Speed, agility, and freedom turn the mountain into a huge blank canvas to be painted with thrilling evolutions and Snowboard Tricks.
Snowboarding is not just a winter sport, it is an art that combines adrenaline, control and a good dose of creativity on the board.
In this article, we will explore the fascinating world of Snowboarding starting with the basics, getting ready to discover the tricks that will make your descent shine. Be ready to plow through the snow and conquer the mountain with your Snowboard?
Getting started with Snowboarding by starting with the basics
Before you start snow surfing with Snowboarding, you need to know what the basics are to start with. Snowboarding is a sport that involves not only the legs, but also other muscle groups that are essential for jumping and flying on snow. Strength, balance and fluidity come into play, which you will acquire over time.
If the goal is to stay balanced, the first thing you’ll learn is how to get up off the ground. In fact, it is critical to know how to deal with a fall, especially at high speed.
Your snowboard teacher will walk you through and explain what the basic techniques are for:
- Position yourself on the board (distribute body weight on both sides, knees slightly flexed and arms not stiff, back straight and aligned with the board);
- Glide flat or down slopes;
- Turning correctly;
- Braking.
Every snowboarder must have the right equipment, tailored to his or her abilities. The choice of the right snowboard is crucial, especially for those just starting out. The board must be well balanced, suited to your skill level and the type of terrain you plan to tackle.
If you want to try your hand at stunts and tricks, you can rent snowboarding equipment before you buy it. With Snowit you can book everything you need online: by renting in advance, you will dominate the snow waves with the best board.
The Key to Snowboard Tricks: the Ollie
The Ollie is the basic Snowboard Trick that every beginner learns from the start, as it is the key that opens to others.
To perform an Ollie, it is essential to shift the weight of the hips to the back of the board to charge the jump thrust. When the nose lifts off the ground, it is time to jump, bringing the knees back under the body and landing evenly on both feet. To increase the height of the Ollie, it is essential to perfect the counter movement of the front foot on the nose, resulting in a more powerful vertical thrust.
From the Ollie comes the Nollie, which is the reverse: the weight shifts to the front.
Basic Snowboard Tricks: the beginner-proof Butter
Once you have mastered the board, the time comes to learn some basic tricks as well as starting points for getting started with Snowboard: the Butter.
1. Tail Press
While descending, you shift your weight to the back of the board while simultaneously lifting the front one.
2. Nose Press
This is the opposite of the Tail Press, so the weight shifts to the front.
3. Tripod
Standing up, look back. Press hard on the back, lower yourself and touch the snow with your hands, forming a tripod with your tail and arms.
4. Nose-roll 180
Start a turn with your toe or heel and, when you reach the edge, raise the back of the board while keeping the front in contact with the snow. Then, spin the board to land in the Switch position. Exerting more force, lift the nose to soar and to make a full turn in the air. In this way you will achieve a Nose-roll 360.
5. Tail-drag 180
Like the Nose-roll, curve into the nose or heel, but lift the board while keeping the backside on the ground. Drag the board and land in Switch. With more momentum, lift the tail to perform a full rotation, there you will perform a Tail-drag 360.
6. Prezel Nose-roll
To perform this trick, start with a Nose-roll. The board will not return to the starting position, but after the momentum, it will return straight.
Snowboard Trick: the Grab
Grabbing means to grab; in fact, the Grab is the trick of grabbing the board while jumping with one or two hands. Taken from skate techniques, the Grab opens up to freestyle.
Here are some Grab techniques:
- Indy: with the back hand, grab the frontside edge of the board;
- Stalefish: extend your hand toward the outgoing knee and grab the back between the bindings of the board at the heels with your opposite hand;
- Tale: simply grab the tail with the back hand;
- Weddle: with the leading hand grabs the tip of the board between the bindings;
- Melon: similar to Stalefish, reach out toward the front knee and grab the heel edge of the board between the bindings with the back hand;
- Method: grabs the back edge of the board with one hand, the other reaches up toward the sky;
- Nose: grabs the front of the board with the support hand.
Thrilling spins: Spin, Flip and Cork
Want to add a touch of adrenaline to your tricks? In Snowboarding, spins open the door to a universe of dynamic and creative movements, especially when done in jumps.
Before we start with the most spectacular techniques, there are mainly two common modes of spins: frontside ( front) spins and backside ( backside) spins.
Spin, unlike Flip and Cork, are rotations that occur on the horizontal axis and are distinguished by landing:
- Landing in Switch position: 180, 540, 900, 1260 and 1620 degrees;
- Landing in natural position: 360, 720, 1080, 1440 and 1800 degrees.
Flip and Cork occur in the vertical axis. Here are some examples:
- Wildcat: a Backflip with the board parallel to the line of travel;
- Tamedog: Frontflip with the board parallel to the riding line;
- Backflip: backward rotation of the board to land straight;
- Frontflip: use the nose to start the rotation;
- Rodeo: Frontflip with a Twist, landing in Switch;
- Backside Rodeo: Backflip with a 180-degree rotation on landing;
- Corked Spin: Adds a Flip in a flat spin, variable in many situations.
Where to Practice Snowboard Tricks
Have you discovered that the right winter sport for you is Snowboarding and don’t know where to practice? If you are a beginner, the snowpark is the best place to learn basic techniques and tricks, such as jumping and landing properly.
After some practice and familiarity, the slope will be your go-to freestyle terrain, especially if complete with rails and boxes!
Conquering the slopes: Snowboard Tricks even on vacation!
Whether you are a beginner looking for excitement or an expert seeking new horizons, Snowboard Tricks offer a way to express your personality on the snow. Every jump, every spin, is an opportunity to defy gravity and leave your mark on the slopes.
Remember that in addition to the stunts, safety is paramount : use the right equipment for you and hit the slopes with mandatory liability insurance.
Explore the world of tricks during your vacation and experience the thrill of Snowboarding with Snowit.
