Alpine Snowboarding
 by: Jakob Jelling

Alpine snowboarding is for those of you who are a little more extreme about speed than most. Alpine snowboarding encompasses more than just speed. Other areas often included are racing and extreme carving.

Alpine snowboards are uniquely designed for their purpose. An alpine snowboard has a longer, narrower and stiffer construction than any other snowboards. This design allows for higher speeds, very sharp turning, and aggressive edge holding power on hard snow and excellent high-speed stability.

Alpine snowboarding is generally done on hard packed snow or groomed runs. Hard packed snow usually isn't good for snowboarding but is exceptional for high speeds, the heart of alpine snowboarding. With other styles of snowboards maneuverability is impossible on this type of terrain. Thanks to the aggressiveness of the edge of the alpine snowboard, fast, snappy control is the least of your problems.

Since the riding is so different from other types of snowboarding it only stands to reason that the gear would also be slightly different from normal. The gear for alpine snowboarding resembles skiing equipment more than it does snowboarding equipment.

In order to protect the rider and maximize control at high speeds an alpine snowboarder will use the following things. First is a helmet and eye protection. Thanks to the laws of physics we know that a hard surface becomes even harder at higher speeds. This means that a helmet and eye protection are an absolute must if you wish to stay safe when ripping down a hill at blazingly fast speeds as the impact from any mishap can be more than normal.

The next thing to consider is your boots. You must use a hard-shelled boot that resembles a skiing boot. Since the speeds on an alpine snowboard are so much higher the forces required to maintain a tight turn are also higher. In order to make shape-cornering possible you must use a hard-shelled boot to leverage your power with the snowboard.

After thinking of your boots you must also think of the stance that you wish to use when riding your alpine snowboard. There is basically only one choice but there are subtle variations for each rider. Traditionally the front foot should be set at about +70' and the rear foot at about +35'. With the advance of technology and the improvements of the snowboards the degree of the feet has become less important. More commonly the stance is determined by the width of the board as long as there is a difference of at least 5'.

Any interesting thing to note is that alpine snowboarding has seemed to have died off and been reborn again. Alpine board manufactures took the design of the alpine board to a point that it was amazingly perfect at high speeds but no longer usable for the average person. One main way of improving the snowboard efficiency was to reduce its width to as little as 16 cm in the center of the snowboard. This did allow for even greater speeds but caused the snowboard to become unstable at low speed and forced the rider to remain in a position that was uncomfortable to ride in for any length of time.

These innovations seemed to kill the industry as did skiing manufactures that started to implement the aggressive edge technology into their products. Most people began to shy away from alpine snowboarding and instead seek out freestyle snowboarding. However this has changed recently with the rebirth of alpine snowboarding. Once again people are becoming interested in the challenge and excitement that comes from ripping down a hill at high speeds and pulling turns that exert more g-forces on the body than most cars do. Manufacturers have learned their lessons and seem to be much more reasonable and consumer oriented in their snowboard designs than before.

If you are a snowboarder who enjoys speed and tight cornering then alpine snowboarding is the thing for you. Alpine snowboards are designed to be ridden hard and fast on machine groomed or packed runs. Their design allows you to move in ways no other snowboarder and possibly skier can ever hope to. Also, alpine snowboarding is easier to learn than alpine skiing. If you are looking for fast paced action filled fun like nothing else than you are destined for alpine snowboarding. Have fun, keep your speeds up and enjoy the g-forces of the mind blowing cornering.

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Cracking T-Nut Installation

One of the great things about snowboarding is the infinite number of stance positions available. However, not all board insert patterns accommodate all bindings and positions. And sometimes, inserts may become damaged and have to be replaced. If you run into such a situation, you may need to t-nut your board.

A t-nut is a threaded insert installed through the bottom of the board to replace a blown factory insert or to customize binding placement. Burton was one of the first to use t-nuts--brass ones crudely punched into the bottom of the board and left in plain sight--to replace the factory inserts that were pulling out of some of their Performers back in the mid 80's. Today there are several types of easily installed t-nuts available, and they can be covered up in much the same way you would repair major base damage.

The two basic shapes of t-nuts are: those with a flat flange (resembling an upside-down "T", hence the name) and those with a tapered flange. Each comes in different sizes, but those with tapered flanges are usually smaller. Size is something to consider depending on where the t-nut is needed.

Before you go drilling holes in your board check with the manufacturer. If the board is still under warranty, you may void it if you do not follow the manufacturer's suggestion for installing new inserts. However, if you have to customize a stance, most manufacturers recommend a t-nut installed by an experienced shop tech. Please note: this is a procedure best performed by a trained technician. If you have never installed a t-nut, it is a procedure you will want to practice on a junk board before drilling holes in your own.

The most common use for t-nuts is extending an insert pattern to accommodate a wider stance. For the t-nut installation you will need these items:

• Hammer and punch
• T-nuts. These can be purchased in kit form, including drill bits, from such tool distributors as Aunt Mables and Spirakut.
• Drill bits. You will need three: a small one (about 2 mm or 1/16) used to drill a pilot hole; one to match the shaft diameter on the t-nut; and a countersink bit specifically shaped for which ever t-nut you are using.
• Drill
• Epoxy. Use only a long-set, ski-specific epoxy (such as Epon); these epoxies are designed to hold well at a variety of temperatures and not get brittle when cold.
• Stir sticks
• Mixing cup
• Rubber gloves (epoxy can be nasty stuff)
• Masking tape
• Grub screws (plastic plugs with a slotted screwdriver head and a 6mm thread pitch).
• All the tools and hardware you would use to mount your bindings, but specifically you will need: 6mm screws with washers and the appropriate driver (usually a number 3 Phillips but occasionally a number 3 pozi-drive; make sure you know the difference).
• A binding disk that matches the hole pattern on the board. The one from the binding to be used will work, but a metal one with holes and not slots is preferred.
• Something to cover the bottom of the t-nut: a plastic cap, hot extruded material, a urethane epoxy/powdered graphite mixture, or ideally a base patch.

Now that you have the necessary tools and parts, and have checked with the manufacturer for their recommendation of which insert to use, it's time tobegin.

You will first want to decide where to place the binding and mark it on the board either by outlining the binding with a grease pencil or wax crayon or by marking the actual holes. If you are extending the hole pattern it's best to mount only the binding disk to the board using whatever holes are available. Use a carpenter's punch and a hammer to mark the spot on the top of the board, through the binding disk, where the t-nut is needed. The punch should put a small dimple in the top-sheet so the drill bit doesn't wander.

Your next step is to drill a pilot hole through the top of the board. The key phrase here is "through the board," so make sure that's where you want the t-nut 'cause there's no going back once you drill. The pilot hole must be straight as this is the hole all other drillings will follow; your t-nut will not go in properly if this hole is not straight. Be sure the pilot bit is not so big that its hole allows the next bit to wander.

Once you have the pilot hole drilled, turn the board over and drill all other holes into the bottom of the board. Be sure the board is securely held in the vice as the larger bits are designed to remove a lot of material and will spin the board if it is not held down. The next bit used depends on which t-nut you are using. For our purpose let's use a 3/4 inch, flat-flanged t-nut as the mounting process takes a little more care to get just right.

Take your Forschner bit and drill the countersink hole for the flange of the t-nut. Drill slowly and carefully--this bit has no shoulder to indicate the correct depth or keep the bit from going through the board. You will want to drill deep enough to countersink the flange of the t-nut into the board but not so deep that the top of the t-nut protrudes through the top-sheet. It's always a good idea to hold the t-nut up to the sidewall to be sure just how far to drill and that it's not too thick for that area of the board. Drill through the base material and into the core. By drilling a little at a time you can check for depth and a level drill by sighting the materials you have drilled through; i.e., If you can see fiberglass on one side of the hole and core material on the other, you know that you are not drilling straight. Drop the t-nut into the hole to judge the proper depth of the countersink.

Once you have drilled the countersink hole for this t-nut, it's time to drill the hole for the shaft. Hold the appropriate drill bit up to the shaft of the t-nut to be sure that it is slightly smaller than the shaft (if there are teeth on the shaft of the t-nut they should have enough material to bite into). Drill the hole and make sure it is in the center of the countersink hole; if it is not, the t-nut won't sit properly in the hole.

If you find yourself installing many t-nuts, there are special bits that allow drilling of the shaft hole and countersink for the flange all in one; they are certainly worth purchasing if they accommodate the t-nut you prefer. A drill guide to keep your holes straight may also be a worthy investment.

When all holes are drilled to your satisfaction, there is some prep work to do before installing the t-nut. The epoxy you use and whatever you chose to cover the base of the t-nut with may not stick without some preparation. The t-nuts you get may still have some of the machine oil on them that aided cutting in their production; you will want to clean them with denatured alcohol before applying epoxy. Also, once you clean the t-nut put it on a piece of masking tape so you don't have to touch it (Remember, the oil from your skin may keep epoxy from sticking--don't touch!). You will also want to take the time to score the bottom of the t-nut using a Dremel tool to ensure whatever you use to patch the base with will stick. Screw a grub screw into the t-nut if it has no cap to cover the threads; this will keep epoxy and other debris out of the threaded area. Finally, put a piece of masking tape over the top of the hole you have drilled to keep epoxy from oozing onto the bench.

Now it's time to break out the caustic stuff and install the t-nut. Use only a ski/snowboard specific epoxy with a long set time--at least 12 hours. Ski/snowboard specific epoxy is designed to stay flexible at very low temperatures. Apply a thin layer of epoxy to the inside of the hole and possibly some to the t-nut itself. Remember: a thin layer will bond better than a thick layer. Put the t-nut into the hole and tap it in with a hammer. There should be some resistance as the teeth of the t-nut bite into the hole.

Now turn the board over, peel off the masking tape, and remove the grub screw from the t-nut. It will probably not be seated all the way in the board; use a short 6mm screw with a couple washers or the binding disk to pull the t-nut the rest of the way into the board. Or you may want to use a metal binding disk to make sure all the holes line up--the old ones and the new ones. Keep one hand under the board while tightening the screw to make sure the t-nut doesn't spin in the hole. If it does, it will likely chew too much material and not allow the t-nut sufficient bite. Once the t-nut is seated, apply a thin layer of epoxy to the bottom of it to aid in whatever you use to cover the bottom. At this point, set the board aside and allow the epoxy to cure.

Whatever you use to cover the bottom of the t-nut, you will want to install it while the epoxy is still slightly tacky. With some t-nuts there are plastic caps you can simply press onto the bottom over the still tacky epoxy. You may also use your hot extruder gun to fill the void with some extruded base material; be sure the epoxy is nearly set before you do this as the heat from the gun will probably pull off soft epoxy. The ultimate way to patch a t-nut is with a base patch of sintered base material. Using this method will allow something for wax to penetrate and give the best bond.

My preferred method of patching the base of the t-nut is to use some urethane epoxy mixed with a little powdered graphite or glass micro-beads. When sanded even with the bottom of the base, the graphite or glass beads will leave tiny pockets for a little wax to stick in. Whatever method used to cover the base of the t-nut, be sure that you hand sand, or file, or Surform the material as close to the level of the surrounding base material as possible. If you do not and go immediately to your belt sander, you stand the chance of inadvertently beveling one or both of the edges as the higher area lifts the center of the board off the belt. Once the new material is level with that of the surrounding base material, a few rough grinds on the contact wheel of the belt grinder should even everything out.

Since a rough grind of the whole board is necessary to finish the job, a full tune is in order to get the board riding again. You might want to take the time to fill any other gouges; then do your finish grind, edge filing and polishing, and waxing just as you would normally. Since you have had to wait for the epoxy to dry to finish the cap over the bottom of the t-nut, about 36 hours have passed and everything should be plenty set-up. (Note: you can cut this time dramatically without degrading the curing of the epoxy by using a hot box. A hot box can be as simple as an enclosed box with a small rack and four or five 100 watt bulbs inside.) You can now take the screw out of the t-nut, and the washers or binding disk off. All you should have to do now is install the binding in the new position and you (or your customer) are ready to ride.

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Craving the Carve

What is it about riding Alpine snowboard equipment? What makes some snowboarders revert back to those stiff, clunky boots from whence they evolved, and ride boards that are too stiff or too long to bust "phat" air in the pipe or spin in the park?

Well, there is really only one answer: it's fun. Riding Alpine is one of the most exhilarating snowboard experiences. Those who switch don't even miss the jumps or jibs they might have hit on a freestyle board because they're too busy driving their own private Formula-1 car down the mountain. Nor, do they regret the time spent adjusting to hard boots. Mastering Alpine snowboarding is just as gratifying as landing a 540 corkscrew.

Only hard boots and an alpine snowboard can reveal a secret about a snowboarding :there is a lot of power locked up in an alpine snowboard that's just waiting to be unleashed.

A friend of mine compares alpine snowboarding to Aikido, the martial art which redirects an attacker's energy in a way that makes it work for the defender. The idea is that the snowboard is a tool used to harness the forces of nature in a positive way. The alpine snowboard combined with hard boots is the most efficient device to take gravity and channel it through your body, boots, board, and down into the snow. The result: perfect half-circle, two-inch wide tracks on the corduroy, and the sensation of laying out your own roller-coaster and hanging on.

Alpine riders use gravity much like a sailor or windsurfer uses the wind to cut the fastest tack across the water. By redirecting the force of gravity, the snowboard takes the rider in a direction different from that which gravity would normally dictate. This difference is what enables snowboarders to control how fast and wide they carve down a hill. Toying with gravity by making delicate adjustments from foot to foot and from side to side to get the fastest and cleanest line down the slope is the never ending pursuit that alpine riders crave.

Gravity is also used in another way, much like a motorcycle rider out fora joyride on a freshly paved, winding road. An alpine snowboarder gets that momentary feeling of weightlessness that comes between carves, just like the motorcyclist negotiating an S-turn. This is something skiers rarely feel. Two things separate the alpine snowboard from skis as the superior tool for achieving this sensation. One, is that both feet are mounted on one board. Once you're committed to a carve, there's no other leg underneath you to serve as a safety net. Once you cross the board, gravity and self trust takeover. More dramatically though, the shape of the snowboard is the real advantage. Since snowboards are so much wider than skis, designers have free reign to dictate how much side cut goes into your board, and can more directly fine tune how your snowboard will behave.

All that wonderful side cut enables riders to carve turns as tightly as he or she can bend the board. Alpine riders get dramatic sensations of free-fall by using this characteristic to their advantage. You may notice that the tracks of an carving snowboarder actually start well before the snowboard has entered the fall line. The rider can actually move his or her body across the board in a downhill sense while carving the downhill edge until the board carves around and back beneath them at the end of their free-fall. By timing the turn transition with a roll in the hill, the free-fall can be even longer. If you watch an alpine snowboarder carving turns below you on a hill, the bottom of the snowboard is visible at the beginning of each carve.

If this sounds tempting, don't be afraid to try. The sensations described above are only a few of the many that a good alpine snowboard and hard boots can afford you. Give it a try, you'll probably love it. Oh, and if you're worried about getting hooked, you won't even notice. I didn't.

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Halfpipe Snowboarding - Riding the Halfpipes

A Halfpipe is basically a U-shaped bowl that allows riders to move from one wall to the other by making Jumps and Performing Snowboarding Tricks on each transition. Halfpipes originated in skateboarding, and the whole phenomenon has now made its way to Snowboarding. In this section, we are going to look at Halfpipes such as you might encounter in Snow Resorts and Snowboard Parks Worldwide. To start with, let's take a look at the Halfpipe Schematic drawn below:

Snowboarding Halfpipe Schematic

These are the Elements of a Halfpipe:

• Flat
  Is the center flat floor of the Halfpipe
• Transitions/Trannies
  The curved transition between the horizontal flat and the vertical walls
• Verticals/Verts
  The vertical parts of the walls between the Lip and the Transitions
• Platform/Deck
  The horizontal flat platform on top of the wall
• Entry Ramp
  The beginning of the halfpipe where you start your run

Snowboarding in a Halfpipe

Before you start, keep this in mind: a Halfpipe is no beginner's terrain. You will need excellent edge- and turning control before you try your first run. Make sure you are able to ride fakie as well since you'll probably do it a lot in the Halfpipe. It would help a lot with the transitions between the flats and the walls of the pipe if you can jump smoothly. Moreover, to make your run less trying when you start out, try starting a bit further down the pipe. You can go further up the pipe to take your runs as you improve your skills.

Traversing
When riding the Halfpipe for the first time, it is important that you practice first. You can do this by simply traversing the transitions of the Halfpipe, similar with what you did when Learning How to Ride Down Regular Slopes. It is a weird sensation going up and down the same slope when all you are used to are one way descends.

Slide Turns
Once you have quite gotten the feeling, you can try real turns. You will be making turns up and down the same slope so you have to learn how to roll your edges. Rolling your edges means that you will be ascending the transition with one edge and descending with the opposite edge. Practice the Slide Turns by going higher and higher up in the transition.

Jump Turns
Once you are going higher and higher up the wall, you will at one time almost take-off into the air, leaving the lip of the wall. Go for it and make a little jump at the lip, and turn in mid air. As with all jumps, keep your knees bent in the landing and close to your body while in the air. Try getting more and more air and make sure to concentrate on the lip. You do not want to land on the platform with your nose digging into it.

Well, those are the basics of riding the Halfpipe. As you are able to jump higher and higher you will probably want to start showing off some tricks. You can read and learn all about Halfpipe tricks in our Halfpipe & Obstacle Tricks section.

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Heel Side Remedy: Use Both Feet!

Having trouble with that pesky heel side carve chattering out? Part of the remedy may be a trip to the tune-up guy, but more likely it is that you're forgetting the distinct advantage snowboarders because we have both feet on one edge. While it is refreshing to see more skiers feeling a true carve with the new shaped ski revolution (inspired of course by snowboard envy),they are forever constrained by the handicap of only one point of interface with their carving edge. But we have the ability to actively and aggressively work the board to our advantage.

The concept is fairly simple: we want to pressure the nose at the beginning of each carve, and pressure the tail at the end of each carve, shifting weight gradually back throughout the carve. Chattering generally occurs when the board naturally wants to do one thing, while we tell it to do something else. One of the reasons toe side carves are typically easier, is that our body mechanics, alignment, and binding angles encourage a forward carve initiation and the tail ward shift necessary to allow the side cut to do its job. Heel side carves, however, require a more conscious decision to make the right moves. This usually goes right out the window when we are scared by high speed, ice and steep slopes.

What often happens on heel side turns is we end up staying on the front foot throughout the turn. This excessively loads up the nose of the board which responds by trying to make a tighter carve than the tail. The result of this conflict between nose and tail is chatter. The board naturally wants us to follow through to the tail at the end of each carve, but by staying too far forward, the nose thinks it supposed to be carving back up the hill while the tail just slides along.

Inspection of a chattering carve track in the snow compared with a clean carve track shows the obvious difference. If the chattering was not too severe and the board maintained a more-or-less circular path, the chattered carve track will show a rippling in its width along the path. The clean carve track will show a consistent width. The rippling in the chattered track is evidence of the nose and tail trying to take different paths. This is analogous to a skidding car, whose back wheels are following a different path than the front wheels. Where the ripple in the track is widest, is where the nose was trying to carve back uphill and the tail was sliding ineffectively along.

The solution to the chattering problem is a pronounced forward and back weight shift throughout each carve, which must be coordinated with the side to side weight shift when changing edges. At the initiation of each turn, our weight must come forward to start the nose carving the beginning of the turn. Immediately after we've established the beginning of the carve up at the nose, we must then continue with a smooth transition back to the tail as the carve progresses. The sensation is as if you were trying to feed the board through the turn with your feet, sort of like feeding a crisp dollar bill into a change machine.

Pressuring the tail at the end of the carve acts to lock the tail into the end of the carve until we are ready to release it by shifting quickly up to the nose for the next turn. This builds up a lot of energy in the tail which we can use to our benefit. We can harness this energy by using the spring in the tail to assist our shift up to the front foot. By making a quick transition up to the front foot at the beginning of a carve, the energy in the tail is used to propel both us and our boards forward into the next carve and onto the other edge, reinforcing edge hold at the beginning of the next turn. This starts the other edge carving as quickly as possible, optimally while it is still the downhill edge. This minimizes the time where the board is just sliding on the base. This is a fairly gutsy maneuver; as low or hesitant transition to the next carve will dissipate the energy in the tail and it will not be able to be used in the next carve. By manipulating the springy characteristics of the board with our two feet, we can work the board in such a way that both facilitates and improves stability and edge hold, and eliminates chatter.

As with any new skill, this technique should be practiced and mastered on a relatively gentle slope that will provide adequate speed without distracting your attention with excessive steepness or difficulty. The total combined weight transition takes a figure-8 shaped path in the center of our board. Starting with a toe side carve, we begin with our weight on the toe edge and on the front foot at the very beginning of the carve. As the carve progresses, we shift tail ward onto the back foot. At the end of the toe carve, we spring forward onto the front foot and change to the heel edge, crossing the board diagonally through the center. At the beginning of the heel carve, we feel pressure against the front/heel side of our boot cuff. Again as the carve progresses, we shift back to the back foot and load up the tail for the transition. At the end of the heel carve, we launch forward and onto the toe edge, completing the figure-8. The combined transitions of front and back, side to side, result in crossing the board diagonally, but equally in both directions. We initiate both heel and toe carves in the same place along the length of the board, and is therefore not an asymmetrical maneuver.

This technique is only fully realized with the knees apart method described in our last discussion. Independent leg action is imperative for the successful execution of this maneuver. With our knees stuck together, our efforts work through the single point of support that our two knees become, almost like a skier must work with just one foot on their ski. We cannot fully pronounce the significantly large fore and aft shift, thereby reducing the desired effect in the transmission of our weight power to the board. The forward facing, square hips, level shoulders stance should be maintained for greatest effect, but while practicing this technique on a gentle slope, other techniques may be neglected in order to isolate and concentrate on the figure-8.

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Snowboard Girls Take Your Skills To The Next Level At Girls-Only Camps
 by: Jeremy Hier

Women who love to snowboard are commonly called snowboard girls. They love snowboarding freestyle, freeride, and freecarve. A great way for you snowboard girls to improve your skills quickly and have alot of fun is to go to a girls-only snowboard camp.

All-girl snowboard camps provide snowboard girls the perfect environment to improve their skills and take their skills to the next level and beyond. In Timberline, Oregon their is an all-girls camp called Progressive Ski and Snowboard Camps.

This is a girls-only park and pipe camp. The newest coach is Hannah Epps who is joined by veteran coaches Sarah Burke, Emily Bonnett, Denise Jaworsky, Jen Critchton, and Jesse Bennie. They will be teaching the ski and snowboard girls.

At the camp you'll be able to improve your halfpipe, rail and jump skills with the help of some of the best female coaches in the sport. Ski and snowboard girls can progress in the park wether you are dropping into the halfpipe for the first time or are looking to add another trick to your already amazing slopestyle run.

Depending on your needs their are a variety of packages to choose from. An all-inclusive package covers meals, lift tickets, coaching and accomodations. Ski and snowboard girls can get more information at progressionskicamps.com.

Before you go off to camp make sure you have all the necessary snowboard equipment such as snowboard, boots and bindings, and outerwear.

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Snowboarding Aerial Tricks, Spins & Jumps

Once you think you're ready for Aerial Tricks, you can start trying them out. At one time or another you have probably tried small jumps using small bumps on the sides of the pistes. When you're able to perform these jumps decently and are able to get more and more air, you can now progress to Aerial Tricks. What follows are Common Aerial Tricks, Spins, and Jumps:

Ollies

This Snowboarding Trick Is one of the most regular jumps using the spring of the Tail of your Snowboard to get airborn. Ollies are the basic move for a lot of aerial tricks, and are also useful for jumping over small obstacles. Nollies are similar to Ollies - the only difference is that you use your nose to spring off and lifting your back foot first.

Learning how...
On a gentle slope, crouch slightly on your board. Jump up powerfully with your front foot first and then use the spring in your snowboard to jump up with your backfoot. Level your board in mid-air and raise your knees to your chest. Land with both feet at the same time with your board almost at level. If your nose is pointing down then your nose might dig in causing a crash. If your tail is pointing down too much you might land with too much weight on your backside causing your Snowboard to slip underneath you. Once you have mastered Ollies, try Nollies by putting the weight on your front foot and jumping up with your backfoot first. By spinning 180 degrees you can end up Fakie and ride on.

Nose & Tail Rolls

Rolls are made by either using your nose or tail to spin 180 degrees and thus switching your stance. They are a cool way of starting to ride fakie or go back to regular.

Learning how...
This Snowboard Trick is similar to a Wheelie - only, you put in a 180 turn in the progress. As you ride move your weight to your front leg and straighten it, lift up your backleg and slide your board 180 degrees. Once your Snowboard is turned 180 degrees and is facing your riding direction again, put your board down again and ride on. Practice both nose and tail rolls.

Air to Fakie

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Snowboarding Halfpipe & Obstacle Tricks

Halfpipes are a real playgound for many Snowboarding enthusiasts. In fact, a lot of FreeStyle Riders spend their hours in Halfpipes coming up with new Tricks or perfecting old ones. To know more about Halfpipes, visit our Snowboarding Halfpipe section. In this section we are going to look at some of these Halfpipe Tricks:

Spins

Most spins have the same technique and rules as those discussed in the Aerial Tricks article. However, the vertical lift-off and the vertical-touchdown with Halfpiping make it more difficult. When landing, make sure to spin fast, keep your body compact, and keep the lip in your sights.

The same variations can be performed when Spinning in a Halfpipe: boning, shifties, late turns and grabs are all possible and add to the style. These are some of the Most Popular Spinning Tricks in the Halfpipe:

• Alley Oop
  When you turn in the air on a Halfpipe you are already performing a 180 spin. An Alley Oop is also a 180 spin, only, you turn your body and board in the other direction. Also, instead of spinning down the pipe you are spinning up the pipe. Spinning up the slope makes a trick an Alley Oop.
• 360 Air to Fakie
  This is the same as the 360 jump as discussed in the Jumps & Aerial tricks section. Because you are jumping up and down the same slope, you will end up riding fakie.
• 540s, 720s, 900s and even more...
  These are similar to the spins made on regular jumps outside the Halfpipe. Depending on how much you spin, you will land either normal or fakie.

Grabs

We already discussed the basics of grabs in the Aerial Tricks article. For grabs it is most important to bring your knees to your chest thus bringing your Snowboard as close as possible to your arms. These are some of the Most Popular Grabs:

• Slob Air
  Grab the toe edge at the Nose of your Snowboard with your front hand
• Crail Air
  Grab the toe edge at the nose of your Snowboard with your back hand
• Indy Air
  Grab the toe edge of your Snowboard between the Snowboard Bindings with your back hand
• Mute Air
  Grab the toe edge at the nose of your Snowboard or between your bindings with your front hand, poke out your back leg and throw your back hand up
• Melanchollie Air
  Grab the heelside edge of your Snowboard between the bindings with your front hand
• Stale Fish
  Grab the heelside of your Snowboard between the bindings with your back hand around the back of your back leg
• Method Air
  Grab the heelside edge of your Snowboard between the bindings with your front hand, pull the board up behind you as high as your head
• Fresh Fish
  Grab the heelside edge of your Snowboard between the bindings with your back hand, bone out your back leg, keep your front arm straightened into the sky

Handplants

Once you are reasonably skilled in Halfpipe Snowboarding, you can try to make some handplants. These moves also originated from skateboarding, and by using the lip of the Halfpipe, you can perform them with your Snowboard too. These are some of the Most Popular Handplants in the game:

• Two-Handed Inverts
  These are easiest to learn and the beginning of learning hand plants. As your Snowboard leaves the lip and goes airborne, cartwheel your body towards the Halfpipe. As you hang upside down plant both your hands on the lip. When you drop back down into the pipe, rotate your Snowboard under you and push both hands of the lip. Center your body over your Snowboard again and make your landing.
• Layback Air
  This Trick is one of the easiest handed plants. You can do this by riding up the wall with your toe edge. As your Snowboard passes the lip, plant your backhand on the lip. Keep your Snowboard going upwards and let it pass your head. Arch your back as you fall back into the pipe and push off with your backhand.
• Andrecht
  As your Snowboard leaves the lip, plant your backhand on the lip and grab your Snowboard with your front hand.
• Sad Andrecht
  Andrecht with your Nose Poke
• Bonedrecht
  Andrecht with your Tail Poke
• Eggplant
  As your Snowboard leaves the lip, plant your front hand on the lip and grab your Snowboard with your back hand.
• Miller Flip
  Plant your front hand on the lip. Let your Snowboard fly over your head and grab the toe edge of your Snowboard between the bindings with your back hand, spin the board 360 degrees as you come back for the landing.

Obstacle Tricks

Similar with skateboarding, Snowboarders have also taken a liking in riding obstacles such as logs, handrails and boxes. Special Snowboard Parks are a FreeStyle playing ground that offer all kinds of cool obstacles for you to try your luck on without upsetting the owners of those objects. What follows are some of the Most Popular Obstacle Riding Tricks in Snowboarding.

Grinds & Slides

Grinds are performed by jumping or riding onto an obstacle and sliding/grinding off it. There are a few Basic Grinds:

• 50/50 Grind
  To do this, keep your Snowboard parallel to the rail that you are sliding. This is the easiest grind to learn since the odds of your Snowboard catching an edge and toppling you over is very slim.
• Five-0 Grind
  This Snowboarding Trick is a 50/50 grind but includes a Wheelie.
• Rock-n-Roll Grind
  To do this Grind, keep your Snowboard across the rail with each side of the Snowboard sticking out of the rail evenly. This grind is more dangerous since there's a large chance that your board will catch an edge. So make sure to keep your front edge up.
• Smith Grind
  This is a Rock-n-Roll Grind with your nose lower than your tail. It is difficult to keep your balance for this Snowboarding Trick.
• Nose Slide
  A Rock-n-Roll Grind on the Nose of your Snowboard.
• Tail Slide
  A Rock-n-Roll Grind on the Tail of your Snowboard.

Bonking

This is slapping an object with your Snowboard. You could, for instance, pass a box and hit it with the nose of your Snowboard in mid air. If you slap an object with the Nose of your Snowboard, it is called a Nose Bonk. On the other hand, it is called a Tail Bonk when you hit the object with your Snowboard's Tail

Bonking can be a fun way of drawing attention but just make sure not to bonk other Snowboarders... or at least ask for permission to bonk them before you do it.

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Snowboarding Surface Tricks - Common
   Snowboard Tricks on the Ground

Surface Tricks are probably your starting point in the world of Snowboarding Tricks. Before you try complicated tricks like the Cab 540 or the Frontside Rodeo 720, you first have to learn the Basic Snowboarding Tricks. Some of the Simple Surface Tricks are spinning on the surface of the slope then five feet above the slope. What follows are some of the Most Common Surface Tricks increasing in difficulty as we progress:

Riding Fakie

Riding Fakie (switch stance) is simply riding with your front foot at the back and your backfoot at the front. Sounds easy? Well it is not! Everything you have been working so hard to master such as edge control and carving turns is suddenly totally new again as everything you do will be the other way around. Riding Fakie is very important however in Learning Tricks since it is often the starting and/or ending stance of a trick. Furthermore, Riding Fakie will help you when you are unable to finish a trick and must land halfway.

Learning how...
It is best simply to dig deep into your Snowboarding History and go back to where it all started: traversing a slope and slowly learning how to make skidded turns while riding fakie. Simply go back to the Snowboarding Beginner Course as mentioned on this site and do everything with a switched stance. Once you are comfortable with Riding Fakie you can mix it up in your normal riding and take turns in riding/turning fakie and regular.

Ground Spins - 360s

Up 'til now, you have made turns that were probably at most 180 degrees. With Ground Spins 360, you continue turning until you have turned completed 360 degrees and keep on boarding in the same direction.

Learning how...
It is actually the same as any regular toe-sided or heel-sided turn. You just need to keep on turning and as your board turns uphill it will stall at a certain point. At that moment you will need to switch edges and keep on turning until you are completely turned around. As your skills improve you can make ground spins at higher speeds and while riding fakie. Try to master spinning both frontside and backside.

Wheelies

A wheelie is riding with one tip of your board facing up, loose from the surface. Building up the power and technique to lift either your Snowboard's Nose or Tail will prepare you for more advanced Tricks.

Learning how...
Tail wheelies with your nose up on the air are easiest to learn for most snowboarders. On a gentle slope, try to lean backwards and lift your front foot. As you practice you will notice how you are able to pull your nose up higher and keep it from the surface for a longer time. Once you have learned Tail Wheelies you can try to perform them switch stance on your tip.

Variations...
Blunt Nose Slides are wheelies that are performed sideways. Start riding sideways, then put your weight on your front leg and pull your back leg up. You will be sliding sideways on the front third of your snowboard with your backfoot and tail in the air. If you perform this trick on your tail it is called a Switch-stance blunt nose slide.

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Snowboarding Tips For Better Riding

If you're new to the slopes, your first board be should a well-proportioned, all-mountain "free-riding" board of between 135 and 160 cm., depending on your size. Borrowing your friend's stiff, unforgiving racing board with the bindings mounted at a 60 degree angle won’t cut it. Rely on the knowledge of a decent shop tech to fit the proper boots, board and bindings, and to adjust stance width and angles to suit your personal needs according to height, weight, strength, age, and ability.

At the time boots and boards are chosen, a crucial judgment must be made: which foot forward? Some new boarders have engaged in such similar sports as water skiing, surfing or skate boarding, and already know. If you’re unsure, the following exercise will determine the dominant leg: with a running start, slide across a linoleum floor in your stocking feet. Instinctively, one leg usually is thrust forward for balance, while the stronger leg remains behind for support. This should accurately certify your snowboard stance.

PRESSURING AN EDGE

In the old days (about 15 years ago), we really did not know much about snowboard technique. This did not seem to matter for many top riders, who just rode. They were constantly pushing one another to new limits. Equipment was changing each season and technique was changing with it.

Maybe the most significant change in technique was that of pressuring an edge, or controlling pressure along an edge. This idea not only explains one of the major differences between skiing and snowboarding, but is a cornerstone of modern snowboard style.

It’s a simple idea: the snowboarder can control the pressure and edge along the entire length of his or her board. They do this by using their feet, ankles, and knees independently of one another. Edge changes, adjustments to edge angle and changes in pressure do not have to occur with both feet at the same time. We'll look at how we apply this to different situations as they materialize.

Let’s start with a basic heel side-slip. If edge and pressure are held equal with both feet, the board will slip straight down the fall line; but if we change the amount of edge with only one of our feet things change. This independent movement allows us to control the board and initiate turns without great movements of our center of mass.

When linking turns, edge movements are initiated with the front foot and followed with the back foot. This allows us to start the turn with more pressure on the edge at the front of the board and finish the turn with more pressure on the edge at the tail of the board without disturbing our balance. This ability to twist the board gives us a wide range of options to control the pressure along the edge, and the best part is we do not have to mess with our center of gravity to make it happen.

These techniques are used by most top riders. They are used in a wide variety if situations, with the only distinctions those of timing and degree of edging.

EURO-CARVES

A "euro-carve" is a really a trick performed on a carving board, a turn in which the rider slides the upper body across the snow on toeside and at least the hips on heelside. Such turns usually require good conditions to execute because they depart from what one generally considers "good technique."

Normally, in order to hold an edge and not skid or fall, the body's mass must be directed over the board’s inside edge. "Euro-carves" are what we call banked turns, where the legs remain straight and extended, with the body's center of mass positioned away from the board edge. Clearly, the steeper the slope and the harder the snow, the more difficult it will be to hold an edge with such an extreme position. But in the right conditions (smooth, soft, groomed corduroy on a fairly steep pitch), a skilled rider can execute a perfect carve with the side or chest, and one or both arms and hands, sliding across the snow, on both toe and heelside.

When performing such maneuvers, it is important to approximate sound technique as much as possible. Moves such as reaching down to touch the snow with the inside hand won't cut it. By doing that edge angle is reduced, or pressure is released, and the board will probably slip or pop out.

With both hands, elbows and arms on the snow, the shoulders remain parallel to the slope; indeed, they are on the slope. Even in such an extreme position, enough edge pressure can indeed be maintained to execute a perfect carve, so long as the snow is forgiving. A good (but not extravagant) pitch helps, too; you shouldn't have to lean over far before you touch the ground.

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Snowboarding Variations - Other Boarding Sports

Snowboarding, as exciting as it is, has its obvious restrictions. To be able to Snowboard, you need a slope, Snow, and cold weather. Fortunately, there were Snowboarding enthusiasts who found creative ways to take away these restrictions by developing exciting variations on Snowboarding. Over the years, these developments resulted in some pretty exciting sports that took boarding to new heights and extremes. In this section we will look at these developments which are now popularly known as Snowboarding Variations. The following may appear dangerous; still they are positively exhilarating, so much in fact that you may even be persuaded to give them a try.

As more people became aware of what's happening outside the slopes and started getting into other Boarding Variations, the skill level of Sandboarding, Mountain Boarding, Kite Snowboarding, and Heli Boarding dramatically increased. If you're wondering why a lot of people nowadays are getting into these Boarding Variations, we suggest you give them a try and experience it yourself. Who knows? It just might be the break you’ve been craving for.

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The Rules of Riding Out of Bounds

Come on, admit it--there have been times when you've slipped under that rope at the mountain in spite of a large sign warning that the area was out of bounds. It's easy enough to do. Big, open, untracked fields of snow surrounded by cliffs, chutes, and danger become especially appetizing when they are declared off-limits.

While I don't want to sound like your mother, or promote this behavior(because of course, we have never participated in any kind of illegal activities)we would like to offer you a few thoughts before you venture off-piste into uncharted territories.

1. Take a buddy. Don't travel out of bounds alone.

2. Don't go places you don't know without someone who knows. If you are unfamiliar with the resort or have never been out of bounds at the area, be sure to go with someone who knows the terrain. A knowledgeable guide will not only be able to avoid flat spots, and point out the goods, but will also know the quickest way back to civilization if needed.

3. Be a Piep geek. Always carry an avalanche transceiver, especially after a snow storm when you know danger is high. And if you go out of bounds make sure it's set on transmit. This sound stupid, but you don't know how many people have ridden out of bounds all day and never turned their Pieps on. Be sure to think about how much juice your battery has left. No batteries, no transceiver, no point in carrying it, right?

4. Having a transceiver is not enough. Learn how to use it by practicing in the parking lot before you hit the lifts. Throw it into the snow and make your friends find it. That could be you in the snow, so you'll probably want everyone to know how to use them.

5. Know what the weather is doing. If a storm is moving in, and you're dropping into an area that the ski patrol may not be able to dig you out of until spring, don't do it. Think about it for a second. High altitude and sudden temperature drops go hand-in-hand at resorts. If the conditions are shifting you should know how they will affect the rest of your day.

6. Assess the avalanche danger of the area. When was the last time there was a slide? What are snow conditions like. There should be an avalanche hotline in the area or ask your friendly neighborhood ski patroller what the danger is on the mountain.

7. Snacks. Always carry some kind of food on you. Energy bars or candy bars, fruit leather, nuts, beef jerky. You'll be stoked to have this when you are riding the lifts later on if you don't need it sooner.

8. Dress warmly. Take that extra layer and tuck it into a pocket or tie it around your waist under your jacket, so it doesn't get wet. Sweating a little from being too hot is way better than getting hypothermia when an unexpected wind starts howling.

9. Always carry something bright. A red hat, orange vest, or yellow jacket can help people find you. Something colorful can be tied to a branch or left on the snow to alert people as to your whereabouts.

10. Bring a pocket tool and a few screws. Have you ever discovered a missing screw mid-way down the mountain? A pocket tool doesn't weigh much and can save you from a long walk out if something comes loose.

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What is Snowkiting?
 by: Jakob Jelling

As if snowboarding and kitesurfing actually meshed into one single sport it would be Snowkiting. Imagine taking a lift high atop a beautiful mountain, you set your kite in motion and get your feet firmly planted you start your run down a long white hill. As you snowboard down the mountain your kite helps you gain speed and with a good gust of wind you too can be 10 – 15 feet in the air. With this much gravity you too can be implementing the same moves as the kitesurfer does including jibing and crossing over.

Snowkiting is another example of the popular extreme sport series as there are many hazards that circle this sport as well as kitesurfing. Snowkiters take their board to the mountain and ride the winds down fast and furious. Moguls and ramps can help you gain more air than you bargained for if you are a beginner. Starting slow and learning how to keep your kite in the air is the basic fundamental. Once you have mastered the techniques you will be flying in no time at all.

It doesn’t matter if its natural snow or powder, you too can get up to 50 – 70 mph with the aid of your kite. Although the premise is still the same between the two sports, it takes a lot less wind to move you across the snow then it does across the water. Jumps and flips are easier and depending on how you land softer. Once your kite is launched and you begin your descent it is far easier to keep yourself on the snowboard.

You can either snowkite with skis or a snowboard; whichever one makes you feel the most comfortable. Many extreme riders prefer to use the board as there is more flexibility and ease. There are many vacation spots around the world that are now picking up snowkiting as a popular sport. Should you visit a ski resort and decide to go this route, you will need to take a lesson or two just to get the hang of the equipment.

Frenzy, Samurai, and Razor are popular kites available for the snowkiter. Depending on your budget, you can expect to pay $500 - $1500 for an entire setup. You may also find used equipment at ski shops in your area as well.

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