ThunderChunky

I don't know if I was drunk when I was writing this or what?

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Casual

I assumed you were esl! Maybe German or Chinese haha!

poutanen

Okay so here's my attempt at sort of the same filming style as yours... I chickened out and didn't do any spin moves on this jump. Tried a few little 180s elsewhere but nothing fancy.

Anyway, tips, pointers, critque!?! Thanks!

Casual

Looks like fun, lots of snow there hey? It's pretty tough to critique of a jump like this but here is what I saw:

1. Good technique on the butt slide! You must have many years of tobogganing behind you.
2. Be more careful taking your board off, that could have been a long run to retreive it hahah!!

Seriously though:

- Looks like you are in the back seat, which isn't so bad landing in flat powder but off a big park jump that could end badly. Try popping a bit more with both feet and jumping forward a bit. This should get you flat in the air and stomping on both feet instead of your tail. You don't want to let the jump dictate the angle you will be at in the air.

- When you do your method, straighten out your back leg and do a slight backside shifty for style points

- I wouldn't expect you to spin off this jump, there is no set up turn or real lip to do anything off. Find some hard packed side hits and do them there... 180's are pretty easy but a lot of fun. Usually when I ride the mountain I ride 50% switch doing FS/BS 180's off anything and everything I see like rollers and side hits, nollie 180's and 1/2 cabs are fun to add into that mix as well. This will really help your confidence with basic spins and makes riding with your GF a bit more fun lol.

Sorry I can't offer anymore advice then this, a small park jump like 5-10'er might be better for this experiment.

poutanen

Lol thanks! Yeah the buttslide had to stay in the video. Was the best part of the day! And I figured the comic relief of the unstrapping would help too.

The wipeout actually happened because I was landing off a different jump in deeper powder and I didn't get the tail down first. I was too busy looking at the ground to see if I'd pass another guy's landing point!

Thanks for the spin tips, I wig out in the park cause I'll be landing on hardpack, so I always figured it'd be easier to learn in the powder. I've started trying little BS 180's off little bumps in the snow everywhere on the hill and I can see how it could get addictive. Methinks I'll take your advice and spend a few runs doing that while boarding with the GF!

For whatever reason I've always jumped riding forward, done a BS 180 and landed switch. I suppose jumping switch would help me get over the mental block as I'd be landing comfortably forward? I guess this is why people say 360's are easier than 180's? Probably heading to COP soon as we have some rain cheques we have to use up before they expire. I'm going to try this again off a little park feature and start trying some spins. Thanks for the tips!

Casual

You should not be "getting the tail down" though, you should be landing on both feet This is critical, your shoulders and board need to move in the same kind of arch that the jump does, so you start at say 30 deg back, in the apex of the jump you should be flat in the air and then your weight, shoulders and board should move forward/angle down to match the landing. In powder I guess a little more on the tail but not heavy like you were on your jumps. Your shoulders match the takeoff still when your landing.

Jumping switch and landing reg is an easy way to land but start small, I'm talking little rollers and side hits. this is just a good way to connect your switch and reg riding, not saying learn switch 180's instead of regular. Anyways its a really fun way to ride. Ex. Ride reg, do FS 180 - ride sw then do a switch BS 180, then BS 180, then FS half cab, then nollie 180... you just keep doing all these combos of 8 tricks both reg/switch. As for learing park in the powder - not sure, you can't slide out of anything under-rotated and the jumps are never groomed or level. If you start small and take the right steps you should be fine in the park. Just do it all flat land and off rollers first. Watch videos on youtube some of them are really good. in fact, just watch all of them because having 10 different people explain the same thing is a good way to not miss anything.

Once you feel comfortable riding switch you will feel better landing 180's, thats really the key. I ride switch to about 80% of my ability that I ride reg, which means I can charge pretty hard switch and I'm not afraid to hit a black with moguls switch, but maybe not through the tress at the same pace as reg, and not off any big jumps.

poutanen

Actually I was landing tail down on purpose, gotta land that way in powder! I'll watch the clip again when I get home to see.

At the moment I'd say I'm about 50% comfortable with switch. I'll ride choppy blues and clean blacks switch but probably cruising about 70% of my regular speed. Another thing I like to do while riding with the GF is tail her riding switch, I think it's time to start doing that more often.

Thanks again!

Casual

Fair enough, but you look like your in the backseat right off the lip, you should be able to land in the powder with your shoulders level and your weight like 60/40 toward the back foot, but not way leaned back. Anyways check the vid and see what you think.

poutanen

Went back and looked on slow mo and I see what you mean on jump #2... My board's probably on a 30 degree angle when I touch down! The rest seemed okay though, tip was about 8" off the snow when the tail touched down which is what I'd need in that powder. It's really dramatic on that one jump though!!! Actually now that I look at it both the first jumps were that way.

1st...



2nd...



3rd...



4th...




Interesting that both of the first jumps were just my traditional grab and I was landing way back, while the next two method/suitcase grabs are something I only bust out for special occasions, and I was landing more flat and actually flying farther!?! See now this is why I think this video business is good, I wouldn't have ever known that if it wasn't on video!

Casual

Video don't lie! I guess the key there is to shift your weight forward a bit more off the takeoff, like I mentioned earlier - don't let the jump dictate your body position... you gotta own that shit

*notice in the last one your shoulders are level but your board is a bit angled - thats better... #2 eek!!!