How To Improve Your Backside 180s

Backside 180s are one of the most stylish tricks on a snowboard but many snowboarders still encounter a few problems with them. In this tutorial, we'll be going through how to improve some of those common problems so you can have this trick well and truly dialled!

For all our other Backside 180 tutorial, check them out below:

(Narrating/Riding: Nev Lapwood. Riding: Jordan Decker. Filmed At: Whistler Blackcomb)

Backside 180s

When you want to do any sort of spin on a jump, it is best to jump off an edge. For the Backside 180, the toe edge works best.

Entry Path

The entry path towards the jump is extremely important. The optimal entry path is going wide and coming in on the heel edge, as you reach the jump, shift to the toe edge of your snowboard. You should leave the jump off of your toe-edge going in a straight direction off the jump.

Notice how Nev is leaving the lip with his board straight. Do that.

The most important thing is the angle of the entry path. You can leave the jump on a toe-edge but not going in a straight direction off the lip of the jump. This will make your balance worse, and make the gap of the jump longer, meaning there is a higher likelihood that you will knuckle and crash.

This rider is not leaving the lip straight. That's not good.

Another mistake is setting up far too early on the jump. You should only be shifting to your toe edge as you are rolling up the lip of the jump, so your board leaves in a straight direction. If you set up to early you will end up not going in a straight direction, and you will have made some of you rotation even before you leave the jump, which is not correct.

This rider is already on their toe edge and they haven't even started going up the take-off yet.

The most common mistake is to knuckle the jump. This is due to not having enough speed and not popping enough as you leave the jump.

Landing Blind

With Frontside 180s it is more easy to clear the knuckle because you can see the landing all the time through the spin. But with Backside 180s you need to learn how to land 'blind' - this means that you won't be looking the direction of your riding when you land the trick.

The blind landing in all it's glory.

Because people can't see the landing they become less confident and tries the trick with too low speed and not enough pop.

Pop

To get enough pop you need to approach the jump with straight legs, as you start going up the take-off you bend your knees. As you leave the lip of the jump you extend your legs and jump off the lips with both legs.

It's all about timing.

You need to learn how to do this on all your jumps, so when you try your backside 180s you will float cleanly over the knuckle and land in the sweet spot of the landing with no problems.

Reverting

When you spin on a jump, it is a common mistake to continue the rotation once you have landed and is called reverting. To make a Backside 180 look really stylish you need to stomp your landing and ride away switch. To do this correctly, it is important to use a blind landing.

Landing blind and using that toe-edge grip to stop momentum.

Another tip is to use the toe-edge grip on your landing. If you land on your heel-edge you are more likely to revert, but if you land on your toe-edge you can stop your rotation and ride away clean.

Style

Once you feel comfortable with your backside 180s on small park jumps add style with the different grabs and try them out on bigger jumps.

Record Yourself

Whenever you're out riding and learning a new trick. The best thing you could 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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Good luck!

Alex McCann
Snowboard Addiction
Our Goal Is To Improve Your Riding!

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