Freestyle Snowboarding – Mastering Tips

Freestyle Snowboarding is the most popular style in the industry, since it is all about the thrill and tricks of the sport. Freestyle focuses on jumps, tricks, rail slides, half pipes and switch riding. The pros can really show off what they’re made of in this particular category. Hold on to your toque as we explore the high speed world of freestyle riding and tell you what you’ll need to land a sweet jump!

The snowboarding gear intended for freestyle snowboarding is designed with safety and performance in mind. The boards are shorter, lighter, wider and easier to maneuver, and they also have twin tips, which means that the tail and tip are identical in shape. A general freestyle board will be designed to handle well on jumps, spinning in the air and riding switch. If you can afford a board for every occasion, then these specialty boards will ride extremely well in the condition for which they were designed, but are not likely to perform well outside of that specific terrain.

Snowboard cores can be made of wood, composites or experimental hybrids. Wooden cores are usually more responsive and durable. It’s a good idea to try a demo board before you make a purchase. Freestyle boards are ridden with soft snowboarding boots and freestyle bindings, both of which allow for increased mobility. Bindings with minimal straps and low backs offer lots of mobility – an advantage when trick riding. However, bindings that are too loose can make precise carving very difficult. Experiment with different combinations of snowboard bindings and boots to find a setup that is best suited to your riding style.

When your browsing a snowboard shop, choose your board carefully to be safe and perform well when freestyle snowboarding. To judge the right height and width of the board, use your body dimensions. When the board is stood on its end, it should meet somewhere between your chin and eyes. If you’re heavy, then you can go with a board that’s a little longer. The width should be in relation to your boot size. It’s ok for your feet to hang over very slightly, but you won’t be able to maneuver well if your feet are too wide for the board.

Safety is the first rule of freestyle snowboarding. On a steep slope, it’s important to identify that you will pick up good speed in a short amount of time. It’s essential to generate enough speed before the jump, which will allow you to land on the transition of the table top several feet past the knuckle of the jump. Your level of skill and comfort should match the scale and difficulty of the jump you intend on riding.

By Sports Editor

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