Introduction To Spins

To perform a spin you need to combine a rotational motion with a jump! While that may sound like a pretty simple task to perform, co-ordinating these movements effectively and stylishly can be a challenge. That's why we use the trampoline, as it's a great place to get comfortable jumping and building that confidence from the ground up.

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(Narrating/Riders: Duncan Mainland & Nev Lapwood. Film/Edit: Vince Emond. Filmed At: Whistler Bounce & Whistler Blackcomb)

Time For Timing

As you extend your legs to jump, rotate your head shoulders and hips all at the same time.

Duncan's head, shoulders and hips follow through into the spin.

Every type of snowboard spin will take a little bit of a different technique to execute correctly. For now, don't worry about how much you're spinning, concentrate on keeping your rotation smooth and balanced.

Do bigger slower movements at first to practice the timing of your initiation. Throwing hard into a spin without the proper practice and experience can mess up your timing and put you off balance in the air.

A little bit of pre-wind in the opposite direction can help you develop more rotation without adding much more energy and affecting your timing.

Winding up gives you more room to create momentum.

Make sure to follow all the way through as you leave the trampoline, twisting your upper body in the direction of the spin at the same time.

When you turn your head into the spin keep your chin high, looking over the top or just past you shoulder. Avoid looking under your shoulder or downwards at the trampoline as this will pull your body off axis.

Pro Tip: Keeping your chin high will help you stay flat and balanced in the air.

Air Awareness

Perhaps the biggest benefit of a trampoline in relation to snowboarding is the ability to experiment in relative safety and improve your air IQ. Try some spins with your arms stretched out to see how this affects the speed and balance of your spin, then try some spins with your arms tight to your body.

Then try a few where you initiate the spin with your arms stretched out, then pull them in tight as you rotate and vice versa.

 
Watch the rotation closely and notice what happens when Duncan pulls his arms in.

Each different position you experiment with should add to your air awareness skills and confidence. Once you're confident in your spins and landings, try pulling your knees up during the rotation #NinjaSteeze.

Pulling your knees up looks better and can help you learn grabs.

On a snowboard, spins pretty much look terrible if your legs are straight. Learning how to spin with your knees up will make them look way better and put you in the right position to start thinking about adding some grabs.

It's also a great idea to practice spinning in both directions! You might notice that one direction feels more comfortable for while one direction feels awkward. This is natural for almost every snowboarder and it just means that the more difficult direction will take a little more practice and preparation.

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Chase Baines
Snowboard Addiction
Our Goal Is To Improve Your Riding