Overview
A universal term used in all board sports, serving as the opposite of “Frontside.” Fundamentally, it refers to a state or action where the rider’s “back side” is facing the object (wave or section) or the direction of travel.
Definitions in Surfing and Snowboarding
Surfing: Riding with your back facing the face of the wave. For a regular-footed rider (left foot forward), riding a wave breaking to the left is considered backside.
Snowboarding: In spinning, it refers to initiating the rotation with your back turning towards the direction of travel first. For a regular footer, this means a clockwise rotation.
“Backside” in Kiteboarding
Since kiteboarding encompasses both wave riding and freestyle elements, the meaning of “backside” depends on the context.
- Wave Riding: Similar to surfing, it refers to the stance and turns where the rider’s back faces the wave.
- Freestyle (Rotations): Similar to snowboarding, it refers to the direction of a spin in the air, initiating the rotation from the back side.
List of Representative Tricks and Movements
- Backside Turn / Snap: A turn or lip action on the back side during wave riding.
- Backside 180 / 360: Backside rotations in the air.
- Blind Judge: Raley to Backside 180 (a half-rotation backward from a Raley, landing blind).
- Heart Attack: S-Bend to Backside 360.
- KGB: Backroll to Backside 360.
Notable Wave Riders
Riding a wave backside can be challenging as it limits visibility of the wave face, requiring different body contortions and line choices compared to frontside. However, top wave riders like Matchu Lopes, Airton Cozzolino, and James Carew are renowned for executing incredibly fluid lines and powerful, vertical lip actions (such as snaps and hacks) even when riding backside.
Common Question: Are the “Axis Edges” Different in Wave Riding vs. Freestyle?
Even though the same term “backside” is used, the edge that serves as the axis for the action is reversed between freestyle and wave riding. In freestyle, the rider must resist the strong tension of the kite to pop, so even for backside rotations, the pop is initiated from the “heelside” edge. On the other hand, in a backside top turn (such as a snap) in wave riding, the rider aggressively kicks the tail of the board against the wave face, making the “toeside” edge the axis. This shift in body mechanics, driven by the differing elements of kite traction and wave slope, is a fascinating aspect unique to kiteboarding.