HS Front

That is a good write up on the front page. I'm thinking about giving this trick a go this summer. Who on here does them and has any additional tips to get started?

I know it used to be a popular trick back in the day, but I'm suprised more people don't do them now. Taken big I think they look really good especially once you grab them and throw in a 180.

Coming up short on this trick seems brutal though on your ankles and knees so my goal is to not do that!

Its a trick you will naturally go big on!! just a heads up

Oh man... A guy tried one (he's landed them before, he just hadn't done one in a LONG time) while filming for Gauntlet, and then just ate it. It's a ball buster if you don't make the full rotation....

I love doing them...I don't have the cleanest one... it is sort of Frantrum, but i swear you are upside down for what feel like forever... fun tick. My goal is to nose grab the front and then front to fakie!

You will know if you are short... your body will either feel a big 'ol boot off the wake or it will feel nothing meaning you went early. Just put it on your butt if you went early. If you feel the boot, start spotting the landing!


-Uj

UJ - Thanks for the tip. I've seen video of yours and they look really good I think. Bailing out sounds like a good idea to get from gettiing hurt if I can tell I'm going to be short.

What do you focus on doing coming up and off the top of the wake?

Timing and weighting the back foot about 60-40 or 70-30. When I remember to weight the back foot the trick takes on a different feel and look... basically it goes away from frantrum and looks real big. The trick feels even slower but has a much more up-down feel rather than up and out feel if that makes sense. The other huge factor is timing. Throwing this off the top of the wake is key.

Hope that helps.

-Uj

Sometimes a switch front is easier than regular. Some people (myself) tend to frantrum when doing them regular.

One other thing... the video said let up on the edge... Do not. Edge & Load that sucker all the way through the wake!

Good luck

I do them, super fun trick and yeah it feels like you upside down forever! I agree you seem to naturally take them big and way into the flats, i think a lot of that has to do with the fact you lead the roation with your head. I agree with Ryan I edge that thing all the way up the wake. Very easy to grab the nose of the board, but a big warning is that once you let go with the front hand it is going to wanna swing switch on you, much like a front hand grabbed Backroll. The first time I tried to grab the nose I hooked my heel edge worse that I think I ever have ended my day on the water for sure. Slob grabs are pretty easy to. Good Luck, let us know how it works out.

I wanna see the Front to Blind come back like Shapiro used to blast!

mine used to be pretty but has turned half frantrum.. what's the trick to get it back?

Andy, didn't he & Mr. Siebring used to do an Air Front to Blind? Silly people.

I really want to try these again, years ago I came up flat and broke my ankle. Granted I didn't have the experience then but its been my most feared trick since. But damn does it look badass!

if your doing frantrums most likely its your edging on the take off. probably letting off too much and throwing your head back rather than towards your knee.

another thing is always make sure the handle is at your hips. if you let it out it turns into a front flip/jacked up s-bend. usually end up getting stuck upside down

Honestly, that is the only trick I have ever landed on my first try.

The key for me:
Keep the handle close to your mid section and imagine the handle as the point you rotate around. Otherwise, if the handle is far away or high it turns into a Frantrum.

Front page was a great write-up.

Wakeviolater has some of the cleanest HS Fronts! Rivals most Pro's!

Wow, great tips from some really good riders. Thanks for the help.

In my head I think I understand this trick. Honestly, I can picture two things happening on my first attempt...landing the trick or landing on my head. As long as I wait for the pop I feel like I understand enough to be able to land this thing relatively quickly.

Wakeboarding tricks always seem easier though in your head as compared to when you're actually on the water!

my first part is fine, it's once I'm halfway through, I just dump it over the back.

one thing i have always thought that is pretty accurate for me is if i can picture the trick in my head, i mean all the way through every step from the edge, to the handle pull, to being upside down/ mid spin, to the landing i can usually stick the trick.

Okay lets seems some videos. I really want to try this trick this summer. We'll see how it goes.

sucking your front knee to your chest and pushing HARD off your back leg combined with dropping your ear to your shoulder AT THE SAME TIME is the key to the pop/rotation. a good way to keep your rotation from going "frantrum" is to let go with your front hand off the wake...go for a nose grab...this will keep your board flipping tip over tail by keeping the fulcrum in line with your back hip (it wont let the board turn sideways like a tantrum). once your upside down you can give the handle a quick yank to turn it to fakie, or just re-grab the handle with your front hand to land regular.

Having most of the rope tension go through your back hand should correct your evil frantromy ways.

die ye evil frantrum

I wanna get this trick and the F2F this summer but Im stuck. Heres a vid of some attempts. I try to cut in tail heavy, pop off the back foot and tuck my ear to my shoulder. It starts fine but halfway through I get a funny pull on the handle yanking it from my hands or at least my back hand pulling me to fakie, but either way I land on my butt and I feel like Im not cartwheeling enough, more of a roll.

Adam, I just watched your video and I think I see your problem. You are throwing the trick and automatically trying to go switch at the beginning of the trick, rather than at the end of the trick. When you do that, its almost like you are throwing a HS 180 then a frontroll. Try throwing a normal frontflip but grab the board with your lead hand. At the top of your invert, your body will automatically throw the 1, and when done this way it looks way more stylish and less "hucked" as yours do. Check out my pic on my profile and you can see what I'm talking about. I'm grabbing the nose and still throwing the front without having gone 180 yet. The 180 comes once the rope rewinds your body as you open up toward the opposite shore. You just gotta commit to the trick otherwise you will come up short.

looks like your throwin your head down towards your chest, rather then tucking it to your ear.

Adam -
From what I see on your video, it looks like your throwing both shoulders forward which in turn is making it sort of front roll.

You also are flattening out at the bottom of the wake.

Try progressive edge from where the spray line out side the wake (5 feet). I know this is close but you'll have no choice but to edge properly to make it across.

Edge completely to the top and keep your rear leg stiff. As you explode off the top, keep the handle close to your mid section, Bend your front knee and lead with your front shoulder letting the rear shoulder follow. This trick is all about the take off. There is no hucking involved if you have proper tension and edge at take off.

Good luck and post the video once you land it

I can do them, but they seem to come and go. Here is a video of mine, one done right and one done wrong.

http://good-times.webshots.com/video/3035239420103314895Xaztfd?vhost=good-times

I'll take any tips if anyone can see what I did wrong on the bad one!

There is a video by Mclin on WakeboardingMag.com that shows in detail how to do it without peeling your eyelids. IMO, it's a trick that looks hucked every time unless you are short (shapiro, murray) and you grab it.

WOW, kinda feel dumb, the vid is on the home page here.

AMO-

HAHAHAHAHAHAH

jarret when i was learning them i remember the head jerk down was a pretty violent move. i had kept reading "just put your ear to your shoulder". that didnt work for me at all. i really had to throw my upper body downward to initiate the rotation. i landed it first time after doing that. most of the time when i was learning these i was coming up short and landing on my back and or smacking my fruit cup. they were hard landings but i would advise throwing on a heater shirt for your lower back and some underarmor lycra shorts for your fruitcup

Haha! Thanks Alan. I'll keep these things in mind to protect me...and my fruit cup.

Went for my first one in January and made the full rotation but landed with my front leg extended too much and popped my knee pretty good instantly. The rotation isn't hard, but it's going to take some balls to get me going for a second time when the season comes up next month.

so do you kinda huck it with your head at the top of the wake? I tried this a few times last year, went huge, but took some hard beaters.. kinda scared me off them,, but I want it this year

also, is any tramp work going to help this trick? I can do an "air cartwheel" pretty easily on the tramp, but not sure if it would do me any good to practice with a rope..

tramp is a GREAT idea. you can get almost the identical feel on a tramp.

You guys really think under armour helps that much? I always wear it under my board shorts and trying to learn a tantrum this summer was killer on the boys...

Tyler - It still hurts like you no what...just not as bad as it would without the UA.

Ah, the front. The "Mikker" and Gator could throw them like no other with so much style.

hey guys,
one other thing that i used to have a problem was i did picture these as stated, as an air cartwheel. it always threw my rotation really weird, not so much of a f2f but close. when you lead with your head you actually have to make sure that you are flipping somewhat towards the boat. you aren't edging in perpendicular to the wake so you shouldn't try to flip that way either. hope that isn't confusing and helps.

Thanks for the tips guys ill give it a whirl when I start riding again (hopefully soon)