Did you know that we’ve been around since 1993? We have compiled a photo gallery of archived covers from years past. This gallery will either be a walk down memory lane or a history lesson. Either way, you are about to get a nice overview of the sport’s evolution over these 21 years.

Click on the gallery to browse all of our covers! Enjoy!

The post Wakeboarding Magazine’s Cover Archive appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

The post August Sessions appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Wait for It …

It’s just a 180, so it should be easy, right? In theory, sure. You’re not really spinning that much, so it should be relatively achievable — but you could say the same thing about switch riding too, right? It’s just a wake jump, so why is it so hard to do switchstance? It all comes down to your comfort level in all of your takeoff and landing positions. So if you can’t ride switch, and you’re asking yourself why you can’t land a backside 180, then we’ve already diagnosed your problem.

Overcoming this switch-riding barrier is directly connected to the time you spend riding switch. Do not procrastinate on this. The longer you put off switch riding, the more frustrating it is going to be to revisit it down the road. Start out small and make sure you do a few things switch every set without exception — even if it’s just a few slow carves. Eventually, your muscle memory will take over, and the day will come when you will get so comfortable that you forget you’re even riding switch.

Now let’s talk about how these 180s fit into the big picture — but first, pop quiz: How many different 180s exist in wakeboarding? Answer: a whopping 16! More than you thought, huh? Let’s break that number down: There are two different approach edges, heelside and toeside. And there are two different rotation directions, frontside and backside. Combine the two approach edges with the two spinning directions, and we’re up to four different 180s so far. Do all of those switch, and we’ve doubled our number to eight. Then do all of those off-axis, and you’ve doubled your number again to 16! It’s overwhelming, we know — but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Since you’ve probably already dialed in most of your frontside 180s, let’s get you started on your on-axis backside 180s. Fortunately for you, we’ve got some drills up our sleeve that will help you break this barrier without all the violent back edges — and once your backside 180s are solid, we’ll get you grabbing them too.

Heelside Backside 180s

Since the heelside backside 180 is the most common, we’ve looped in Dean Smith to get you started off on the right foot. Keep in mind that there are different ways to land this trick: You can pass the handle before you land (like Dean’s opener), at the point of impact or after you land (see sequence below) — also known as landing blind. For maximum application and consistency, be sure to learn all of these landing positions early on. Due to the brief nature of this instruction, we’ll be focusing primarily on learning how to impact the water before the handle pass, since this blind landing position can be pretty awkward at first.

Now let’s have Dean walk you through the trick, so you can see how our drills fit into the big picture. “The key is to wait to rotate until you are falling out of the trick, after you have reached your peak height. You can do this by spotting your landing on the way up and waiting for some of the tension to come off the line. Once the tension comes off, push the handle into your leading hip to initiate the rotation. As you rotate, keep your eye on your landing so your body knows when to prepare for the landing impact. Land with bent knees, you chest over your toes, and your handle locked into your lower back toward your new leading hip. Once you land, look for the shoreline and continue riding away.”

Overrotation born from fear of catching a back edge is common during the learning process. In order to recognize and trust this landing position with less risk, start in between the wakes at a slow boat speed, twist your lower body into an overturned one-handed backside slide, and keep twisting until you reach the blind position — with your eyes looking forward toward the boat as long as possible. Then, ollie into the blind landing position just a few feet outside the wake, followed by some inside out backside 180s. When you take it wake to wake, start with a shorter rope length — around 50 feet or so. Once consistent, lengthen your rope out a few feet and adjust the speed accordingly. Repeat this until you’ve reached your normal free-ride settings.

Toeside Backside 180s

Toeside backside is the most commonly procrastinated spin direction to learn. It makes sense why people put it off, though — it’s toeside, which puts you in a twisted position at takeoff, and then you have to pass the handle without any natural momentum to carry you into the backside rotation. Aaron Rathy says, “The hardest thing about a toeside backside 180 is timing when to go for the handle off the wake. Pulling too early will make you stick to the wake, and pulling too late will make it super hard to pass the handle. That part just takes a bit of time.”

A simple adjustment during your approach can help shorten this learning curve. Let’s look at Rathy’s toeside backside 180, for example. Take a look at the first image in the sequence and compare that to his position as he rides through the top of the wake. Note the dramatic change in the distance between his hips and the handle. This is done by simply allowing some extra distance between your hips and the handle at the start of your approach, and then when you drive your hips forward to stand tall at the wake, whether you realize it or not, you’ve advanced toward the handle. This will free up enough line tension for you to get the handle toward the peak of the trick. Rathy says, “Try not to move the handle too much on the way into the wake, and then when you hit the lip, it’s just a slow pull to your back. Nothing too drastic on this one. A big mistake people make is pulling too hard right away.”

Once you get the handle, the trick should naturally unwind the rest of the 180, so don’t force it. It’s pretty common to overrotate and slip out over your heels at first. To stop your rotation, keep your eyes looking back toward the wake as you land, and they’ll be consistent in no time.

Grab It Like You Mean It

Grabbing backside 180s can be tricky. After all, you can’t pass the handle and grab at the same time, and sometimes the grab can even change the tempo of the trick or throw off your axis if you’re not careful. Done right, however, a good grabbed backside 180 can become one of the most stylish tricks in your repertoire. So spend the time to make it right — it’ll be well worth it.

Before we get started, let’s consider all of the variables at play. When styling out any trick — especially backside 180s — there’s typically a specific, prioritized, midtrick goal position that the rider has in mind. This can be a tempo change, a shifty, a poke or a stalling point that poetically accompanies the grab. Every other aspect of the trick is oriented to support that stylish apex.

There are two main variables to consider when adding grabs to backside 180s. The first is the timing of the handle pass, and the second is the tempo — or the timing of the rotation. Take Dean’s opener on page 70, for example: His indy poked heelside backside 180 apexed right after he finished almost all of his backside rotation. Since it’s incredibly difficult to hold the blind position in the air for that long without being pulled back over your heels, the best solution is to pass the handle on the way down, before the landing impact.

See how it all revolves around the apex moment? Whether or not we are conscious of it, we all have to make those little calculations. To ease yourself into it, start out with the grabs that change your stock backside 180 the least. You’ll offset fewer variables that way. Rathy points out, “For your first few grabbed backside 180s, I’d recommend grabbing before the handle pass with your back hand. Everyone does them a little differently, and as long as you pop it, they are impossible to do wrong. Learn it, give it your own twist, and have fun with it!”

The post The Key to Backside 180s appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Here’s the scoop if you didn’t catch it in our previous post: Design your very own cover using our logo templates attached below. Get creative! Feel free to include humor, good photography, good riding, whatever you want! Just keep it family friendly. Email your submissions to brandon.judd@bonniercorp.com. Please submit your cover on or before Sunday, March 9th, 2014.

WakeBoarding Magazine Old School Cover Template

WakeBoarding Magazine 2007 Cover Template

Wakeboarding Magazine 2009 Cover Template

Wakeboarding Magazine 2014 Cover Template

All submissions are permissible for WAKEBOARDING to use in social media, online and in print. For those sending large file sizes, a file transfer service like wetransfer.com or hightail.com is acceptable. If you are in need of a different file type, just shoot us an email, and we can get it over to you.[

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The post Design a Cover Contest — Inspiration appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Here’s the scoop: Design your very own cover using our logo templates attached below. Get creative! Feel free to include humor, good photography, good riding, whatever you want! Just keep it family friendly. Email your submissions to brandon.judd@bonniercorp.com. Please submit your cover on or before Sunday March 9th, 2014.

WakeBoarding Magazine Old School Cover Template

WakeBoarding Magazine 2007 Cover Template

Wakeboarding Magazine 2009 Cover Template

Wakeboarding Magazine 2014 Cover Template

All submissions are permissible for WAKEBOARDING to use in social media, online and in print. For those sending large file sizes, a file transfer service like wetransfer.com or hightail.com is acceptable. If you are in need of a different file type, just shoot us an email, and we can get it over to you.[

](mailto:brandon.judd@bonniercorp.com)

The post Contest: Design A Cover! appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Congrats to Cassie Michelle B., who won WAKEBOARDING magazine’s September Chicks Contest. Check out more photos from the September Chicks Contest here. Then enter WAKEBOARDING magazine’s October Chicks Contest here for a chance to win a pair of CWB Hinge wakeboard bindings.

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Moomba’s flagship wakeboard boat, the Moomba Mobius XLV, is big enough – 23 feet long with seating for 16 – and decked out with plenty of wake features – standard tower and 1,450 pounds of factory ballast – to satisfy any core rider. Yet at factory settings, the Moomba Mobius XLV’s recently redesigned hull throws a steeper wake that’s well-suited for the “everyman” riding at 21 to 22 mph on a 65- to 70-foot rope. It also provides plenty of room for growth. The bow and rear ballast compartments can handle much larger bags, allowing you to progress your wake along with your skill set.

FAVORITE FEATURE:

Seating

The** Moomba Mobius XLV** makes the most of its 23 feet. The playpen-style bow creates a massive lounge up front and affords ample storage underneath. The versatile lounge features a convertible rear-facing bench and an improved flip-up seat back that creates a second rear-facing spot beside the driver.

SPECS:

People: 16

Dry weight: 3,600 lb.

Fuel capacity: 40 gal.

Tower: Rad A Cage

Racks: XTP fixed*

Wake shaper: MultiSport wake plate*

TEST MEASUREMENTS:

Length: 23 ft.

Width: 8 ft. 2 in.

Bow length: 67 in.

Bow width: 66 in.

Floor to tower: 82 in.

Gunwale: 30 in.

Main lounge: 59 sq. ft.

Sun pad: 25 sq. ft.

Platform: 11 sq. ft.

Ballast: 1,450 lb. (one 650-lb. bow bag; two 400-lb. rear bags*)

ENGINE:

Standard: Indmar Assault 5.7L, 325 hp

Test: Indmar Assault 5.7L, 340 hp with catalytic converter

Test prop: OJ 14.25 x 14 four-blade*

Cruise: E-Z Cruise, PerfectPass Wakeboard Pro*, PerfectPass Wakeboard Pro Star Gazer* GPS

* = Optional

THE WAKES

Don’t be afraid to add a bunch of weight to this boat. It’s easy to swap out larger bags in the front and back. At more than 23 feet, this wakeboard boat can definitely handle it. So go ahead and jack up the wake like any pro would desire.

The post Moomba Mobius XLV 2009 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

With a wealth of standard features plus quality wake performance and a base price well under $40,000, the Moomba LSV packs serious value into a 21’6″ package. We found plenty to like inside and out, with wakes that can be fine-tuned with little effort and a wraparound lounge with stainless-steel accents.

WHAT WE DIG

• Dual-density foam for comfortable seating

• Interior gelcoat colors for deck

• Full wraparound lounge

• Standard 325 hp EFI engine

• Nonskid swim platform

FEATURES

** Highlight Feature**

We loved how the interior of our test boat was drenched in the red gelcoat that poured up and over from the hull. It’s a rich-looking feature on a budget-priced wakeboard boat.

Hull

For the surprising price, there’s nothing discount about the Moomba LSV hull. The drop keel is designed to build beefy wakes by sinking the boat deep in the water and displacing as much water as physics will allow. There might not be as many bells and whistles on board as some other wakeboard boats, but no corners were cut on hull design.

Ballast

The 400-pound stock ballast package with a single bow bag will work for most wakeboarders, but that’s just a jumping off point for this model. With the optional upgrade that adds two 400-pound rear bags into the mix, the wakes will have plenty of room to grow for advanced-level wakeboarding.

Tower

Fold the beefy 2.375-inch tower down into the boat with the release of four hand-turned bolts. The optional stainless-steel wakeboard board racks free up room in the interior and storage compartments, but what really clears everything out is the optional Z5 Cargo Rack. We can’t say enough about it for pure functionality and plentiful shade.

Wake Shaper

A fixed-plate comes standard, but with the optional hydraulic wake plate, wakeboarders can fine-tune the Moomba LSV’s wakes to their liking.

Wake

Our wakeboard test boat came with just the 400-pound front ballast bag, so we only saw the seeds of potential with the Moomba LSV. At a line length of 65 feet and speed of 22 mph, we found our preferred wake width. They were a bit small and abrupt, but still rampy enough to pop. They mellowed out with the wake plate, and more ballast could make this wake into a real beaut.

SPECS

Length w/o platform: 21’6″

Beam: 8’1″

People: 13

Dry weight: 3,300 lb.

Ballast: 400 lb.

Tower: Rad-a-Cage

Main lounge: 55 sq. ft.

The post Moomba LSV 2009 appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Moomba Boats completely rethought the Moomba Outback V for 2009, shaving 8 inches from its length to bring this wakeboard boat under the 20-foot size restriction of some of the country’s smaller waterways. And they outfitted it with a collapsible tower, so the Moomba Outback V fits comfortably under a 7-foot-tall garage. But the wakeboard boat’s redesign was as much about style as size. Its automotive-inspired detail, most apparent in the bow’s flared gunnels, breaks the Moomba Boats style mold and sets a new standard for what these ultra-affordable wakeboard boats will look like in the future.

FAVORITE FEATURE:

** New Driver’s Seat**

There isn’t much on the Moomba Outback V that wasn’t improved for 2009. In addition to redesigning the hull and updating its style, Moomba Boats engineers also improved the swim platform, coolers and windshield. Our favorite upgrade, though, is the new driver’s seat and riser cushion, which feature a cleaner design for better ergonomics and enhanced visibility.

SPECS:

People: 12

Dry weight: 3,000 lb.

Fuel capacity: 40 gal.

Tower: Rad A Cage

Racks: XTP fixed*

Wake shaper: MultiSport wake plate*

TEST MEASUREMENTS:

Length: 20 ft.

Width: 8 ft.

Bow length: 58 in.

Bow width: 56 in.

Floor to tower: 70 in.

Gunwale: 25 in.

Main lounge: 53 sq. ft.

Sun pad: 22 sq. ft.

Platform: 12 sq. ft.

Ballast: 1,200 lb. (one 400-lb. bow bag; two 400-lb. rear bags*)

ENGINE:

Standard: Indmar Assault 5.7L, 325 hp

Test: Indmar Assault 5.7L, 340 hp with catalytic converter

Test prop: OJ 14.25 x 14 four-blade*

Cruise: E-Z Cruise, PerfectPass Wakeboard Pro*, PerfectPass Wakeboard Pro Star Gazer* GPS

* = Optional

THE WAKES

While the Moomba Outback V was shortened for 2009, it’s both deeper and heavier than its previous incarnations – its wakes have benefited. When we filled up the 1,200 pounds of factory ballast, the wakes had a steep feel with enough kick for basic wakeboarding inverts and spins.

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