| I may be starting to sound redundant always talking | | | | 2. The windup: Concentrate on how you are initiating |
| about trampoline but that's because the trampoline is | | | | the spin. This will help you gauge how much force |
| the greatest tool a snowboarder could own! With the | | | | you need to bring the rotation around on the slopes. |
| exception of slides and presses, which require some | | | | 3. Head position: Where are you looking as you do |
| sort of obstacle to execute, any trick you ever | | | | the spin? Think about doing the trick on your |
| attempt in snowboarding should first be mastered on | | | | snowboard. Where do you need to be looking to |
| the trampoline. Just jumping and spinning on a | | | | bring the trick around completely? At what point |
| trampoline won't help you in snowboarding though. | | | | during the spin do you spot your landing zone? |
| This next statement might confuse some of you, | | | | 4. The landing: Are you landing a nice full rotation? |
| but learning a trick on a trampoline is way different | | | | Think about your edgework. The nice thing about |
| from taking it to a snowboard. So how can a | | | | snowboarding is that if you under rotate a spin you |
| trampoline help you get better at snowboarding | | | | can kind of recover by sliding it through after the |
| then? Here are some tricks and techniques to use on | | | | landing... but you need to make sure you are landing |
| your trampoline that will benefit you when you take | | | | on the edge that's going to give not just dig into the |
| them to the snowboard slope. | | | | snow and scorpion you down the landing. |
| Springs Only! | | | | In any rotation trick in snowboarding you can expect |
| We all know that those springs can snap and come | | | | to be flying blindly through the air at some point. |
| flying. What you didn't know is I guess somebody | | | | Practicing those in-air aspects on the trampoline |
| sued and now they make these really lame | | | | eliminates a lot of that guesswork leaving only your |
| trampolines with elastic wraps instead of metal | | | | approach up the transition to figure out. |
| springs. The result: an almost unusable trampoline. It | | | | Especially with inverts, you want to be landing on |
| doesn't bounce right, it doesn't bounce high, and it's a | | | | your back on a trampoline not hard-pack snow. |
| huge waste of money and time. | | | | Inverts put your head and neck in a good bit of |
| So in using the tips on this article, I am talking about | | | | danger, it's good to be sure you are going to land on |
| a metal spring trampoline. The originals. You can | | | | your feet to some extent before you try it on hill, |
| usually get them super cheap just by looking in your | | | | and that's where a trampoline comes in. |
| penny saver or the classifieds. Trampolines are big | | | | Once you start understanding these tricks more |
| cumbersome objects that people like to get off of | | | | strap on a snowboard and start throwing in some |
| their lawns once the kids grow up (I never grew up | | | | grabs. Certain grabs aid certain rotations... you will |
| though... sorry mom). I found mine for a whopping | | | | have to play with it and find out what works best |
| $40 and it's lasted going on two years. | | | | for you. |
| Starters | | | | Rails/Boxes |
| JUMP! The first thing to do with your trampoline is | | | | How can you practice a snowboard rail on a |
| jump as high in the air as you can. A couple things to | | | | trampoline? Well you aren't going to practicing the |
| concentrate are how you are timing the jump and | | | | slide that's for sure. First you are going to spray-paint |
| your body's orientation in the air. | | | | or lay down a line of tape straight down the center |
| Once your body leaves the ground all sorts of core | | | | of your trampoline. This line represents the box or rail. |
| muscles (inner muscles that you can't see, not even | | | | See where I am going with this? Now you choose |
| if you workout all the time) will kick in and try to | | | | frontside, backside, switch, or regular and jump. This |
| keep you level and stable in the air. If you are flailing | | | | is practice mainly for 270s and above. It is a really |
| your arms about in the air going every which way | | | | good way to get used to staying on target while |
| then this is where the trampoline will help you. | | | | spinning. |
| Jumping straight up and down will get you use to | | | | As you do this you are gong to want to pay |
| being in the air. If you want to add more authenticity | | | | attention to several important on hill aspects: Make |
| you can strap you snowboard on (just remember to | | | | sure you are keeping a good bead on where the line |
| tape the edges so you don't tear your trampoline). | | | | is underneath you, it will help you so much later when |
| Now you are ready to practice some grabs. | | | | you can land dead center on a rail every time. |
| Grab every spot on the board you can (between | | | | Also keep in mind that if it were a rail or box you |
| bidings only!) and just start playing around with it. | | | | would be sliding after the fact... so take into account |
| Adding your own little tweaks to grabs on the | | | | how you would angle your bodyweight to land flat |
| trampoline will set you apart and develop your style | | | | based and slide. |
| for the snowboard slopes. For nose and tail grabs | | | | Make sure you get comfortable with executing spins |
| make sure you are grabbing the very tips of the | | | | on hill before you go try 270s and whatnot because |
| board every time! | | | | even though you will know how to complete the |
| Spins/Inverts | | | | rotation and adjust to the slide angle, you will need |
| This is where a trampoline can come in really handy. | | | | to be comfortable spinning off a transition and |
| Now, spinning/flipping on a trampoline is entirely | | | | getting your snowboard to go where you want. |
| different from executing the trick on your | | | | This is pretty obvious but you should know and be |
| snowboard... there is no edge work, no transition, and | | | | pretty comfortable with all the slides and presses on |
| no speed involved in the equation, but... | | | | all the kinds of jibs before you start going after 270s. |
| You can't just throw a 540 without knowing what it | | | | That's my trampoline snowboard practice guide. I |
| feels like to rotate a spin and a half. That's where | | | | cannot stress enough that these are only a means to |
| the trampoline comes in. | | | | an ends and you will still have to do a bit of tweaking |
| When spinning/flipping on a trampoline there are | | | | to make it work on hill with your snowboard. I hope |
| several things to take into consideration: | | | | it helps or at least kills some of your summer |
| 1. Your orientation: are your legs tucked, are you | | | | downtime waiting for those local mountains to be |
| relatively flat based in the air. | | | | white-capped once again. |