Bodyboarding: the ARS, backflip and el rollo are some of the tricks that will always impress the judges

Bodyboarding is a high-performance water sport with a vast collection of tricks. Discover the most important maneuvers you can perform on a bodyboard.

Tom Morey and Mike Stewart are the most influential names in the development of bodyboarding as a popular and global board sport.

When Morey cut a rectangular shape of polyethylene foam and covered it with newspaper, he invented a new way of riding waves.

In the next four decades, a man called Mike Stewart gave a professional pulse and rhythm to the art of bodyboarding and added several new tricks, moves, and maneuvers.

Modern bodyboarding has opened new frontiers on the face of the wave.

Whether you're spinning on a small wave or flying high above the crest of a wedge, that's all seen as performance and progressive bodyboarding.

The best and most famous bodyboarding tricks usually earn more points from the judges in a professional contest.

The art of prone riding waves has a formal set of tricks widely considered fundamental in a successful amateur and pro bodyboarder's career.

El Rollo

The el rollo is performed when the bodyboarder reaches the lip of the wave and quickly completes an arc before landing again in the water.

There are several variations to the classic el rollo.

360

The spin 360 is a key trick in the bodyboarding handbook.

The bodyboarder moves his weight to the front of the bodyboard and spins the board to complete a full rotation.

It is also possible to perform a reverse spin or a forward spin.

Invert

The invert is a fundamental, intermediate-to-advanced level bodyboarding trick.

Bodyboarders speed up on the face of the wave until they find a close-out section, hit the lip, launch up with the back towards the flats, and then turn again to land and collect the applauses.

Air Roll Spin (ARS)

The Air Roll Spin (ARS) combines the el rollo with a classic spin 360 in aerial mode.

The difficulty level is higher because it requires speed, momentum, and projection in the ideal lip section.

Riders perform a half roll and spin inward toward the face of the wave.

Backflip

The backflip is basically an aerial move in which you complete an inverted flip.

It is usually pulled off by coming out of a barrel and hitting the lip on the shoulder.

After landing on the flats, simply turn around and continue riding the wave.

Tube Riding

The barrel is a true classic. Find the perfect wedge, stall with the tail of your bodyboard, and pull in to get a full-on tube ride.

Imagination and creative innovations will complete the set of bodyboard tricks, with cutbacks, snaps, airs, 720s, no-hand airs, and personal variations, adding color to the experience of boogie boarding.

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