What is a Mullet Grab? Who is
Foiltech? What is a Scorpion?
Well hopefully all of those questions will be answered
below. This is a detailed glossary of terms that are
related to
Hydrofoiling. If you
have any input of changes that you feel should be added to
the descriptions below, please contact
us and let us know. These are listed in
alphabetical order. All 'Tricks' are highlighted in
Yellow:
|
2 Piece Billet |
Foil assembly made by SkySki that is 2 pieces of
6061 T6 aluminum that has a mortise and tenon joint
at the point where the strut meets the fuselage and
is welded or bolted. |
|
360 (aka 3) |
See Heli |
|
6061 T6 Aluminum |
Type of aluminum used in beginner to intermediate
level foils. Not as strong as 7075 but less
expensive. |
|
7075 Aluminum |
Type of aluminum used in intermediate to advanced
foils. It is stronger and therefore can be made
thinner to reduce drag and increase performance. |
|
Air |
a) Used to describe a trick that is done in the
flats without the use of a wake. b) describes the
distance between the lowest point of the foil and
the surface of the water. |
|
Air Backside Roll |
A backside roll that is executed out in the flats
with no wake. See Roll |
|
Air Chair (AC) |
Manufacturer of Hydrofoils. One of the 2 original
companies. |
|
Air Front Flip |
A front flip that is executed out in the flats with
no wake. See front flip. |
|
Air Frontside Roll |
A frontside roll that is executed out in the flats
with no wake. See Roll |
|
Air Gainer |
A gainer that is executed out in the flats with no
wake. This is most commonly the first invert and is
also referred to as just a gainer. See Gainer |
|
Air Jump |
A jump that is executed out in the flats with no
wake. Also commonly referred to as just jump. See
Jump |
|
Air Roll |
A roll that is executed out in the flats with no
wake. See Roll |
|
Angle of Attack |
Describes the angle at which the wing is attacking
or flying through the water. By making a rapid
change to the angle of attack the wing becomes a
'built in' ramp so to speak and gives you the upward
momentum to jump. This is basically the purpose of
the dip prior to a jump. |
|
Ankle Leash |
Safety leashes around the ankles on some foot
bindings. They are there in the event your feet
come out of the bindings to prevent the T-Bar from
coming around and possibly injuring you. |
|
Anodize |
An electrolytic passivation process used to increase
the thickness and density of the natural oxide layer
on the surface of metal parts. Anodizing increases
corrosion resistance and wear resistance. Type II
anodizing is recommended for Hydrofoils and
eliminates the need to polish.
In aluminum anodization, this aluminum oxide layer
is made thicker by passing a direct current through
a sulphuric acid solution, with the aluminum object
serving as the anode (the positive electrode). The
current releases hydrogen at the cathode (the
negative electrode) and oxygen at the surface of the
aluminum anode, creating a build-up of aluminum
oxide.
This oxide layer increases both the hardness and the
corrosion resistance of the aluminum surface. The
oxide forms as microscopic hexagonal "pipe" crystals
of amorphous alumina, each having a central
hexagonal pore (which is also the reason that an
anodized part can take on color in the dyeing
process). The film thickness can range from under 5
micrometres on bright decorative work. |
|
Around the Boat |
This is done by cutting out wide to one side and
then having the boat driver turn back in to and
underneath the rider while the rider continues
around behind the boat. The boat then continues in
the opposite direction with the rider. This takes
good coordination between the driver and the rider. |
|
B3F (Foiltech) |
Wingletless front wing developed by Foiltech |
|
Back at Cha |
Similar to a Shifty except this trick is done out in
the flats and the rider turns away from the boat. |
|
Backside |
|
|
Ballast (Tanks) |
Tanks onboard a boat designed for filling with water
to make the boat heavier in the water thus creating
a larger wake or roller. |
|
Baseball Grip |
Holding the handle in the same fashion as you would
hold a baseball bat. Alternative to Palms Down
Grip. |
|
Bat Wing |
A term used to describe the trailing edge design of
some front wings. The trailing edge resembles the
shape of the curves in a bats wing. A double bat
simply means there are two curves on each side of
the wing. |
|
Bernoulli's Principle |
The Bernoulli principle is expressed by an equation
(known as Bernoulli’s equation) which states that
for a given volume of fluid, the total energy
remains constant due to the principle of the
conservation of energy. This means that when a fluid
is in relative motion, the energy is split into the
‘parts’. The sum of these parts will not exceed a
certain value which will remain constant as long as
the external conditions do not change.
We shall start by looking at a wing cross-section
designed as it was meant to be used - to produce
lift on an airplane. As the wing moves through the
air it splits the air into two streams. One stream
travels over the wing and one travels under the
wing. Because of the way the wing is shaped, the
distance across the top of the wind is greater than
the distance across the bottom of the wing. This
causes the air flowing over the wing to move faster
than the air flowing under it. |
|
Bernoulli's Principle (cont) |
As we have seen above, Bernoulli’s equation states
that a faster moving fluid has a lower pressure than
a slower moving one. This means that the faster
moving air above the wing has a lower pressure than
the air flowing under it. This pressure difference
causes the wing to move towards the area of low
pressure i.e. in an upwards direction. This
phenomenon is known as lift and this is what keeps
planes from falling from the sky. The lift on a wing
is proportional to its’ area - the larger the area,
the more lift is produced. |
|
Bindings |
The part of the foil that your feet are placed in
and secured by either heel straps or footstays. The
bindings are mounted over the foot pads. |
|
Blender |
A wrapped backside roll. |
|
BnC (Ball & Chain) |
|
|
Board |
The part of the foil assembly that the seat tower
and foot pads attach too. Also commonly referred to
as a deck. The most common type currently available
is a foam filled board. There is limited
availability of honeycomb filled and carbon fiber
boards from a few select manufacturers. |
|
Body Slide |
Similar to a Power Turn except you are more
stretched out and your entire side and arm are on
the water. |
|
Bolt Through (T-Bar) |
Describes a T-Bar that the bolts have to be removed
in order to take the T-bar out of the seat tower.
Bolt through T-Bars do not require the use of a
safety pin as with the fork top T-bar. Alternative
to the fork top. |
|
Bottom Out |
Describes what happens when the front wing
unexpectedly exits the surface of the water during
normal riding. When the wings exits the water it
looses all lift and immediately crashes back down
until the board hits the water, thus the foil
bottoms out before regaining flight. Also referred
to as pot-holing. Also see pothole. |
|
Butt Trax |
See Trax Pad |
|
Capt Mod |
This refers to when someone modifies there own seat
tower with the carbon fiber top plate and 8 rubber
bushings as was designed in the Capt seat. |
|
Capt Seat |
A seat tower that was developed by Capt Mike
Woodruff. It utilizes a carbon fiber top plate with
8 rubber bushings that together act as a shock
absorbing seat without the extra weight of a shock.
The tower structure itself is also a custom design. |
|
Cast Foil |
An original design for manufacturing T-bars. The
process uses lower quality aluminum and it is then
melted and poured in to a form. Once cooled it is
removed and polished. This is an inexpensive way to
produce T-bars but you can not achieve the best
quality with this method. |
|
Cinch |
CinchMax is an aftermarket manufacturer of Hydrofoil
products. Cinch belt, Cinch release, footstays,
etc. |
|
Colonel Sanders |
|
|
Combo (Swoop / Sinker) |
A combo is any number of tricks (more than one) done
in succession. Combos can be done anywhere and with
any variation. There are 2 types of combos: See
Swoop and Sinker. |
|
Death Blade |
Wingletless double bat front wing developed by
Foiltech |
|
Deck |
See board. |
|
Deep - Vee |
A handle that is designed to fit around the nose of
the board while in the water. Since the nose of the
board fits between the handle it helps balance the
rider and pull them up more evenly and eliminates
them from having to deal with which side of the
board to put the rope. A deep - Vee handle is the
best way to teach a newbie. As soon as a rider is
comfortable getting up you should switch to a
regular handle. |
|
Dip |
This is describing the "V" or "U" shaped motion made
prior to a jump. You are basically changing the
angle of attack of the wing on the water and loading
the line. The faster or quicker you can do your dip
the bigger the jump. |
|
Dismount |
Completing a trick without the handle or with no
intention of riding it away. The rider will
initiate or start the trick and then at a key point
drop the handle to focus on learning the trick. |
|
Dive |
A characteristic of a foil that wants to continue to
loose altitude toward the water as you edge or cut
out. This is indicative of a foil that needs a
positive shim or lift added. |
|
D-Nut |
The flat nuts used to bolt a seat tower to a board. |
|
Double Bat |
See Bat wing |
|
Double D |
A double backflip or gainer. Usually done as a
dismount due to the fact that this trick also
requires an experienced boat driver to help with
line tension. |
|
Drag |
A combination of aerodynamic or hydrodynamic forces
which tends to reduce speed. Dull leading edges,
tarnish & material are some contributing factors to
drag. |
|
Evo (Evolution) |
A seat tower designed by SkySki that uses a hinge
mechanism on either side and a G-10 flex plate on
top for shock absorbsion. |
|
F37 (Foiltech) |
Foil assembly made by Foiltech |
|
Face Plant |
See Scorpion |
|
Falcon |
Wingletless rear wing developed by Xtreme Foils |
|
Fashion Air |
During a jump you put one hand behind your head or
neck - silly face optional. |
|
Flat Front |
Describes a front wing that is straight across on
the trailing edge. It has no cut outs or shape to
the trailing edge. |
|
Flats |
The area outside of the wake where there are no
rollers. |
|
Flex Seat |
A seat tower designed by SkySki that uses a hinge
mechanism in the front and rubber bushings on the
rear for shock absorbsion. |
|
Flip Flop |
An air front roll to an air backroll done sinker
style. |
|
Flip Flop Flip |
An air front roll to an air backroll to a air front
roll done sinker style. |
|
Floater |
The act of releasing the handle and re-grabbing
during a trick. |
|
Flowbee |
|
|
Fly-In |
A Class 'F' tournament sanctioned by the USAWS and
the USHA. It is a fun - non competitive event where
riders from all over and all skill levels can get
together and ride. A Fly-In is a great place to see
all riding styles and to try new equipment before
you buy it. Pros and newbies are commonly on the
same boats. |
|
Flying Chicken |
Cut out wide and glide with slack in the rope then
flap arms. |
|
Flying Dutchman |
A Gainer with a nose grab during the trick. |
|
FoilTech (FT) |
Hydrofoil manufacturer from Australia. |
|
Foot Pads |
Foam pads that are underneath the bindings. The
help keep you feet in place and comfortable. |
|
Foot Pressure |
Riding while pressing down or pushing down on the
balls of your feet. If a foil is too hot or has too
much lift you may need to increase your foot
pressure to keep it from climbing out of the water. |
|
Footman Loop |
Brackets mounted to the seat that the belt is
attached too. Brackets are built in and do not
move. They are fixed in one position. Alternative
to swivel loops. |
|
FootStays |
Double locking straps used to safely secure your
feet in the bindings. |
|
Fork Top (T-Bar) |
Describes a T-Bar that the bolts do not have to be
removed in order to take the T-bar out of the seat
tower. Fork top T-Bars do require the use of a
safety pin since the T-bar could accidentally slide
out while riding. Alternative to the bolt through. |
|
Frame Count |
A consistent method for comparing and measuring the
height of a jump. Video is shot or captured at 30
FPS (frames per second) and the first frame where
the wing is exiting the water is counted as frame
number 1. The first frame when the foil re-enters
the water is counted as the last frame. So far this
is the best method for accurately measuring height. |
|
Front Flip (Air / Wake) |
A more advanced trick consisting of starting with a
very steep jump then initiating a forward rotation
to complete the flip. |
|
Front Wing |
The larger of the two wings on a foil assembly. The
front wing is the load-bearing wing of the foil.
Front wings are available in winglet or wingletless
version. There are numerous variations of shapes
and sizes also available. |
|
Frontal Scorpion |
See Scorpion |
|
Frontside |
|
|
Fuselage |
This describes the bottom portion of the T-bar that
the wings actually bolt to. |
|
G-38 |
Foil assembly made by Geno Yauchler |
|
Gainer (Air / Wake) |
A gainer is a simple backflip. Straight rotation
end over end. This is typically the first invert a
rider will learn since it can easily be taught at
slow speeds and without the need for line tension.
A gainer can be executed as an air gainer (in the
flats) and more commonly called just a gainer or at
the wake - wake gainer. |
|
Ghetto Combo |
360 to air backroll combo |
|
Glide |
|
|
Glitch |
This describes when a foil does something that is
un-characteristic. Meaning it wobbled or jerked to
one side or the other. This typically happens when
the rider is passing through the wake, prop wash or
is on edge cutting out in to the flats. Glitches
have been known to be severe enough to throw a rider
off of the foil. |
|
Grab |
Grabbing any part of the hydrofoil during a trick
(i.e. seat, board, etc.). Also see Mullet Grab &
Strut Grab. |
|
Handle Pass |
The act of passing the handle behind your back from
one hand to the other during a trick - usually a
spin. The alternative to an Ole'. |
|
Heel Straps |
A rubber strap that is used to secure your feet in
the bindings. These are commonly replaced with
footstays. |
|
Heli |
A 360° rotation while in the air. Can be preformed
as a frontside or backside rotation. Variations are
handle pass, wrapped or ole'. Other common names
are: 3, 360 or spin. The Heli can also be performed
in conjunction with another trick (i.e. Mobe, BnC &
KGB). |
|
Hot |
A term used to describe a lot of lift in a foil.
Not to be confused with power or pop. |
|
Hunt |
A foil is said to be 'hunting' when the leading
edges are too sharp and the foil tends to porpoise
or search up and down for level flight. This can be
corrected by using sandpaper to dull the leading
edge slightly. |
|
Invert |
Describes a flip of some type. More specifically to
become inverted is to have your feet (or foil in
this case) over your head. |
|
Jump (Air / Wake) |
A jump is just that. Jumping the foil out of the
water. This is accomplished by changing the angle
of attack of the wing on the water either by leaning
back slightly or doing a dip. It can be executed
out in the flats or at the wake. Jumps are the very
first steps before learning any tricks. |
|
Kangaroo Jumps |
A series of repeated jumps one right after the
other. For all practical purposes, Kangaroo jumps
are nothing more than a combo of jumps. |
|
KGB |
|
|
Kicker |
This term is used to describe an on-coming wake from
another boat. |
|
Lazy Boy |
A variation of the Floater. During the release you
place both hands on the back of your head. |
|
LE38 |
Foil assembly made by SkySki |
|
Leading Edge |
The front or forward edge of the wing or T-bar. You
do not want the leading edge as sharp as the
trailing edge or the foil will tend to hunt. |
|
LEX |
Foil assembly made by SkySki |
|
Lift |
A mechanical force generated by a solid object
moving through a fluid. In Hydrofoiling terms; the
foil wants to climb or ride up to the surface of the
water. Also see Bernoulli's Principle. |
|
Line Tension |
Describes how tight the line is. The rider uses
line tension to his/her advantage to help with
tricks and/or rotation during a trick. |
|
Loading the Line |
Increasing the amount of tension on the rope. See
line tension. |
|
Mach 2.5 (SM 2 / SM 2.5) |
See Schwing |
|
Maxx-Air |
Wingletless front wing developed by SkySki |
|
McThruster |
During a jump, drop the top of the board with your
hips thrust forward and shoulders back. |
