PRO coaching. By the way, and get this: no less than 11 pros show you all the right moves. Waketrix the DVD is narrated by X-Games champion, Gravity Games champion, and 3-time world champion Darin Shapiro and world famous pro-coach Mike Ferraro. Oh, yeah!

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Actually, there’s how to wakeboard tricks, tips and revealed secrets you won’t find anywhere else! Your own wakeboarding finesse can only improve by osmosis. That means we watch, we revere, we emulate (copy) what we see. That’s how it works. So why not watch the best? Hey, just look at these great tricks on the DVD which include: Board Control Cut Back Drill No Air Wake Cross Ollie Hop In, Hop Out Riding Switch Surface 180 Boardslide/Lipslide Ollie 180 Heelside Wake Jump Toeside Wake Jump Grabs TS/FS 180 HS/FS 180 TS/FS 360 HS/FS 360 Backside 180 Back Roll Roll to Revert TS Back Roll TS Back Roll to Revert Front Roll Scarecrow Tantrum and Raley.

The riders include: Darin Shapiro Dallas Friday Danny Harf Loren Levine Cobe Mickacich John Nadolski Josh Sanders Zane Schwenk Chad Sharpe Jeff Solei Daniel Watkins.

Impressed? You better believe it. Well, I promised. But Waketrix really delivers!

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How To Wakeboard Tips – Secrets To Successful Wake Jumps! Part Two

January 10, 2008 by Leave a Comment

When it comes to learning the secrets to successful wake jumps. We need to understand that there are 4 fundamental postures or approaches that can be used: middle, seated and tall and another which is a synthesis of the middle-to-tall:

For a middle approach – keep your knees slightly bent, with some break at the waist. Bend your elbows a little. Keep the handle low – you will need to sustain a low centre of gravity. Keep this position as you go through the approach. Shift gently on to your heels and lean on your lower back. Maintain this posture all the way through the approach. Apply for wake jumps and backrolls.

For the seated approach – break at your waist more and your lower body in a squatted or crouched position and keep it low. The upper body posture should be tall. Tuck in the handle position here. This will assist you greatly as you execute the actual pop on the wake. These seated posture approaches can be utilized in grabs and spins.

For the tall approach method – go in really tall with your waist locked-in and knees slightly bent. Done correctly you’ll feel the tension more in your upper back. In this position you want to increase your centre of gravity to your upper body, rather than at waist position. The focal point is your shoulders. This approach is primarily used for the Raley maneuver.

Then there is the middle-to-tall approach. As stately already, this is a synthesis technique. Begin with the previously mentioned middle approach – keep your weight evenly distributed on the board. About 2-3 feet before reaching the wake begin your pop by releasing your body more into the standing position. While in the air keep your chest open and your head up. Don’t look down. Your wakeboard should now be pointing towards your landing spot. Upon landing, bend your knees so that the shock will be absorbed.

In all these approaches it is the tall approach which will have the tightest line tension. This allows the greatest propelling effort with all these approaches. Having said all that, you’ll notice by observation of instructional videos and other riders that there is a myriad of mixed styles so experiment a little and take your time to create your own individual wakeboarding style.

Take care and see you on the water!

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How To Wakeboard Tips – Secrets To Successful Wake Jumps! Part One

January 10, 2008 by Leave a Comment

When it comes to learning how to wakeboard, it’s only natural that finding out how to achieve good wakeboard jumps is something that beginner wakeboarders want to learn right away. Can’t say I blame them! That’s because many beginners have quickly worked out that approaching the wake jump correctly is the doorway to all kinds of fancy, crowd-pleasing maneuvers and tricks.

The secret to successful wakeboarding jumps is not high speed. The secret lies rather in a nice progressive edge towards the wake whilst maintaining a tight tow-rope. You begin by smoothly rolling out of your turn and then gently edging towards the wake. Some good advice: don’t turn too fast because if you end up with some slackness in the rope – you may be yanked frontward, off balance.

The secret to successful wakeboarding jumps is not determined by lift, either. It’s not about how hard you try to lift off the wake – it’s all about how you manage the tow-rope tension – is truly the key when it comes to successful, good-looking wake jumps. It’s also worth mentioning well-controlled timing, too. Popping that wake with taut, rigid tow-rope tension is another key to well-managed wake jumps.

Now that we have learned the importance of maintaining a tight tow-rope, we need to examine the four approaches. Go now to Part Two.

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How To Wakeboard Tips – The ‘Method Air’ Maneuver

January 10, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Learning One of the Coolest Wakeboard Moves of All:

The Method Air – an intermediate level maneuver – is considered one of the coolest wakeboard moves, so is well worth listing here for your consideration and instruction. The Method Air is found in many board sports such as skateboarding and snowboarding but found it’s origins in skating.

Method air in snowboarding is described as a half pipe aerial maneuver. The snowboarder grabs the heel-edge with the front hand, bends both knees and pulls the board to head level. Watch any snowboard half-pipe competition and it’ll be there! But for all the wakeboarding groovers – here’s the cool wakeboard version:

Approach the wake heel-side with a smooth and unswerving cut. Roll onto your edge and bend your knees.
Try to reach maximum speed as you leave the wake.
Build your speed gradually to optimize your air time. Don’t jerk on the handle to fix your body into position.
Relax and drop your lead hand. Always try to keep the rope tight. Keep your shoulders above the board.
So loft, drop your lead hand as you keep the rope tight. As you drop your hand, draw your front foot across the front of your body.
At the same time, grab your back rail or method. (You can grab method a number of ways.
One way is to grab in front of your lead foot. Another way is to grab between your feet.)

Now, lift your back leg out towards the back of the boat. Actually this part is more important than landing the trick. It’s the ‘style-part’ of the maneuver. Now release the grab, let the board back around and land on the other side of the wake.

To simplify – try the trick initially without the grab. Go for the grab later. Just loft, drop your lead hand, pull your front leg across your body, bring it back and land. That will give you the feeling of the trick. Have fun!

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