Your First 50-50
McMorris. Horgmo. Kotsenburg. Helgason. Sandbech. All top level park riders' who had to start their jib life somewhere. When it comes to jibbing, this is the first jib trick you need to learn, a 50-50! This is the most basic box & rail trick there is and is the first part in our new Jibbing Series.
To check out the other two tutorials we added to the Jibbing Series this month, head to our Streaming Membership and sign up now!
(Narrating/Rider: Nev Lapwood. Film/Editing: Adison MacDonald. Filmed At: Whistler Blackcomb)
50-50 Definition:
1. A snowboarding term describing a box or rail trick where the rider's board is parallel to the feature they are sliding on.
"Oh man, that was a radical 50-50!"
Where To Start
Have a friend draw a box in the snow and imagine that you're actually going to 50-50 that box.
Approach with a relaxed body position and a consistent, slow to moderate speed. As you ride onto the drawn box, ensure that you have a completely flat base. Notice on the right hand side in the picture below that the board has left a smooth, wide mark in the snow; that's because a flat base was used while riding.
Are You A Box Virgin? Here's How To Hit A Box:
When it comes to hitting your first real box, find the easiest one available. This will most likely be an XS, wide ride on box that is relatively low to the ground.
Your first 50-50's are very easy, so don't be afraid of them. Just remember to keep your body position on top of the board, with bent knees and square shoulders, so you maintain a flat base with the feature.
Hike the feature and hit this easy box 5-10 times to build your confidence. Once you got that locked, you will be ready to challenge your 50-50's on different features.
50-50 Progression Drills
1. Once you've got the basic 50-50 down on a very easy feature, try and find a box that's a bit longer. Maybe something more narrow and higher off the snow.
2. Ollie onto and off the box. This is a good thing to practice as you will be able to take these skills to street style feature's that actually have a gap to get onto them.
3. If you want an even harder challenge, try a little nollie off the end of the box. Even though it's just a 50-50 on a flat box, adding a nollie will add that little extra style. 
4. If the box is long, try doing a few hops while you're sliding along the box. This is gonna' get you out of balance and back into balance. Keep your base flat!
5. There is also a drill called the 50-50 Shuffle. While you 50-50, start to shuffle the board back and forth lengthwise. This is a super important skill to learn as the counter rotation you use now, will be used to learn your first boardslides.
And no, it's not some new dance craze. So don't try this at the club, you'll hurt someone and stay a box virgin for life.
The 50-50 is the easiest box and rail trick there is. Ain't no doubt about it. Get familiar with it on as many different features as possible and try some of the variations we showed you above. Getting these techniques on lock will give you a solid jib skill foundation and improve your park riding.
Like This Tutorial? We Added 2 More Tutorials, Exclusive To The Streaming Membership
Want even more training tips and free lessons, straight to your inbox?
Alex McCann
Snowboard Addiction
Our Goal Is To Improve Your Riding