Casual

I'm 35 and I ride park 1-2 times per week, at my age injuries come easy and last a long time. I'm just getting over a shoulder injury from a boardslide on a down box. The box was damaged and I caught an edge on it, not really my fault but that instilled the fear again.

These are some tactics I use to overcome it.

1. Work up to it slowly. Do tricks I'm solid at and build confidence, then start working on whatever it is I want to learn on a small feature, even if thats just flat ground and I imagine its a feature. Then to a ride on, then a jump on and then a rail for example.

2. Visualize. This has always been a key for me, if i can't see myself do it I can't do it. I picture myself doing the entire trick from my line, the trick and the landing/ride away. I do this several times before I go.

3. As I'm approaching I stay loose and I tell myself specific things. If I need to turn my head for example I will say "stay calm, turn your head, stay calm, turn your head" on my approach (I'm telling you this is a golden tactic). What you should never do is tell yourself what not to do because almost guaranteed you WILL do it. Do not say stuff like "Don't panic, don't fall, don't freak out" etc. Guess what your brain hears? --->>> Panic! FREAK OUT! FALL!!

Try it - Take a run and say "don't freak out" and see if that calms you down. Next run say "stay calm" and I bet you $1000 it will be more effective. I got this tactic from a psychologist- the word "don't" gets illiminated when your under stress and your brain only hears the following command... so don't freak out becomes freak out... the mind is a crazy thing.

4. Ok so last but not least my tactic to get over the thinking process of sitting above a feature staring it down. Once you have your visualization, and you know what your going to tell yourself on your approach. Just say to yourself "no think just go". lol. My best friend gave me this Jackie Chan quote and I've been using it for years.

Hope this helps... works for me.

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makken

fear is a greater obstacle than any feature you can find in a park.

i'm really trying to start learning some inversion tricks, specifically a barrel roll, but i can't grow the nuts to actually throw one. i don't really have any powder fields to practice in. does anyone have any progressions for me to work my way up? or will i just have to suck it up and do it?

tflock82

im at the same point as you! i just have nowhere to practice them, ive done a couple of tamedogs(frontflips) and broke a board, i tried again after 2 weeks and broke another board, now i have a nice board that i really cant afford to break it again. now im working on barrel rolls , seems like its not as straining on my equipment.

neni

I've never got injured while snowboarding but I got two neck discs ruptured doing my other favorite sport (cross country riding) and since you ask about ones personal fear management strategies I think my experience might fit. I was heavily scared of going back in the saddle again. The first half year I rode with a neck stabilizing protector (collar?) and did each jump with fear and tension. I continuously got more scared, less concentrated and didn't dare to approach obstacles with enought impulsion. Shortly after I got a thumb dislocated and tendons ruptured, and when I further hit a tree hard I had to give it a break before something serious would happen.

I began to concentrate on the basics for half a year, did only small but technical jumps, things I could manage with ease and thus build up new confidence and have my muscles notrelaxe. and went riding on race tracks (without obstacles) to learn to enjoy the speed again. I've not compleatly recovered from the fear of getting the neck injured again... if a jump scares me, I mentally repeat the approach-fly-land movements over and over and over again and - most important - breathe very consciously and get everything else out of focus.


Hope, you'll overcome your block soon. Keep trying, but don't put yourself under too much pressure

Soggysnow

I was having a conversation with a coach this weekend just gone on exactly this. WB does not allow teaching of inverted tricks. Its a bit of a catch 22 really, they do not want to be responsible, but then you have people who get to that point in their progression that want to learn and are having to figure it out with no real training on how to do it as safely as possible.
Tricky.

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I ride: NS Pandora 146 + Salomon Absolute premium Bindings
Stepchild PMS 149 + Nitro Eris Bindings
+15 -12