Last Updated2 May 2023

Exploring Freestyle looks at a series of tricks to develop freestyle riding both outside and inside the park. A good understanding of park safety and the ATTL model is essential to successfully break down and teach each trick safely.

Freestyle is often one of the main reasons why people start snowboarding. Remember that, whilst extremely popular, freestyle is not for everyone. Be mindful of your students’ interests and do not push them into freestyle if they appear uncomfortable. The tricks featured in this resource are some of the fundamental tricks required to become a well-rounded freestyle snowboarder. Students will need a variety of turn sizes and shapes before learning these tricks. In some tricks, students will require the ability to flat base and ride switch, for the approach and takeoff and/or to perform or land the trick.

Frontside 180s

What, Why, How

A 180° rotation in the air, with the front of the body facing the direction of travel during the spin. This is clockwise for goofy and anticlockwise for regular riders.

This is often the easiest spin trick to learn, due to being able to see the entire time. It is also the foundation for any frontside spin.

On an easy green run review forward and switch closed turns.

Then find some flat ground, with the snowboard off, explain the difference between frontside and backside spins. Frontside is when the chest and body turns to face the direction of travel when starting the spin.

In an active stance, flex down a little and pre-wind by turning the upper body slightly towards the tail. Now jump up, at the same time unwinding the upper body to spin 180 degrees. Retracting the legs a little while in the air and landing by flexing through the ankles, knees and hips. Keep looking forward and imagine riding away.

Try them forwards and switch. This exercise works well on a slight incline or gentle bank too, as it allows the student to gain the awareness of taking off from the heels and landing on the toes.

Back on the easy green run, practise hopping off the heel and toe edges when traversing forwards and switch by flexing, then extending through the knees and hips on heels and ankles and knees on toes. This will work on the approach, takeoffs and landings.

Hot Tip

As it can be more of a challenge for students to create pop from their heel edge, show students how to use small undulations and changes in the snow to use as a takeoff. This can be easier later in the day as small bumps and lips appear. The key is to educate your students on how to spot them. The option to take off from the toe edge is also a great way to adapt the trick for more athletic students.

Next, try both forwards and switch skidded frontside 180s by traversing on the heel edge, pre-winding and smoothly releasing the spin. This is achieved through turning the shoulders and hips uphill to spin the body and pivot the board through 180 degrees, riding away on the toe edge.

Now combine the steps in a row, using a heelside traverse, perform a hop off both heels, followed by a pre-wind and skidded 180, followed by a hop off the toe edge in the other direction. This puts the approach, takeoff, trick and landing in sequence. Try this activity from a forwards and switch approach.

For the full 180, blend it all together from a heelside traverse, flex, pop/spin, land and ride away. Ride slowly to start with to build confidence and gently increase the speed when ready. It may also help to ease students into the trick by turning the board uphill a little, hopping 90 degrees and skidding the last part of the trick. For each attempt, ensure a gripped and stable edge is used to create a platform to take off from.

A back-up turn progression, with a hop in the middle as the board goes flat and is pointing uphill, can also be used as an alternative.

VIDEO: Frontside 180s with Dave Pearse

Movements & Board Performance

Rotational with Spin

The spin is led with the shoulders and arms. The lower body follows once in the air. The upper and lower body ideally align rotationally by the time the board lands.The head stays in the same position (looking in the direction of travel) throughout the entire process. As confidence grows, experiment with different timing and range of rotational movements.

Vertical

Focus on flexing and extending the ankles, knees, hips and lower spine. This is used for pop and to retract in the air. It is also necessary for flexion to absorb the landing.

Lateral

Takeoff can be from toe or heel edge, depending on the rider’s preference. Taking off from the heel edge is more natural for the rotation, but taking off from the toe edge will help increase the pop vertically as the rider can utilise their ankle joint. Landing on the opposite edge will help minimise edge catches.

Longitudinal

A centred stance is the key to taking off and landing on both feet. Students who are comfortable with an ollie will likely find pressuring the tail during takeoff slightly easier, but it is not necessary to perform the trick.

Terrain & Group Management

Begin on a flat area for stationary tasks and then progress to a mellow blue or green run depending on student comfort levels. When riding through the progression towards a frontside 180, be aware that there is a lot of time spent in a traverse on the heel edge of the snowboard. For this reason have students constantly checking their blind spots, paired with sensible use of space, and consideration for traffic. If choosing to teach frontside 180s from the toe edge, a big focus on avoiding edge catches will be required.

Once all the movements are beginning to blend, use natural terrain, banks, cat tracks or bumps to help create some extra airtime for the 180. Allow students to try both forward and switch frontside 180s, then encourage them to continue to practise the one they preferred and come back to the other one later.

Corrective Teaching

Student struggles to pop off their heel edge:

Focus on vertical movement through the knees whilst keeping the toes up inside their boots.

Ensure they can hold an edge in a traverse without the hop first, an edged traverse activity could be very useful here.

Ensure that they are not over-flexing through the hips.

Student has trouble creating a smooth full rotation (usually the upper body rotates too far into the spin without using scissored finish in the lower body):

Review how to jump and spin on flat ground, rotating with the whole body.

Focus on the timing of the rotational release from the pre-wind created between the upper and lower body. Ideally, this will be just as the shoulders pass the point of rotational alignment with the board.

Ensure that pre-wind is being used effectively and the student is not simply moving their arms. Focus your eye on their hips and core to analyse how much rotation is being used to pre-wind.

Self Reflection

“Are my students travelling with enough speed and edge grip across the fall line to help them maintain a platform to take off from?”

“Can my students blend their vertical and rotational movement smoothly enough in both the pre-wind and the 180 itself?”

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