Too quick To ask what To do

[DirtyCracker]

Sometimes it seems that new wakeskaters are too quick to ask what to buy and what to ride before even skating.

I bought my first board off the rack of performance at owc right before the hyperlite gate came out and i was so sad i didnt have enough money to buy the gate cause it looked so cool and everyone at owc was riding it. and then bought an old LF concave off the rack couple months later. then i found devotid on ebay. I was amazed at the price and was stoked to be part of something more. I checked out their website and was like dang these guys are like real people.

Ive rode a couple devotids since then been riding an integ bamboo also rode a byerly legacy for 2-3 months. I wish there was someone on here that could make a legit write up and make it a sticky for new wakeskaters to read and see that although we all have great opinions the best option is to maybe read the forum see what people have had success with and buy what you feel interested in. Honestly i think that most new wakeskaters can buy any board and will pretty much be stoked to ride cause they need to find it their selves.

We need less conformity and more individuality

[spadedout41]

well said cracka

[walkthroughwalls]

Write the sticky?

[edrex]

The problem with a sticky on "what to buy" is that every new wakeskater is "special". They could go through that and read it but if it doesn't mention what someone with size 7.5 shoes should buy or which deck would be best for someone who weighs 185 pounds then they will still start a new thread about a deck tailored specifically for them.
But really, you can't blame them. When someone is getting their first deck they are taking a big step into unknown waters. They *usually* have barely enough money to buy a deck and don't want to waste it on something that they want to ride for a long time. What all those threads are really about is getting someone to pat them on the head, toussle their hair, and tell them "everything is going to be ok if you get this skate over here."
The best thing to do if you don't like the "which skate" threads is just stay out of them and let some of the other nice members deal with them (I vote for esnow as designated Board Guider!).
And to any new skaters that read this: Don't worry, you really are special.

[scott a]

Nobody would read it.

[electricsnow]

On the flip side, there are a lot more boards to choose from nowadays than there were a few years ago. On top of that, they all ride very differently. Now there are flats, wood concaves, bi-levels, compression molded, high end composite skates, and all of the variations with those skates in between, and then you also have weight, length and width to consider. add in the fact that decks are no longer falling into the 100-200 dollar price range and that's a lot of money to spend testing decks, especially if you don't have any friends who ride and have decks for you to sample, or any shops that might have some sick boards to look at (and let's face it, a lot of the smaller companies currently are not in any large wake shops).

To me, I think patience is key. It's like someone coming to a snowboard shop and looking for your guidance in helping them find a board that's going to suit their style, when there's proably at least 10 models to choose from (but their performing characteristics are probably closer or more comparable than what wakeskates are like today). All you can really do is tell them about that board and what they can expect from it, given its design characteristics and the style of riding it's designed for. I think things also end up getting skewed when people are quick to just throw out company names without actually telling people why that board might work for them, or what it has to offer.

A beginner can buy any board if they have the money (this is obvious), but I don't think they'll necessarily enjoy it, or benefit from it. They can check it out, but they also might not be benefitting from what they are buying. For instance, I would not recommend a bi-level for a beginner, because I do think a certain skill level is required before you can really start to ride that deck like it should be ridden. That is just my easy example.

But I do agree that, in the end, it is seriously about getting on that board, or a similar board, and figuring out what works best for your riding style. Just because you or I prefer one board does not mean that the next person is going to feel the same way.

[Calskater23]

We should have a noob section like wakeboarder.com. That way people who are looking for their first board can post their. That way the Which Board threads don't spam up general wakeskating. Then the board guiders coughesnowcough can look in that section to help out others. This will prevent people from spamming threads with jokes and sarcasm, because they won't go in the Newbie Section.

[Gnarly Dancer 42]

it sounds like a good idea, but its annoying when there's too many categories in my opinion

[gporter]

DirtyCracker, Some people are different than others in that they are more picky with what they buy, but I agree that when you first start, it doesn't matter what you buy, it's just that you choose what you buy.

[bass69]

we should start a newbie questons forum just like wb.com

[LemonWake]

DirtyCracker, totally agree on there bein a seperate forum. It would make it easier on everyone as a whole i think. I was the same way when i started wakeboarding cause i didnt know what to buy and stuff but once i just bought one all that question askin went away. Luckily didnt have to do that with wakeskating! built my own deck and bam i was into it, no questions asked!

Oh and i think im finally gonna post some pics of my homemade skate tonight!

[Chad H]

I was a dumbass and got a catalyst cause i saw a guy at a demo day shredding the hell out of one. I thought it was a cool board/design with the foam and grip. Oh if i could go back i would've gotten a LF of some sort.

[ollieshuvitz]

general wakeskating = newbie section.

we need an old skool section! it'd have to be red though, not green

[bass69]

while were at is, what is a rocker on a wakeskate? like a 3 stage rocker?

[fletch]

This reply is not directed at anyone in particular, because in my mind, everyone's opinion is valid. This is something that has somewhat bothered me in the past few months, so I guess I will expound. While all the posts about "which board should I buy" may become monotonous to some, I personally don't mind sharing my thoughts on the boards I've ridden. In some ways, new riders are looking up to the people of this forum to help guide them in starting the sport that we supposedly all love and are here to talk about. I remember when I first started, I had a ton of questions and probably annoyed the hell out of Jimmy at Swith Stance, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one interested in wakeskating that he had to deal with. I understand that those of you that have been on this site for a long time get frustrated with seeing the same post over and over, but why should you ever get frustrated with talking about what you like and dislike about different boards. If you see the topic then just don't read or reply. It is never encouraging to tell a new wakeskater to search the site. I find this site somewhat difficult to searh and I've been on here a while. Let those people that want to talk about their different boards respond. Not only will the newbie feel more informed about different boards, but he/she will not immediately feel like they are getting a beatdown on a website that is dedicated to the sport that they want to learn about.

However, as a suggestion to alleviate what some consider a problem, what if ws.com put all the companies that are out there under a different heading, and then let all the riders on here post their comments about the boards under those headings. For example: (Heading) Sattelyte, then inside that link have links to the different boards. If you ride that board and want to provide specs, rideability and expereince level you are free to do so. I don't know, just trying to find a means to an end.

Esnow said it best, patience is key. I'd like to think that if you guys had a new rider on the boat/ski/winch you would take the time to help them figure out what they are doing; be it getting up, edging, ollieing, shuvs or whatever. Anyway, sorry for the rant and I hope everyone has a great set this week/weekend or whenever you get to ride. Later.

[daniel]

DirtyCracker, good post.

i agree.

[DirtyCracker]

I defiantly dont mind sharing my opinon on wakekskates or on anything by that matter most people know on here. I think that alot of times people are steered in the wrong direction by people who ride a certain board and havent ridden any other boards to compare it too. The worst example for this is someone buying a bilevel before ever riding one. Ya there are people who dont ride with other people ant dont live in orlando to try every board.

I really dont know how someone who has never ridden a wakeskate can buy a board and not like it. I bought a flat deck Jobe wakeskate when i first started riding it was almost 44 inchs and it was amazing. Now I look back at it and im like damn that board was terrible so bulky such a goofy shape. But i learned all the basics on it and i can gnar slash like a champ now. I would ride off the little speed bump at owc all day long and just ride in circles doing 180s and slashs for hours. I thought i was so cool. I was only 14 but I think that pretty much anyone who is new to the sport would be stoked to pretty much anything. There arnt many companys that make boards that arnt good boards anymore. Board quality has come along way.

[DirtyCracker]

gporter, uh no some people are just little babys gporter