Different Techniques for Wakeboarding

As with snowboarding, also with the trendy sport "wake-boarding" a new language was born. To facilitate your entry into this activity scene, here is a list of key terms and wake-boarding techniques 101:

Fakie

When a wake-boarder drives or starts "Fakie", then it means that he begins backwards. The normal position when wake-boarding is with the right foot up front, however, when doing a "Fakie" one puts the left foot forward. Beginners should practice standing on the board both ways because a safe "Fakie" is the basis for many other tricks.

Side Slide

Side slide literally means "slip sideways" - and that is exactly the point. Only the board moves sideways though; the whole body of the wake-boarder stays in position of the travel direction. During the trip, or even right at the start, the wake-board is turned to the side. The hip center shows straight forward, or in case of a "Back-Slide" backwards. The wake board can either be turned on the water surface (be careful with long fins), or with a bunny hop.

Bunny Hop

The bunny hop is a small jump from the counter direction of travel into the direction of travel without the help of the tail shaft. The ideal jump height is achieved by shifting the weight to the front foot. Then, push the board with your back foot into the water and jump off hard. If you turn the wake board by 180 degrees during the stunt, it is called a bunny hop 180.

Surface 180

Surface tricks are referred to as general tricks that do not involve a jump. Surface 180 is a 180 degree rotation in or out of the "Fakie" stand. If you spin around another 180 degrees, to get back to the starting position, then you just made a Surface 360.

Blind-Side

Blind-side tricks are those where the wake-boarder ends up standing backward on his panel, after ending a stunt. By making a 180 degree turn during a jump, you will end up with the back to the boat. This trick is called a Blind 180 and takes a lot of practice.

Learning Tips

The cooler the stunts, the higher the risk of injury. To minimize this, it is best to learn the tricks correct from the beginning on. For technical education, there are special water ski schools, which offer expert water sports training courses and coaching. Once you know the basics, you can increase your skills by practicing regularly; and after studying the wake-boarding techniques 101, you will soon advance and be admired at the beach.