Whoops (whoop-de-doos)

Whoops, short for whoop-de-doos, are a series of mounds or rollers placed close together on a motocross or supercross track. Similar natural whoops form on sandy enduro and desert trails, where braking and acceleration of many bikes carve the surface into waves.

There are two main techniques. Skimming: at speed, with the weight back and the throttle on, the rear wheel touches only the tops of the bumps and the bike flies across. Jumping or rolling: slower riders take them one at a time or double them. Skimming is fastest but demands commitment, while slowing down halfway is a common cause of crashes.

Good suspension setup, especially rebound damping, makes whoops much easier. Stand on the pegs, keep the arms loose and look at the end of the section.