Last Updated15 October 2022

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.

Intro to & Exploring Boxes

What, Why, How

An introduction to box/rail riding.

To learn to ride on boxes/rails in balance and build confidence on the features.

VIDEO: Intro to Boxes with Dave Pearse

50-50s

Review medium open turns and flat basing on a green run.

On flat terrain and stationary, practise hops from a flat base jumping off both feet, focus on landing with a flat base.

Try straight runs on green terrain to practise the approach and trick zone, feeling even weight across the soles of both feet. Then hop, landing in a flexed position to create the sensation of landing from the feature.

When students are feeling confident to go into the park, introduce or review Park SMART and appropriate safety considerations.

Look for an easy ride-on box in the park, ideally ground level, short, wide and flat. Watch others to help judge speed. An active stance with relaxed ankles is ideal, along with a completely flat base when on the box. Set a focal point just beyond the end of the box to help create a good line onto, over and off the box.

When ready, sideslip to a suitable drop in point, call the drop and commit. The pre-ride, re-ride, freeride tactic is great in helping build confidence with a new environment and feature before committing to it.

When comfortable, explore other entry-level features to develop versatility or even begin to explore movements.

Hot Tip

Plastic poles/bamboo and other props can be laid down in the snow for the rider to slide over or the outline of a box can be drawn in the snow. Snowmobile tracks can be used as pretend boxes also. These environmental tools are helpful to develop the skill of lining up the snowboard with the feature and to practise all zones of ATTL in order.

Exploring Movement & Building Confidence

During a 50-50, flex down with the ankles, knees and hips for stability, and try reaching down and touching the knees, boots or even the feet depending on level of confidence. Take this into a small hop for more confident students.

Next, try to flex and reach the front hand over the nose, or touch the nose of the board if possible. Try the same towards the tail, ensuring to look in the direction of travel. This develops movement towards the nose and tail.

Exploring Boardslides & Presses

Choose which trick appeals to the students and on flat ground review the use of counter-rotation with speed checks, or the fore-aft movement used in nose and tail to presses.

Outside of the park, try small heelside speed checks, where the upper body starts slightly open and the front shoulder and arm lowers and closes as the board goes sideways. Feeling tension in the core as the upper and lower body separate will help realign the board as tension is released. Keeping the board as flat as possible will help for boardslides.

Review or introduce nose and tail presses on an easy green run. Then try similar activities used to develop 50-50s outside of the park.

In the park, ride a familiar box. To try a boardslide, ride onto the box with a 50-50, then during the trick zone, make a quick and smooth counter-rotation movement over a flat board (similar to the heelside speed check) to create the beginnings of a boardslide. Release the counter-rotation movement to an aligned 50-50 and exit the feature, riding away straight.

To try a press, ride onto the box with a 50-50, then during the trick zone, move the hips smoothly along and down towards the nose or tail of the board whilst looking in the direction of travel. As the other end lifts, a brief nose/tail press has been created. Move the hips back to the middle of the board, returning to even pressure over both feet to exit the feature.

Movements & Board Performance

Vertical

The focus here is on soft ankles, knees and hips to lower the COM. This will also help the rider transition onto the feature smoothly and absorb any drop at the end of the feature.

Rotational

Rotational movements should be avoided in 50-50s and presses; however, it is more important that the rider remains aligned with their snowboard rather than the feature. When exploring boardslides, focus on smooth counter-rotation to maintain stability on the feature. Rotational separation will be created in the spine.

Longitudinal & Pressuring

The rider should focus on a centred stance initially. The 50-50 is a reference to the rider’s even weight distribution during this trick. When exploring presses, keeping the shoulders fairly level as the hips move down towards the nose or tail will help with stability and balance during the press.

Lateral

Maintaining a flat base is critical. Lateral movements should be avoided completely when on the feature.

Terrain & Group Management

Start on flat ground, then use a green run. When looking for a box make sure it is low, wide and short. This is often the first box in the park. With a larger group, make sure that they are grouped together and not blocking the park entrance or run-in to the feature. Once you have provided a demo, move back uphill to stand next to the feature with the board off for their first attempts. This gives good visibility of the students’ approach to the feature, as well as the feature and landing zone. It also allows mobility to help pick students up if needed. Give students verbal cues to help judge speed and when to drop. Make sure that if hiking a feature students do so safely away from the feature and traffic flow.

Example

If appropriate for your group and the traffic levels in the park, spend time next to the feature watching others ride over it. Your students can also take their boards off, hold them by the bindings and slide them back and forth on the feature to familiarise themselves with the sound and how the feature is sliding (fast or sticky). You can even gently pull them up onto the feature with their board on, then take a moment to compare the feeling of flat base versus edging. Focus their attention on how the board will not grip the box like snow when placed on edge.

Corrective Teaching

Student drifts off the side before reaching the end of the feature:

Reinforce body alignment with the snowboard and the feature.

Avoid last minute speed checks during the approach.

Encourage them to stay balanced over the snowboard if it does drift to the left or right.

When transitioning through the approach to takeoff, have the student relocate their vision to the end of the feature.

Student slips out on their heel edge when attempting to pivot the board into a boardslide:

Check that their approach is straight and their takeoff is flat base.

Revisit 50-50s and focus on maintaining the feeling of a completely flat base and the soles of the feet remaining level.

Ensure the student is remaining laterally balanced over the centre of the board.

Student can’t lift the nose or tail when attempting a small press:

Spend more time outside of the park working on pressuring both ends of the board effectively.

Encourage a blending of vertical and longitudinal movement, lowering the hips towards the nose or tail.

Self Reflection

“Are my students riding at a suitable speed to coast off the end of the feature into the landing in a 50-50 before exploring movements in the trick zone?”

“Is my student making unnecessary turns in their approach causing instability and a poor line?”

Tags: