This particular How-To is not necessarily a step by step, but more an example of how control of a trick can open the doors to new moments to grab. Rusty snaps an extra late indy poke on a boosted backside 540.
Early — Taking off of the wake into a spin and grabbing with the hand you are about to pass the handle to would be considered “early.” Dean Smith’s massive indy backside 540 is a good example of a grab done prior to passing the handle. This tends to give the trick a slight pause at the grab and make the trick appear to speed up post-grab.
Late — Grabbing after the handle is passed is another way to add grabs to your tricks. This takes some precision and control with the handle pass to be ready to get your late grab on. OG Collin Wright’s heelside melon backside 540s have been considered the staple “late grab” trick, with the rider grabbing melon after the handle pass then re-grabbing the handle to finish the last backside 180.
The new late — Bob Soven and Rusty Malinoski have been playing around with an even later late grab. They took the heelside backside 540 and added an indy grab after the first handle pass, the second in-front-of-the-body pass, and treat the last backside 180 as an indy backside 180. It opens the door to a new way to show control over a trick.
Wrapped spins — Wrapping up into a trick gives the rider the opportunity to forgo the first handle pass, freeing up the hand that would normally grab the handle. Please use this opportunity to grab longer and get into positions otherwise impossible without wrapping up. Wrapped mute backside 540s show this really well.
Words: Ben Greenwood Photo: Bill Doster
