When are you going to show me a trick, Dad?" your daughter says with a wide-eyed look of banzai enthusiasm, as she gazes up at you from where she floats behind the boat. But her question sends chills down your spine - and not because you don't have complete confidence in your aspiring X-Gamer - it's just that you realize that she's got the fundamentals down and is clearly ready for more than just zigzagging around the lake. And although you can pull off some simple jumps and spins yourself, you're not exactly sure how to teach a first-time flyer.

Well, have no fear. "There are a few basic techniques that are the key to most tricks," says Zane Schwenk, veteran pro rider and grand poobah of all things wakeboarding. "Your kids can start learning some of them almost right away." First, of course, your child needs to have the proper form. "Riding stance is the most important aspect of wakeboarding," says Schwenk. "Without it, you'll usually crash when trying to go big." Make sure your child knows to keep his or her chest up, knees slightly bent and the handle low on the leading hip. Practicing on dry land will make standing correctly on the water much easier.

Another essential skill is the "progressive cut" - the best way to get air. "How the rider comes to the top of the wake is almost as critical as the body position he or she is in," says Schwenk. To do it right, your kids must veer out to the side of the boat. When the pull on the line starts to swing them back in toward the wake, they should put a little weight on their heels (chest facing the boat is called "heelside") or toes (chest facing away is called "toeside").

They should turn in gradually, building pressure and speed all the way to the top of the wake. "This is a powerful position, and it's how your kids will want to be when they start to get air," says Schwenk. Be sure they keep their knees soft and flexible, like shock absorbers, when crossing the wake. And remind them to always look across the wake in the direction they're cutting.

Easy, right? Now your air apparents are ready for their first taste of the high life - as long as they're confident and want to learn. If you push them before they're ready, it could shy them away from the sport indefinitely. So make your wakeboarding sessions fun and flexible for your kids. Let them set the pace, and always keep your cool.

Here are some basic stunts to get your favorite wake jockeys started. Once in their bag of tricks, the sky's the limit.

Surface 180
It's been called the starting point for all wakeboarding tricks: "Many great riders can't do a simple wake 180 because they didn't take the time to learn a surface 180," says Schwenk. "This slows the learning process when they want to try big-air inverts and multiple spins." This trick can be done both heelside and toeside. Just be sure to slow the boat down to about 15 mph, or you could force your child into a face-plant.

How To Do It: Stand in the middle of the wake. Slightly put weight on your front foot, and shift your back foot forward while pulling the handle toward your rear hip. This will slide you around sideways. Don't stop, or you could catch your front edge. Finish by continuing to pull the handle and sliding through until you've completed the rotation.

The Upgrade: To do a butter slide, you should be comfortable with a surface 180. Approach the wake slowly, and pop your board onto the crest so it's perpendicular to the rope. Keep your front edge up by angling your feet a little. From this position, you can slide like a hot knife on a stick of butter. To exit the trick, just kick out to either side.

Wake Jump
Before they soar, your riders must earn their wings. The one-wake jump is how to do it. "Have your kids begin with just a small jump, then grow into the bigger wake-to-wake jumps and add grabs," says Schwenk. "It can be exciting to get big air, so tell your kids to stay calm and not freak out. The more they move around up there, the more they have to correct on the landing."

How To Do It: Set up about 5 feet from the wake, and slowly turn into a progressive cut. Right as you come off the dish of the wake, start to extend your legs, keeping some back-pressure so you don't fall off the front. Push the handle low to pop off the wake. As you come down, bend your knees and absorb the landing.

The Upgrade: Once your superstar can land the one-wake jump from both sides, try the wake-to-wake jump. Set up a little wider outside the wake. Make a progressive cut, and extend hard off the lip. Aim for the backside of the second wake for a softer landing. Be prepared to absorb slightly more pressure with your knees because of the distance covered. Schwenk says, "You can set up a shorter rope length to decrease the distance across the wakes."

Heelside 180
Your board-shorted bambino has mastered the surface 180 and the wake jump. Now it's time to combine the two: "The key is to minimize the falls and maximize the learning potential," says Schwenk, who recommends riders begin with a one-wake 180, adding a slightly harder cut each time until they can finally clear both wakes. "It's about progressing slowly and keeping your body in the right form."

How To Do It: Start 5 to 10 feet from the wake, and then carve back in. As you come off the top of the wake, bring the handle across your body to the opposite hip. This will turn your hips, and your upper body will follow. Concentrate on looking for the opposite shoreline, and let the board rotate the full 180 degrees. Land by cutting in the same direction from which you took off.

The Upgrade: Think of the heelside 360 as two consecutive heelside 180s. During all the spinning, you'll also have to pass the handle behind your back, which will be the hardest part of the trick. An excellent way to get comfortable with the handle pass is to tie a towline to a tree and practice spinning in the direction you need to learn. You'll also want to go online and check out www.theridersedge.tv to get more useful tips on this and other tricks from Zane Schwenk and his wakeboarding crew.