Snowboarding can be enjoyed in many ways; one of them is to learn some exciting flips and jumps. If you enjoy snowboarding, you will love doing a 360 in the snow. A 360 jump is when you jump off the ground and rotate your body at a 360-degree angle before landing back in the snow.
You should also know it isn’t easy to master, as fun as it may sound. You’ll need a lot of practice doing this jump, especially if you’re a beginner. Pro snowboarders have mastered the 360 jump by adequately practicing, so please learn the basics before performing your first-ever 360 jump.
This article will guide you through the steps to 360 successfully in the snow.
Step 1: Gather Some Speed
It would be best to keep your speed slow to perform other jumps, but that isn’t the case with this one. If you wish to master the 360 jump, you’ll have to gather a lot of speed before flipping in the air. The main reason behind gathering too much momentum is that it allows you to stay in the air for a longer time. So, if you want to do a 360 on your snowboard, going slow won’t be the way to do that. Hence, this jump might be too challenging if you’re a beginner.
Step 2: Tip on Your Heel
The next step to performing a successful 360 is to place all your weight on the heel of your feet. Some people put their weight on the balls of their feet, which is a mistake. When you’ve placed adequate weight on your heels, you’ll feel more comfortable turning back up the hill. Also, while doing so, please remember to tilt the edge of your snowboard towards your heels. While performing a jump, you must use the edge on the snowboard as it allows you to be pushed into the air, something like a springboard.
Step 3: Twist Your Arms
After adding all weight onto your heels, you will have to twist your arms in the direction of your back foot. This step is crucial as you will be about to jump in the air, so moving your arms in that direction is necessary. The main reason behind moving your arms in that specific movement is to create wind to help your body take a spin in the air. As long as you ensure to twist your upper body and move your arms, you’ll have a good spin.
Step 4: Bend Your Knees
Since you’re about to take off in the air, you will have to bend at your knees as they will allow you to make a powerful jump. You’ll have to extract energy from your knees to ensure you have an excellent jump—some new snowboarders crouch too low, which isn’t necessary. You just need the proper force from your knees to spring you into the air. If you want, you can also lean your torso if it makes you comfortable.
Step 5: Turn Back up the Hill
After bending your knees, you will have to begin going backward with one of your legs in the front. You need to take your snowboard behind your back as if you’re about to go back up the hill. Going backward is necessary to do a backflip in the air. When you’re going in a straight direction fast, immediately turning back will allow you to do a backflip as the board will create friction within the snow. Swinging your arms will also help you with your rotation.
Step 6: Pop Up into the Air
You can officially begin your rotation by popping yourself up into the air. Use your legs to jump as high as possible; the higher your jump, the longer it will take to come down. You can use the snowboard as a springboard that propels you in the air. Also, please ensure to align your torso with your snowboard below. The slope will be your most immense help, allowing you to jump high. Another thing to remember is that you will also have to lock your core to have a great rotation.
Step 7: Look Over Your Shoulder
While you’re doing your rotation, you need to keep looking over your shoulder as it will help you with your movement. It would help if you kept doing it throughout the entire rotation, or you might not be able to complete it correctly. If you want to do a spin successfully, you will have to keep leading with your head and shoulder. Failure to do so might bring you down back in the snow before you can complete your rotation.
Step 8: Land on Toe Edge
You won’t have a precise landing when you’re almost done with the rotation. If you want to prevent a terrible fall, you’ll have to tip your snowboard forward and extend your legs to land safely on the ground. Bending your knees will help you absorb the impact upon touching the ground; so, make sure you bend them. If you made a super high jump, you’d be going down the slope again when you land. However, your direction after landing depends upon the rotational force you used.
Step 9: Work on Problem Areas
If you’re a beginner, you will undoubtedly struggle with making a 360 flip in the air with your snowboard. However, one way of learning to do it correctly is by working on a trampoline to practice your bounce, rotation, and landing. It will give you a clear idea of what you’re doing wrong and what must be done to master this jump. Also, the chances of you getting hurt are less while practicing on a trampoline.
Our Final Thoughts
Making a 360 jump in the air with your snowboard can be tremendous fun and scary if you don’t have much practice. If you wish to master this technique, you will have to practice. As long as you follow all of the steps mentioned above and do it under the supervision of an expert, you’ll learn how to 360 on your snowboard in no time.
