You're getting confident on your board or skis and you've decided today's the day - you're gonna catch some air. Well good for you, because we're here with 7 steps to help you to get your board/skis off the ground confidently and safely.
(Hey you... yes you... before you take any of our tips for words of pure wisdom here is a full disclaimer: we are just a bunch of girls sharing their experiences and tips and should not be used as teaching gold. We're just giving you some tricks that have helped us break down some mental barriers in our snow playground. Any suggestions giving should be used at the riders discretion and judged on their skill level). Okay, back to the fun stuff.
1. Practice your ollies
First up, get your ollie on. Doing an ollie is how you get in the air, and is one of the most essential snowboarding/skiing skills. It involves sliding your board/skis underneath to use the flex to get height off the ground... it's hard to explain... if you're confused watch this video (board) or this video (skis).
Practice your ollies first when you're standing still, and then start doing them while you move (mellow cat tracks are perfect places to practice!)
2. Small hits outside of the park
Once you're feeling confident about your ollies, find a small lump of snow you can use to practice doing an ollie off. Look around the mountain, especially on the sides of runs - there are usually great places to practice your ollies!
NITP Top Tip - the lips of other park features are NOT JUMPS - these are only to be used for getting onto the feature, so don't use them to practice your ollies. Instead, find some natural features. The Gopher Glades at SilverStar are the perfect place to find an ollie-able nub!
3. Find your jump
Alright - you're ready to hit your first park jump! Find a small jump marked XS or S in your park, or ask the park crew if you're not sure.
From here, pick a spot where you feel comfortable dropping in from. It doesn't matter if you go really slow the first time, but make sure you commit to a nice straight line into the jump.
NITP Top Tip - once you've found a good jump, don't be afraid to unstrap and hike back up the hill to hit it a few times. Hiking features is a great way to build confidence (and fitness) -but just make sure you're out of the way of any other park users!
4. The approach
Be confident and commit! Keep your line straight (avoid any last second speed checks - these will throw off your balance!), your board/skis flat on the snow, and keep a nice relaxed stance with your knees bent. If you're a skiier, keep your arms in front of you. If you're a boarder, keep your arms in a wide stance over the tip and tail of your board.
5. The air time
The first time you hit the jump, don't worry too much about doing an ollie, just let the jump do the work and put you in the air. Look at the landing (not at your feet!) and enjoy the feeling of catching some air!
6. The landing
As you land, keep your knees bent and absorb the landing. You should land with the full base of your skis or board on the snow at the same time (in other words, not heavily on your tail or nose). Then ride away like the queen you are!
7. Putting it all together
Once you've nailed this a few times, try a small ollie off the top of the jump (also known as the lip) to give yourself a bit more air. It might take some time to get the timing right but we're all about eating shit sometimes (just take a look at our wipe out Wednesdays).
Then you gotta practice, practice, practice. Bring your new air skills to other jumps in the park. Maybe even try a little grab if you're feeling confident! Grabs are a great way to give your jumps more style and balance. On a board, the most straightforward is the INDY - your back hand grabs between the feet on your toe edge. On skis try to grab SAFETY - grabbing under your boot of one of your skis (left hand on the left ski or right hand on the right ski).
That's it for this week's advice straight from the unofficial NITP textbook. We wanna see some clips of you getting air this week, be sure to tag us @nothinginthepantry for a chance to win some swag. Got a question? Let us know in the comments below.
Finally, stay tuned for more trick tips! Coming soon, 180's and box slides. Getttt it!
Written by Hannah Hurley - Official NITP Blog Writer.