BMX Trick
Abubaca
An abubaca is a BMX ramp trick where the rider stalls the back wheel on the coping or lip, front wheel up, then hops back in and rolls away fakie.
Updated 4 min read836 words
An abubaca is a BMX ramp trick where the rider rides up the transition, stalls the back wheel on the coping (or the lip of an obstacle) with the front wheel lifted, then hops backwards off the coping and rolls back down the ramp fakie. It is a rear-wheel stall, and it is one of the classic old school quarter pipe moves.
Overview
On an abubaca, the bike ends up close to vertical at the top of the ramp, balanced on the back tyre. The front wheel points up and over the deck or out into the air. For a moment the rider holds still, then pops the back wheel off the coping and drops backwards down the transition, riding fakie. Most riders then turn the bike round at the bottom, with a 180 or a pivot, to ride away forwards.
The trick works on quarter pipes, mini ramps, bowls and any bank or wall with a defined edge. Street riders also do abubacas on the top of a bank to wall or on a ledge at the top of a bank.
Definitions vary a little. Some riders insist the back tyre must sit right on the coping. Others use the name for any brief back wheel stall at the top of a ramp. The core idea, a back tyre stall with the front end up, is common to all of them.
How to do it
Learn on a small quarter pipe or mini ramp with metal coping and a wide deck. You should already be comfortable riding fakie and doing small hops on the back wheel.
- Ride up with steady speed. Aim straight up the ramp, or at a slight angle if that feels more natural.
- Lift the front. As you near the top, pull the bars up so the bike goes toward vertical. The front wheel leads the way over the edge.
- Set the back tyre on the coping. Let the back tyre arrive on top of the coping, or just on the lip. Keep your weight over the back axle.
- Stall. Hold the bike still for a moment. A rear brake helps, but brakeless riders can balance it with body position.
- Look back in. Turn your head and shoulders toward the way you will drop back in.
- Hop back in. Shift your weight back and hop backwards off the coping, pulling the front wheel clear so it does not catch the lip.
- Roll away fakie. Land both wheels on the transition, not the flat, with soft knees, and roll down backwards.
- Turn out. Once you are rolling fakie, turn the bike round with a 180 or a pivot and ride away forwards.
Abubaca versus nearby tricks
| Trick | What touches the top | Front wheel | Usual exit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abubaca | Back tyre on the coping or lip | Up, over the deck or in the air | Hop back in without turning, roll away fakie |
| Tail tap | Back tyre on the deck | Up | Drop back in |
| Fufanu | Back tyre on the coping or lip | Up | Hop about 180 back in, ride away forwards |
| Disaster | Sprocket, frame or bottom bracket across the coping | Hanging over one side | Rock or roll back in |
These are guides, not strict rules. Regional and era differences mean you will hear riders call the same move by different names.
Variations
- Abubaca to fakie 180. Roll away fakie, then turn round with a 180 at the bottom. See 180.
- Turning on the way in. If you turn the bike about 180 degrees as you hop off the coping, most riders call it a fufanu instead.
- Long stall abubaca. Hold the stall for longer before dropping in.
- Street abubaca. Done on a bank to ledge, a wall top, a bench, a rail or a planter edge.
- Barspin in. Add a barspin as you drop back in. This needs plenty of control.
Common mistakes
- Not enough height. If the bike does not get near vertical, the back tyre never reaches the coping.
- Too much speed. Too much speed carries the back wheel over the coping and onto the deck, which is closer to a tail tap or a hang-up risk.
- Weight too far forward. Leaning over the bars pulls the bike over the top. Stay over the back wheel.
- Dropping in on the flat. Come back in on the transition. Landing on the flat bottom is hard on wrists and wheels.
- Looking down. Look at where you will drop back in.
History
The abubaca comes from the 1980s freestyle era, when riders were inventing lip tricks on quarter pipes and halfpipes. Skateboarding had similar lip stalls at the same time, and the two scenes swapped ideas.
Rider accounts often credit Ron Wilkerson with inventing and naming the abubaca, and some say the back tyre version spread to benches and street spots in the late 1980s. These accounts are informal rather than well documented. The meaning of the word itself is unclear. See freestyle BMX boom 1980s for the wider scene.
Related tricks
Frequently asked questions about Abubaca
What is the difference between an abubaca and a tail tap?
Both put the back tyre on top of the ramp. In an abubaca the back wheel stalls on the coping or lip itself. In a tail tap the back tyre usually taps the deck behind the coping. Riders do not always agree on the line between the two.
What is the difference between an abubaca and a fufanu?
Both are back tyre stalls on the coping. On an abubaca the rider hops back in without turning and rolls away fakie. On a fufanu the rider hops about 180 degrees and rides back in forwards.
Where does the name abubaca come from?
Nobody seems to know for sure. Rider accounts often credit Ron Wilkerson with inventing and naming the trick in the 1980s, but this is not firmly documented, and the meaning of the word itself is unclear.
Do I need pegs for an abubaca?
No. The back tyre does the work, not a peg. Some riders do a peg version on a ledge, but the classic abubaca is a tyre stall.
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