Intermediate Wakeboarding Tricks

How to do a 360

Synopsis: How to do a 360 on a wakeboard. Covers the four basic 360s, heelside frontside 360, heelside backside 360, toeside frontside 360, and toeside backside 360.

Landing your first 360 is a milestone in your path to greatness. Completing a 360 requires a solid wake to wake jump, mastery of board control, and a strong foundation in 180s on a wakeboard.

Once you have landed a 360, you can no longer be considered a beginner. It is the true gateway into the Intermediate level (along with landing your first invert).

Before you even think about trying a 360, you should be comfortable with the comparable 180 (and also be familiar with passing the handle). Being able to do a 180 is a prerequisite of doing a 360.

A 360 is basically two consecutive 180s performed back to back in the air (hopefully looking like one fluid spin) so obviously you should be learn your 180s first.

So, to learn how to do your first 360, pick the 180 that you are most comfortable with and build from there. If it is the frontside heelside 180, you should try to learn the frontside heelside 360 first.

If the 180 you picked doesn't require a handle pass, you should practice the opposite 180 as well so that you get the handle pass down. For example, the frontside toeside 360's handle pass is the same as the backside heelside 180.

Then it's down to you to extend your 180 knowledge into the 360 realm. You want your rotation to be completely controlled by the handle rather than by spinning your waist. It will take some practice (and probably a few diggers) before you get your first 360 down.

After you've completed your first 360, try learning how to grab it. Grabs on spin tricks can really liven them up and increase your trick repertoire with minimal extra effort. Then you can move on to learning the other three variations of the 360.

Stick with it and you will get it in no time. Once you've landed some 360s, go on and try a tantrum or a backroll.

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