Posted by
FreshChris
ok hands down the best begginner trick because it is very simle, and if done right looks downright amazing
are shiftys
or just straight airs with a fun grab, tweak it if you have more experience
Except for the small fact that a shifty is actually quite a complicated pair of counter-rotational movements. It can be an EXTREMELY dangerous trick if you don't know how to use conter-rotation properly. The easiest way to adjust a straight air for style is an indie. Easiest 'trick' you can do.
If you're trying to do a shifty, make sure you're going to be safe doing it by practicing the movement on the snow first.
Backside Shifty: Practice by riding straight down the fall line on a shallow hill. If you start off with your arms inline with the board (in a - position) you're going to twist your upperbody towards the nose of the board, while using the force of the movement to bring the board round straight across the hill. This SHOULD leave your upper body in exactly the same position while the board is now on a toeside sideslip (in a + position). To return back to straight running simply reverse the movement. Bring your body round in line with the board again. Both of these moves should be short, sharp and swift: TACK (to + position) and then TACK (to - postion). This use of counter-rotation is also going to be the basics of any big rotations (over 360) so it's worth getting REALLY good at it now. Once you've got used to that, and you can do it on increasingly steep terrain while keeping your upperbody strong and using counter-rotation, NOT edge control, to manouver the board it's time to move onto the jump. It's exactly the same movement. Ride up the jump in the - position, arms in line over the board. Pop with both feet equally (if you don't you'll lose your balance and the movement will throw you onto your face). Once you're in the air, use exactly the same counter-rotation movement to bring the board directly across underneath you to the 90deg. + position. As you're learning this trick the first few attempts should then be straight back to the - position to prepare for landing. As you get more confident you can hold the shifty for longer periods of time, or start to use it with a tweak or grab.
Frontside Shifty: This time, when practicing on the snow first, start in the + position, with your arms out to your side while your upper body is twisted over the nose of the board. The reason for this, is that it gives you more power for the counter rotation in this direction. When you make the first movement to the - position it's a clockwise movement with the upper body. This should leave the board facing 90deg to your direction of travel (across the slope). Then make the second movement back to the + position, with the board running downhill. This should, again, be a really sharp movement: TACK (into - position) TACK (back to + position). Once you can do this you can, once again take it to the jump, only difference being the run in to the jump will be with your body in the + position.
Once you are happy with this type of Frontside shifty it's time to give it the same easy style as the backside shifty. This time, you're going to start in the - position, but make the same movement as in the normal Frontside shifty, to the + position. This is MUCH more difficult in a Frontside shifty than in a Backside shifty. Once you're happy making the same strong 90deg motion with this style, it's time to move on, once again, to the jump.
REMEMBER: A shifty doesn't count till you get to 90deg.
The movement is MUCH easier to learn on the ground before taking it to the air.
It's MUCH harder than it looks if you want to do it properly, with control and with style.
It's the basis of aerial counter-rotation control that'll allow you to move onto BIG rotations and, as such, should be learned properly if you want to get better faster.
Oh, and have fun.
[Edited by Ben_S on 05/12/2006 at 14:11]
