Pump
also known as: Pumping
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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 engine of transition skating: speed is generated without pushing by timing compression and extension against the curve of the ramp. Physically it works like pumping a swing - the rider extends the legs (raising the center of mass) while moving through the curved section, which increases angular momentum around the transition's arc, and compresses in the flat. Every other transition trick depends on arriving at the coping with speed made this way.
Step by step
- Roll into the transition with knees bent and weight centered over the bolts.
- As the board enters the curve going up, extend your legs hard, pressing down through the arc - push against the ramp while it is curving.
- Stay tall and light through the top of your line, letting the board decelerate naturally.
- As you come back down into the curve, stay compressed and let the ramp accelerate you, then extend again through the bottom of the arc.
- Repeat the compress-extend cycle wall to wall, syncing the extension with the curved portion of the ramp each time.
Body mechanics
| Front foot | Over or just behind the front bolts, pressing evenly during leg extension. |
|---|---|
| Back foot | Over the back bolts, sharing the downward drive; never on the tail while pumping. |
| Shoulders | Parallel to the board's line of travel, quiet and level - pumping comes from the legs, not upper-body throw. |
| Arms | Relaxed and low, moving slightly with the rhythm of compression for balance. |
| Gaze | Ahead along your line to the next wall, reading where the curve begins. |