LearnWake

Many riders want to learn a HS Raley behind the boat using the wake. But honestly that may not be the best method because it doesn't really teach you the physics of how a Raley actually works like it does if you take the wake out of the picture completely. In this video I will go over the HS Raley and it's physics using the Sysitec System 2.0 cable. This great learning tool is the best safest way I've seen so far to learn this trick.

First and foremost we are going to use the short cut method of loading the line as opposed to the long load method so you learn how to get the bungee feeling from the rope. This bungee feeling is where your pop is generated. The long load and hold, then release doesn't work quite as well for learning in my opinion because riders tend to try to jump into the trick when releasing instead of getting launched upward by the released tension.

Lets examine the action or motion of a Raley. When you load the line or lean back to create an edge you have opposing forces applied to two different parts of your body. As you lean more and more the rope pulls high at your shoulders while the water pushes lower against the board. When you start straight over the board with little tension and pressure in these two areas and then load quickly the rope feels just like stretching out a big bungee cord. At the same time you are angling your body so when you do release the tension in both areas, it's trajectory will be up instead of forward.

To load efficiently, its best to use a taller position. The taller position yields the best leverage and will create tension and pressure the easiest. More importantly with a tall position your chest and belly are pointed up towards the sky more which helps you direct the trick upward more first before the forward motion happens during the release of a Raley.

With that said, you should approach your set up in a tall position having only a slight bend at your knees with your knees rolled forward over your toes a bit. If your knees are rolled forward your belly and chest will be directed more up when you lean onto edge to load the line. When you reach the point in your approach to start loading the line don't sit with your butt or your belly will point more down and your raley attempt will release low and slow. Try to load by falling back with your shoulders so your belly and chest face more up towards the sky. Load the line aggressively to about an 8 edge on a scale of zero to 10. As soon as you reach the 8 edge release so it is a lean back and then come forward motion all in one movement. If you load to long and hold you will miss the sweet spot as far as getting the good bungee and launch into the trick.

When you release into the trick release your chest up instead of forward while you allow your hips to lead the Raley out behind you. Don't throw your feet out first or the Raley attempt will be really low since throwing your feet out directs the trick forward instead of upward.

Most riders think that getting back down from the trick requires a pull of the handle. A pull will help leverage you back down but it doesn't work as efficiently as pushing the handle down toward the water. At full extension or at the tricks half way point while your arms are extended you should push the handle straight down towards the water which creates both a pull and a folding motion that brings your feet and lower body back underneath you. Honestly this is the easy part of the trick and you will do everything in your power to get your feet back underneath you. The hard part is getting enough pop to get you out fast enough so that you have plenty of time to get the board back in. If you release slow then your time to pull back in is shortened tremendously. If you release out super fast and direct the trick up properly, your time to pull the board back in is extended and trick happens very easily.

Now most of you probably ride at cable parks and see most people doing Raleys on the corners. Learning this trick on the corner does enhance your pull upward but also adds speed which increases the impact of your falls. Learning the trick on a straight away with the short cut load and release method keeps the speed to a minimum while at the same time teaching you how to extend without anything helping you besides the natural physics of the trick. If you learn and eventually can do the trick with nothing helping you, imagine how much easier it will be once you add the pop of the wake or the upward pull of a cable corner into the equation.