Technique
Drop the rope
Releasing the tow rope once balanced in the wave's push zone so you can surf the wake free of any line, the defining moment of wakesurfing.
After the deep-water start pulls the rider up and into the wake, the rider works into the wave's sweet spot, where the rope goes slack because the wave's push is now carrying them. At that point the rider drops (lets go of) the rope and surfs the steep face below the wake's peak, just like surfing an ocean wave.
Learning where to position before letting go is the first real skill in the sport; many riders manage to drop the rope on their very first day. Once the rope is gone, the rider relies entirely on the wave's push and their own pumping and carving to stay in the pocket.