By Benny G
Tue, Jun 5 2012 8:30 am | Comments

Ben Greenwood getting precise with a grab on a BS 540 variation.

Where and How

Keeping grabs clean and tight can earn you respect from Wake’s elite.

 

Over the years, board sports have started to gravitate away from grabs considered “sloppy” or in “no man’s land” due to the lack of control they show. Grabbing tindy on a backside 180 basically counteracts the reason you tried to grab it in the first place — to show control. So here’s a quick, handy guide to generally accepted grabs.

 

Nose and tail: The more direct and distinct the grab on the end of the board, the better. Grabbing on the corners starts to wander into the no-no zone.

 

Toeside edge between the toes: Whether it is indy or mute, ending up with your hand in between the bindings helps to define it as a more legit grab, avoiding the tindy and slob zones.
Heelside edge between the heels: Stalefish or melon, depending on whether you are grabbing with your front or back hand, should again be clearly in the zone between the bindings. A grab too close to the bindings can look “like you are changing the wheels out on your rollerblades,” as legend Daniel Watkins has put it. Between-the-binding grabs tend to give the trick a more “balled-up” look, where at times a nose/tail grab can appear to give the rider some separation from his board.