How to do an Ollie on a Snowboard

How to do an Ollie on a Snowboard

In this lesson you will learn how to do an ollie on a snowboard. The ollie is a trick used to jump over obstacles or dead skiers ;) It is one of the first tricks you should learn. Wear snowboard gloves with wrist guards and close your hands when you first try to ollie. You shouldn't try this if you can't even drift down an easy trail without problems. Find more snowboarding instructions at snowboarding main.

Description: Ollie on a Snowboard

  • Find a flat trail or ride into a flat, even area. Make sure there isn't much traffic where you try your first ollies. Don't ride too fast, don't ride too slow. You should feel comfortable with your speed.
  • Bend down so that your knees are bent slightly less than 90 degrees and strike out with your arms. Keep looking straight forward and try not to whip you trunk too much. The weight should be half on the front and half on the back foot. Keep looking straight forward the whole time.
  • Extend your legs, swing your arms and pull up the nose of your board first. Keep looking straight forward. Try not to whip your upper body. Now the weight is on the back leg.
  • Use the flexibility of your board. The tail of your board stays on the floor pretty long. But don't lean back too much, because you could fall.
  • Shortly before the nose reaches the highest possible point, push your front leg and your hips slightly forward. But don't push too hard, or you will fall on your nose... Both noses ;) Lift your knees so that the ollie becomes higher. Keep your head high and your back vertical. (helps controlling the ollie) Still look straight forward or at least keep your head straight.
  • Land as flat as possible and compensate the landing with the entire body. Don't land with extended knees.
  • Then find another safe place for another ollie.

Trainer advice: Ollie on a Snowboard

  • Ollies are supposed to be done on a freestyle boards. (with soft boots) Of course you can also ollie on a race board, but race boards are much harder and over the time you would just wear you board out.
  • Don't try to ollie when you are riding on the edge.
  • If you land nose first, you pushed forward too hard or too early. If you land tail first, you didn't push forward enough and didn't tap the full potential of your ollie.
  • For your first tries find a flat and even area.
  • Don't ollie over a skier if you are not sure he is dead. You might hit him. OK, ok, I guess I was bored today... LOL

Videos: Ollie on a Snowboard

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