I recently read an article by Levitt in SBC in which he argued that grabs should always be located between the feet (except for the obvious). The article went on to say that its incorrect technique to grab outside the feet and that, essentially, we should encourage eachother not to grab like that. <BR> <BR>I know there are alot of people who agree with this argument...I am not one of them. <BR> <BR>I can agree that generally grabbing in between the feet makes a grab look better....maybe thats because it requires more effort to reach the grab. But I cannot understand how its incorrect technique to grab outside and that we should avoid it entirely. Just because its easier means you shouldnt do it? <BR> <BR>The rules of this sport are fluid. I think a more holistic approach to critiquing style is required.... <BR> <BR>In a bizarre coincidence, months later, the very picture Levitt has above his editor's article is one of Harf doing a toe back spin and he's grabbing outside of the feet. The photo is awesome. The spin is awesome. Throwing a grab in with the spin is even better. Can Levitt argue that Harf's trick here is incorrect? I wouldnt.

I'm a hypocrite, go ahead a crucify me.

Anyone remember those snowboards that had the outlines of hands where it is ok to grab and where it is not ok to grab?

My brother has a forum board from a few years ago that has a "no grab zone". If it looks good, it doesn't matter.

I know one of Travis Parker's snowboards was like that.

Roy, can you even grab your board with that rubber hand? <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/725286.jpg" alt="Upload">

HA! YES! KINGPIN!

thats soooo dumb, you can make grabs look so sick by grabbing outside the bindings and tweakin it. of course there are certain grabs that just dont get cred outside the bindings, for example the stalefish. but im sure someone could make a stalefish look good grabbing outside the bindings but then its more like a tailfish! haha but seriously whos to say a grab doesnt count outside the bindings what about tail and nose grabs. I personally think that if you dont grab method in front of your front foot it looks wacked otherside just go for a melon cuz itll look better! whoever wrote that article is dumb! Even tindys are starting to look good again. I think overall when grabbing it all comes down to how you poke it. Thats what makes grabs individual and fun to look at. Personally I cant take a run without 1 or 2 huge stalefish with my back foot poked straight out. if anything, grabs shouldnt be legit if there not poked, not grabbed outside the bindings! just my 2 cents.

Riley <BR> <BR>That was on a Capita Board.

Indy, Stale, Melon, Mute, Nose, Tail, and Method( Legit, bottom of board facing the boat) are the only grabs that count in my book. Nuclear, seatbelt, roast beef, etc... just look dumb.

Yeah, it was Travis Parker's Capita

Eyekahn i totally agree with you. why do a nuke glide when you can do a method. Brian Zager have you ever seen Vandall do a method? It is the most legit method you will ever see. He grabs right in the middle of his board and his board it perpendicular to the boat, the way a method should be.

Always thought it would be sick to have travis parker's capita UNorthodox graphics on a wakeboard

Grab whatever you like and what makes you happy or feels good to you.

I'm pretty sure that the argument was that people shouldn't be grabbing tindy which isn't a real grab. If I saw a newbie doing a tindy, I would instruct them that the grab that they were doing wasn't a proper grab and that he should reach back and grab the tail, or grab a true indy. Same goes for tailfish. Just my point of view. <BR> <BR>I'm wondering if a grab between the nose and mute is ok?

jeremy thats sick, i agree, its when its grabbed right between the bindings with no pokage looks kinda silly. ya know when people grab and pull it up behind there back. dont like that too much! Justin i count a mute in front of the front foot, cept it wont look good unless its poked or pulled back behind you like a japan air!

Steve, I agree! This sport is about individuality to 90% of the people that are in it. Most will never be in a competition or have someone giving you points for grabbing here instead of there. Wakeboarding is all about having fun and being with your friends and family IMO. When somebody who isn't a pro and doesn't have to worry about where to grab for a photoshoot, or losing points in a comp is out there free ridin and worrying about exactly where they are grabbing, they are losing the main reason why you are out there to begin with..to have fun!!

wakeboarding's supposed to be fun? haha sike, no your completely right, its just that part of the fun is making yourself feel good about my riding. I watch alot of wakeboard videos and I know i will never be able to do 90% of the stuff in those videos but when i watch Ben Greenwood throw a big stalefish across the wake, I like to think that I can go out and there make my stalefish look just as good. for me thats where I have the most fun and feel the best about my riding.

Sorry Adam Levitt. Didnt mean to be as harsh as that sounds. Just wondering aloud! <BR> <BR>Anthemwake, i put some velcor straps on the hand and on the board (...but only outside the feet).

where to grab?????? retarded argument! anywhere! even your binding! as long as it looks sick! maybe i was joking about the binding its not legit if its inbetween your leg and the board. i always go for leg

Wow Roy. Epic call out, nicely done. And big props to Adam for not starting a flame war and being a man. That's a rarity on here. <BR> <BR>Generally speaking most grabs done that arent between the legs or tip/tail tend to look sloppier although occasionally you will have one that looks good. I remember Danny used to boost this toeside bs shifty Tindy off the double up that looked pimp for example.

Man, I feel bad for the guy Levitt slammed in letters to the editor. This guy was arguing the same thing I am and Levitt called HIM out. Respect though: he's admitted he was wrong (I think?).

Steve-O my thoughts exactly

cmon how can you not like this? <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/727883.jpg" alt="Upload">

Why grab the board it's attached to your feet?

^because everyone is copying skateboarding!

I didn't admit I was wrong. Tindy's are the worst thing ever. You'd have an easier time convincing me the sky is green and the sun is red. <BR>The earlier post was my weak-ass attempt at an internet joke.

And for the record, I don't really hate on Nuclear's and Slob's, but I'll fight anyone to the death about Tindy's and Tailfishes. I mean it, to the death!

To me its about pushing yourself. If I grab tindy, im going to go back and try again and push myself to grab around my knees and right between my feet for that indy. Its harder for sure, but it feels more rewarding because I had to push myself, and not just settle for a tindy.

^^^ hahaha adam. I get two or three days a month at best for six months a year at most and I man up to manage what I can when I can. <BR> <BR><a href="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3184/590474.html" target="_blank">http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/3184/590474.html</a>

Ridiculous!!! How grabbing! Grab want you want... create your own style!!!!

good idea, adam. you should promulgate your legislation on grabs. see if danny and the boys take notice. <BR> <BR>looks like colin could use a lesson...what an awful rider. <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/728564.jpg" alt="Upload">

Hey Roy, not to be a jackass but Adam said he didn't really hate on slob grabs above and I think that's probably a slob ts bs 180 colin is doing above. I personally despise the nuclear grab - anyone grabbing anything nuclear should be shot on the spot, no questions asked. I kid I kid, but no I really do hate the nuclear and am glad most pros have deleted it from their repertoire.

^^^you need to come up with something a little more important in life to worry about there, bud. <BR> <BR>How many more discussions will there be on this? I'd like to know how many people changed their riding as a result of a few people's opinions on the internet.

I agree with Jeremy Kovak!

You know I really dont know why people hate on the Nuke. I love the Nuke grab, I think its like a method on Steroids! Its hards to grab, especially on straight airs, if crazy fun to take to blind, looks sick on Tantrums. I just dont get everyones beef, maybe most of the world is just not flexible enough to grab Nuke, beats me, but I will continue to grab nuke every set! <BR> <BR>LONG LIVE THE NUKE! <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/728603.jpg" alt="Upload">

Great shot andy. What does Jeremy Kovak say?

Hahahahaha, Jeremy Kovak used to say, "Why Grab our Boards, they are attached to our feet." What's great is he was dead serious. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Andy, I knew someone would remenber that! <BR>He was serious, classic...

Roy, you don't seem to get it. Nowhere did I say that Collin Harrington is an awful rider, it's just an awful trick. Collin's a rad guy and we're pretty good buds, but if we we're out shooting photos and he's grabbing in a no-no zone, I'd probably call him out on it. In fact I've done in the past with other pros. <BR>You can't win this argument so you might as well give up.

Mike - not sure if you're talking to me or not but I promise I'm not losing any sleep over it. I just thought this was a message board where one's opinion could be expressed, sorry if I was mistaken. <BR> <BR>I honestly just got tired of nuclear grabs after everyone was doing glides/tannys and toe backrolls with them a couple of years ago ALL the time, and I think it looks sloppy 95% of the time. <BR> <BR>I can grab the board nuclear just like I can do tootsie rolls. I don't do either because I dont like them.

I give up. That pic of Colin is an awful trick.

Have to say I fully agree with Adam on this. If I were publishing an ad I would never have used that shot. <BR> <BR>Epic wakeboats is notorious with our crew for publishing ads with terrible grabs/photos. We always notice that they choose to use shots with tindys, tailfishes, nosencolies, etc. I personally don't get it. <BR> <BR>Nobody is wrong or right on this topic. It's personal opinion and that is it. You'll never convince me that a tindy looks good and vice versa. Just the way it is.

Gordie, <BR> <BR>I am straight old school!!!

Being old school doesn't mean going against the evolution of the sport!!! I love to poke every grab and won't stop to tail or nose grab for an old school guy affirmation!!! (no offense) <img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/728700.jpg" alt="Upload">

Roy man, this topic has been beat to death in the past, I don't know why you feel the need to call Adam out on this. I'm not core, legit or any of that bs, but unless I'm doing a poked out slob grab in a spin, I absolutely do not grab outside the bindings unless its nose/tail. Grab how you want, if it feels good, do it. That trick of Colin looks fine to me, nobody said Colin sucked or needed lessons. You are trolling right now and its making me mad. I support Adam, when members of my crew grab like fools, I let them know it looks like sh*t, when my boy drops a cork 5 on snow and he grabs tail fish I tell him it looks ghey, doesn't mean the cork 5 sucks, just means it looks lazy as h e l l. Its about progression and style, grab tailfish if you want, but I'm going to laugh at you because tailfish looks mighty goofy compared to reaching past the middle of the board towards your front foot and boning out the back to the max on a stalefish... <BR> <BR>And one more thing, I'm pretty sure most pros are concious of where they grab their board, not every picture may depict the perfect conditions or grab in their trick, sometimes you flub. I bet Colin either has done, or is working towards getting different locations on that grab, why? Because he wants to progress and make it look the best he can

Andy, Here is one of Larry's best grabs this year! <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65919/728953.jpg" alt="Upload">

I am not a big fan of calling out ill-legit grabs, to your homies or some due in an add, on ww, or wherever, but if you do, my take is that YOU better have that grab in your bag, or SHUT YOUR PIE HOLE.... <BR> <BR>IMO, grabs are the hardest part of wakeboarding... I've done some inverts for 10 years and still can't grab them. <BR> <BR>-Uj

GORDIE, <BR> <BR>NO Way did he just catch that bare handed??? Too Funny!

This may have to be one of the stupidest threads i've read on the internet in a long time, bravo to all that participated in a serious fashion.

thank you for bringing that up 3 1/2 weeks later just so we could get that vital piece of information.

I just find it retarded that people were arguing over how other people can ride THEIR board, and telling them what they can and can't do.

Layton, you're so wrong: this has to be one of the most important thread EVER.