How to jump a snowboard

Jumping a snowboard is really fun and easier than you think. This is a basic jump to get you started.

Difficulty: Easy

How

1. Before you first jump you need to learn how to "ollie," which comes from skateboarding, meaning ” to jump up with your board”.
2. On flat land with your board strapped on, jump up bringing the board off the ground. Bend at the knees and then spring up. That's an ollie. You can also try lifting the nose with your front foot and “popping” into the air using the spring energy off your back foot.
3. Notice how the board comes up and make sure the nose of the board is coming up higher than the back. If it's not concentrate on bringing your front foot higher.
4. Get comfortable doing ollies on flat land.
5. Now try to ollie while going down a groomed run.
6. Once you're comfortable with that it's time for your first real jump.
7. Find a nice one or two-foot jump that you're comfortable with . Make sure you're landing on a hill and not flat ground because a flat impact is bad for your knees and ankles.
8. Take few deep breaths and approach the jump determined to do it.
9. Crouch a little as and get your board off its edges and flat as you approach the jump. When you reach the top of the jump, ollie a little to get a little boost.
10. Immediately look at where you're going to land and concentrate on staying upright and landing with your board flat.
11. Land on the flat of your board, not on its edges and bend your knees to absorb the shock of the landing.
12. Now repeat until you're comfortable.

Tips:

1. Don't get too fancy when you're in the air. This is just an introduction to the many tricks you can do on a snowboard.
2. Never hit a jump without checking the landing site and making sure it's safe.

How to do an “indy grab”

This is the quintessential "first trick". Once you get the hang of it, you can experiment with style by trying it tuck-knee or by boning it out (straightening your front leg).

Difficulty: Medium Easy

HOW:

1. Ride straight at a jump or “kicker” with the base of your board flat.
2. Spring off the lip of the jump.
3. Don't bend over at the waist! Instead, suck your legs up so that your board will meet your hand.
4. Grab your board on the toeside edge between your feet with your rear hand. Put your other arm into the air.
5. Let go of your grab and extend your legs for the landing
6. Absorb the landing and ride away.

Tips:
As you improve, try adding an indy grab into your spins. But to sound cool, remember this: "indy" refers to a backside spin; i.e. indy is never frontside. If you spin frontside and grab between your feet it is called a "frontside" grab.