Tantrums

Ok so you do a big progressive cut then for the trip edge do you quickly flatten out, stand tall and flip. Or do you actually switch edges, stand tall and flip? I can't seem to get a clear answer.

Hard progressive edge, then as you're riding up the wake, back off your edge, square up to the wake by letting go with your back hand, and hang on. Just don't throw it early.

Buffalow and Schweeene helped me understand this many moons ago..so for a better description hit them up PM or check former details on this trick in search. There are many opinions and options to doing anything so hopefully these words will make it "click" for you. If you take nothing from this other than this statement, you'll eventually get it.."This trick is almost 100% in the edge change and the timing."

So in a non-expert description:

Take an aggressive cut. (Be it short and deep or long and building...doesn't really matter).

As you approach the trough (white foam) of the wake, rock to your toes fairly hard and square up to meet the wake. As you square up, your rear hand will naturally let go. (It should feel like you are on your toes 70/30 or more but still standing tall. Do not bend over at the waist.)

Wait until you feel the kick of the wake to flip. (This timing/waiting will feel way longer than you think it should at first so be patient and wait. Worst case you hit your bootie going backwards.)

Then as you feel "pushed" into the air, toss your head back and suck your knee's in to complete the trick.

Try to land with your knee's bent to save your body in case you mess up.


General comments:
The timing is weird at first, and a key component.

If you do the trick correct, it will buck you and the flip is very safe and natural...you will feel like the board just flipped around you and lead the trick....and you were just along for the ride.

Done wrong, a whole bunch can go wrong. Working on a trampoline helps. I learned this trick on my first try but then lost it a year later because I was just hucking them and didn't understand it.

Your knee's control how fast you rotate (at least once you get over the fear of the trick). Suck them in to rotate faster or push them out to slow down.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HUCK THIS FLIP...TIMING and EDGE CHANGE will do it.

That little fear in your tummy will never go away, no matter what trick you are learning. Sometimes you think you can get it and it won't be scary and other times you are freakin' trembling with fear just to try something. I'm working on a Whirly this week and honestly, I'm fricken' scared because I've taken some horrible crashes. I'm spending my Wednesday at Matt's house on the trampoline with my Mt. Bike armor on so I can get it dialed in. GOOD LUCK!!

Steve pretty much nailed it. Make sure you have tons of speed when you are cutting in because you will lose some of that speed when you switch edges at the wake. Also, make sure that right when you switch edges you stand tall and really push off the wake. The timing the trip-flip edge and standing tall may take a while, but you'll get it. You may want to over-emphasize your trip-flip edge until you have the tantrum down really well.

Ok, I'm going to go against convention here. I learned that to take tantrums massive and floaty, you don't need a hardcore edge or to try to trip at the wake. For teaching people who are either learning or who have an unreliable low tantrum, telling them to trip at the wake usually results in people trying to stop at the wake and flip. (not that Mark or Steve are wrong, this is just a different way of describing them that I use for beginners)

Take an edge that would normally take you a bit beyond the wake (if you were to just do a wake jump). As you reach the wake, DON'T stop edging - but DO reduce your edge. The big mistake is people try to stop at the wake. You want to carry up the wake and have your board a little more side on, but not much. If you try to trip too hard, you end up getting no pop and putting yourself in a poor position. I tell people to go from a 7/8 (out of 10) edge to maybe a 4 or 5. Take the tantrum LATE, it will feel uncomfortable doing so, and keep that handle in, with as much weight on the front foot as possible. I've shown a few mates this technique, and they are busting huge off small wakes (I ride behind an 18ft tinny...not sure what you call it in the states) and some of them go insane off a big wake.
Hope this helps.

(Message edited by razorjaw on July 25, 2006)

Yeah I try to not even think about the edge change, I just think about throwing back my head at the very top of the wake; the rest (back hand letting go, edge change, and trip) all just happen naturally.

Go balls out on this trick, under-rotating is about the worst thing ever. It'll hurt falling a lot more if you chicken out 3/4 of the way to the wake. (I chipped my talus when I was first learning because I a) let up and b) went early)

And what everyone else has said. Do NOT go early. Wait for the pop and it will feel much much better.