Need some help with the old backroll like a lot of others out there. This is my first season and I feel that I'm getting pretty close to landing this trick (have tried it about 10 times now), but just can't stick the landing. Here is my problem...I come into the wake in a tall position like I am suppose to and I feel that I load and release the trick properly. I get shot up into the air and get the full rotation, but I keep landing on my extreme heelside edge and then I slip out and land on my butt....ending up in a position similiar to just sitting on the water. <BR> <BR>My rotation feels pretty slow, so I might be letting the rope out too far from my body. Secondly, I think I'm letting the board drift too far behind and away from the boat when I throw the trick...thus when I come back around for the landing, the board is out in front of me and not underneath my body since I let it drift so far out through the roll. To correct this and get into the necessary landing position, I'm thinking maybe I need to take the trick more tip to tail with the rotation as if I'm rolling inside a pipe rather than letting the board drifting so far away from the boat almost like an off axis 3 gone bad. <BR> <BR>These are just my thoughts on what I can do to try to ride away from this trick. Obviously I am a beginner, so I could be way off. Please extend any advice that you may have...thanks for helping out!

The best thing to do is tuck your lead foot. Practice a few times on a reg jump bringing that foot up, then through it in the mix. Once that foot is tucked it should flip you around pretty fast. After that look over your left shoulder and ride away.

when you start your rotation try to tuck your head to your knees or lead foot like barry metioned. and if your landing on your heelside edge your not getting quite full rotation so try to hold onto the rope with both hands longer (or possibly through the whole trick) that should speed up your rotation. just keep trying and you'll get it.

Your body position when leaving the wake is the same body position when landing. If you're landing on your arse you're squatting into the wake on the approach.

dont tuck your head into your knees or you will be stuck doing mexican backrolls... although they help to progress onto a roll to blind... but so can normal backrolls. edge up and away from the wake and hold on with two hands, see how that works out for ya.

Im having problems with backrolls also. Im not getting the full rotation and i let go of the rope three quarters off the way thru the trick. Its a mental block i need to get over. Usally i land with the nose dipping in the water. how do i spin a little faster?

keep both hands on the rope longer will help you get the full rotation

Letting your arms out will slow your rotation. Keep your elbows to your side and the rope in. this will speed up your rotation. This is what I have been told and seems to be working. Now if I just ride it away.

Cody D...what did you mean by "edge up and away from the wake"? Please explain further. Do you mean instead of hitting the wake perpendicular that I should hit it almost going away from the boat slightly, thus causing the board to drift a little bit away from the boat?

Im haveing a problem landing them consistently my front end digs in the water sometimes. Does it help to tuck your knees??????????

andrew, <BR>basically dont let off your edge at all for a backroll unless you are trying to do a mexican roll. i edge just a little away from the boat as i ride up the wake. give it a try. <BR> <BR>as for tucking your knees, you can do that, but it sounds like you are under-rotating or something. trying leaving the wake later.

yea you can try tucking your knees but basically the handle position controls the rotation speed <BR> <BR>what exactly is a mexican roll?

a mexican roll is a hs front flip... where you throw your head down and bend at the waist so your board flips edge over edge, instead of tail over tip like a normal backroll. does that make sense?

yeah i think i understand