Rail-to-Rail
also known as: Rail to Rail Flip
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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
A hop from a rail stand on one edge over to a rail stand on the opposite edge: the deck rolls 180 degrees around its long axis the heelflip way - toward the toes - passing through grip-down at the midpoint, and is re-caught on the other rail. The rider must jump higher than for a rail flip because the deck needs time for the half rotation and the feet have to land back on a one-centimetre-wide edge. Weight has to arrive perfectly centered on the new rail or the board immediately rolls flat.
Step by step
- Balance in a rail stand with slightly more spring loaded in the knees than usual.
- Jump up and roll the standing rail away from you, toward your toes - the opposite direction to a rail flip.
- Keep the feet hovering directly over the board as it rolls 180 degrees onto its other edge.
- Watch the far rail rotate up toward your feet.
- Touch down with the balls of both feet on the new rail, one over each truck.
- Commit full weight instantly and re-center hips over the fresh contact line.
Body mechanics
| Front foot | Rolls the old rail toward the toe side, then targets the new rail directly over the front truck on landing. |
|---|---|
| Back foot | Matches the front foot's push and re-catch over the back truck; uneven timing corkscrews the deck. |
| Shoulders | Locked square over the deck's long axis for the whole hop. |
| Arms | Rise on the jump, then flare out the instant the feet touch the new rail to damp the wobble. |
| Gaze | Fixed on the rotating deck edges, picking the landing rail up as early as possible. |