Last Updated7 June 2022

Competitive Snowboarding explores the main competitive disciplines and some techniques to help young riders when preparing to take part in their first contests. The sample progressions used in this chapter are less skill based and more tactic focused. They build on the skills established in the previous three chapters: Advanced Freeriding, Advanced Carving and Advanced Freestyle.

Slopestyle

What, Why, How

Slopestyle is by far the largest form of competitive snowboarding. In New Zealand, the youth slopestyle series has regional events at five different resorts. Similar slopestyle series are found all over the world. Slopestyle courses are similar to what is found in a good quality terrain park. They typically have five or more features and must include both jumps and rails, with a minimum two of each.

Spending time developing technique and tactics will help riders to prepare their runs before a slopestyle contest and, in turn, provide some much needed reassurance. When working with young athletes throughout the season, it’s important to encourage tricky versatility, i.e. spinning both directions, hitting rails from both sides, plus use of forwards and switch tricks.

Jumps; Bigger Spins (beyond 360s) and Inverts

Spend time building movement and air awareness off the snow, on a trampoline, as well as other dryland facilities like an airbag or foam pit. This gives athletes the opportunity to get repetition in a safer environment to practise the movements required to generate a bigger spin or to become inverted.

Progressing to spins beyond 360s requires the rider to be consistent in spinning in all directions on jumps that are big enough for the spin they’re learning. For example, progressing to a frontside 540 combines the takeoff of a frontside 360 with the landing of a switch backside 360. Having both of these tricks on-lock will allow the rider to understand and stomp the 540 more efficiently.

When learning inverted spins and flips, ensure that the rider is comfortable doing the trick on a trampoline or into an airbag, then look to build an appropriate jump into powder landings for their first attempts on the snow.

For riders learning corked spins, being able to do the same rotation flat is a great stepping stone. Building a jump that lands into powder can help initial attempts.

When trying new spins or inverts in the park for the first time, ensure the rider has a high level of comfort with the jump they’re attempting it on.

Rails; Lipslides, 270s On & Off, with Other Variations

As riders develop their jibbing skills, being able to manage where their weight is placed on each feature becomes increasingly important. Have riders practise the different boardslide sliding under the front foot, back foot and in between the feet.

When progressing from boardslides to lipslides ensure the rider can pop smoothly off an edge, as this will allow the tail to come over the feature.

When introducing boardslides with 270s out, either pretzel or continuing, utilise time outside of the park. Take advantage of Stationary-Simple-Complex-Freeride and Outside-In to give them a good feel for the different combinations, how to use their core and where to look.

When introducing 270s (or more) onto rails, consider the fundamental spin required for the 270-on and pay particular attention to their timing at takeoff.

Rails and boxes come in all shapes and sizes with a variety of kinks, curves and creativity. Train riders to be able to hit a variety of features, progressing from simple tricks to becoming more creative.

Planning a Run

Educate athletes on the judging criteria of DAVE (Difficulty, Amplitude, Variety and Execution) needing a strong combination of the criteria to get great results.

Practise combinations of tricks that would work well on most slopestyle courses. Having a variety of forwards and switch tricks, aiming to spin in multiple directions on the jumps with different combinations on the rails, allows them to adapt their run depending on the course in front of them.

To maximise amplitude and execution scores, as well as the rider’s confidence, focus on trick refinement and cleanliness. Riders should be aiming to land well past the knuckle on jumps and rails, with strong legs and riding away in a straight line to the next feature.

Once training on the competition course, scope ATTL of each feature, breaking down how each feature will ride and possible run options. If possible, compare the features to ones the athletes have ridden in the past, helping them feel comfortable when they’re first riding the course.

Movements & Board Performance

Vertical & Longitudinal with Pressuring

As with all freestyle riding, appropriate use of vertical movement to takeoff and land smoothly will require even flexion through ankles, knees and hips. To allow riders to spin faster or grab the board they will need ample pop and retraction in the air. As riders progress to inverts a large focus should be placed on the timing of the pop and when they begin to rotate as nervous riders tend to flip too early. Just like on the trampoline they should feel their body moving up into the air before moving to invert. Adjusting fore and aft, both on rails/boxes and in the air, is an important skill to develop. Adjusting weight longitudinally while jibbing can provide more options for trick variation and style.

Rotational

Being able to adapt and control the type of rotation needed for each trick requires a sound understanding of how our body can rotate. Either through appropriate pre-wind and whole body rotation while spinning off the lip of a jump or utilising counter-rotation and separation while sliding rails. Having riders play with the different butter combinations on snow and being versatile in spinning and sliding in all directions will help their mastery of the subtle differences needed.

Lateral

Having edge control and awareness becomes increasingly important as riders develop their slopestyle skills. Being subtle through the lower body during takeoffs of bigger spins will ensure riders can pop off an edge but not carve off the lip at an angle. As riders spin into and out of rails they need to ensure they continue to keep their board flat when moving their upper body. Jibbing different rail features, like rainbow rails or down-flat-downs, requires a change in COM to match the feature and keep the board flat.

Terrain & Group Management

As riders continue to progress and attempt more difficult and dangerous tricks and features it’s important to be able to manage their concerns and fears. Alongside developing meaningful relationships with each athlete, a sound understanding of fear and utilising the 3Cs will ensure athletes continue to push themselves and progress in a safe way.

Having regular dryland training sessions can help support the athletes’ holistic development. These can incorporate stretching/yoga, strength and conditioning, video analysis sessions, trampoline and even skateboarding and surfing. This will ensure when the athletes are on snow they can ride at their peak performance. External trainers may be more suitable to support the athletes here.

Hot Tip

Even if the weather isn’t ideal there is always something that can be learnt when the mountain is open. Snowy weather offers a great opportunity to build jumps into powder landings and to try land new tricks. If there’s no speed for the jumps, try hiking a rail and progress their jibbing. Competitions will often still run in poor weather, take the time to practise in all conditions.

Corrective Teaching

Rider has a tendency to focus on one direction of spins:

Build understanding of the need to be able to spin in both directions. Watching their favourite riders compete in slopestyle commenting on their choice of spins is one way to do this.

Take the time to build their skill in the directions they find the hardest, this may involve moving to smaller features so they feel comfortable.

Highlight how the different spins complement and contribute positively to each other.

Rider consistently knuckles features or comes off early due to lack of speed:

Take the focus away from trick variation and put it back on ATTL.

Have riders spend time following someone who’s comfortable and have them employ the same approach.

Work on the trick on a smaller feature to build confidence with the trick before taking it to the larger feature.

Rider struggles with cleanliness in their tricks:

Spend more time with dryland training options like balance boards and trampolining, focusing on making smooth movements.

Have riders build their awareness in each trick, for example by working on getting grabs while jumping or on getting a clean pop out of rail features.

Utilise video feedback effectively to increase the athletes' understanding of what their riding and tricks look like.

Self Reflection

“Did my athletes have the foundational spins to begin pushing towards 540s?”

“Did my athletes practise doing combinations of tricks instead of just focusing on one?”

Tags: