Wakeboarding
How to backroll on a wakeboard: A step-by-step tutorial
The backroll is certainly one of the more challenging maneuvers to learn, but its payoff is well worth it.
It sure feels great to land your first introductory wakeboard tricks — the surface 180, the ollie. There’s something extra special, though, about the day you complete your first aerial trick on the wakeboard.
For many wakeboarders, the backroll is often the first trick that takes you up and out of the water. It’s one of the best wakeboarding tricks to try as you advance and you want to put your skills to the test. If you want to know how to do a backroll on a wakeboard, read ahead for a complete guide on mastering this thrilling challenge.
Meagan Ethell wakeboards in Clearwater, Florida
© Bryan Soderlind / Red Bull Content Pool
01
How to prepare for the backroll
1. Choose the the right wakeboard
Wakeboards are available in a range of lengths. Shorter boards are ideal for wakeboarding aerial tricks since you’ll have less surface area to create resistance when you’re airborne. The right wakeboard length for successful backrolls depends on your weight and riding style.
Most wakeboarding manufacturers offer size charts that show which board length best fits each weight range. This can vary by brand, so read the product details before buying a board.
2. Decide your skill level
Backrolls are among the more advanced wakeboarding maneuvers, so you should be at an intermediate level in your wakeboard trick progression before attempting. Although backrolls are advanced, they’re often the first aerial trick for most wakeboarders because they’re less high-impact than their sibling invert trick, the raley.
Before you start learning how to backroll, build a solid foundation in jumps, turns, and airs on the water. Mastering this all as you get ready to start learning wakeboarding flips can be plenty of fun too. A great way to get used to the rotating sensation of this wakeboard trick is to practice flips on a trampoline.
Tyler Higham at Red Bull Double or Nothing in Orlando, FL
© Robert Snow / Red Bull Content Pool
3. Warm up
You’re more likely to have a positive experience with your first backroll if you’ve warmed up properly. Stretching first is always important for preventing injury, as is the case in any and every sport. Exercises that loosen your shoulders are especially great for making the transition into the backroll rotation go much more smoothly. Squats can also wake up your quads for better board control.
If you want to get an initial feel for backroll rotation mechanics before getting on your board, the lake can help. Try some somersaults off your boat’s dock, right into the water, before you set sail.
Once the boat has taken off and you’re on your wakeboard, you can build up to your backroll with a few of the fundamentals. Adding a few wakeboard ollies and 180s to your backroll practice routine will get you ready for the popping motion that jumpstarts your flip.
02
Mastering the technique
Approach and stance
The first step to developing a strong backroll wakeboarding technique is starting with the right stance. Proper backroll body positioning means keeping your core underneath the rope cable, with your arms bent and locked in at your sides. Your rope’s tension plays an important role in getting the right amount of height on your flip — more tension means more release. You should also keep your hips up, with your knees bent, to absorb any impact.
Edging technique
Unlike other wakeboarding tricks, a short and sharp cut into the wake is essential for backroll edge control. With backrolls, you need to edge progressively to pick up the right amount of momentum for your flip.
Initiating the roll
As you edge harder into the wake, you’ll apply pressure heelside to pop, then look over your front-facing shoulder to initiate the roll. An important backroll initiation tip is to keep your posture upright so you’re standing straight as you reach the wake. If you keep your stance nice and tall, you’ll get more velocity from the wake for a better rotation.
The importance of spotting the landing
Keeping your eye on the finish line is key for maintaining balance during any wakeboarding trick, especially when navigating wakeboarding invert maneuvers. Look right where you want to land to finish your backroll strong.
03
Step-by-step backroll guide
1. Edge toward the wake
After cutting about 10 to 15 feet away from the wake, you’ll start to progressively edge back into the wake. To do this, steadily apply pressure to the heelside of your wakeboard, then edge more strongly as you get closer to the wake. While this may seem gradual, it only takes about one to two seconds total. As you do this, try to hold the rope tight.
2. Pop off the wake
As you edge into your wake and push down heelside, you’ll scoop your board into a popping motion. It can be easy to forget the popping portion of this trick, but it’s a central part of getting the momentum you need for rotation.
As with an ollie, you can use your front foot to guide your pop into the air. As you press down on your back foot, direct your front foot away from the rope.
3. Tuck and rotate
As you pop into the air, you’ll turn your shoulders and head up to initiate your rotation. Try to keep your body movement in line, as if you were doing a cartwheel.
Tuck your head under the rope, with your arms still bent and positioned against your body. As you start to rotate in the air, lift your bent knees up to your chest to speed up the rotation while holding the handle. Try not to pull the handle toward your chest for stability here — this will have the opposite effect when it’s time to land.
4. Spot the landing and extend
With your head pointed toward the tail of the board, you’ll spot the landing, usually no sooner than halfway through your rotation. As your board starts to level out and descend, you’ll extend your legs to slow down and land smoothly.
5. Ride away smoothly
As you make your way back down, release your back hand from the rope handle to regain your balance. From there, your body and board will straighten out, and you’ll ride away clean onto your next trick.
04
Common backroll mistakes and how to avoid them
There are some typical errors that first-timers tend to make when attempting their first backroll. If you know which backroll trick mistakes to avoid, though, you can sidestep some of these common pitfalls.
- Rope tension. If you can’t seem to get the right momentum on your rotation, the rope might need to be a bit tighter. It can help to shorten the rope by about five feet from the length you typically go with when you board.
- Body position. If you’re under-rotating, a more closed body position — say, balling up — will give you more momentum. And if the reverse is true and you need to slow down, open your body position a bit more.
- Improper edging. It’s important to not drop in at full speed right away — that’s how you make sure your board doesn’t slip. You should practice just the gradual edging technique on its own too. That way, you know what you’re doing before trying to follow it with a pop and flip.
- Don’t give up. As the saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Backrolls take far more than one wakeboarding session to get right. The more you practice, the more natural all the nuances of progressive edging and correct rotation will feel.
Mastering the wakeboard backroll takes time and practice
The backroll is certainly one of the more challenging maneuvers to learn, but its payoff is well worth it. In terms of wakeboard trick progression stages, nailing this trick is an important milestone that marks your development into advanced territory.
Once you’ve mastered the backroll, you can move on to even more impressive moves, such as the switch roll or heelside mobe. But before you get there, perfecting the backroll on a wakeboard is worth putting in the time — and that starts with your very first try.