The first few times that you go snowboarding, you might experience a variety of emotions. Some people feel an urgent need to rush down the slopes and perform spectacular snowboard tricks. Others stare down the hill and wonder how they will make it to the bottom alive. You might even feel both of these emotions at the same time. It happens to a lot of people!
Do yourself a favor by swallowing your fear and starting small. You need to master easy snowboard tricks before you even think about spin tricks, tail grabs, and other fancy stunts. You will reach that point sooner by focusing on the fundamentals now. You can’t rush the process to become a snowboarding legend overnight.
With these things in mind, you will learn how to do snowboard tricks that match your level. Then, you will slowly work your way to snowboard tricks for intermediates. Some day, you might even reach the advanced level. No matter where you end up, it all starts with a handful of basic—though challenging—moves.
Types of Snowboard Tricks
You can categorize snowboarding tricks in several ways. A common way to list snowboard tricks includes:
Snowboard Jumps—any trick that involves getting your snowboard off the ground, such as an Ollie or Nollie
Snowboard Rotations—tricks that involve rotating your board while on the ground or in the air. The more times you rotate, the harder the trick becomes.
Snowboard Presses—easy snowboard tricks that involve pressing one end of the board into the snow while lifting the other end.
Snowboard Grabs—some of the best snowboarding tricks for showing off skills. Even beginners look impressive when they grab their boards during jumps.
Snowboard Rail Tricks—tricks that involve jumping onto and sliding on a rail. You can mix other moves into rail tricks as you gain experience. You may also hear people call these “spin tricks.”
How to Do Snowboard Tricks
Are you ready to learn how to do snowboard tricks? These best snowboarding tricks will help you develop the skills that you need for advanced moves. Even the beginner tricks are a lot of fun. You can get quite a thrill from them!
Beginner Snowboard Tricks to Master
These easy snowboard tricks may take a few tries, but you should find that you can perform them pretty quickly. Don’t feel discouraged if you fall down or don’t complete the move. A little practice goes a long way with these snowboard tricks for beginners.
Ollie
An Ollie is probably the first snowboard trick you’ll learn. It’s your introduction to snowboard jumps. To perform an Ollie, you should shift your body weight to your back leg. Jump, making sure to lead with your front leg. Lift your back leg in line with your front.
The more you practice the Ollie, the higher you can jump and the more parallel you can bring your feet.
Nollie
The Nollie is basically the opposite of an Ollie. When you jump, lead with your back leg. Then, lift your front leg to bring your feet in line with each other. You’ll probably find that you can catch a few inches after just a few tries.
Melon
When you catch some snowboarding air, reach down and grab the heel side of the board between your feet. Congratulations, you’ve done your first Melon!
Indy
You can perform an Indy by doing an Ollie off of a jump and reaching down to grab your board’s toe edge. Let go and reposition yourself for a smooth landing.
Nose Grab
If you can do a Melon and Indy, you’re ready for a nose grab. While in the air, reach down to grab the front of your board. Straighten your body and prepare for an easy landing.
50-50
The 50-50 introduces you to snowboard slide tricks. When you approach a rail or box, jump to land on it and ride it until you come off at the other end. Start with short rails until you build the balance you need to ride longer ones.
Tail Press
Practice the tail press on a flat surface where you feel comfortable. Get a little speed going before you lean backward to shift your weight to your back leg. You can lift your front leg to emphasize the bend in your snowboard.
Once you get the hang of tail presses on flat surfaces, you can take them just about anywhere. Eventually, try adding them to a 50-50.
Nose Press
The nose press works just like the tail press. Instead of leaning backward, you shift your weight forward. It can feel a little more intimidating at first, but it requires the same skill. The hardest part is overcoming anxiety to feel comfortable on your snowboard.
Frontside 180
Ready to rotate your snowboard? With a frontside 180, you rotate your body so that your heels lead. For example, if you jump while riding downhill with your left foot forward, you would rotate in a counter counterclockwise motion for a frontside 180. Stop when your rear leg becomes your leading leg.
Backside 180
A backside 180 is the opposite of a frontside 180. Rotate so that your toes lead. When going downhill with your left leg forward, you would rotate in a clockwise motion until your right leg becomes your leading leg.
Butter
The butter takes a little more core strength than the frontside 180 and backside 180. Instead of bringing your back leg forward during a jump, you do it while maintaining contact with the snow. The snow creates a little more friction, so prepare to put some muscle into it.
Intermediate Snowboard Tricks to Master
You probably won’t do any snowboard tricks for intermediates the first few times you head out to the snow. If you’re an athletic person who picks up new sports quickly, though, you might start attempting them after a few hours of practice. How quickly you progress depends a lot on your strength, balance, and willingness to take calculated risks.
Tripod
The tripod is a fun intermediate trick to learn. To perform one, you need to lift one end of your board off the snow and reach down with both hands to contact the ground. When you do it correctly, you make a three-point connection with the ground, just like a tripod!
Tail Grab
The next time you catch some air, reach back to grab the tail of your snowboard.
Boardslide
The boardslide is like a 50-50, except you turn your board perpendicular to the rail so you can slide down it sideways.
Back Flip
Take care when trying a backflip. You’ll need plenty of time and space to complete the flip before you land.
Frontside 360
The full-circle version of a Frontside 180.
Backside 360
The full-circle version of a Backside 180.
Advanced Snowboard Tricks to Master
Don’t attempt advanced snowboard tricks until you’re ready. Make sure you practice with other people around just in case you make a mistake. It’s easy to take a hard tumble while doing some of these tricks.
Front Roll
The front roll moves your body in a forward motion, but it tilts a little to the side. Master it before moving on to a full front flip.
Front Flip
The front flip is harder than the backflip because you have to resist the upward motion you get from your jump. Instead, lean forward and tuck your body to rotate forward.
Frontside 360+
You probably already guessed. It’s a frontside rotation that turns you more than one full circle.
Backside 360+
The opposite of a frontside 360+. Maintaining balance gets difficult when you move backward while spinning.
What Type of Snowboard Is Best for Tricks
The snowboard that feels most comfortable to you is always the best option for tricks. Some favorite models from Never Summer include:
Conclusion
All snowboard tricks take some practice. It doesn’t take long, though, before you start to master the basics for many tricks. Use the excitement from pulling the perfect Ollie to try intermediate tricks or turn your Frontside 180 into a Frontside 360 and beyond. The options are endless. Go have some fun!
