KGB off Kicker

Jul 15, 2009

Author: Jason Stone photos by Tracy Kraft

KGB—Technically, this is a heelside Back Roll with a backside 360. I do them differently than most people. I like to initiate the KGB by doing a Mexican Roll (throwing your head under the lines) instead of the usual backroll where you throw your head over your shoulder. I find doing it that way to be more stylish and actually makes it easy to get the pass. This is also easier to do when hitting a kicker that gives you height without much pop.
 
Step 1: You want lots of board speed for this move. Get lots of speed when heading towards the ramp.
Step 2: Wave/kicker selection. You’ll want to head for a very steep ramp which will help you get inverted.
Step 3: There are two moves happening at the same time during this trick, the Back Roll and the Backside 3.  Use your weight and body momentum to do the Back Roll, use the kite and the bar to do the Backside 3.
Step 4: When you hit the kicker, throw your head under your lines (This is a Mexican Roll, and good to practice on its own—imagine it as a reverse Tantrum) and at the same time pull the bar hard to your front hip to start the 3 rotation.
Step 5: As you leave the wave focus on bringing the bar behind your back—at this point you’ll be completely inverted and fishing for the bar with your back hand.
Step 6:  Keep fishing for that bar, it may seem like forever but if you initiated the move right, you’ll feel it connect and you’ll make the pass. This is the hardest part of this trick. You’ll want to bail out because it feels like you’re going to land on your head. Don’t. Even if you miss the pass, you’ll still land a Back to Blind.
Step 7: After you’ve made the pass start spotting your landing. I usually look up and over my shoulder to see where I’m going to be coming down.
Step 8:  Focus on bringing your back hand (the one that’s holding the bar) across your body and back to your front hip.
Step 9: If you can, get your second hand back on the bar, this will make it easier to land and keep you in control of your kite.
Step 10: Stomp it and ride off.
Step 11: Careful about claiming, depending on your local spot this might be frowned upon. I know at kite beach claiming is a big no-no and if you do, expect everyone to forget which awesome move you’ve just done and write you off for your claim.
 
Common Mistake and Correction
If you’re not getting the pass, focus on spinning more during takeoff. If you’re over-rotating the move you’re probably throwing the Mexican Roll too hard, if under-rotating then the opposite is true.

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