Overview and Structure
The S-Bend is a staple unhooked trick in freestyle and wakestyle kiteboarding. After popping off the water, the rider extends their body backwards into a Railey, then completes a full 360-degree horizontal spin in the frontward (front roll) direction. Unlike tricks such as the Slim Chance that fully invert, the key characteristic of the S-Bend is maintaining a flat, horizontal axis throughout the rotation. Additionally, if the rider extends into a Railey and spins horizontally in the opposite (back roll) direction, the trick is known as a Hinterberger.
Mechanisms and Tips
The key to success lies in a solid body extension and leading with your vision. Keep the kite stable at the 1 or 11 o’clock position, unhook, and initiate the pop. First, extend your body parallel to the water like a Railey, then immediately initiate the rotation by looking down aggressively under your back shoulder. Maintain your axis during the spin, spot your landing early, and bring the board back beneath you. It is crucial to fully extend into the Railey before initiating the spin, rather than rushing into the rotation straight off the water.
Derived Tricks
- S-Bend to Blind: Utilizing the momentum of the S-Bend to add an extra 180 degrees of rotation and land blind.
- S-Bend to Toeside: Slowing down the rotation mid-air by pulling the bar towards the back hip to land toeside.
- Heart Attack: Combining an S-Bend with a backside 360 handle pass (blind air pass).
- S-Mobe: Stopping the S-Bend momentum to counter the rotation, executing a frontside pass without inverting.
- Double S-Bend: Completing two continuous S-Bend rotations while in the air.
Notable Riders and Scenes
- Bruna Kajiya: A master of the S-Bend and S-Bend to Blind. Her technically difficult style of fully extending the Railey before initiating the rotation has earned her very high scores from judges.
- Carlos Mario: Executes extremely high-difficulty variations linking from the S-Bend, such as the Heart Attack 5 and Heart Attack 7 in competitions.
- Annelous Lammerts: Known for showcasing beautifully flowing S-Bend to Blinds, earning high praise for her clean landings and speed.
Search Aliases: S3, S-Bend 3, S-Bend3, S-Bend