Online Lessons

Deepwater Start

The deepwater start is esscential to the kneeboarder. Here are some steps on how to do it right.

• 1) Put strap in loosest position and make sure it is at the front of the knee pad.

• 2) Lie on your stomach on the board with your hands in the palms-down grip.

• 3) Signal the boat driver to take the speed up slow. When the board begins to plane, start to pull your knees onto the knee pad.

• 4) Slowly slide or crawl on your knees until they reach the normal kneeling position.

• 5) As soon as you are in your comfortable position sit up, let go of the handle with one hand and put the strap over your legs.

Side slide

The side slide is the simplest of all the tricks. In fact you might have already done one by accident.

• 1) Position yourself right behind the boat with your hands in the palms-down grip.

• 2) Rotate the board in either direction and lean away from the boat. You can let go of the handle with one hand to make the trick look a little better.

Front-to-front 360

The front-to-front is a simple surface trick that was the first thing I learned. Keep trying if you don't get it the first time.

• 1) Position yourself behind the boat with the palms-down grip.

• 2) Rotate your body to the left, release the handle with your left hand, reach around your back with your free hand and grab the handle.

• 3) As you grab the handle, lean forward (away from the boat) slighly, continue the rotation and release the handle with your right hand.

• 4) As you come around to the normal position grab the handle with your free hand and shift your weight backwards again.

The wake jump

The wake jump is the base to doing any trick that involves catching air.

• 1) With your hands in the baseball grip, make a good cut toward the wake.

• 2) Right before you hit the wake, stop cutting and shift your weight slightly towards the boat. Then lean back slightly as the board hits the wake.

• 3) As the board begins it's climb into the air keep a good pull on the handle.

Important: Don't make any jerky movments in the air.

• 4) While you are in the air, keep the nose of the board slightly higher than the tail.

• 5) As you come in for a landing, keep the nose of the board up and prepare for a slight bounce on impact.

Wake front-to-back

The Wake front-to-back is a good introduction trick for air manuvars. It is reletivly simple.

• 1) Make a strong cut towards the wake using the palms-down grip.

• 2) Right before you hit the wake, stop cutting and as the board hits the wake pop up by pushing your knees away from your chest.

• 3) As you rise into the air, rotate your body to the right and pull the handle into your hip.

• 4) As you rotate, keep a firm pull on the rope (As it will help you come around) and lean forward slightly.

• 5) As you hit the water, keep leaning forward (away from the boat) and keep the handle tight to your hip.

Wake 360

The wake 360 is like the front-to-back accept it is a little more complicated but looks good when you pull it off.

• 1) From the left side of the wake, make a strong cut with the palms-down grip.

• 2) Right before hitting the wake stop your cut and as the board hits the wake, pull the handle hard into your right hip, rotate your body to the left and release the handle with your left hand.

• 3) As you reach 180 degrees, pull the handle into your lower back and grab it with your left hand while releasing it with your right.

Note: Make sure that you have the handle with your left hand before you release it with your right. Try to make the switch close to your lower back so that you have easy access to the handle.

• 4) As you reach 360 degrees, pull the handle into your stomach, lean back slightly and grab the handle with your free hand.

Wake back flip

The wake back flip is a trick which requires patience and determination. If at first you don't succeed... well, you know the rest.

• 1) Make a strong cut towards the wake from the right side of the boat using the baseball grip.

• 2) Concentrate on getting a good pop off of the wake and just before hitting the wake stop your cut and level your body out so that is parallel with the water.

• 3) As soon as the front of the board hits the wake, pop by pushing your knees away from your chest and pull the handle into your right hip.

• 4) As you start to rise, release the handle with your left hand, throw your head backwards while pulling your knees into your chest. Keep a pull on the rope with your right hand and keep your right arm held tight to your torso.

• 5) When you reach an inverted (upside down) position, keep pulling your knees into your chest and keep your pull on the rope.

• 6) As you reach the full rotation, make sure the nose of the board is slightly higher than the tail. When you hit the water, keep your pull on the rope.

Wake front roll left

The wake front roll left is another trick that is not for the weak hearted. Keep trying.

• 1) Take a storng cut towards the wake from the right side of the boat usind the baseball grip.

• 2) Right before you hit the wake, stop cutting, lean back and as the front of the board hits the wake push your knees hard away from your chest.

• 3) Pull the handle into your chest hard while pushing your knees away from your chest. Throw your torsoe forward while trowing your left shoulder towards the water.

• 4) Turn your head to the right while throwing your right hip away from the boat.

• 5) As you rotate upside down, keep pulling the handle toward your right hip and pull your knees into your chest.

• 6) When you start to land, poll your body under you and make sure that the nose of the board is higher that the tail.

Backwards back flip

Yeah, you read it right. The backwards back flip is a very difficult trick. So if you want to try it, go ahead. And let me know if you pull it off.

• 1) Make a strong cut towards the wake from the left side of the boat using the palms-down grip. About four feet before you hit the wake, stop cutting and turn backwards while leaning forward.

• 2) When you reach 180 degrees, let go of the handle with your left hand, pull the handle into your right hip and as the tail of the board hits the wake, throw your head and body backwards.

• 3) As you rotate upside down, keep pulling your knees into your chest and pulling hard on the handle. Keep the handle in close to your right side.

• 4) Look for the water, and spot your landing. Remember to keep the handle in close to your right side.

Back Scratcher

The Back Scratcher is a moderate trick but looks great when you do it right.

• 1) Make a strong cut toward the wake from the right side using the palms-down grip.

• 2) As you hit the wake, think of how you do a wake front-to-back. As the board hits the wake, pop up while rotating your body to the right.

• 3) As you enter the air, push your knees away from your chest, release the handle with your right hand, push your shoulders back and keep the handle close to your left side.

• 4) Keep pushing your knees away from your chest until the board is verticle and keep pushing your shoulders back. You should now be facing away from the boat.

• 5) Now pull your knees into your chest, push your shoulders forward, rotate your body back to the left. Make sure the front of the board is slightly higher than the tail.

Inverted Hand Plant

The inverted hand plant is an interesting trick that looks almost like a magic trick rather than a kneeboarding maneuver.

• 1) Make a good cut towards the wake form the right side of the boat using the baseball grip. Right before you hit the wake stop your cut, release the handle with your right hand and throw your right shoulder toward the water without rotating.

• 2) Throw your left hip up using the lift from hitting the wake and put your right hand down on the water.

• 3) Keep a fair pull on the boat as the board rotates over your head. Keep dragging your hand on the water and once the board becomes parallel with the water, start to pull it back down.

• 4) Pull the board back under you by pulling the right rail toward your right hand.

Layout

Yes, this is the trick you're thinking of. The layout is the most difficult yet is the best looking out of all of the tricks. Let me know if you pull this one off too.

• 1) Make a very strong cut toward the wake from the left side of the boat using the baseball grip.

• 2) As the board hits the wake, pop hard while pulling the handle into your stomach. Throw your body forward while pushing your knees away from your chest.

• 3) As you gain altitude, straighten your arms and push your knees as far away from your chest as you can while your body becomes parallel with the water.

• 4) Now with your arms straight, push the handle down towards the water, arch your back and keep pushing your knees away from your chest. The nose of the board should be pointing away from the boat.

• 5) When you start to fall, very quickly into your chest until the board is under you again. Lean away from the boat and keep the front of the board slightly higher than the tail.

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