Yet Another Backroll Thread - with video though!

Buergday · Guest

Yes, I know, another backroll thread - sorry! But...
I just started attempting backrolls (finally) for the first time on Saturday, and I just can't seem to stick it. I don't feel like I'm getting enough air to fully rotate or something. It feels like I might be starting my rotation too early, because I don't get the height that I should be. I get much higher on my normal airs, grabs and rotations. Should I be consentrating more on my initial jump, and then initiating the roll once I'm already airborn - or should I just keep doing what I'm doing until I finally stick one? Right now, I'm kinda treating it like one fluid movement off of the wake - jump and roll, all in one move). Any help or comments would be appreciated.
Here's a link to a video clip of one of my first attempts (it's in my gallery too, if the link doesn't work)...

http://photos.wakeboarder.com/showphoto.php?photo=2246&password=&sort=7&thecat=500

Thanks!

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

you let off your edge there and then kinda got back on it just as you hit the wake. Looked pretty close though anyway. Build your edge and ride through the top of the wake before you start rotating. also, you don't need to cut from that far out for backrolls. Popping off the wake well is most important.

Buergday · Guest

Yeah - I was letting off a bit on all of my attempts. Must be a confidence thing. I know I should just charge it, but being inverted has never come naturally to me, so I kinda puss out on my approaches. I have a feeling that if I could just get myself to commit to a full-force jump on this trick, I'd be able to land it. I barely got w2w on that try. I've never had a confidence problem when it comes to rotations, which is strange because it seems like you can eat sh*t alot harder on a flubbed spin than on a backroll.
Thanks for your suggestions though. I'll try taking a more agressive approach from closer-in this weekend.

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

Nathan Newman · Addict Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 711 City: Baylor

your backroll also looks more mexican

Buergday · Guest

I know I've been around this message board for awhile, but what the hell is a mexi-roll anyway?

bluefish86 · Posted: Sep 25, 2003 4:57 pm Post subject:

It's a backroll where you throw your head down. It ends up looking like what some people would call an HS frontroll.

bluefish86 · Posted: Sep 25, 2003 5:00 pm Post subject:

Here's a video great video showing the difference between the two: http://www.wakepics.com/view_single.php?medid=6582

J_DOGG · Posted: Sep 26, 2003 9:03 am Post subject:

Bluefish86-good clip that is exactly it...the difference between the two that is....

Buergday- I would agree with the peeps above, you don't need to start out too far at all I find my biggest rolls are when I don't start more than 10 feet out (I ride with a 72 foot rope, odd I know, I made the extension). Anyway, I think about it like this, when I start my approach yah I might be way out or even 4 feet in closer than a normal wake jump but I really don't start edging hard until I get to the point where I go OK I know I don't have enough speed to clear this W2W. From that point on get on the progressive edge and keep on it until you ride all the way up the wake. Don't worry about Mexi or regular your riding style will end up dictating what you will ultimately stick with. I'm some place between mexi and regular, myself.

The goal is to not have too much speed so you never once think about backing off or easing up, you want to power through the wake loading the line. tip- even if you think you are going to eat stuff don't let go of the handle you will be surprised how many times you will be able to ride away from a roll you thought for sure you were going to crash, the handle finishes the trick, it's your life line up there.

I was doing spins way before rolls and have told many people, rolls are easier than spins once you figure them out. I know you probably took the same beating I did learning the 3's and stuff, roll crashes are a lot less painful for sure so keep at it.

DJew Jake · Posted: Sep 26, 2003 11:41 am Post subject:

Liek everyones said its all in the commitment, What helps me sometimes when im snow to learn soemthing, is i put on a helmet it gives me enough of a false sens of security to commit to the trick, and once u do it once, and land on yer head, you are like "wow not so bad" then your not scared to keep commiting and also i find, comeinto the wake standing tall, and dont start to rotate untill you pop up, sometimes when ppl are learning they jsorta just use the wake to start them flipping and they dont actualy pop, they let the board ride up the wake but not their body essentialy. It will seem like your spinning way to slow but because you poped magicly you will see the water under you with your feet ready to land. Then in true tradition u just landed yer first invert so let go of the rope and super man into a face plant...!

nparks · Newbie Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 30 City: San Juan

its all in the edging baby!!

TOM SCHIMIZZI · Newbie Joined: 18 Mar 2003 Posts: 31

I had trouble keeping my rotation speed up (i.e. keeping the handle close to my hips), so I found that by cutting harder at the wake from around 12 ft out and hitting it with a lot of speed really helped my rotation get quicker and straighter. It also made me lose fear of the trick, cause when you commit to hitting the wake that hard, the board does the rest. Maybe that can help.