I’ve always gotten a lot of attention from my riding, and I think it’s because my tricks are different than most other people. From tail tapping suspended road cones off the Malibu MXZ wake to wall rides, unique jibs and my own signature style on tricks, I try to get as creative as possible. Unique tricks with good style take a conscious effort, and here’s how I’ve done it. — Raph Derome, Malibu Boats team rider and 2012 Red Bull Wake Open champ
Get Inspired
Most of my videos only have a small portion of ideas that are completely mine. In fact, I think if all you look at is wakeboarding, your riding is bound to get stale. A lot of the stuff is strongly inspired from snowboarding and skateboarding, and then I adapt it to the water and sometimes that gives me a new idea that becomes more and more my own. There’s no shame in seeing something cool in another sport and taking it to wakeboarding.
Ride Your Way
I don’t think there are enough people with their own style going on. If you want to set yourself apart, opt for unique grabs and grabbing spins and inverts in your own way. People think they need to have as many mobes as the best guys out there, but they should take a step back and ride how they want to ride instead of just replicating another person’s tricks. People enjoy watching someone put their own flavor on tricks.
Get A Good Crew
I grew up riding with a crew that put a premium on style, so I started doing tricks that were more style oriented and less just about aerial gymnastics. It’s really important to ride with good people who will be a positive influence on the style of your riding.
Get Grabbing
I think trying different grabs is a great way to have fun and progress. I used to take full sets of just grabs when I was younger and I loved it. That’s all I wanted to do. Then you can start to add unique grabs to spins, backside 180s and wrapped spins, so you can hold your grabs longer. Learning new grabs is an easy way to progress and get creative with your riding.
Step Up Your Wakes
It is super important to have a big wake, but even more important to have a wake with a good shape. Malibu has meaty ramps, but what really sets them apart is having a perfect lip that kicks you the same every time. A lot of the boats will have big wakes, but the lip will roll over or be too vertical or flat, where my Malibu MXZ has the perfect combination. It never curls on you, and it’s not too vert or mellow. The size of the wake gives you the time in the air to grab your tricks longer, and the consistency gives you the confidence to throw big tricks with late grabs and know your pop is going to be perfect every time.
Raph Derome will look to defend his title at the 2013 Red Bull Wake Open, which will be held on July 4-6 in Tampa, Florida.
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## 2013 Malibu Boat Guide |
| Get more Malibu with the 2013 Malibu Boat Guide. Explore Malibu’s 2013 ski boats, meet the Malibu Boats team, and see Malibu’s latest innovations through video, full-screen photo galleries and more. See Malibu Boats’ commitment to innovation, performance, style and quality in action, and get all of your questions answered by Malibu Boats experts. Once you’ve found the best ski boat for you, book a test driver with the built-in dealer locator. Experience it now. |
