Recreation
Ollie
Jumping the board off the water to get air without using the wake's lip as a ramp.
Ollie is a term from limnology — the scientific study of inland waters. The detailed explanation below covers the definition, why the concept matters to lake water-quality interpretation, and how it intersects with the LakeGrade rubric. Reading Ollie alongside the LakeGrade rubric helps make the rubric's structure intuitive — each grading parameter maps directly onto an established limnological concept.
The per-lake pages on LakeQuality always show the specific Ollie value for that lake, so you can move from the general concept to the specific lake without leaving the site.
What It Means for Your Lake
An ollie is a flat-water pop in which the rider snaps the board off the surface to get air without launching off the lip, much like a skateboard ollie. The trick is logged once the rider clears daylight under the board (you can see the fin or water beneath it). It is a foundational air skill, especially in skim style, because it is the basis for shuv-its, body varials, and other airborne tricks. Unlike an air off the lip, an ollie relies purely on the rider's own pop and timing rather than the ramp the wave provides.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ollie?
Jumping the board off the water to get air without using the wake's lip as a ramp.
Why does ollie matter for lake health?
An ollie is a flat-water pop in which the rider snaps the board off the surface to get air without launching off the lip, much like a skateboard ollie. The trick is logged once the rider clears daylight under the board (you can see the fin or water beneath it). It is a foundational air skill, especi...
Related Terms
Launching off the lip with the board into the air and landing back on the wake with the nose still facing forward.
Spinning only the board 180 (or 360) degrees beneath the feet while the rider's body stays facing the same direction.
Jumping and spinning your body 180 degrees while the board stays pointing in the same direction.
A wakesurfing discipline using flatter, thinner, low-rocker boards with little or no fin, built for spins, shuv-its, slides, and skateboard-like freestyle.
The snap a rider uses to spring the board off the water surface or lip to initiate ollies, shuv-its, and airs.
Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.