What's everybody's take on the best order to go after learning these tricks? My guess is the backroll and the 360 is the easiest, then try tantrums, and last of all... superman.

What ever feels easiest and make sure you can fully picture the trick. I have taught heaps of riders and either one of the above tricks and others have been their first, but the fair majority learn either back rolls or tantrums first.

Thank Peter. I've got the HS BS 360 nailed now, so it's onto the inverts. On tantrums, I've heard to cut hard and early then flatten out coming into the wake. As you leave the wake, line the shoulders up with the boat and look up and back... sound right??

Sounds right on the tantrum. Make sure you can do a backroll (not a mexican) before you try the raley. Understanding the edge of a backroll is crucial to figuring out the raley. The learning order for the other tricks does not matter.

Matt, all I know about the edge for backrolls is to keep a progressive edge all the way through the wake so the board is accelerating off the peak. From there, the keys seem to be: 1) have slightly more weight than usual on your back foot, 2) push your hips forward a bit, and 3) look over your lead shoulder as you leave the wake all the way through spotting the landing. Also read that releasing the back hand helps sometimes... What do you think? <BR>

Matt, <BR> <BR> Will you explain how edging for a backroll is similar to a raley?

WakingUp- Edge through the wake so that the board flies up and around your body. Don't think of it so much as hucking a flip. The edge of your board against the 20+ mph of water passing beneath it is the driving force on a back roll. The handle is your pivot point. Keep it tight to your body and low. Do NOT look over your lead shoulder. I have a buddy who does that and it turns into off-axis 360 to faceplant. A back roll should be like a cartwheel or a sideflip. You should be facing the boat almost the whole way through. Letting go with the back hand is not necesarrily good, but it will prevent an accidental roll to revert. You do not need a lot of speed at the wake. Riding all the way up the wake is important. <BR> <BR>Sean- On a back roll, you edge the board through the wake so that it flies around your body. On a raley you edge the board through the wake so that it flies straight back and up. In both cases, the force comes from the 20+ mph of water passing beneath you pushing against the edge of your board.

You can do it bass-ackwards too. Learn a raley then do a backroll. A backroll is a raley with the board too far out in front of you. When you let the board go up from in front of you, it ends up behind and ahead of you when you're 1/4 of the way around. From here you pull the handle hard to your hips, causing you to rotate around the rope. <BR> <BR> If you're scared to try it, take the bindings off your board and use it like a wakeskate. <BR> <BR>Don't let yourself all the way out like you would on a raley. It's like you come off the wake letting the board out and back, then when your arms are about 1/3 of the way extended you say "naah" and pull the handle back in hard.