CheoSamad

I have the first video of me riding park from this year. I was looking for some feedback on it from all of you guys!
Please don't be afraid to PICK ME APART!
I want to not only get better at riding, but get better at looking good while riding.

(I hate to make excuses, but that second rail in the video is just too small to hit properly. It through me off a lot so I know that front lip is overly sloppy)

Cheo Samad Loud Lap - YouTube

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ComeBack_Kid

Since you asked...

Your riding looks kind of awkward and unbalanced. You "jerk" your body into the small tricks you were trying, and it just doesn't look good. Not terrible or anything, but definitely not anything worth filming.

linvillegorge

Didn't watch the video.

Are you having fun? If yes, your riding is great. Fuck what anyone thinks.

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CheoSamad

Do you have any tips on how I can fix that? I'm not trying to do that. Maybe forcing my arms to stay at my sides?

Having tons of fun! I just wanna try to look good doing it!

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alaric

This... you're too loose sometimes and way too tight at other times.

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CheoSamad

Can you if it is not too much trouble tell me which ones are too loose, and which tricks are too tight? Maybe I can see what I'm doing and try to work on it.

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Donutz

First, linville is right -- having fun is more important than anything else. Second, give the camera operator a good slap. I got seasick. Third, the rails are either poorly set up or tracked out. There doesn't seem to be much of an approach or ramp.

In terms of your actual riding, you are popping instead of ollying, which will always look more awkward, and you're putting a lot more effort into getting air than you need to. On one of the rails (I think the second one), the person in front of you basically just rides on, and you jump an extra foot. This is just a question of practice. You'll get used to how much effort you need to put in for any particular trick, and you'll look smoother. But work on ollies a bit more.

I think the "too tight" comment from others is based on you bracing yourself for the big jump, then having to brace yourself for the landing. Just relax more.

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I hate the parts between winter...

Jed

I'd say your rotation initiation is causing a lot of the jerkiness. It seems very forced every time you try to rotate.

Work on making really mastering your 180s and 360s to make it fluid and effortless and your other tricks which all rely on rotation will naturally become a lot smoother as well.

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CheoSamad

The features were poorly maintained in this video. Our lazy ass park crew made the choice to blow snow then entire day before, and the previous night, but instead of adjusting the features, they just left them. The blue down rail used to come up to somewhere around my knee. Now it's about the height of my ankle.

You're not the first to tell me the pop vs ollie thing that I do. Thank you for pointing it out! I really need to work on that.

Will keep that in mind tomorrow. Maybe just spend the day working on those tricks before going back to park features.

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ComeBack_Kid

First off, props for taking constructive criticism.

When it comes to looking less stiff overall, I find that actually relaxing and not over-thinking as you ride helps more than anything. Just "feel" it, and your riding will look more natural.

You are also stiff on your rail moves. If you stiffen up during jib tricks, you will not only look super awkward, but you're also more likely to fall. When you hit a box or rail the right way, you let your momentum work with you, and after a bit of experience, your muscle memory will take over and you'll look better as a result.

As for your spins in particular, try to wind your body up more before the actual spin. Then, just before you actually start spinning, make sure your body is "open" to the spin and turn your shoulders into the direction of the spin.

It's hard to explain it without visuals. Check out this climp from "Jumping with Jussi" for an idea of the exact mechanics of how to spin: