Have you learned how to backflip on a snowboard? If not, maybe it’s time to start. A lot of people think it’s easy to learn how to backflip on snowboards, but the truth is, it does take some practice. That doesn’t mean it can’t be fun though! One way to enjoy your time doing it is by following these steps below.
Step 1 – Find A Big Jump
To backflip on your snowboard, you must first find a big jump. You can’t do a backflip on a rail unless your name is Shaun White. This is because you need to be going fast enough for gravity to pull you down into the flip. The only way you’ll get enough air is by jumping at least fifteen feet high, which only happens off of a big jump!
Step 2 – Make Sure You Can Land The Jump Regularly
If you’re planning a backflip, make sure you are able to land the jump regularly. Make sure the landing is nice and flat, and not close to trees or rocks. If there’s a jump near your local park that looks like it’d be fun to ollie off, head over with a friend.
Step 3 – Find A Spot With A Nice Landing Area
To start, you should find a soft landing area and make sure to stay away from rocks or trees that could cause injury. A good rule of thumb is to practice in an open space where there are no other people around.
Step 4 – Sit Down And Visualize Yourself Doing The Trick In Every Direction
Visualizing can help lock the steps into your brain for easy retrieval once you hop on the board again. Visualize the tricks in slow motion, from all angles. Think “I can do it!” and stick with strong, confident thoughts. If you mess up a visualization, start over.
Step 5 – Ride Up To The Lip Of The Jump With Speed, And Do A Backside Ollie (Pop With Your Back Foot)
The first step is to ride up to the lip of the jump with speed, and do a backside ollie. An ollie is a snowboard trick that involves popping off the snow with your back foot. The height that you pop off of the ground will determine how fast or slow you spin. So make sure to pop high enough so that you have time to complete the rotation.
Step 6 – Twist Your Shoulders Around So That Your Front Foot Is Facing Downhill And Your Back Foot Is Facing Uphill
As you begin to rotate your shoulders, straighten your legs so that as you fall, you’re falling in a straight line. Keep your hands out in front of you as they start to approach the ground, but don’t worry about catching yourself.
As soon as you feel the ground with your hands, twist them over so that your palms are facing down and catch yourself with a push from the ground. Once you get comfortable rolling back into it without putting too much pressure on your wrists, try landing on five fingers instead of just two.
Step 7 -Pull Your Legs Up While Twisting Them, Keeping Your Feet And Knees Together
After you’ve twisted your legs around and turned your body in the direction you want to go, pull your legs up while keeping both feet and knees together. Keep them bent so that as you’re spinning, your knees stay tucked in.
Once you’re up in the air, keep pulling up with your arms and pushing down with your feet until you’ve made a full rotation.
Step 8 – Tuck Your Chin Into Your Chest
Tuck your chin into your chest. This will help you spin faster, and it’ll make you more aerodynamic (meaning you’ll go higher). Plus, it will keep your head out of harm’s way so that you won’t bang it on the ground when you land.
Step 9 – Keep Tucking And Twisting Until You Are Looking At The Sky Above You (Not The Ground Below)
You may experience the sensation of air rushing past your ears or a tugging on your pants, this is normal. You are now at the point where you have exhausted your momentum and are about to slow down. This is when things get scary and you start to feel like gravity will overtake you. All that is left is tucking and twisting as hard as you can while holding your board as tightly against your body as possible.
Step 10 – Stretch Out Both Arms Towards The Sky As Soon As You Feel Weightless
Stretching out both arms towards the sky as soon as you feel weightless will help you know which way you are spinning, prevent your arms from flailing around and get them out of the way. Keeping your arms stretched out helps with the rotation of the spin and will give your backflip a more controlled feeling. Only bring your arms down right before landing.
Step 11 – Don’t Do Anything Once You Start Coming Down (No Adjusting)
Once your body is in motion, let go of any expectations you have. While it’s tempting to adjust yourself if you feel off-balance or imbalanced, don’t do it! It will only throw you out of whack. Instead, continue flipping with the same commitment and determination that got you there.
Step 12 – Land With Both Feet On Your Snowboard And Bend Your Knees
Make sure your snowboard is flat on the ground when you land! If only one foot comes down on your board, you will tumble off falling to the side or over your front (or back) end. Bend your knees to absorb the impact as you come down from your jump.
Our Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve got the basics down, you’re ready to go forth and conquer the slopes with your new backflip skill!
Remember, just because it may seem like a small change in your body position can make a huge difference in where you land. Also remember that it’s normal to feel nervous when trying something new. That just means you’re growing!
And most importantly: have fun! After all, snowboarding is supposed to be fun. So enjoy your time on the slopes and don’t forget to admire the view from high up there—we’ll see you on the way down!
