Tips by Roger Koa
Video : Joshua Tay
Photo : Kim Yong Il
For those of you who do not have an idea what the Hoochie Glide is all about, read on and you might just find yourself another interesting trick to venture into. Most people would probably describe it as an Air Raley with a heelside grab but to me, it’s more like a Method (or Backscratcher with a heelside grab using your leading hand) layout. And that is precisely how I picture myself doing the trick.
Give yourself a nice preparatory cut out to the flat. Before edging into the wake on your heelside, think about pivoting the board on the heel of your leading foot. That will keep the board under control while you throw it behind you. A nice progressive edge (as what you would do for a Backscratcher) will make the trick a lot simpler than throwing it like a Raley. When you hit the wake, you want to ease off a little and ensure that you have a straight axis rather than edging right through the wake.
As you pop off the wake, immediately go for the grab whilst gradually extending the handle towards the boat. There is no real requirement to do a full extension the first few times you attempt the trick. The whole idea is to be able to grab the board under control and not allow it to swing behind you into a stargazing position. As soon as you feel the board, bring the handle back down towards your tummy and spot the landing. The ‘grabbing hand’ should at the same time release and come back to the handle for balance.
As you get more and more comfortable with the Hoochie Glide, you can start experimenting with different grabs such as the oriental (toeside grab with leading hand) or the OHH (other hand hoochie – heelside grab with trailing hand).