Wakeboard Terminology: A Beginner’s Guide
Wakeboarding is an exhilarating watersport that combines elements of surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding. It’s also a beginner-friendly watersport for kids and grown-ups alike.
Whether you’re a seasoned rider or a curious beginner, understanding the language of wakeboarding is essential. Knowing just a little wakeboarding lingo will help you get started on your way to cruising the wakes and mastering tricks.
Wakeboarding Terms You Should Know
Some of the terms mentioned below such as air, boat and board are common knowledge and not wakeboarding “lingo”, but we’ve included them here as they relate to the sport.
Air and Air Tricks
- Air: Refers to the space between the rider and the water when they’re in mid-air. It’s that weightless feeling as you soar above the wake.
- Air Trick: A trick performed using line tension for lift instead of relying solely on the wake. Think spins, flips and grabs, all while defying gravity.
Board Basics
- Board: Your trusty wakeboard — the platform that propels you across the water. Boards come in various shapes, sizes, and designs, each catering to different riding styles.
- Bindings: The rubber or foam boots that secure your feet to the board.
Tricks and Spins
- Backside Spin: A spin where the rider rotates with their back facing the boat first. For left-foot forward riders, this would be clockwise.
- Frontside Boardslide: A slide on an obstacle or wake where the nose of the board travels over the object. Imagine approaching a slider with your chest facing it and sliding with the nose over the rail.
Boat and Boat Speed
- Boat: A motorized watercraft that tows wakeboarders.
- Boat Speed: The velocity at which the boat travels while pulling a wakeboarder. Typically, riders cruise safely between 18-24 mph, depending on skill level and rope length.
Bonks and Butt Checks
- Bonk: The act of touching or hitting your board against an obstacle. If you “bonk a buoy,” you’re briefly tapping your board against it.
- Butt Check: When you land a trick and drag or slap your butt on the water: a sign of a less-than-perfect landing.
Remember, wakeboarding is not just about mastering tricks. It’s also about enjoying the rush, feeling the spray, and connecting with the water. So grab your board, hit the wake, and enjoy the ride!
