How To Improve Your Frontside 180s
Anyone can huck a Frontside 180. They may not land or make it look stylish, but they’ll get it around. This guide will teach you how to stomp a proper Frontside 180 and prevent common problems before they even happen.
This guide focuses on two main areas to help you Frontside 180 better; the ideal take off for Frontside 180s and some common problems we see when learning Frontside 180s.
If you're looking for the tutorials that go with this one, check them out here:
- The previous tutorial: How To Advanced Frontside 180
- The next tutorial: Your First Backside 180s On A Snowboard
(Narrating/Riding: Nev Lapwood. Filmed At: Whistler Blackcomb)
The Ideal Take Off For Frontside 180s
With your knees bent, come in gently with little to no set up carve. Slightly twist your torso backwards to pre-wind the energy for the frontside spin. Ollie off the lip on either your heel or toe edge and unwind that energy to start the spin.
While in the air, bring your knees up as high as you can. In general, the more compressed you are in the air, the better your style is.
Ride away switch, and focus on not reverting back to normal for at least a few seconds. Reverting can cause an edge to catch, and is not good style. Add grabs to your 180s to really style them up. We designed the Tramp Board to help with just that!
Common Problems We See - The Pre-Jump
It is super common for riders learning park to take way to many speed checks. You are probably doing this if there is a voice in your head saying "Holy moly, I'm going to fast!". Once aware of this problem, fight it off psychologically and trust yourself. Your balance on takeoff will thank you.
This classic 180 problem happens when a set up carve doesn't work out and you fly off on a diagonal. Ideally, you want to be taking off the lip with your board perpendicular to the jump. This will ensure you hit the sweet spot on the landing.
You're not dancing to a Nicki Minaj song. Lift your bum back up and centre that weight over your board. On takeoff, make sure to centre your weight over your board by bending your knees, keeping your back straight and reducing the amount of edge you are on.
Common Problems We See - Mid-Jump
If it feels like you're doing a 90 and getting stuck in the air, you are using counter rotation. When learning Frontside 180's, make sure to keep your body aligned all the way throughout the rotation.
If you're board smacks your bum in the air, this is you. Most importantly, remember you're not a donkey... lift your knees up in front of you. It will feel a lot smoother, balance you out better and your ass will thank you.
This is the exact opposite of the problem above. By not bending your knees, you're knocking yourself off balance in the air. To improve your balance and style, just bend your knees as if you were doing a standing tuck on the ground.
Common Problems We See - Record Yourself
Whenever you're out riding and learning a new trick the best thing you can possibly do is have a friend record you. When you analyze your footage, you will be able to see what your style looks like. After you watch yourself, when you're out riding you will know what to look out for, to correct your problems and improve your style.
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Alex McCann
Snowboard Addiction
Our Goal Is To Improve Your Riding