Wakeboard Tricks: Learn More About Different Types
Il wakeboarding is an exhilarating sport, full of tricks and acrobatics. In this article, we will guide you through the different types of wakeboarding tricks, providing a detailed overview of the various categories and subcategories. To create a comprehensive list of "wakeboard tricks", we will refer to the official source of the IWWF (International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation) Cablewakeboard Trick List.
Wakeboard tricks introductory glossary
Before we dive into the different types of tricks, itโs important to understand some key terms. Below weโll provide a quick glossary to help you get familiar with wakeboarding language.
| EVENTS | DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
| Heelside | Using the heel to give direction to the board (HS) |
| Toeside | Using the tips to give direction to the board (TS) |
| front side | A rotation of the body and board in which the rider, for the first 90 degrees, is facing the tow line (FS) |
| Back side | A rotation of the body and board in which the rider, for the first 90 degrees, is facing away from the tow line (BS) |
| Surface trick | A trick performed while always keeping the board in contact with the water (SF) |
| Side slide | Sideways slide of the board on the surface, rotating the body and the board 90 degrees, facing the front towards the towing line (SS) |
| Powerslide | Sideways slide of the board on the surface, rotating the body and the board 90 degrees, facing with the shoulders towards the towing line (PS) |
| Ollie | A classic jump where the board lifts off the water (O) |
| Grave | An ollie or other trick where the rider also grabs a spot on the board with his hand (G) |
| Switch | Gait with non-dominant foot forward (SW) |
| fakie | Land or progress in switch (F) |
| Blind | Landing after half rotation BS, with the barbell behind the body (B) |
| Handle pass | Passing the balance from one hand to the other during a rotation trick (HP) |
| Wrapped | The rider ventures into a rotation trick with the bar wrapped around the body (WR) |
| Balls | Trick of passing the bar between the rider's legs (BLR) |
| Ole | The rider performs a rotation trick, but instead of passing the bar, he places it above his head (OLE) |
| On axis spinning | Rotation where the board is perpendicular to the water (A) |
| Off axis | A rotation where the rider changes axis so that the board is not perpendicular to the water (OA) |
Spin tricks
Spin tricks are among the most common and popular tricks. These tricks involve the rider rotating while jumping. The rotation can be done in different directions and degrees. You can perform these rotations both front side and back side. Start with the 180 front side and, once you have mastered it, move on to the 360 โโto increase the difficulty. Spins that are performed back side have a higher degree of difficulty than front side. Additionally, spins can be performed in your dominant ride (regular/goofy) or in switch to add extra difficulty, that is, performing the tricks in the opposite ride to the rider's preferred one.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| 180 | 180 degree rotation where the rider changes front foot | 1 |
| 360 | 360 degree rotation (1 full rotation) | 3 |
| 540 | 540 degree rotation (1,5 rotations) | 5 |
| 720 | 720 degree rotation (2 full rotations) | 7 |
| 900 | 900 degree rotation (2,5 rotations) | 9 |
| 1080 | 1080 degree rotation (3 full rotations) | 10 |
| 1260 | 1260 degree rotation (3,5 rotations) | 12 |
| 1440 | 1440 degree rotation (4 full rotations) | 14 |
| Rewind | Trick where the rider changes direction of rotation from FS to BS and vice versa. Example: FR360 REW180 or FS540 REW360 |
Air tricks & Invert tricks
Air tricks and invert tricks are part of another very distinct and articulated category, in general these stunts require a good dose of skill and courage. These tricks involve the rider in performing acrobatics in the air, including jumps, extensions, twists and inversions. The tricks that belong to these categories can be performed in cable starting from the surface of the water and using the force of the pull (in jargon "Air Tricks"); or jumping from a kicker or on other types of ramps (in this second case they are not properly classified as Air Tricks). In any case it is important to keep in mind that technically the Air Tricks always start from the surface of the water, therefore without the aid of any obstacle.
Raley tricks
Raley tricks are a subcategory of air tricks that deserve a special mention. These involve the rider extending their body completely backwards during the jump, creating a visually impressive effect.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| Railey | By releasing from the HS edge, the board is launched into the air behind the rider, above the head, superman style. | RLY extension |
| Inverted Railey | Performed by the kicker, the rider lies in a similar style to that of the superman lying on his back. | INV |
| 911 | A 90 degree rearward stretched railey (BS). | 911 |
| Butter Fuko | A 911 with a 180 degree forward rotation (FS). | BF |
| krypt | A railey where the rider performs a 180 degree forward (FS) turn to land with the opposite foot forward. | KPT |
| Hoochies | A railey where the rider grabs the board with the front hand on the heelside edge. | H |
| OHHH | A railey where the rider grabs the board with the back hand on the heelside edge. | OHHH |
| Blind Judge | A railey where the rider makes a 180 degree rotation backwards (BS). | BJ |
| 313 | A railey where the rider performs a 360 degree forward rotation (FS) with a pass of the balance. | 313 |
| BS 313 | A railey where the rider performs a 360 degree rotation backwards (BS) with a pass of the balance bar. | BS 313 |
| 315 | A railey where the rider performs a 540 degree forward rotation (FS) with a pass of the balance. | 315 |
| BS 315 | A railey where the rider performs a 540 degree rotation backwards (BS) with a pass of the balance bar. | BS 315 |
| 317 | A railey where the rider performs a 720 degree forward rotation (FS) with a pass of the balance. | 317 |
| BS 317 | A railey where the rider performs a 720 degree rotation backwards (BS) with a pass of the balance bar. | BS 317 |
| 313 Rewind | A railey where the rider performs a 360 degree forward rotation (FS) with a pass over the bar and then reverses into a 180 degree back rotation (BS). | 313 REW |
| BS 313 Rewind | A railey where the rider performs a 360 degree backward rotation (BS) with a pass over the bar and then backtracks with a 180 degree forward rotation (FS). | BS 313 REW |
| S-bend | A railey where the rider performs a 360 degree backward rotation (BS) with the bar overhead. | S |
| Volcano | An S-bend with a 180 degree frontside (FS) rewind. | VLC |
| S-bend to blind | An S-bend with an extra 180 degrees back (BS). | S2B |
| Double S bend | A railey with a BS 720 with the balance bar above his head. | DS |
| Double S bend to blind | A double S-bend with an additional BS 180. | D2B |
| S-mobe | An S-bend with a 360 degree FS balance pass. | SMOOTH |
| S-mobe 5 | An S-bend with a 540 degree rotation and the bar passing towards the front side (FS). | SMOBE 5 |
| S-mobe rewind | An S-bend with a 360 degree rotation and a swing of the bar towards the front side (FS) with an addition of a 180 degree rotation towards the back side (BS). | SMOBE REW |
| heart attack | An S-bend with a 360 degree rotation and a swing of the bar towards the back side (BS). | HRT AT |
| Heart attack 5 | An S-bend with a 540 degree rotation and a swing of the bar towards the back side (BS). | HRT AT 5 |
| Rubber chicken | A railey with ole and a 360 degree rotation towards the rear side (BS). | 5RUBBE |
| Hinterberger | A railey with a 360 degree rotation to the front (FS) performed with the overhead grip of the bar. | RHINT |
| Hinterberger 5 | A hinterberger with an added 180 degree rotation to the front side (FS). | HNT 5 |
| Hinterberger to blind | A hinterberger with an added 180 degree rotation to the rear side (BS). | HINT 2B |
| 118 | A double hinterberger (720 degree rotation). | 118 |
| 118 900 | A 118 with an extra 180 degrees forward (FS). | 1189 |
| T.S. Railey | TS edge railey means "railey performed in TS". | TS RLY |
| TS Krypt | A TS railey where the rider performs an FS 180 to land with the opposite foot forward. | TS KPT |
| TS S-bend | A TS railey where the rider performs an FS 360 with the bar overhead. | TS S |
| TS S-bend to blind | A TS railey where the rider performs an S-bend with an extra 180 degrees back (BS). | TS S2B |
| 90210 | A TS railey where the rider performs an additional FS 360. | 90210 |
| TS 313 | A TS railey where the rider performs an additional FS 540. | TS 313 |
| TS Blind Judge | A TS railey with a BS 180. | TS BJ |
| Driver | A railey with a 360 degree frontside (FS) rotation with the bar overhead and an additional 360 degree backside (BS) rotation. | Driver |
Back Roll Tricks
Back roll tricks are another popular category. These tricks involve the rider performing a backward rotation during the jump, with the possibility of adding other unique elements to this type of trick.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| back roll | A HS release where the board rotates from the tip to the tail (performing a reverse flip). | BR |
| Roll to reverse | A back roll with a half 180ยฐ forward turn (FS). | R2R |
| Roll to blind | A back roll with a half 180ยฐ turn backwards (BS). | R2B |
| Double back roll | Same as the back roll, but with 2 full rotations. | 2BR |
| Double back roll to reverse | Double back roll with FS 180. | 2BRR |
| Mob | A back roll with FS 360. | MOBE |
| Mobe 5 | A back roll with FS 540 and passage of the balance. | MOBE 5 |
| Mobe 7 | A back roll with FS 720 and passage of the balance. | MOBE 7 |
| KGB | A back roll with BS 360 and balance beam passage. | KGB |
| KGB 5 | A back roll with BS 540 and balance beam passage. | KGB 5 |
| Big Mac | KGB (Ole). | MAC |
| TS back roll | A TS backflip (tantrum). | TS BR |
| TS back roll to reverse | TS back roll with FS 180. | TS R2R |
| TS back roll to blind | TS back roll with BS 180. | TS R2B |
| Pete Rose | TS backroll with FS 360. | PETE |
| Pete rose 5 | TS backroll with FS 540. | PETE5 |
| Pete rose 7 | TS backroll with FS 720. | PETE7 |
Front Flip Tricks
Front flip tricks, unlike back rolls, involve the rider performing a forward rotation during the jump. They generally require a lot of experience, good coordination and precision to be executed correctly.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| Front flip | HS approach where the rider makes a front jump with rotation from tail to tip (cartwheel). | FF |
| Front to fake | Front flip with an FS 180 to land in switch position. | F2F |
| Front to blind | Front flip with a BS 180. | F2B |
| Front blind mobe | Front flip with one pass of the BS 360 balance bar. | FBM |
| Slim chance | Front flip with one pass of the FS 360 balance bar. | SLIM FIT |
| Slim chance 5 | Front flip with one pass of the FS 540 balance bar. | Slim 5 |
Front Roll Tricks
Front roll tricks are a variation where the rider performs a particular rotation during the jump. These tricks require precise technique and good body control to be executed correctly.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| front roll | TS front roll with rotation of the board from heel to toe (heel over toe). | FR |
| Scarecrow | TS front roll with an FS 180. | SC |
| Elephant | Scarecrow with a 180 rewind landing with the original foot forward. | PLEDGE |
| Crow mob | TS front roll with an FS 360. | CM |
| Crow mobe 5 | TS front roll with one pass of the FS 540 balance beam. | CM5 |
| Crow mobe 7 | TS front roll with one pass of the FS 720 balance beam. | CM7 |
| Tootsie | TS front roll with a pass of the Blancino BS 180. | TOOTS |
| Dum dum | TS front roll with one pass of the BS 360 balance beam. | DUM |
| Mexican roll | Front roll HS with rotation of the board from heel to toe (heel edge over toe edge). | MEX |
| East mobe | TS front roll with FS 360 rewind and BS 180. | EMOBE |
Tantrum tricks
Tantrum tricks involve a particular type of one-handed twist while jumping. These tricks require good balance and advanced body control skills while performing them.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| tantrum | HS back roll. | TAN |
| Double tantrum | Double HS back roll. | 2TAN |
| Tantrum to fake | Tantrum with an FS 180 to land in switch position. | TAN 2 F |
| Tantrum to blind | Tantrum with a BS 180. | TAN 2 B |
| Moby Dick | Tantrum with one pass of the BS 360 balance bar. | MOBY |
| Moby-Dick 5 | Tantrum with one pass of the BS 540 balance bar. | MOBY 5 |
| Moby-Dick 7 | Tantrum with one pass of the BS 720 balance bar. | MOBY 7 |
| Wirly Bird | Tantrum with a BS (ole) 360. | WHIRY |
| Whirlwind 5 | Whirly Bird with an additional BS 180. | WHIRL 5 |
| Whirly Dick | Whirly Bird with a pass of the BS 360 balance. | WHIRL YD |
| Double Whirl | Double Whirly Bird (720 ole). | D WHIRL |
Whip tricks
Whip tricks are another subcategory that involve twisting the body while jumping. These tricks add style and complexity.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| Bell Air | Heelside back flip released using the edge of the toes as a push point. | BELL |
| Bell Air to fake | Bell Air with an FS 180 to land in switch position. | BELLY 2 |
| Bell Air to blind | Bell Air with a BS 180. | FBELL 2 |
| Moby Dick | Bell Air with a BS 360 balance pass. | BMOBY |
| Tweetie | Whirly Bird from a Bell Air outlet. | TWEET |
| tweetie 5 | Tweetie Bird with an additional BS 180. | TWEETS 5 |
| Tweetie Dick | Tweetie Bird with a pass of the BS 360 balance. | 5TWEET |
| Ben Air | Released front roll using the edge of your heels as a push point. | DBE |
| Egg Roll | Scare Crow released using the edge on his heels as a push point. | EGG |
| Egg Mobe | Egg Roll with an additional BS 180. | EGG M |
| Tootsie | Ben Air with an additional BS 180. | TOOTS |
Grab tricks
Grab tricks are performed by grabbing the board in different ways while performing another trick. These tricks add confidence, style, and creativity. Some common grabs include the melon grab (grabbing the board with the front hand between the feet), the mute grab (grabbing the board between the feet with the front hand), and the tail grab (grabbing the tail of the board with the back hand).
| GRAB | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| Indy | Back hand between feet, toeside edge. | IN |
| Tiny | Back hand on toeside edge between back foot and tail of board. | TIN |
| tail | Back hand, grab the tail edge of the board. | TAIL |
| Tailfish | Back hand on the heelside edge between the heel and the tail of the board. | TAIL F |
| Stalefish | Rear hand on the heelside edge between the retaining ligaments. | STALE |
| Melon | Front hand on the heelside edge between the fixing ligaments. | HONEY |
| Mute | Forehand on toeside edge between fixing ligaments. | MUTE |
| Method | Front hand on the heelside edge between the anterior ligament and the nose, performing a backward twist. | METH CARD |
| Nose | Front hand, grab the nose edge of the board. | I DONT KNOW |
| slob | Back hand on toeside edge between front foot and nose. | SL |
| Crail | Back hand between the front ligament and the nose of the board, toeside edge. | CR |
| Nuclear | Rear hand on the heelside edge between the anterior ligament and the nose. | NUKE |
| Seat Belt | Front hand on the heelside edge between the back ligament and the tail of the board. | SB |
| Roast Beef | Rear hand on the heelside edge between the securing ligaments, with the elbow pointing towards the heelside edge. | RB |
| Chicken Salad | Rear hand on the heelside edge between the securing ligaments, with the elbow pointing toward the toeside edge. | CS |
Rails tricks
Rails tricks are performed on specially designed rails, pipes, boxes and other obstacles placed in the water. These tricks, adrenaline-pumping and fun, require precision and control of the balance of the body and the board during their execution. Some examples of rail tricks include board slides, lip slides and the 50-50.
| TRICK | DESCRIPTION | ABBREVIATION |
|---|---|---|
| 5050 | HS or TS approach along the rail with the nose of the board pointing along the line. | 50 |
| BS board slide | HS approach, with the nose above the rail (90 degree frontside rotation), facing the line. | BB |
| front lip | TS approach, with the tail over the rail (90 degree frontside rotation), facing the line. | FL |
| back lip | HS approach, with the tail over the rail (90 degree backside rotation), facing away from the line. | BL |
| front board | TS approach, with the nose above the rail (90 degree backside rotation), facing away from the line. | FB |
| Gap | Jump performed from one rail to the same rail. | GAP |
| Transfer | I jump from one part of the structure to another or from one rail to another. | TSF |
In conclusion
In conclusion, wakeboarding is a sport that allows riders to express their creativity, style and skill, with endless possibilities and combinations of tricks to learn and improve. We hope this article has given you a comprehensive overview of the different types and their execution. Always remember to progress gradually in your learning path and get the right advice before venturing into something new.
Before you go, discover the Killer Trick collection on our 100% eco-friendly and durable outfit.
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