Heelside frontside 360

August 7th, 2010 | Trick Tips

Once you’ve mastered the basics of wakeboarding, you’ll probably be itching to learn some harder tricks, and a Heelside 360 is a great place to start.

You don’t need to go huge to get this trick, and I found it easier to learn off a small wake. It’s also really helpful to try it one wake first, to get an idea of the rotation without any huge falls. Practice this trick on the trampoline, or even just with a spare handle on the dock, it’s really important to familiarise yourself with the rotation before you take it wake to wake.

Before trying any heelside 360’s, its important that you are confident with your heelside wake jumps and heelside 180’s. Get confident with your jumps and be super poppy, become aware of when you are at the peak of your jump. When practising heelside 180s, think about keeping the handle close and using two hands to pull it over to your back hip as you rotate.

For a Heelside 360, you will need to approach the wake as you would for a normal jump. You do not need to charge up the wake, just take it nice and mellow, but remember to push up off the wake for a good, strong pop.

Keep your elbows locked to your sides, and as you ride up the wake think about trying to bring your hips up into the handle.

The key to this trick is to wait. Make sure you bring your knees up and are at the very peak of your jump before you spin.

Whilst keeping your head and your chest up, take the handle with both hands across your body, and place it into where your back pocket is. Passing your handle behind your back and keeping it close to you will make the landing a lot easier as you will keep the line tension and it will not be yanked out of your hands.

As you land, try to spot your landing early and be ready to ride away on your heels. Keep you knees slightly bent and push the handle toward your front hip; this will give you more control and ensure you don’t get a nasty fall!

Now you’re ready to go try your Heelside 360, so get to it! Don’t’ be afraid, and make sure you commit to the whole rotation. Once you have this mastered, why not add a grab? Or try it toeside? The possibilities are endless, but most importantly, HAVE FUN!

Author: Jules

Jules Haley is our favourite contributing writer out of the UK. She writes great pieces, we love her humour, and not to mention she shreds her face off not only on her wakeboard but on her skate as well.