| Everyone who snowboards, at some time or | | | | the ground up to the kicker you should try to keep |
| another, will want to make some progress with their | | | | the board in a straight line and flat on the ground, this |
| riding skills. No progression tends to mean no fun, | | | | will make your next set of movements easier, your |
| what's the point in simply doing the same old same | | | | airborne actions not veering off the desired axis. |
| old every day eh! It's got to get boring doing that. | | | | 2.When your board is close to the end of the jump |
| With increased riding diversity comes a healthy dose | | | | try and ollie off the last meter or so of it. To ollie |
| of difficulty. Jumps look exciting and are a great way | | | | you need to crouch a little further, move your weight |
| to improve your snowboarding. If done properly you | | | | slightly towards the back of the board, then lift your |
| may impress, the trick will also look stylish, in you | | | | front leg and spring up off the tail. The degree to |
| own particular way of course! | | | | which your board's tail is bending before the pressure |
| A great place to start is with an 'ollie' off a jump. This | | | | is released determines the height you'll get off the |
| is a non-rotational straight-line it type of jump. Follow | | | | kicker. |
| the advice below to lean how it works: | | | | 3.If the board has remained nice and flat of the |
| 0.When contemplating this jump remember to | | | | ground until lift-off you should now be whizzing |
| snowboard past the jump in question a few times to | | | | through the atmosphere in total control. On the other |
| see what shape it is, e.g. a flat wedge of snow, or | | | | hand, any slight deviation on the take-off will be |
| does it have more of a semicircular increasing | | | | being felt now and a phenomenon known as 'winding |
| gradient for take-off. If a beginner flatter jumps are | | | | down the windows' (stabilizing your body with arm |
| probably easier since they involve less counteracting | | | | movements) may be your best bet to reverse the |
| movements of the body as you move over them. | | | | errors. As you glide through the air remember to |
| Ideally the landing should involve a gradient of sorts | | | | keep your legs reasonably bent, out stretching them |
| inversely equal to that of the take-off. Ensure that | | | | slightly alongside any hand movements to increase |
| when you do start sessioning the jump that your | | | | stability. |
| speed is not too high that you fly off it out of | | | | 4.At this point your focus should be on finding the |
| control. On small jumps with this trick too slow is | | | | landing spot ahead of you. Keep your arms low and |
| better than too fast. As with all freestyle tricks, | | | | your legs bent. |
| gradual progression is the name of the game. Make | | | | 5.Aim to land with both feet hitting the ground at the |
| sure no-one else is about to use or positioned in the | | | | same time, evenly distributing your body weight so |
| landing area of the kicker. Approach the jump dead | | | | that there is less chance the board will slide out from |
| on down the hill, controlling your speed now and then | | | | underneath. Legs should be partially bent and slightly |
| with sharp sideways movements. Next thing you'll | | | | tensed, ready for the impact. As you land feel free |
| know you are moving onto the jump. | | | | to absorb everything, your knees bending heavily. |
| 1.Approach the point of lift-off with your legs bent | | | | Once safely on the check out what lies ahead. |
| hard, your centre of gravity really low and as close | | | | So there you have it a great basic jump to learn, |
| to the centre of your stance as possible. This is a | | | | master and eventually move on to other more |
| very stable position, the stability continuing into the | | | | ridiculous tricks from. Happy days. |
| air part of this maneuver. For the whole ride along | | | | |