It's January. Or February. Or any other miserably cold month when the parks are closed and you're wondering just how much progress you'll lose while you're off the water. It's like riding a bike, right? Well yes. And if you've spent the season shredding all that time on the water, all those new tricks you've nailed and all those slams you've taken trying to do so are absolutely going to count. But also, time out makes us rusty (or at least rustier) It just does (yes, even the pros - don't believe anyone who tells you otherwise!). But that doesn't mean you're going to have to go back to square 1/2/3/4/5/whatever square you currently consider yourself one step ahead of.
There are loads of things you can do to keep your riding strong in the off-season. Although we know you lot like a list. So here are eight of such things.
Shall we?
Hit the gym...
Or the mat in your bedroom. Think pull exercises, leg and knee strengthening workouts, lower back mobility and anything that'll toughen up your core. YouTube is full of short, focused sessions to help keep your body supple and reset your stance after a day of sitting at a laptop, sitting in a car/van/cab or doing literally no sitting in an equally body-stiffening manual job.
A bit of flexibility can also help to prevent injuries in the upcoming season! Follow along this daily stretching routine for wakeboarding:
Jump, flip, reverse it!
Embrace your inner big kid (I mean isn't that what we're all doing every time we ride?!) and book yourself up at a nearby bounce park. Practice those front rolls, back rolls, grabs, whip tricks and Raleys without the water or the handle: perfect the bodywork and take a mate to film your form. Nothing beats the ability to analyse your own aerial action.
Head to the slopes...
(Or the skate park, snow dome, indoor surf centre.) Anything that works on independent balance and not relying on the cable is going to level-up your downtime no end. And yes, you still need to work on your switch. We'll be watching closely when the season starts. We'll know.
Slow it down...
Yoga. Pilates. Reformer. Small movements. Strong muscle engagement. Stretches. Don't underestimate the value of low-impact, slow motion exercise. Consider it another type of massage. Rehabilitation is just as important as fortification. Even if that would be the lamest t-shirt slogan ever.
Go back to school...
Just like we don't include classroom sessions on our camps to live out our unfulfilled teaching dreams, we didn't create Road To Pro just for the 'gram. Technique matters, and nailing the basics before those bad habits creep in isn't always easy without a bit of coaching guidance. Likewise, when you've been riding for a while and are working on more complex tricks, sometimes it only takes a few minor tweaks to take you from faceplant to F*CK YEAH! So when you're not riding, get reading, watching and readying yourself to try those same tricks again, only with new knowledge, new insight, hopefully even new confidence. Get back on the Road (To Pro).
Hone your handle passes.
Just like you would on the dock, drill your form off the water. Don't have a handle? Improvise! Securely connect some rope to a wooden coat hanger, a 30 x 3 rolling pin ( hat tip to the man — and unlikely pastry chef — Sam Dunkerton) or rod of some sort — hell, even a standard roll of clingfilm will do the job! — and run through those tricks where your twist motion isn't quite cutting it. Just make sure you anchor it to something stable and solid - we can't be held responsible for anyone yanking a shelf off a wall or pulling a wardrobe over on themselves. Safety first, people.
Work on your balance.
Whether with bodyweight only, a ball or a board, balance training of any kind is one of the best ways to improve your coordination and increase your reaction times, with the added benefit of building up your core/leg strength and ankle stability - all things sure to enhance your form on the water no end.
Relive what you did last summer...
We know you've got footage. So watch it. Not just the sick stuff. The fails. The flops. The FFS not that same "almost got it" AGAIN. Watch your worst videos. Analyse what went wrong. Break it down. Break it down into THE. MOST. EXCRUCIATING. LITTLE. MISTAKES. Not always much fun. Works a treat though.
Keep your head in the game!
Stay in touch with your wake buddies. Absorb 'unhealthy' amounts of rider TikTok. Clean your kit (you know that sweat smell? Yeah, that's you) and refresh your riding gear (no, you shouldn't break out of your bindings when you hit a hard edge and yes, the zip on your impact vest should be fully functioning). Every little helps.
And if all else fails...
Get away.
Crawling the walls waiting for the parks to open? Can't deal with any more cold days, dark nights and cruel sunshine session content? Maybe head to hotter climes. Did we mention we're off to Cambodia? There's still time to join us.
I’m a better pastry chef than I am handle passer!!!
Great advice,I'm a bit fat from Christmas but back out kite surfing and MTB riding just to keep the old body moving 😁