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Table of Contents
Advanced Freestyle takes a wider look at freestyle both in and out of the park, with a view to develop versatility and creative riding. This chapter shows a selection of tricks that are commonly performed at an advanced level and can be categorised into all-mountain, jumps, boxes/rails and halfpipe riding.
Boxes & Rails: Side Entries
What, Why, How
Learning to ride side-entry features.
To be able to ride a wider variety of features in the park with side-entries.
VIDEO: Side-Entry 50-50s with Richie Johnston
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Outside the park, explain the difference between backside and frontside entries.
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Practise riding over a slight edge down the fall line and hopping laterally towards either the toe or heel edge, depending on the entry you are working on. To do this, lead with the shoulders and upper body, bringing the legs back under the upper body from takeoff to trick zone. Absorb the landing over a flat base and continue to ride away on a flat base. To build edge awareness and the ability to lock onto a box/rail, develop this task by using appropriate ankle dorsi or plantar flexion to create a little tilt so that the base of the board is laterally facing slightly towards the landing/feature.
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Develop timing of this edge set and hop using tracks in the snow, drawings or even bamboo poles if available. Vary the task with ollies too to develop for a wider selection of features.
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When inside the park, start small and warm up with 50-50s on a variety of box/rail features that are flat and down in pitch. Identify the easiest, or a suitable side-entry feature (box or rail) that can be used for the first attempt. Usually this will be a medium flat bar, medium tube/round bar or similar features with a down pitch and a minimal height to jump onto. Spend time watching others hit the feature to observe their approach line and movements used to lock into the frontside 50-50 on the feature.
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Ride next to the feature to get a full visual of the approach, the lip and height of the feature. This can help provide comfort with the feature and realistic expectations of the feature itself. Further build comfort and overcome fear of landing on the feature by first hopping over the entire feature. This allows full visual of the feature passing underneath the student when in the air.
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With comfort, explain where to look throughout the entire trick and offer expectations for what it sounds like and feels like to land on metal as this can often cause surprise. Explain how to safely spill from the feature early to either side.
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Monitor student emotion and level of fear before first attempt, address Park Smart if needed and commit to the frontside 50-50.
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Develop with a variety of features, spinning out, presses and boardslides.
Hot Tip
Keen cricketers will understand how to catch a cricket ball to soften the impact. In the same way the arms quickly soften to cushion the catch, the student softens the ankles, knees (and hips if necessary) to catch the feature.
Movements & Board Performance
Vertical & Lateral
For frontside entries, soft ankles play a key role in a balanced takeoff and being able to make small adjustments is necessary to lock onto the feature. During takeoff, the knees will provide the most range to help move the upper body laterally towards the feature so that the shoulders can lead the rest of the body onto the feature. For backside entries, pull the toes up slightly during approach and takeoff to ensure that a stable, consistent platform is kept to pop from. For both backside and frontside, when on the feature the COM is kept stable by using small adjustments in the ankles, knees and hips to help keep the board flat to the feature.
Longitudinal
Begin in a longitudinally centred position during approach and depending on the entry speed and height of the feature, the COM can be shifted slightly aft to allow for more of an ollie onto the feature if required.
Rotational
Rotational movements should be kept to a minimum to avoid unwanted pivot during any zone of the complete trick.
Terrain & Group Management
Outside the park, at this level, be creative with terrain available and possible features that can be used to prepare students for a side-entry feature. A fun example is a cat track with ledges at the sides. Inside the park, choose a suitable side-entry feature (box or rail) that is either flat or has a slight down pitch. Focus attention on student emotion and levels of fear to make sensible decisions for the timing of a first attempt.
Corrective Teaching
Student bangs the nose or edge of their board on the feature just after takeoff:
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Build awareness in the approach line and watch others if necessary to develop a clear picture of a safe entry line.
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Review the amount that the student is travelling laterally towards the feature from takeoff and adjust accordingly.
Student drifts off the feature as soon as they jump on to it:
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Review the size of feature relative to student capabilities.
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Focus on setting the approach line nearly parallel with the feature.
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Encourage the student to keep the shoulders stacked over the feature.
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Review where to look throughout the complete trick.
Student loses grip when taking off (common for backside entries):
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Review the use of dorsiflexion to create a stable platform to push away from on the heel edge.
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Gain mileage with heel edge tasks involving hops and encourage use of dorsi flexion.
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Focus on alignment associated with an active or high performance stance to ensure that rotation of the upper body does not create unwanted pivot at takeoff.
Self Reflection
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“Are my students able to ride a variety of features consistently and when they drift off a feature do they remain calm and balanced in order to ride away safely?”
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“Does my student have the patience to wait for the peak of their confidence for their first attempt?”
