20 Wakesurfing Tricks to Learn (from Beginner to Advanced Rider)

Wakesurfing is a fantastic way to enjoy summer and take your skills to the next level. Once you've mastered the basics and are comfortable on your board, it's time to learn some tricks. This will not only be exciting but also allow you to create your own personal style while riding.

In this guide, we'll share the top 20 beginner and intermediate wakesurfing tricks to try. These tricks will keep you entertained for a while and help you gain confidence on the water. If you're still working on getting up on the board, we have a guide on that too - check out "How to get up while wakesurfing".

Let's dive in and explore some of the fun and thrilling tricks you can master!

Wakesurfing Tricks to learn

Beginner Wakesurfing Tricks to Start With

If you're new to wakesurfing, it's important to start with some basic tricks that will give you the confidence to build on your skills. Here are some easy tricks to try out:

Floating

Floating is the most basic trick in wakesurfing. It simply involves riding on top of the wave. This trick is a great starting point because it's easy to learn and it helps you understand what it feels like to ride on top of the wave.

To float, shift your weight to your toes, which will propel you forward into the wave. With a little practice, you'll be able to ride the wave without falling off.

Carving

Carving is another simple trick that will impress your friends and make you feel like a pro. To carve, you ride straight down one side of the wave, then turn towards the other side and ride back up on the next wave.

To do this, push your arms out in front of you while keeping them parallel with the wake. Make sure your legs are flexed to lower your center of gravity as you press off the water. You can carve all across or make a few turns back and forth for an intermediate-level wake rider.

Carving is a great trick for building your skills and improving your edge control. Once you master these beginner tricks, you'll be ready to move on to more advanced maneuvers.

Pumping

Pumping is a basic trick that can help you generate speed while wakesurfing. By pumping your legs and moving the board up and down, you can create momentum and control your speed. Once you get the hang of pumping, you can start trying other tricks both in and out of the wake.

Snapping 

Snapping is a cool trick that involves carving up onto the wake and then snapping the board horizontally on top of the wave. To do this trick, you need to start at the back of the wave and pump forward to generate speed. 

Then, dig your toes forward to float up to the top of the wave and snap your back foot forward. This will create a big splash and make you look like a pro.

Ollie

An ollie is another fun trick that can help you get a little air while wakesurfing. To do an ollie, push the board up on your toes while crouching down and pushing off from the wave. 

Slide your feet forward to get some air and really focus on pushing that back foot down into the water, sliding your front foot up while both knees bend up to your chest. Let the water do most of the work for you and land back down with equal pressure on your feet.

Boardslide

The boardslide is an extended version of snapping, and it's done on top of the wake. To do this trick, you first need to practice your snaps and get them right. 

Once you've mastered snapping, take it up to the top of the wake and extend it out. You can do this trick either backside (bs board slide) or front side.

360 Turns

360s are a super popular spin trick that everyone wants to learn. To do this trick, you need to pump towards the boat to get some speed going. 

Then, with your knees bent, turn your board 45 degrees towards the wake and drop your back hand into the water. At the same time, turn your shoulders and head all the way around in a 360 motion back towards the boat. If done correctly, your body and the board should follow naturally. Once you complete the 360, smooth out your weight and ride away clean.

If you're looking for a step-by-step guide on how to do the 360 turn, check out our in-depth guide that explains the process in more detail. With a little bit of practice, you'll be able to master these tricks and impress everyone on the water!

Rail Grab

The rail grab is a simple surf-style trick where you crouch down to grab the edge of your board. This trick is more about style, but it's useful because it teaches you how to control your board and maintain balance while on the water. 

To do a rail grab, crouch down on the board by bending your back knee towards your front knee. Once you're in this position, grab the edge of your board. It's pretty simple, but it can be super helpful to learn.

Fire Hydrant

The fire hydrant is a fun trick that involves sticking one leg and one arm into the air, leaving the opposite hand grabbing the board and the opposite foot planted on it. It's a great trick for learning how to balance on your board and control your movements.

Hang Five

The hang five is another simple trick that involves riding with one foot towards the front of the board, unlike the hang ten where you ride with both feet at the front of the board. This trick can help you practice your balance and control while riding with one foot forward.

Conclusion 

These Beginner tricks are easy to learn and can help you improve your wakesurfing skills. By practicing these tricks, you'll gain more control and confidence on your board, making your wakesurfing experience even more enjoyable.

Wake Surfing Tricks for Intermediate Riders

If you have been wake surfing for a while and you're looking to take your skills to the next level, you may want to try some intermediate tricks. Here are a couple of tricks that you can try out.

Riding Switch

"Riding switch" means riding with your non-dominant foot forward on the opposite side of the wake. If you're a goofy rider, you'd be riding regular, and if you're a regular rider, you'd be riding goofy.

To figure out whether you're a goofy or regular rider, imagine yourself running and sliding on ice. If your right foot is forward, you're goofy. If your left foot is forward, you're regular.

Airing Out

"Airing out" is a trick where you push yourself into the wake and then do an ollie up and out over the wave and back into the wake.

To do this trick, make sure you're on the wave and not on the wake. Then, crouch down on your toe edge and push yourself into the wake. Pop that back foot and do an ollie at the top of the wake to get the air you're looking for.

Body Varial

The body varial is a trick that involves spinning your body 180 degrees while the board stays in place. To do this, you'll need to have good balance and be comfortable riding the board. Start by jumping up and rotating your body, then try to land back on the board while maintaining your balance. It may sound easy, but it takes some practice to get it right.

FS Shuv

The front-side shuv is a trick where you rotate the board 180 degrees, with the front of the board rotating towards the front of your body. To pull off this trick, scoop your back foot while lifting your front foot to get the board to rotate. Once the board has made the full 180-degree turn, stomp down on both feet to catch the board before it hits the water again.

BS Shuv

The BS Shuv is a trick where the front of your board rotates towards the backside of your body. To do this trick, follow the same steps as above, but instead of scooping your back foot backward, you will scoop it forward.

360 Shuv

The 360 Shuv is similar to the FS Shuv, but it involves a more exaggerated rotation of the board where it spins a full 360 degrees. To accomplish this trick, you will need to scoop harder and jump higher.

Airout Indy Grab

An Airout Indy Grab is when you jump out of the wake and grab the front edge of your board. To do this trick, you need to pop an ollie and jump out of the wake. When you are at the top of your jump, grab the front edge of your board.

Conclusion

These tricks take some practice to master, so don't get discouraged if you don't get them right away. With some time and effort, you'll be able to add some impressive moves to your wake surfing repertoire. Remember to always prioritize safety and wear appropriate gear while wake surfing. Have fun!.

Wake Surfing Tricks for Advanced Riders

Kickflip

Surprisingly, you can do a kickflip on a wakesurf board. This trick is quite rare, but it's a blast to attempt something new once you've exhausted all your other tricks. 

The first wakesurf kickflip was landed by Zoltan Torkos behind the Super Air Nautique G23 in 2014. To perform a kickflip, you'll need to pop the board and flick it with your back foot while spinning it 360 degrees.

BS Big Spin

A backside big spin involves doing a backside 360 shuvit and a 180 body varial in the same direction. This trick can be challenging, but it's a great way to add some variety to your wakesurfing routine.

FS Big Spin

The FS Big Spin is similar to the BS Big Spin, except the rotation occurs in front of your body. To perform this trick, you'll need to do a frontside 360 shuvit and a 180 body varial in the same direction.

Conclusion

if you're an experienced wake surfer looking to spice up your routine, the kickflip, BS big spin, and FS big spin are great tricks to try. Remember to always wear appropriate safety gear and attempt these tricks in a safe and controlled environment. Happy surfing!