Dylan Miler (@dylanmiller) has been riding professionally for 12 years.

In this video, this veteran pro rider shares his tips for learning to perform a Backside 180 while wakeboarding. Topics Miller covers include how to initiate the trick using the start-up roller of the wake, edging out, controlling your speed and where you should be looking while doing a Backside 180. Learn about the importance of your shoulders, where your weight is, timing the rotation, incorporating a grab,  and more. All footage shot using Dylan Miller’s Heyday Wake Boats H22.

Enjoy learning this trick.

Read Next: Get More Pro Tips

Watch Now: Check out the Heyday Wake Boats H22, the Boat Dylan Miller Rides Behind

The post How to Perform a Backside 180 Wakeboarding With Dylan Miller appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Gunnar Daft is a long-time professional rider with loads of experience and wisdom to share. In this video, Daft, describes some of the settings he uses to wring top performance from his Montara Boats Surf Boss 2.0, which our sister media outlet, Boating, named Boat of the Year for 2023.

In the vid, Daft describes the use of profiles, tab percentages, speed and more. Shot aboard Daft’s own Montara, you will also see him riding in this video. Enjoy and learn!

Read Next: How to Set Up Your Boat for Wakeboarding With Taylor McCullough

The post How to Set Up Your Boat for Wakeboarding and Wakesurfing With Gunnar Daft appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In this video, world champion wakesurfer and @MasterCraftBoats pro rider, Jett Lambert (Instagram: @jettshreds) breaks down how to perform a backside Alley Oop. In the vid, shot aboard Jett’s own Mastercraft XT 24, the pro speaks about your position on the wave, the desirable speed, when to turn your head, and more. 

With advice from from a pro like Jett, you get insights such as how this trick is similar to a stalled 360 and why you may find this trick easier to learn if you are comfortable riding switch. 

Check out Jett Lambert’s advice, hit the water and learn this trick!

The post How to Do a Backside Alley Oop appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Inflatable water toys make for great summer fun. To save space and for easy transport, watersports boat owners keep these deflated until they’re ready to start the fun. The question is: What’s the best way to inflate everything once you’re on the water and ready to get the party started? 

The new award-winning Atmos Air Station from Scanstrut represents one of the most convenient. It’s easy to use and ignition-protected. It flush-mounts permanently on a flat surface in your boat, with enough surface area and depth to accommodate the compact unit. 

Unlike portable inflators that need to be hooked up to a battery with alligator clips, the Atmos two-stage (high- and low-pressure) pump is always connected to power and ready to pump up any inflatable item you have on board. Atmos also lets you set the target air pressure that you want to achieve. It will automatically shut off when it reaches the preset PSI. What’s more, the brushless 12-volt DC air-pump motor can also deflate your toys (using the unit’s “Deflate” port) at the end of the day, so you can more easily stow them for the ride home. 

The Atmos features an LCD display and comes with a detachable 8-foot air hose (or optional 12-foot hose) and six types of connectors to fit a wide range of inflation valves on watertoys, floats and kayaks, as well as inflatable boats, stand-up paddleboards and foiling boards. Here’s how our project went on a 24-foot sterndrive runabout.

Skill Level: 2 of 5

Finish Time: Approx. 3 hours

Tools and Supplies

• Scanstrut Atmos Integrated Air Station ($344.99; defender.com)
• Masking tape
• Marking pencil
• Pozi screwdriver
• Power drill and drill-bit set
• Countersink bit
• 1 ¾-inch hole saw
• Thin-kerf hand or power saw
• Tape measure
• Soldering gun and materials
• Marine wire crimp connectors
• Heat-shrink tubing and heat gun
• Marine silicone sealant (optional)
• Ten 20 mm M3 countersunk machine screws, washers and nylon lock nuts (for installion on metal surfaces)

Select a Location

The Atmos must be flush-­mounted on a flat surface ranging from plus-10 to ­minus-30 degrees from vertical to prevent the accumulation of water in the door chamber or pump housing. Avoid curved surfaces. Allow for at least 12 ½ inches (­horizontal) by 8 ½ inches (vertical) to accommodate the faceplate and supplied sun cover, as well as an additional 3 ½ inches of clearance on the left side of the faceplate for the door to the inflator ports to swing open. Also ensure that there is at least 4 ½ inches of depth behind the mounting surface and that nothing will interfere behind the mounting surface with making the cutout.

Create the Cutout

Mask off the area to help prevent scratching the boat finish during installation. Cut out the supplied template, and tape it into position. Use a ­1 ¾-inch hole saw to cut each of the four corners, then follow up with thin-kerf hand or power saw to cut along the four lines that connect them. Next, drill ­pilot holes for the 10 self-tapping mounting screws. For soft material such as plywood or roto-molded plastic, use a ⁵/₆₄-inch diameter drill bit; for harder material such as fiberglass, acrylic or hardwood, use a ³/₃₂-inch drill bit. On a gelcoat surface, lightly chamfer each hole with a countersink to help prevent chipping.

Install the Unit

Remove the masking tape, and slide the unit into the cutout. The waterproof Atmos does not come with sealing gasket, but if you’re worried about water intrusion, lay a fine line of silicone sealant around the perimeter, and dab each of the screws with sealant. Align the 10 mounting holes (five each on the top and bottom) of the faceplate with the pilot holes on the mounting surface, and drive in the supplied No. 4 self-tapping stainless-steel screws. Do not overtighten at the risk of cracking the plastic flange of the faceplate. Install the upper and lower snap covers that hide the heads of the screws and give the ­installation a seamless look. 

Connect to Power

The Atmos comes with a two-wire 12-volt DC power cord that includes a positive (red) wire and a negative (black) wire. Connect the red wire to a positive bus bar that is connected to an on/off switch from the boat’s battery with a fuse or resettable circuit breaker between the battery and switch. Connect the black wire to a negative bus bar that’s connected to a common ground. Connect with terminals that are soldered or crimped on and covered with heat-shrink tubing to thwart moisture and corrosion. Support the wires throughout their run, and install anti-chafe grommets where the wires pass through bulkheads or decks.

Read Next: Why Inflatable SUPs Should Be on Your Wishlist

Test the System

To make sure the Atmos system is working properly and that you grow familiar with its operation, pull out one of your towable water toys or other inflatable and follow the directions in the owner’s ­manual to blow it up. Then do the reverse, using the ­Atmos to deflate your towable. If you encounter any issues, refer to the troubleshooting guide in the owner’s manual to track down, address and correct the problem. When you’re done operating the Atmos, be sure to close the door that hides the inflate and deflate ports, cover the faceplate with the included sun cover, and turn off the switch suppling power to the Atmos air station.

The post DIY Install of Built-In Inflator for Your Boat appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Waters choked with Eurasian milfoil or hydrilla can foul props and clog water intakes. Of course, the now-infamous quagga and zebra mussels can cause catastrophic physical and financial infrastructure damage. These pests spread by many means, including as hitchhikers on trailered boats. That’s why the process of clean, drain and dry should be practiced by all boaters. We spoke with Peter Murphy of Paul Smith’s College Adirondack Watershed Institute in Paul Smith’s, New York, about best practices for owners of trailered boats. This information will help you comply with decontamination requirements as you trailer to different lakes, helping prevent the spread of invasive species.

Clean

Remove all plants, mud, and wildlife from your boat and trailer after each trip. “­Trailers are the number-one piece of contaminated equipment,” Murphy points out. Even the smallest scrap of milfoil or a single mussel can ­colonize a new body of water the next time you launch. Use a pressure washer on high for the exterior, and use a low-pressure setting on boat interiors.

For best results, use water heated to 120 degrees F. Most residential water heaters are set to 120 to 140 degrees F. You may be able to connect your pressure washer to a washing machine or slop-sink faucet. Use buckets of hot water otherwise. Be aware that many water pumps for livewells and ballast tanks are not rated for water over 120 degrees. Run your engine on the same 120-degree water for at least two minutes. If hot water is not available, a thorough cold-water rinse still helps, Murphy says.

Drain

After cleaning, completely drain your boat’s bilge, ballast tanks, livewells and any other compartment that will hold water. Jack up the boat by the bow to ensure good drainage through the transom drain. Naturally, you might not be able to ­completely drain enclosed ballast tanks. I will get to that. Do not allow drainage from the boat or engine to flow back into a waterway. 

Dry

Make sure your boat and all its compartments are bone-dry before relaunching. Completely towel-dry everything. If hot water was not available for cleaning, open the hatches and provide five days of air drying to help ensure the death of hitchhiking invasives.

Ballast Tanks

Watersports boats’ ballast tanks often do not completely drain. You can use a tool such as Fake-A-Lake to fill the ballast tanks with ­120-degree water. But some ballast pumps might not be rated for water that hot. Identify the pumps’ make and model, and call the manufacturer, the boatbuilder, or your dealer. As stated, a thorough, repeated rinse with cold water, while not as effective as hot water, will still flush out many invasives. 

Adding bleach through the vent to fill the ballast will kill any invasive life in your tanks. But when you drain those tanks, you will be putting bleach into the lake, which will kill organisms, native and invasive. 

DeCon Certification

You will find wardens or inspectors stationed at many launch ramps. They might conduct a visual inspection, an interview regarding your clean-drain-dry protocol or both. You might be asked to pull the transom drain plug, energize a pump or open compartments before being permitted to launch. If water dispenses from any of these, you might be required to decontaminate your boat. Many conservation agencies require proof of decontamination. This comes in the form of a personal affidavit or by having the boat decontaminated by a locally approved provider. The Adirondack Watershed Institute offers free hot-water decontamination at multiple locations. Other places might charge a fee. Call ahead before you hit the road.

PWC

At inspection stations, you might be asked to start the engine momentarily on the trailer and to gun the engine. This is OK if done for just a few seconds. [Both Sea-Doo and Yamaha confirmed for us that this practice is acceptable. —Ed.] If water comes out, you might be referred for decontamination before being allowed to launch. I suggest you do this before you leave for the lake so no water comes out at the inspection station.

Read Next: More Wake Fun Means More Wake Responsibility

Outboards

During a launch inspection, a warden might ask you to tilt the engine or drive down. If any water comes out, you might be referred for decontamination before being allowed to launch. Again, before you arrive at the launch site, completely tilt the engine down to drain out all water. Also, if it rains en route to the ramp, stop, tilt the engine down to drain it, and then proceed the rest of the way. Doing so might save you the time of having to decontaminate.

Inboards/Sterndrives 

Because an inspector can’t readily tell if there is residual water in the cooling circuit of an inboard or sterndrive, they will often rely on their interview, and a hull and trailer inspection, to determine whether to refer your boat for decontamination. If the last body of water you boated in was “high risk,” you likely might be required to have the boat decontaminated. 

The post Watersports Boat Owners Can Help Stop The Spread of Invasive Species appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Claiming back to back victories in any event is impressive. When all four wakeboard divisions replicate the success from the year before, it is even more of a rarity. Drop that feat in the majestic waters of Robin Lake,  at the 64th Nautique Masters Presented by GM Marine,  in an event that attracts the most elite boat riders in the game, you can only be more in awe. Finally, sprinkle in the fact that the Men’s Pro winner has only been invited a few times, is more than a boat only rider, and isn’t always one of the favorites to win, you get a result that will likely never happen again.

Read Next: More 64^th Masters Coverage

One year ago, on Memorial Day weekend, Meagan Ethell claimed her 7th Masters title after a tough battle back from an injury that had the potential to sunset her legendary competitive career. In her 15th year being invited to the prestigious event, she secured her 8th winner’s ring with her classic switch and regular spin combos, composed and smooth riding style, with grabbed technical tricks like her indy roll to blind on her way back to the dock. All of this as a “veteran” competitor at the young age of 27, Ethell continues to exhibit the gameface and the dedication to fend off the Zahra Kell’s of the world, who seems to win most events she enters as of late.

If Massi Piffaretti’s victory in 2023 wasn’t one for the ages, his repeat in 2024 makes his accomplishment that much sweeter. A few years ago the question was posed, “can you win a pro event without multiple double flips and 1080s?” While more than capable, Piffaretti chooses to let his personal touch on wakeboarding shine through and separate his runs from the field. 3 impressive rewind tricks, solid spins and some relatively stock mobe 5’s stomped in some challenging conditions all totalled up for a winning run against some of the best boat riders in the world who failed to stand up their runs. A toe-side frontside 540, rewind 360 off of a hefty double-up was just….”chef’s kiss” as his fellow countrymen and women might say.

Jr. Riders Shion Takaiwa and Giulia Castelli showed how they are following in the Pro winners’ footsteps. Japan’s Takaiwa executed flawless Massi-type tricks, adding late grabs to technical spins and making rewind tricks flow in a contest run. On the Jr. Women’s side, you would be hard pressed to find a competitor that hasn’t looked up to Ethell and her gracious, winning ways over the years. She also just happens to add another Italian flag to the top of the podium, which undoubtedly added an extra smile to Piffaretti’s face.

The post Winning Back-To-Back: The Spirit of Wakeboarding Champions appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In this video, Heyday Wake Boats pro rider, Dylan Miller shares his knowledge, experience and expertise in setting up his very own Heyday H22 for wakeboarding, foiling and wakesurfing. A pro athlete for 12 years, Miller lets you in on his settings for ballast, wake-shape, speed and more, using his Simrad MFD screen at the helm. Miller talks you through set up issues, and then rides to show you what the results of that set up might look like.

How does Miller use the wake plate? What speed does he like for foiling? Get the intel on these aspects of boat set up…and more! Watch the video.

See our review of the 2023 Heyday H22.

The post How to Set Up Your Boat for Wakeboarding, Foiling and Wakesurfing With Dylan Miller appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Video by Sean Kilgus/BFY Action Films

In this video, Matt “Miracle Matt” Manzari, provides instructions for learning to perform a pop shuvit. Also known by various iterations such as shove-it, shove, or simply shuv, this trick is fun to do and is the act of spinning the board underneath you and then re-landing. And, you can learn to do it using the tips provided in this video by Manzari. What foot is key? What part of the wave should you start on when learning the pop-shuv? Check out the video, in which Manzari rides behind his own Centurion Ri230 then head out on the water!

The post How to Perform a Shuvit With Matt Manzari appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

Matt Manzari, burn survivor, inspirational speaker, and rider for Centurion Boats loves helping people find their story. That shows in this video, wherein Manzari describes setting up a boat for watersports action. His ability to communicate shines through. Shot aboard Manzari’s own Centurion Ri230 model, the tips and advice he offers will apply to setting up any watersports boat. 

Read Next: How to Set Up Your Boat for Wakeboarding With Taylor McCullough

The post How to Set Up Your Boat For Wakesurfing, Wakeskating and Foiling With Matt Manzari appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.

In this video, professional wakeboarder and rider for Team Centurion, Taylor McCullough, shares tips and techniques for setting up your boat for wakeboarding. Learn some of McCullough‘s secrets, and glean some of her wisdom as she takes you through set-up steps aboard her own Centurion Ri230 boat. 

The post How to Set Up Your Boat for Wakeboarding With Taylor McCullough appeared first on Wakeboarding Mag.