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Darin Shapiro: Wakeboarding’s Master Champion – Part One

February 1, 2008 by Leave a Comment

Darin Shapiro was born in October 25, 1973 is from Orlando, Florida USA and his profession is ‘professional wakeboarder.’ Darin is known as ‘wakeboarding’s top competitor’ and is known as the ‘most winning rider in wakeboarding history.’This might seem at first instance like an over-the-top accolade, but to help bring this truth home to the wakeboarding newbie — just cast your eye below over this accomplished list of supreme credits — that leaves no doubt that Darin Shapiro is a remarkable person and yes, the consummate wakeboarder.

6x Pro Tour champ
4x Masters champ
4x World champ
3x X Games Gold medal
2x X Games Silver medal
3x Big Air champ
3x Wakestock and current champ
1x Gold, Silver, Bronze Gravity Games champion

It has been said that Darin Shapiro was winning Pro Tour titles and World Championships before most of today’s contemporaries even worked out what a wakeboard did.

If we draw your attention to a wakeboarding competition in Russia: the “Shapiro Wake Cup” you just may guess the force of influence Darin has on the sport!

Darin began to compete in 1991 at age 17, when only one professional wakeboarding tour existed. Says Darin of his success: “I’m proud that I was able to stay on top for so long in a sport that has been constantly changing – with new styles, tricks and equipment — in the beginning I was one of the only guys really into the sport; it was the perfect crossover that blended my abilities on a trick water ski as well as a surfboard.”

Today all over the world wakeboarding is an action water sport that is family-friendly and growing increasingly in popularity. There are professional wakeboard tours and competitions all over the world. Major U.S. events include the Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament, the World Championships, the Pro Wakeboard Tour and the X Games. Darin has won every single one of these tournaments a number of times.

Waketrix - How to wakeboard instructional DVDSee Darin Shapiro doing his wakeboard tricks in Waketrix – How to wakeboard instructional DVD

If you liked this DVD then you should also check out one of the most famous instructional “How To Wakeboard” video series ever…its Detention starring another Wakeboarding Champ – Shaun Murray. This DVD is two full length videos all on one DVD!

Filed Under: How To Wakeboard, Wakeboarding Profiles Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

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!

Filed Under: How To Wakeboard, Wakeboarding Reviews, Wakeboarding Tips, Wakeboarding Tricks, Wakeboarding Videos Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

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!

Filed Under: How To Wakeboard, Wakeboarding Tips, Wakeboarding Tricks Tagged With: , , , , , , ,