03/12/2024

Athletic Digest

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Wakeboard Terminology

Wakeboard Terminology

What would an Extreme Sport be without its tricks and stunts? To get in the game, you gotta get with the lingo, bro. Below are some common wakeboarding tricks defined for the beginner and exemplified by professionals.

When the boarder performs a trick in the air using the line tension supplied by the rope in order to generate pop, it is called an Air Trick. When the boarder performs a trick entirely on the surface of the water, it is referred to as a surface trick. The rider can use the wake, handle and air for tricks.

Double-Up: many of the tricks of wakeboarding call for maximum pop. When the boat turns back around on itself, crisscrossing its wakes at a 90 degree angle, the wakes integrate, forming the new wake to be twice its original size. The rider can edge in and ride the Double-Up, causing the rider to pop more than usual. A boat can add an additional turnaround, causing the wake to become a Triple-Up.

Some SURFACE TRICKS:

Butterslide: the Rider maneuvers the board frontside 90 degrees and slides on top of the wake. Butterslide 180: a butterslide performed with an additional 90 degree turn in the same direction. Also: Backside Butterslide, Nothing Butterslide

No-Hander: the Rider lets go of the handle after placing it between the knees.

Powerslide: the Board is turned backside 90 degrees in the area of the water on the other side of the wake (the flats), creating a large spray of water.

Surface 180/ surface 360: A 180 or 360 degree turn on the surface of the water.

Tumble Turn: the rider lays back on the water while the board is taken up out of the water and positioned above the rider’s head. The rider then spins the body around backside and ends the tumble turn standing firmly upright.

Some AIR TRICKS:

Raley-Based – a series of tricks where the rider allows his or her body to extend backwards while the board catches air over the wake and lands on the opposite side of the wake. Other Raley-Based tricks include: Batwing, Bee Sting, 911, Blind Judge, Hoochie Glide, Krypt, Indie and Oriental.

Inverts- a series of tricks where the rider is going upside down while catching air. Tantrum, a classic wakeboarding invert, is a simple back flip such as a diver performs off a diving board. The rider can add-on to the Tantrum with more complicated moves such as Tantrum to Fakie, Whirlybird, and Temper Tantrum.

Spins- While in the air, the rider rotates his or her board and body. Frontside and Backside spins are commonly increased in skill level by continuing rotation. 180, 360, 540, 720, 900 and 1080 spins can all be added to various spins. More spin tricks: Osmosis, Rewind, Shifty.

Grabs- The rider holds onto the board with one hand while in the air in various positions for different effects and movement, creating a style all their own. When a rider uses his or her lead hand to grab the board on the heelside between the feet and brings the board up to his or her waist it is called a Method Grab. More complicated grabs include: Chicken Salad, Roast Beef, Stiffy, Japan Air and Nuclear.