Question

[XSnowboard29X]

This is probably a really stupid question but...im a new boarder and i really want to go to the terrian park and ride the half pipe and everything else but ive never done it before....so how would i learn? should i just try it (not the half pipe right away but smaller things)???

[nick malozzi]

Try hitting a few of the smaller jumps. Just be careful not to get a huge head of speed going so that you can't control yourself. With jumps remember that you need to ollie similar to what you do on a skateboard. You dont just jump straight up. If you do this you will more then likely get really squirly and prolly fall. Ollie like you are on a skateboard...transition your weight to your back foot, put some flex into your tail and pop off it like a spring board. Right after the pop use your front foot to level the board in the air.

 

If it is your first time i recomend getting a helmet if you don't have one. Small falls are almost painless if you have a helmet on. Just be aware of how you fall, don't put your hands down to catch yourself or your wrists are done. Try to take the impact on you hips or shoulders, and even your butt if you aren't landing on ice or falling that hard. I wear pro-tec ass pads, and i would recomend them to anyone. My tailbone would be non existant if it wasn't for those babies (btw: who needs tail bones anyway? we don't have tails anymore).

 

As for the halfpipe, just ride in and ride up the walls. Each time through try to go higher and higher up the sides. Before you know it you will be airing out of the top.

 

The only way is to just try, but be smart about it. Take a few normal runs first to make sure your body is warmed up and loose, and don't expect to go in there and get huge air. Learn the basic mechanics of it and then work on harder things. I'd avoid the rails and boxes entirely for now.