Lien
also known as: Lien Air
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Shown for a regular-footed rider. Teal ring + arrow = the rider's facing direction; teal band = the tail; a dot is where a hand holds the board - bright yellow for the front hand, amber for the back one, which is the whole difference between a mute and an indy. Board and rider rotate independently - each follows its own component. Drag to orbit.
How it works
The front hand grabs the heel-side rail toward the nose while the rider airs frontside, letting the body lean out over the flat of the ramp - Neil Blender's signature, named by spelling Neil backwards. The heel-side grab on a frontside air lets the rider hang their weight from the leading rail like a handle, tipping the board's nose up and the body outward, which is what gives lien airs (and the lien-to-tail family built on them) their floating, laid-out geometry.
Step by step
- Approach the coping on a frontside line with speed and pop your air.
- Reach the front hand to the heel-side rail near the nose as your knees compress.
- Grab and lean your upper body out over the ramp, letting the board tip up beneath you.
- Float the peak hanging off the leading rail, tail slightly dropped.
- Pull the board back under your hips, release, and extend into the frontside re-entry.
Body mechanics
| Front foot | Near the front bolts under the grab, forming the pivot the body leans around. |
|---|---|
| Back foot | On the tail, dropping it slightly to angle the deck into the lean. |
| Shoulders | Lean out over the transition with the grab - the trademark hanging posture. |
| Arms | Front hand grips the heel rail like a suitcase handle; rear arm floats high behind. |
| Gaze | Down at the transition beneath you - you are hanging over your landing the whole time. |