Igor Reoutt (Pic: Trey Tomsik, Treehouse Int'l)

The Method Air is probably one of the styliest moves of all time. Skaters invented the trick and every board sport has a spot for it. You'll never see a snowboard half-pipe competition without one and hopefully you'll never have a wakeboard session without one.

Start out by approaching the wake heelside with a smooth and consistent cut. Roll onto your edge, bend your knees and try to reach maximum speed as you leave the wake. By building your speed gradually, you will stay in control and will stay on edge all the way through the wake, maximizing air time. This is sooo important.

After you loft yourself, don't yank on the handle to get your body into position. Instead, relax, drop your lead hand and keep the rope tight. It's important to keep your shoulders above the board (bonus points if your shoulders get over and in front of the board). Keeping your shoulders over the board will keep your body and trick momentum equal. Nothing looks worse than a method where the rider is behind the board.

Igor Reoutt (Pic: Trey Tomsik, Treehouse Int'l)

So loft, drop your lead hand and keep the rope tight. As you drop your hand, pull your front foot across the front of your body. While pulling your front foot across your body grab your back rail or method. You can grab method a variety of ways. One way is to grab in front of your lead foot, the other, grab between your feet.

So, loft, drop lead hand, keep rope tight, pull front foot across body, grab method and then finish the trick by pushing your back leg out towards the back of the boat. Yeah, check out that style! Pushing your back leg out is more important than landing the trick. It's like putting a cherry on top of a sundae. Again, sooo important.

So dig, you did all that. Now release the grab, let the board back around and land on the other side of the wake. Smooth. I know that's a lot to try at once, so if you're having trouble, try the trick without the grab. Just loft, drop your lead hand, pull your front leg across your body, bring it back and land. That will give you the feeling of the trick.

Go ahead and try it again, FEEL the trick. Once you FEEL comfortable go for the grab. Try this trick toeside or be a "G" and take it blind. Style is king!

Igor Reoutt rides for Thruster Wakeboards, Concrete Bindings and runs the Westside Freeriders Wakeboard School. Find out how you can get some top notch instruction at a top notch facility by visiting their website at http://www.westsidefreeriders.com.

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