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Trick Tips
Straight Air Grabs | Rotations | Rails | Straight Rail | C-Rail | Flat-to-Down RailHuckzone trick tips section is made to give the new comer to the park jib scene an idea of how to approach a handful of entry to mid level difficulty airs and jibs. To discuss more tricks or post your own, visit the HZ Forum. Before you try to conquer any of these you should be comfortable doing plain straight airs and be consistent in popping off the lip of the jump and remaining even in the air. If you have one available, a trampoline can help you get the feel for the air and gain better control of your body.
Picking a jump
-Pick a jump with an even transition at least the length of a ski. This is so that at take off there is no "pop" to deal with and your weight will be more likely to stay centered. As you progress in skill you may find that a jump with "pop" suits you better for some airs, but for now try and keep the transition even.-Pick a jump with a good landing. A good landing is NOT flat, it should have a downward slope.
-Before you try any new trick be sure to run into the jump and do a straight air that you are comfortable with a few times to help you get a feel for the in-run and the speed needed to launch.
Straight Airs
The Mute Grab:This trick quickly became popular after Johnny Mosely used it with a 360 to help win the 98 Olympics in Nagano. The idea is to grab opposite ski with opposite hand at or in front of the toe piece of your binding creating a cross with your skis. You can add a tweak for style.
- Approach the jump with your weight even to slightly forward, sometimes bringing your skis up to your hand will cause you to fall back slightly.
- At take off be sure to pop off the lip evenly. Bring your left ski up and your right hand down. Your left hand should extend out to the side and up to counter this motion.
- Grab your left ski at or just in front of the toe piece and pull up completing the grab, the more air time you have the more you and pull and arch your back to get the tweak in there.
- Release the grab, bring your hands back to center, and stomp the trick!
The Japan Air:
The idea is to kick one leg out to the side while grabbing behind the opposite binding heel piece with the opposite hand. Sound confusing? Its really not that bad.
- Approach the jump with your weight even to slightly forward, sometimes bringing your skis up to your hand will cause you to fall back slightly.
- At take off be sure to pop off the lip evenly. Tuck your right ski up under your butt, reach down with your left hand behind your left thigh to meet your ski just behind the binding. Your right hand will go out and up to counter.
- Grab your right ski under your butt just behind the binding heel piece. Kick out your left leg, the straighter the more style the trick has.
- Release the grab, bring your hands back to center, and stomp the trick!
The Safety Grab:
The idea is to grab same ski with same hand under the boot. This requires you to "tuck up" both legs in the air.
- Approach the jump with your weight even to slightly forward, sometimes bringing your skis up to your hand will cause you to fall back slightly.
- At take off be sure to pop off the lip evenly. Begin to tuck up both legs. And your right hand down to meet you ski.
- Grab your ski under your butt right under your boot, be sure to allow your left arm to counter, it is sometimes tough to stay even in the air while tucking both your legs up.
- Release the grab, bring your hands back to center, and stomp the trick!
Rotation Tricks
Basically all grab can be done with spins. It is important to keep in mind the direction of rotation and remember that naturally you should grab or reach in the direction of the spin. Once you become better at this you can try and do these tricks "un-natural" which is grabbing opposite your rotation.Before you try any spins with grabs you need to be able to spin, so lets talk about the basic 360.
The jump is important, see picking a jump above. Wait for the right jump and right conditions cause getting hurt trying this will only spook you out of trying it again.
The 360:
Most people reading this probably have twin tip skis. Twin tips are not there so that you can bail out of a 360 half way... This mindset will not help you learn a 3. When you decide to try a 360 you need to focus on a full rotation. Pick a spot in front of the jump and don't stop looking until you are back around to that same point.
- approach the jump, don't be afraid of speed. You need to clear the jump and give yourself enough time to complete the rotation.
- Pop evenly off the jump and set your rotation by popping and turning your shoulders and head in the direction of the spin, the rest of your body will follow.
- KEEP LOOKING for the spot downhill you picked. Another technique used to even out your landing is to look for a spot 3/4 of the way around and lock eyes on it, this will allow you to even out your body as your rotation finishes and slow your rotation for the landing. Before you try this practice getting the full rotation down.
- As you complete your rotation extend your arms and get ready to absorb the landing. Some people spin very straight legged to begin with, it is important to set up for landing so you don't hurt your knees.
- Stomp it and know that once you have done one you can do another.
The 540:
The 540 is a 360 with an extra 180 and a switch landing. Obviously it requires a little more air time and a comfort riding switch. Make sure you got the 3's licked before you try a 540.
The only difference between a 540 and a 360 is that once one rotation is completed you just look for that extra 180. Some riders just snap their bodies around for the last 180, this is a little less controlled than a smooth rotation.
Once you are around 540 you will be looking slightly over your lead shoulder. Switch landings are usually weighted slightly forward, this helps you to maintain control as you ride out switch. The landing takes a little adjustment for you to find your own sweet spot when landing switch, just be sure that the landing is packed and relatively smooth or you will need a good chiropractor and a neck brace.
More Rotations:
Anything over a 360 is simply more looking, more air time and sometimes a harder set, if you have a good set and keep looking you will keep spinning.
Rotations With Grabs:
When you are trying to do a rotation with a grab obviously make sure you get the rotation and the straight grab down first. Before you run into the jump, have an idea of what you want to do and try to imagine how the trick will feel. Rember a lot of skiing is mental. You may need to set the spin harder if you are going to grab. Think about the way you are rotating and grab so that it is with your rotation, not against. Begin reaching for the grab after you set a nice even spin. Be sure to counter so that you are not thrown off center.
More details coming soon...
Check out these couple of clips to help you get an idea.
360 Indy | 360 Mute
Riding Rails
Riding rails with skis is a newer art. As a male skier I can tell you that as you learn to run rails your biggest fear will be draggin the jewels down 15 feet of hard steel while everyone and there sisters are watching. Don't worry everyone else on rails with skis has the same fear except for our fellow female rippers...The most important thing about riding rails is to remember to stay forward.
Straight Rails:
Pick a rail that is less than crotch high from the ground for your first one. This is not just because of your jewels, but also its less distance to the ground!
- Approach the rail with the rail between your legs. This is very important, I see so many people trying to get on rails approaching them from the side, this will NOT work.
- Be sure that your speed is good to get both your skis onto the rail and off the other end. Remember the slower you go the longer you spend on the rail!
- Hop off the jump or transition, turn 90 degrees, and land on the rail square with the rail directly under the center of your boot sole. KEEP YOUR HANDS UP IN FRONT OF YOU.
- Focus on the end of the rail, this helps to keep your weight forward and keeps you from falling off the rail to the sides.
- Try to ride off the rail, straighten your skis downhill and stomp it out. You just cleaned the rail, and you still got your jewels...
C Rails:
The major difference between the c-rail and the straight rail is that your weight will want to be more "inside" the c-rail rather than centered like the straight rail. It is usually easier for people to learn c-rails with their heels down on the inside of the bend.
Here's a couple picks, one is a c-rail goin good, the other not so good...
- Approach the rail slighlt inside the bend. For example if the rail bends to the left, approach it slightly from the left. Alot of the approach has to do with the hill slope and angle, you will get a feel for this.
- Be sure that your speed is good to get both your skis onto the rail and off the other end. Remember the slower you go the longer you spend on the rail! Also on c-rails you will need your speed to hold you to the rail.
- Hop off the jump or transition, turn 90 degrees, and land slightly to the inside of the bend with your heels down towards the ground. Keep your hand up and forward.
- Focus on the end of the rail, this helps to keep your weight forward and keeps you from falling off the rail to the sides.
- Try to ride off the rail, this usually sets you into a 270 spin off the end of a c-rail, adds a little style!
Flat-to-Down Rails:
The Flat-to-Down rail is alot like the flat rail except for the change in angle half way through the rail. Try to pick a Flat-to-Down that is not too high off the ground for your first one. The approach is the same, but throughout the slide you have to keep in mind that the rail will get steeper and to compensate for it you will have to lean farther forward.
- Approach the rail with the rail between your legs. This is very important, I see so many people trying to get on rails approaching them from the side, this will NOT work.
- Be sure that your speed is good to get both your skis onto the rail and off the other end. On the Flat-to-Down rail you want to keep your speed good, but not too much or you will launch the bend in the rail.
- Hop off the jump or transition, turn 90 degrees, and land on the rail square with the rail directly under the center of your boot sole. KEEP YOUR HANDS UP IN FRONT OF YOU.
- Focus on the bend in the rail (where it becomes steeper), anticipate the weight transition forward.
- As you go over the bend onto the steep section of the rail transition your weight forward to keep from falling back.
- Now focus on the end of the rail. Try to ride off the rail, straighten your skis downhill and stomp it out. You just cleaned the Flat-to-Down rail, if you made it through this rail and you still have your jewels you are a jibber!
Here are a couple more links to some trick tip sites
Line Skis Trick Tips
Nifty Tricks
*Newschoolers Forum
*you will need to search the newschoolers forums, there is a lot of good stuff in there.
More at Huckzone
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Polish your skills with: Trick Tips