VividSnowboarding

Thismonth:afrontsideandbackside180

It'stimetoputalltheelementsfromthelastthreetechniquepiecestogether andmasteryourfirstparktrip-theoh-sounderrated180,saysRobNorton

The 180 is one of the most underrated tricks in snowboarding. A very simple trick, done well it can show the true sign of a stylish, accomplished rider. The basics of the trick are spinning your snowboard, in the air, 180 degrees -so you'll be taking off regular and then landing switch. It will be one of the first rotations learnt, but will take time, energy and love to perfect. Before learning how to do a 180 you should already be comfortable with ollies and with riding switch.

This trick can be practised on an easy slope and then taken into the park or backcountry. Once mastered, it's great for testing that first rotation off a slightly bigger kicker. The trick can be performed off the toe or heel edge.

There are two versions of the 180 -frontside and backside. Frontside is when your torso twists in the ..: direction you are facing, so you always have your landing site in focus. A backside means that your ;;; torso will rotate up the mountain, briefly taking your 5 view away from your landing, making it slightly ii: more technical.

Frontside180

Startontheflat

Before you take this trick to a jump, get comfortable jumping 180 on the flat.

Start by setting up on your heel edge (you would set up on your toe edge for backside 180s). Begin the movement by twisting your hips and shoulders in the opposite direction to the direction of your spin to build the energy for the rotation (the 'wind up'). Flex your knees with your weight on your back foot, as you would do for an ollie. Now pop up and rotate yourself around in the direction you want to go and lift your board in the air. Land on both feet with knees bent. Keep practicing this until it becomes easy.

Whiletraversing

Next, try your frontside 180 while traversing across a gentle, wide slope. Create grip with the snow using your toe edge, wind up your upper body using your arms and shoulders, then pop to lift and rotate the board. As you jump, swing your rear arm across your body so that it points in the new direction of travel.

The beauty about learning small rotational tricks is that they can be learnt, practised and mastered on a mellow slope before taking them into the park. By taking away the fear factor of the park, you can learn this trick in a safe and fun environment -and be building that ever-important confidence all the time.

Jump Time

Find a gentle slope with a small lip on the edge of the piste. Side hits are fantastic for 180s because being on your edge gives you grip with the snow, which is essential for all spin tricks.

Ronin

Keep that central feel on your board -don't allow your weight to be too over the front foot, or be sitting back over the tail. Think a nice 50% on the front and 50% on the back foot. Keep your upper body relaxed and aligned, your core strong and your eyes focusing on the jump. Keep your ankles, knees and hips slightly flexed.

Takeoff

Don't be too hasty and rotate too early. A frontside 180 is a small rotation, so you don't need to throw the trick too hard on take-off. Remember to throw your head, shoulders and core at the same time; these movements want to be smooth and blended together.

Airtime

Stay relaxed and compact in the air. Push your knees out over your boots to create that all-important triangle shape -or cowboy stance -with the lower half of your body. Try and make movements that are slow and stylish. Grabs can add stability into any trick, so don't be afraid to experiment with these.

Landing

Keep your eyeline watching the spot you want to land in. If you open your head up and keep looking around with the rotation then you'll over rotate the trick. By locking your eye line on the spot you want to land you will block the rotation and land on this spot. Try and achieve that gentle and relaxed centred landing, then ride away switch -and remember not to revert around to your regular position, as switch riding is the business!

Backside180

When doing a backside 180, you can apply the same sequence of progression as you did for the frontside 180. Start on the flat, stationary even, winding up and turning your back to the direction of travel. The fact you are temporarily 'blind' when spinning this way means that you'll need total confidence in your switch riding before you consider trying this.

It's a good idea to straight air the jump a handful of times first. Since backside 180s are blind, one of the dangers of this trick is overshooting or undershooting a jump. If you do either, you won't know it until it's too late to try and compensate.

Even confident switch riders will have a tendency to land nose-heavy, on their uphill foot, wheelieing slightly on landing, so it's important to really try and remain balanced with a 50-50 weight distribution over your feet when landing backside 180s. With a little bit of practise you will quickly see how close within your grasp the backside 360 is. .A.Getset toland it...