What is Wakeboarding?

Wakeboarding is a water-based sport. Not unlike any other board sport, the rider is positioned on the board with his feet held in a wide stance by bindings. There are three main ways of wakeboarding:-

The first, is towing behind a boat, using the wake of the boat to provide a jump to perform tricks off, this was the original form of wakeboarding, came from waterskiing.

Secondly, there is cable. This is mile-long circuit of obstacles, usually on lake, that the riders are pulled around by an overhead cable. Since the cable is so high off the water, it allows for surface inverts, where the tension of the line is built up and released to propel the rider into the air. Kickers are used to perform the same sort of tricks that can be done behind a boat.

And finally, there is winching. This is a relatively new way of wakeboarding. An engine is attached to a reel of rope so that when the engine is fired up, the rope is reeled in and the rider can get the speed to ride on top of the water. The downside of this is that the rope reel can only be a maximum of around 1000feet, which means that the rider can only ride for a short time before they have to stop. But the possibilities of where to ride are endless, from canals to puddles to swimming pools, providing a large diversity for the sport.

Spins

These can be done off the kicker, on the sliders, or off the surface of the water.

The names of spins are easy to understand. The degree of rotation the rider achieves is the name of the trick. 180 is usually one of the first tricks a rider will learn, usually off flat water, this just means that the rider switches so that his or her other foot is the forward foot. The progression then goes 360, 540, 720, 900 and finally 1080.
Inverts

Inverts have many different names. The rule for an invert is that the board has to go above the head of the rider. Many of these are achieved by getting air off a kicker, but at cable sites you might hear people talking about a Raley. These are done on the surface of the water by gaining tension in the line and releasing it to catapult yourself into the air.
Glides

Glides are performed by grabbing the board while performing a Raley off the kicker.
Slides

These are when the rider slides his board over a slider.

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		What is Wakeboarding? Wakeboarding is a water-based sport. Not unlike any other board sport, the rider is positioned on the board with his feet held in a wide stance by bindings. There are three main ways of wakeboarding:- The first, is towing behind a boat, using the wake of the boat to provide a jump to perform tricks off, this was the original form of wakeboarding, came from waterskiing. Secondly, there is cable. This is mile-long circuit of obstacles, usually on lake, that the riders are pulled around by an overhead cable. Since the cable is so high off the water, it allows for surface inverts, where the tension of the line is built up and released to propel the rider into the air. Kickers are used to perform the same sort of tricks that can be done behind a boat. And finally, there is winching. This is a relatively new way of wakeboarding. An engine is attached to a reel of rope so that when the engine is fired up, the rope is reeled in and the rider can get the speed to ride on top of the water. The downside of this is that the rope reel can only be a maximum of around 1000feet, which means that the rider can only ride for a short time before they have to stop. But the possibilities of where to ride are endless, from canals to puddles to swimming pools, providing a large diversity for the sport. There are four types of trick in wakeboarding:- Spins These can be done off the kicker, on the sliders, or off the surface of the water. The names of spins are easy to understand. The degree of rotation the rider achieves is the name of the trick. 180 is usually one of the first tricks a rider will learn, usually off flat water, this just means that the rider switches so that his or her other foot is the forward foot. The progression then goes 360, 540, 720, 900 and finally 1080. Inverts Inverts have many different names. The rule for an invert is that the board has to go above the head of the rider. Many of these are achieved by getting air off a kicker, but at cable sites you might hear people talking about a Raley. These are done on the surface of the water by gaining tension in the line and releasing it to catapult yourself into the air. Glides Glides are performed by grabbing the board while performing a Raley off the kicker. Slides These are when the rider slides his board over a slider. Home

What is Wakeboarding?

Spins

Inverts

Glides

Slides