Tips by Roger Koa
Video : Jerald Foo
Photo : Roger Koa
The S-bend is one of those manoeuvres that you’d have to take quite a fair bit of beatings before you even come close to completing it. To put it simply, it’s an Air Raley with a full 360 degrees spin with both hands on the handle. Getting comfortable with throwing the heelside Raley is probably an important pre-requisite before attempting this trick.
As with the Air Raley, you’d want to have a very progressive and controlled edge into the wake on your heelside. From about 15-20 feet outside the wake, pivot your weight on the front foot as you turn to point the board into the wake. It is important that you keep your chest up as you dig in on your heels to commence the edging. When approaching the wake, ease off a little to prepare for the pop. You have to stand really tall as you hit the wake, as that would give you the necessary air to complete the rotation.
Extend off the wake as you would for an Air Raley and immediately tuck your head in between your extended arms on take-off. The rotation is a backside spin. If you did it with a frontside spin, it would be called a ‘Hinterberger’. The most common mistake made by most riders attempting this trick is to under-rotate. The rotation will stop instantly if you stick your head up to spot the landing. To prevent this from happening, keep that “tucked in”position for as long as you possibly can. Once the rotation is complete, bring the handle low and land the trick as per an Air Raley.