Heel Side Back Roll is one of the first inverts you should try, as it's one of the easiest to get right because of the natural momentum helping you with the initial rotation. Don't start too far outside the wake, as this trick only needs the same progressive edge as a normal wake-to-wake jump. As you enter the wake make sure your edging all the way through as this will allow you to get the amount of lift to complete the trick. When leaving the wake start to shift your weight onto the back foot, keeping both hands on the handle and keeping the handle to close to your hips. As you do this start to look over your left shoulder for natural stance and right shoulder for goofy to allow your body to rotate in the correct direction. Once you are upside down try to spot your landing, as this will help you going in the right direction for a smooth landing. Don't forget to soften your knees for the landing!!!

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

The air raley is one of the most crowd-pleasing moves you can do on the wakeboard; it is an exciting move that makes you feel somewhat like your flying. Once mastered the air raley open up a whole new range of tricks and moves! As well as being an exciting move, the raley also has some of the most punishing falls! It helps to practice this trick a few ways before trying it on the wakeboard because the falls that you can take are enough to make you not want to try a raley again for a while. Having the right technique and knowing the right movements will really help you land raley's sooner and make falls softer.

Trampoline

On the trampoline, you can go through the movements involved over and over again. The trampoline will help you master the movements quicker and allow for quicker correction.

On the jump that you go into the raley position, it helps to jump about a foot forwards (towards the direction of the rope). In doing the raley, it is important to push your bum and hips out behind you, and not your feet. Your feet will follow your hip and bum movement. So remember, BUM AND HIPS LEAD.

The most difficult part of the air raley is getting your feet back under you. As much fun as it may be for the guys in the boat to watch you waste yourself, landing a raley without your feet under you is torture! To get your feet back under you, the simplest way is to push the handle down towards the mat (or water). This creates a hinging motion, folding your body in half, and bringing your feet and the board back underneath you. Many people try to pull the handle back towards them. This won't fold your body in the same motion and so it will take your feet longer to get underneath you. Make sure you push the handle STRAIGHT DOWN.

Wakeskate

Now you're out on the water, it is a good idea to try the raley first on the wakeskate. This decreases the impact of your landings, so you can make a mistake or two and not waste yourself. Take a wide approach and really charge at the wake. This will give you the height and distance that you need. After you have gone out to raley make sure you push the handle down and then land in the water in a pin drop position.

On the wakeboard

Immediately after trying it a few times on the skate, strap on the board and give it a go. The movements will be fresh in your muscle memory. Make sure you use a progressive edge and stand reasonably tall. This will give you the leverage on the line and the push on the board, edge in with your shoulders back and the board out in front of you. Once in the air lead with your hips and bum, your feet will follow. Once you're out in raley you want to get your feet back under you, push down on the handle and the movement will happen naturally. When you land, make sure you are leaning back so that you can edge confidently away. Don't try to balance the landing, edge away from the trick always!

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

If not the back roll, the tantrum will be the first invert you try. The tantrum differs slightly from the load and release because the tantrum is a trip invert. This is, instead of using the load on the line, you change edges and the wake trips you into your rotation.

The tantrum looks to be more then a back flip due to the take off being square to the wake, however it is just a back flip.

Your approach to the wake needs to be fairly aggressive, in a seated position. As you reach the trough of the wake, release your backhand from the handle and start to rock onto your toe-side edge. This will turn your body and board square to the wake. It will also stop the board from catching the rope during the flip.

Important note: If you hold on with both hands, it is known as a 'Phantrum'. A cheater's tantrum.

As you reach the top of the wake you want to push through your legs, just as though you are jumping straight up. The only difference will be that your weight will be over your toes and the wake will 'trip' the board, initiating the flip.

Jumping and then tucking will flip the board a lot quicker and is the easiest way of performing the tantrum, giving you ample time to spot your landing.

There are however, two ways of performing the flip. The point in which you release your backhand will determine the type of tantrum. The earlier you release (i.e. in the trough of the wake), the squarer you will come off, and the flip will be more of a tucked back flip.

If you release your hand later, (i.e. Close to the top of the wake), you will not be as square to the wake, and so you will be tripped into more of a layout back flip. This is harder to pull off because it is harder to get enough height to bring the board back underneath you. However it looks awesome because you are stretched out in more of a raley position.

It is best to pull off your first few tantrums in the more traditional back flip and then progress to the lay out version.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

Toe Side Front Roll will take a bit of practice, as it tends to put riders off, because it's a toe-side trick. This will need a fairly aggressive edge into the wake. As you get to the wake you need to stand up which will help with the lift to give you enough time to complete the rotation. Bending both knees as you enter will help keep you square before standing up at the wake. After you have edged all the way through the wake you need to throw yourself over your back arm while still holding the handle with two hands and keeping the handle on your waist. This trick makes it hard to spot your landing early as by the time you are spotting the landing; you pretty much have landed already. Remember to soften the knees when you land.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

The Toe-side Front-side 360 should be one of the first 360's you attempt. This is because the directional pull from the boat makes this spin a more natural spin. The handle pass is quite likely to prove to be the most difficult part of the trick. Once you can master the handle pass then spinning will become loads easier. First practice the handle pass by performing surface 360's at a lower speed, around 10mph. There are a couple of ways to pass the handle: In the small of your back: This is the quickest and easiest way to pass the handle. Below your bum: It takes longer to pass the handle this way, but it puts your hands a lot closer to the board, so including grabs are a load easier.

To start this trick your approach to the wake should be on a progressive edge, but make sure that you are not too aggressive, as this will be likely to throw you off axis. Coming off the wake you really want to jump up. Trying to lift up through your chest will help you jump up and on axis.

It is important to stay on axis, as this will keep the board beneath you, thus landing easier. Your axis should be a 45-degree angle leaning away from the boat. This angle will also help in the handle pass. Make sure you don't initiate the spin too early. You may catch your edge on the wake and face plant, or you will spin to fast and too far. Initiate the spin when you are near the top of your jump. Do so by pulling the handle into your rear hip, turning your head and shoulders the opposite direction. Be careful on your landings to land on your toe-side edge and be edging away from the trick. If you land flat on the surface, your board will want to keep spinning, taking you another 180-degrees, and you are likely to catch your toe edge and come off pretty hard.

It is a good fun trick. The first few times you do this don't expect or even to try to land on the other side of the wake. Concentrate on the amount of air being large, rather than the distance.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.

The toe-side back-roll will probably be the first invert you attempt. It is the simplest invert out of the load and release family, as your rotation follows the natural direction of the pop off the wake, and the direction board is thrown; the back-roll is a cartwheel style flip.

With the back-roll you want to drift into the wake, and only load the line as you reach the trough. If you load too early or too aggressive you will not be standing tall enough and you won't get enough pop off the wake. The back-roll requires you to stand fairly tall during the approach and even try to stand taller during the flip.

The rotation of the board is tip to tip; the board rotates tip over tip, unlike a tantrum where the board rotates rail over rail.

Once you approach the top of the wake, release the load and allow yourself to be thrown into the trick, don't throw yourself! The flip will not have you and the board in a vertical line, the board will actually fall behind you. This is because you will be pulled forward by the boat.

You want to lead your rotation with your hips. Push your lead hip to the nose of the board. Once you have been thrown, push your head towards your leading shoulder. This will help you to spot your landing.

Make sure you are standing fairly tall during the rotation. If you try to crouch, you will not get enough pop. You want to stand tall off the wake to get enough pop, and hold this position to give yourself a nice fluid rotation.

As your board comes around and you have spotted your landing, push the handle towards the front of your board (away from the wake). This will help stop your board also performing a 180. A 180 is the natural rotation of the back-roll.

Make sure you edge away from you landing. Hold on with both hands during the whole of this invert.

Disclaimer

All information provided is to be used at your own risk and Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents accept no responsibility for the validity or legitimacy of the supplied information. Goldwild Pty. Ltd., trading as The Water Skiers Connection; its directors, employers and agents will not entertain any claims for damages arising from the use of this information.