Overview and Structure
The Hinterberger is a staple unhooked freestyle kiteboarding trick where the rider extends into a Railey and performs a horizontal back roll (backward spin). It is the direct counterpart to the S-Bend, which involves a frontward spin. Just like the S-Bend, the main characteristic of the Hinterberger is maintaining a flat, horizontal axis rather than going inverted. Originally derived from wakeboarding, it serves as a foundational base for some of the most complex handle-pass tricks in competitive kiteboarding.
The name of the trick originates from the Austrian professional wakeboarder Christian Hinterberger, who originally invented the move. As the kiteboarding community adopted authentic wakeboarding tricks, his signature trick’s name was carried over directly into the sport.
Mechanisms and Tips
The approach is identical to a Railey or an S-Bend: keep the kite stable, unhook, and pop aggressively off the water. Once airborne, fully extend your body backward into a Railey position. To initiate the spin, open your chest, pull your front shoulder back, and throw your head backward to drive the back roll rotation. While the S-Bend requires looking down and throwing the head forward, the Hinterberger requires opening up and looking back over your shoulder. Keeping the bar close to your hips throughout the spin is crucial to maintaining a horizontal axis and preventing the trick from turning into a vertical back roll or invert.
In competitive terms, the technical definition strictly requires the rider to fully extend into a Railey before initiating the back roll. If the initial Railey extension is insufficient, judges may classify the maneuver as a different trick, such as a ‘Late Mobe,’ resulting in a significantly lower score. Waiting for that full extension rather than rushing the spin is key to both execution and high scoring.
Derived Tricks
- Hinterberger to Blind: Taking the momentum from the back roll and adding an extra 180-degree rotation to land blind.
- Hinterberger Mobe (H-Mobe): Adding a handle pass (usually a frontside pass) to the end of the Hinterberger rotation. Variations like the Hinterberger Mobe 5 denote a total of 540 degrees of spin.
- Hinterberger Frontside 3 / 5 / 7: Advanced variations combining the base Hinterberger with multiple frontside handle passes and spins.
- Double Hinterberger: Executing two continuous horizontal back rolls from a Railey while in the air.
Notable Riders and Scenes
- Finn Flügel: A rising star in the kiteboarding scene, known for his technically demanding tricks like the Hinterberger Mobe 5 and attempting the Double Hinterberger Mobe 5.
- Carlos Mario: A dominant force in freestyle kiteboarding, effortlessly throwing massive Hinterberger 7s and other high-scoring variations in top-tier competitions.
- Robinson Hilario: Renowned for his powerful wakestyle riding, heavily utilizing advanced combos like the Hinterberger Mobe 5 in his trick repertoire.
Search Aliases: Hinterberger 7, Hinterberger7, Hinterberger