Intermediate Wakeboarding Tricks

How to do a Toeside Backroll

Synopsis: How to land the easiest toeside invert on a wakeboard. The Toeside Backroll.

For a lot of beginning and intermediate wakeboarders, jumping toeside is intimidating. Something about cutting face-towards-the-water back-towards-the-boat just frightens them. I'll admit it, I was a bit apprehensive to toeside jumps, much less toeside tricks at first too. But no need to worry, the toeside backroll is the easiest toeside invert around. It doesn't even require that you're able to clear the wake toeside. Albeit, taking this trick big does make it look much better!

Having some toeside tricks in your repertoire is a great idea if you are going to be participating in any wakeboarding events or tournaments because it will allow you to double the number of tricks you can do in a pass. It also makes your riding look more fluid. You can go from trick to trick instead of trick... pause... trick... pause.

A toeside backroll is basically the same as a heelside backroll, except (obviously) you are cutting on your toes rather than your heels. Your rotation is caused by line tension, just as in the heelside back roll. But the path of rotation will be a bit different just because of the nature of toeside tricks. You will do more of a "flippy" rotation than a "cartwheel" like rotation. This isn't something that you will have to think about. It will come naturally.

Enough talk. Let's get on with how to do a Toeside Backroll.

Cut out on your heels and use a toeside progressive edge to come towards the wake. Once again, I can't stress how important the progressive edge is. Line tension is key to this trick. Be sure that your cut is hardest at the wake. And that you cut all the way through the wake. Don't let up right at the end! This is an especially common pitfall on toeside tricks. I have even seen pros have trouble with this. Cut all the way through the wake.

Once you get to the top of the wake, pop your hips out forward, let your chest pop out and your head go back. You should naturally let go with your back hand. This will initiate the rotation. Then you just have to hang on for the ride.

If you aren't get any pop, be sure to cut through the wake to keep that line tension up.

And there you have it. You'll be landing toeside backrolls in no time! Work on landing it consistently, and coupled with your Tantrum, your Heelside Back Roll, and your 360s, you'll have one heck of a bag of tricks up your sleeve. But you still have much to learn, young grasshopper. Next up on your todo list is the Raley. So read on and learn how to do a raley.

Need help on this trick? Visit our wakeboarding discussion board.