S-Bends (or lack there of)

So where have all the S-bend's gone? I know Friday, and another female (can't remember the name off hand) did them this last year, but you never really see them anymore. Personally, they're my fav. trick, just wondering where they went? Since it's not super tech, are people leaving it out of their runs/sections?

I think it is technical to do one correctly. A lot of guys front flip into them.

I think a lot of the pros see them as a "huck" trick, not something with grace, style, or grab. Unless you're Darin Shapiro. Was it Adam Fields that was thowing one on the tour this year?

Raimi is the other girl you're thinking of.

Weatherall has a sick one.

Our local rider Allen B has one too, and occassionally a Vulcan too.

(Message edited by jarrod on September 25, 2009)

Adam Fields often does Vulcans/Bee Stings in his run.

I think the better question is where did 313s go? I NEVER see those any more, and I think that trick is a diamond in the rough, that noone has really tweaked. With some work, Hoochie 313s, 911 313s, etc could be really cool and styly IMO

Nick Davies did a s-bend to blind behind the boat not too long ago. I heard the crowd loved it.

Murray KILLS the 313s. I agree, Adam, it would be cool to see more people doing them.

VULCANS TO BLIND!

Honestly, they fell from grace because they were too easy. For a while in the mid-90s most all of the top pros were throwing S, Switch S, Vulcan, Switch vulcan in all of their runs--they got boring.

If you can do a raley and have some stones--you will land in a try or two (if you don't die). An S-bend is not a hard trick.

Ike has a nice S-bend but he didn't ride on the tour this year.

Yeah Davies' S bend is pretty ridiculous.

I miss Double Whirly's

I actually thought s-bends have been making a very strong comeback. With Darin riding more, Dallas and Raimi learning them, Nick Davies doing the s-bend to blinds behind the boat and double to blind on the cable, and Parks doing a double down a gap... I think its fair to say they are coming back (which I am happy about)

I miss them. I'll have to see Davies', I'm sure it's insane.
So once you're Raley is 100% - besides the stones - what do you need to try them? Or is it just a mind game like the Raley?

Agreed - the 313 hasn't been brought out in a while. I remember Adkisson saying he landed one osmosis on accident once....can you imagine a hoochie osmosis 313? I don't even want to think about the diggers you'd take learning something like that

1.) Start with an old-school raley cut: turn, burn and don't be afraid of the line tension.
2.) Initiate a raley off the wake.
3.) Look down and underneth your rear arm-pit.
4.) Kick your trailing heel (sounds silly, but it will get your bottom and top halves spinning tight and together)
5.) Play cool and enjoy the ride. DON'T BREAK AT THE WAIST UNTIL YOU ARE BACK TO THE RALEY POSITION or you will die.
6.) Break the handle over your lead knee.
7.) Stick your toungue out, throw some horns and go listen to some Alice in Chains because you are shredin like 1997.

The two keep points are come in strong and don't break at the waist. The reason modern raleys look like front flips is that riders are coming in too slow--like hoochie/indy glide etc. The heat will keep you extended and rotating smoothly. The other reason you don't see many S-Bends is that when one goes wrong-they go way-wrong. The best way to avoid that is wait for the rotataion. If try to pull it down early--it gets nasty.

Good luck and bring a video camera. We want to see it go down, or go down in flames.

(Message edited by Justinh. on September 25, 2009)

I have been thinking more and more lately about tryin this trick. watchin Allen do them has given me the itch.

I can't do them. As soon as I'm upside down I pull my legs up. I can't stop myself from doing it. Some people said clinch your butt and look twice...but still had trouble. I learned fronts trying to learn s-bends. I'll take it

yea dallas hit the first ever behind a boat in comp this year. i think they are on the rise.

Justin, step 5 is right on the money!! Pretty darn funny!

Great post Justin!

Ben,
Davies busted one out at PWT Wisco. It was HUUUUUUGEE. The crowd went nuts!!!!

I have huge props for anybody throwing that trick. A VERY good rider in our crew tried one this summer. He actually pulled it in too late. He went freakin' huge, perfect rotation, layed out, etc. but caught his front edge on the way down. He was out cold. It was the scariest thing I've seen on the water in a long time.

When you ride at 26mph and you old school raley cut that thing you have to be going at least 40 mph. Edge catch at that speed and it's lights out.

Yikes. I think they're insane, and would love to throw one, but don't know if I should do it now, so I have the winter to recover if things go wrong, or if I sould wait till spring. Either way, I'm gonna crap myself