Frontside 180 on a Snowboard

You've became fairly good at snowboarding, and want to strut your stuff. Learn how to perform the easiest snowboarding trick in the book: the Frontside 180.

Steps

  1. Pick out a good spot to try it out, and probably fall. After a good powdery snow is a good time to try it out, because you will have a soft landing if you fall. Avoid crowds and look for the ability to unstrap and walk up again. In general, avoid ski hills, because you will be in everyone's way. A backyard with a not-too-steep hill is good, just build a small kicker jump on it with a shovel. A "kicker" jump is good for learning. This is the kind of jump that is a basic, small ramp.
  2. Put on a helmet, just in case. You could quite easily fall and injure your brain. If you have friends that snowboard, bring them over for support, tips, and for someone to call emergency services in case you can't after an accident.
  3. Strap yourself in. Line yourself up to go over the jump, and hit it. Hit it a few times before you actually try the trick. Practice getting a "pop" out of your tail as you go off. Do this stuff until you are relatively comfortable going off of the kicker. Make sure you have some good fresh snow next to the direct path, because if you fall, you don't want it to hurt. Also, try going off of it switch footed (backwards in contrast to how you normally stand), because a 180 will spin you halfway around.
  4. Decide how you will stand going off the jump. It may be wise to go off of it switch footed and land the way you would normally. Recovering from the jump is when you are most likely to lose your balance, and you have more control when you stand in the way you are comfortable in.
  5. Go for it. Strap in, and tell your mother you love her. Move your hands towards the back of your board as you approach the kicker. Now visualize yourself in midair, and imagine how much force you will need to exert to spin exactly 180 degrees. (Don't overdo it! Over spinning will lead to nasty wipeouts onto your back.) Prepare for takeoff!
  6. Thrust your hands forward (this may be clockwise or counterclockwise, it depends on which way you are standing) as you jump. Spin your front foot heel-ward, with your back foot moving toward. During the first 90 degrees of rotation, it will be feel kind of like doing a heel-edged stop at first. Make sure that you do not get in front of your board. Instead, stay directly above it, and/or behind it a little, but not too far!
  7. Prepare for landing! Finish off spinning, and remember that your board is the thing that needs to be facing downhill when you land, your torso position isn't as crucial. Put your feet down firmly, but don't slam them. Keep your knees bent as you land, locking them will hurt. Put a little bit of weight on your heels to make your board turn a little to counter your momentum from spinning when you touch down. Now is when you could actually fall.
  8. Start to stop after you completely regain control. Be careful, you are probably switch foot right now.
  9. Once you master the frontside 180, try a backside spin . Backside 180s are harder, because they require you to be temporarily facing uphill. Practice some grabs and try throwing them in too. The sky's the limit now!
  10. Show off! Why did you do this in the first place? Exactly. Now go to an actual ski hill and show 'em what you're made of!



Tips

  • Falling is to be expected. It will happen, no matter how many how-to manuals you read. Therefore, if you fall, don't give up. Keep trying until you get it right.
  • Do not land sideways if you can help it. You will just end up on your face if you attempt to abort the spin in midair. You have to continue through the trick.
  • A Backside 180's major difference is that instead of having your front foot going towards the heel, your back foot going towards the toe and your back shoulder going forwards your front foot goes towards the toe, your back foot goes towards the heel and your back shoulder goes backward creating a fine line between the tricks.

Warnings

  • Watch out for stuff even after you stick the landing. You don't want your only legacy to be that you won that cherry pie eating contest in second grade.
  • Wrist guards aren't a bad idea either, you don't want a sprained/fractured wrist.
  • Falling is to be expected. It will happen, no matter how cautious you are. This is why you'd better wear some safety gear. Helmet is the most important, don't die when you've only done a 180!
  • Make sure you are properly strapped(or stepped) in. The last thing you want is for your boot to come out immediately after you launch off the jump.

Things You'll Need

  • A snowboard
  • A nice, small hill to build a jump on
  • A helmet
  • Enough snowboarding experience to be able to get enough air to spin around 180 degrees.
  • A life insurance policy
  • Friends are optional

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