3 Wakeboarding Tricks for Beginners to Master

Wakeboarding has got a lot to offer total beginners. While you should be prepared for a learning curve, even a single session on the water (and the right instructor) can equip you with the basic skills, and see you having fun as you feel that breeze rush over your skin.

But, even for experienced wakeboarders, there is always more to learn or to improve at – and that’s what makes this one of the most popular watersports.

During your first wakeboarding session, you’ll want to focus on the basics, like figuring out how to get up (and let the boat do the work for you), the correct posture, and turning. The great news is, wakeboarding is one of the best watersports for beginners*. And, once you’ve got those factors straight in your mind, it won’t take long before you’re ready to take on more – and to get a taste for how exhilarating wakeboarding can really be.

Here are three of our favorite wakeboarding tricks to teach to beginners, and why they’re so great to start out with when you’re still looking to gain experience on the water.

1. Toeside Backside 180° Turn

This is one of those tricks that sounds easy until you’re out on the water, trying to coax your hands into the right places and adjust your posture accordingly as you turn. A toeside backside turn will see your back foot become your front foot, and vice versa.

The simplest kind of 180° turn doesn’t require any jumps or lifts – you just take your time rotating your body (and board) on the water and switching to that basic stance facing the boat. If you’re still new to wakeboarding, then rotating your body and board 180° is a real mental and physical challenge – but it’s a great test of your ability to stay up, despite moving out of your ‘safe’ stance.

Sure, to the people back on the boat it’s not an exhilarating trick to watch – but they’ll be impressed you managed it once they try it for themselves.

Eventually, you’ll be pulling off these turns in the air – but, for now, you just want to focus on mastering your balance and building up the strength in your arms and legs.

2. Jump the wake

Once you’ve figured out the basics of steering (and not just going in whatever direction the rope seems to take you), you can start to have a little more fun with how you get from Point A to Point B.

Jumping the wake is exactly how it sounds. This trick will see you using one side of the wake to get air, using your speed to your advantage, and, of course, sticking the landing on the other side. It’s a great challenge to take on if you’re starting to feel a little too passive on the end of the rope, since it puts all that speed and momentum to use.

Jumping the wake will require you to straighten those legs and pull those hands in toward your hips – two things that will prove harder than they sound if you’re still new to the sport.

The great news? You’ll never get over the feeling of flying over the water, even if you’re up there for just a couple seconds. With time and practice, you can start to build up your jumps and get more lift (and more time in the air).

3. The Classic Ollie

Practically anyone who’s ever spent time on a skateboard will have attempted an ollie before now – and probably know how it feels to get kicked in the shins by the edge of the board.

The great news is that a wakeboarding ollie doesn’t put your shins at risk, since you’re always strapped onto the board, but the downside is it’s still not the easiest trick to pull off.

In wakeboarding, a lot of jumps and tricks use the wake almost like a ramp – an ollie, however, relies only on the force you can create in your legs and send down through the board itself.

To pull it off, you just need to transfer extra weight into your backfoot in a short, quick motion – one that kicks up the front of the board, and creates enough thrust from below to get you some air. You’re not going to shoot up into the sky like a model rocket, but you will be able to experience the feeling of flying over the water.

It’s also great practice for sticking your landings – which, come to mention it, is another big test of a wakeboarder’s balance. You may be comfortable riding the wake and staying upright, but just try retaining that balance when gravity’s working even harder against you…

The great thing about our boat rentals is you can take advantage of the expertise of our instructors – and our top quality equipment. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re ready to take on a new challenge on the water, we can help you overcome those challenges and see yourself progress as the day flies by.