The “All About Wakeboarding” Glossary
Wakeboards: are the essential tool for wakeboarding thrills and spills. These are available in a somewhat limited market. Wakeboards are buoyant with the inside core usually made up of foam (sometimes honeycomb) then mixed with resin – and outside-coated with fiberglass. Metal screws are then fastened to allow attachment of bindings and fins.Using a smaller wakeboard enables a lighter ride, making spins a little easier but changes the propensity for balancing making landing more difficult. Using a larger wakeboard allows more balance in the water and produces a slower, sleeker style on the water.
Wakeboard Fins and Bindings: The design layout of the fins and bindings on wakeboards varies according to the preference of the rider and may be reworked on-the-day in order to effect different tricks or techniques. Shallow fins may be used for example to perform flat spins (surface tricks).
Here’s something really worthwhile knowing, when learning how to wakeboard: the closer fins are positioned towards the center of the wakeboard underneath, the more effective the wakeboard releases from the wake. The more spaced between tip and tail – the longer the wakeboard will remain with the wake hindering it’s release. There are a heap of different fins from moulded fins that help on rails and ramps to no fins for the more professional riders.
Wakeboard Ropes and Speeds: the ropes are along the same lines as ski ropes, but are often made of a non-stretch material spectra or dynema. This is to enable the rider to gather up line tension in the execution of a trick.
Novice riders will limit fast speeds in consideration of falls, but generally will begin at between 14-20 km/h. Mostly a beginner will start with using shorter ropes also. Speed and rope-lengths are usually adjusted for personal preferences and also weather conditions.
Simple Wakeboard Jumps: are performed by hitting the wake that is caused by the boat and propelling oneself into the air. As you can guess – this is the entry point to doing all kinds of “tricks.”
Rocker: this refers to the bend or curves found on the edge of a wakeboard. These do differ from wakeboard to wakeboard.
Boats: A typical dedicated wakeboard boat typically is mid-sized at around 22ft (7metres) with an inboard motor. They are fitted with a wakeboard tower. This tower attaches the rope about two meters above the water line. This is done in order to keep the line above the riders head giving the rider the upwards pull desired. Most wakeboarding boats also come with a ballast system which means water can be pumped out into the actual boat. Why would you want to do that you ask? This means you can increase the water displacement, making the boat sit lower in the water and with the displacing creates a bigger wake. Bigger wake = more thrills for many riders but also the ability to enter competitions!
Wakeboarding Tricks – Glossary
First, let’s look at heelside and toeside edges! Heading towards the wake with chest facing the boat is known as a heelside edge; approaching from the other direction with chest facing away from the boat is what we call the toeside edge.
The novice to intermediate rider will likely begin hitting the wake heelside – because it typically tends to come more naturally to the rider. More seasoned riders are likely to hit the wake both heelside and toeside. And now, lets look at more terms that assist us in learning how to wakeboard:
Backroll: a rider flips or rolls over the wake on an axis parallel to the direction of the board, as if they were following it around on a continuous loop.
Backslide “Alley-Oop:” This is a large jump with 180 turn landing on reverse butter slide – on the same side of the wake, as you hit. Whoa!
Backside Butterslide: Term used when the wakeboarder rotates the board backside 90 degrees and grinds the wake.
Backside Butterslide 180: the wakeboarder builds on the Backside Butterslide rotating the board backside 90 degrees grinding the wake then the rider uses the handle with the opposite hand to do another 90 degree turn – in the same direction!
Backside Start: Rider gets up in a backside position where the backside is actually facing the boat.
Bel Air – Tantrum without using the wake for air.
Blind Judge: Backside raley goes into a blindside 180.
Body Slide: Rider lies back onto the water surface.
Boardslide: a rider wakeboards up to an obstacle and slides the board – perpendicular with the obstacle – riding along the obstacle placing the obstacle in between the rider’s feet.
Butterslide: Rider turns the board frontside at 90 degrees and grinds the wake.
Butterslide 180: Same as the regular butterslide but this time with a 90 degree rotation added – in the same direction.
Frontroll: a rider flips forward or rolls over the wake on an axis parallel to the direction of the board.
Half-cab: this is when doing a trick from your switch stance and landing it with your regular stance. Very tricky!
No-Hander: Rider lets their hands go because handle is held in between knees.
Nothing Butterslide: Rider puts handle between knees while performing the butterslide.
Osmosis 540: is basically the Frontside 540 but instead of passing the handle behind the back, the rider pops the handle but catches it again at the end of the rotation.Perez: Rider carves outside of the wake and then slides into a surface 360.
Potato Peeler: Body Slide with fin release.
Powerslide: Board is turned backside 90 degrees in the flats. In this trick the fins are broken loose. Characteristically, a rather large spray is effected.
Raley – the wakeboarder hits the wake allowing their body to swing backwards until parallel to the water surface. Then the rider swings the board and his or her body down and lands on the other side of the wake.
Scarecrow – Toeside front roll to a revert.
Surf Carve: The rider cuts back and forth in the wake in classic surfing style.
Surface 180: A 180 degree turn on the surface of the water.
Surface 360: A rider spins the board 360 degrees while riding the surface of the water.
Switch: the wakeboarder rides the board putting their weaker foot forward (this would be the opposite of their normal stance – i.e. left foot or right foot forward). Also known as a Fakie.
Switch air raley: the rider starts and ends an air raley in the switch position.
Tantrum: the rider does a back flip over the wake on an axis which is at a 90 degree angle to the actual direction of the board.
Tootsie Roll: Front roll goes into a blindside 180.
Tumble Turn: Rider lays back on the surface of the water, the board is taken out of water and above the head, body is spun around backside and the rider stands back up onto feet.
Tweety Bird: Whirlybird but without using wake for air.
Whirlybird: This is the Tantrum with bonus overhead handle pass.
We trust that the above glossary will assist you to negotiate wakeboarding culture speak now knowing that a potato peeler is not a blunt instrument for scraping vegetables and that a tootsie roll is not some new take-a-way wrap with luncheon meat!
Be sure to drop us a line to help us build our glossary as new coinages surface! See you on the water!
