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July, 2025

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Big jump, need advice

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Slush
Posts: 1916 - Karma: 12,961
Ok, so this thursday I am going to go skiing, Horray! I plan on doing tricks off this jump that's ~40-50ft. I've done it before, but never spun or flipped. I am very noobish at jumps, I can 360 and 180 and keep it real with some grabs.

Anyway

I want to 360 this big boy and be able to spin it nice and slow with a clean grab. The problem is, on 15-20ft jumps, I always land 360s backseat. This concerns me, because the "big" jump has about a 90 degree change. Like this:
Click for larger image

If i'm landing backseat with my 3s on smaller jumps with about only a 45 degree change, i'm going to wreck myself on this jump. I try to pop "knees over toes", but I still hit backseat. Maybe i'm throwing them wrong (I don't throw hard, I pop as if i'm unwinding the direction I want to spin). Anyways, sorry for ranting.

Any tips are appreciated! Thanks!
12 years ago
67 5
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edai
Posts: 4995 - Karma: 4,701
Thinking too much dude, just send it clean and slow.
12 years ago
4 0
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270on420out
Posts: 7525 - Karma: 51,354
Make sure your shin is pressing against the tongue of your boot. Start off by just straight airing it then 180s then 3s etc
12 years ago
10 0
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Mr.Gaga
Posts: 2021 - Karma: 542
Good sense of observation!

If you were doing a strait air with your legs strait (like an aerial guy) and would absolutly do nothing at the end of the jump, you would keep the angle of the jump and land direcly on your back. To get back to vertical in the air, you need to approach the jump with your knees bent and jump at the end of the jump (pop). Don't try to pop forward, just upward.

You probably do it without noticing it when you go strait air... you need to keep doing it when you're spinning! Pop at the end of the jump and initiate the rotation with your hips and shoulders at the end of your pop. At the end of your pop you can and bring your knees up and go for the ''gorilla'' position. Once you're confortable with a fluent pop-spin-tuck you can try to grab your skis, but remember to be patient. A lot of people try to grab too early before the rotation had time to set and they go off axis. You can easily wait untill you have 180-270 rotation done before reaching for the grab.
12 years ago
5 0
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McShane
Posts: 270 - Karma: 145
This is perfect, also make sure to keep your hands in front of you. That's a pretty common problem, people let their hands fall behind them, which causes them to lose balance at the landing.
12 years ago
1 0
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Bagina
Posts: 849 - Karma: 2,888
You have more time to spot your landing on the bigger jump thus making it easier to prepare yourself to land properly, good luck.
12 years ago
1 0
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icon1234
Posts: 3081 - Karma: 1,474
If you are having trouble landing a solid 3 on a 15-20 footer I would not try it on a 45-50 footer like you alluded to in your diagram. That is way bigger jump than what you are hitting now... Like if that shit is legit 45-50 feet and has a fair amount of pop that is going to send you back seat.
12 years ago
3 1
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dvx100
Posts: 1884 - Karma: 4,821
fuck spins, just big air dave that shit.
12 years ago
3 0
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theabortionator
Posts: 52783 - Karma: 175,266
If you spin stay nice and level. Straight air it a few times and visualize that spin taking up that amount of airtime. If you flip it depends on the flip you do. A front flip is sort of like the 3 but blind and harder. A backflip you can lay it out and arch your back, bend your knees and hang for a bit and then snap them under you.

For regular spins make sure to stay level when you pop. For something like a 3 or a 5 you don't even need to huck really you just flow it.

Good luck
12 years ago
0 0
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Billek
Posts: 5665 - Karma: 98
Knees bent, hands in front. Exaggerate the hands (looks ugly), and let them come back once you get everything dialed in, then it will look better and you can start on those grabs.
12 years ago
2 0
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Ski-pilot
Posts: 19 - Karma: 36
I had same problem, I fixed it with this 2 methods

1. I started poping leaning a little forward, try more and more until you find your perfect lean

2. I was starting rotation too early so after you pop dont start too early and wait a little bit. people were telling me I was starting rotation so early that Cork would have been easier.
12 years ago
0 0
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corona
Posts: 12845 - Karma: 33,293
just complain about it being too scary so it gets cut down to a size you're more comfortable on. that's what all the pros do.
12 years ago
5 0
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John18_6
Posts: 7313 - Karma: 49,171
Spun my first big jump last weekend, didn't even think about it, just sent it. Just download the audio of Tanner Hall's inspirational speech to Henrik and listen to it at the drop in. Oh and stay forward.
12 years ago
3 0
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baaangthat
Posts: 2245 - Karma: 2,587
this seems dangerous. you should withdraw and concentrate on pipe.
12 years ago
13 0
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pastysmasher
Posts: 780 - Karma: 664
I had the same problem when I started learning spins. Someone told me I was looking down during the spin and that I should keep my head level and looking over my shoulder (think chin on shoulder). Fixed my problems in not time. Good luck!
12 years ago
0 0
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Slush
Posts: 1916 - Karma: 12,961
Thanks for all the advice guys, i'm going to send it tomorrow!

If I get a chance i'll record me doing it and put it up! (in case I get destroyed, at least you get a good laugh for your trouble)
12 years ago
1 0
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RubberSoul
Posts: 11249 - Karma: 14,642
, flex your core, and keep your arms in front of you.

people land backseat on spins when they are hucking, when they are not flexing their core and keeping control of their mass, or when they are scared
12 years ago
1 0
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chicken
Posts: 6844 - Karma: 2,122
you must feel the force around you.
12 years ago
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elinde
Posts: 1487 - Karma: 3,228
If you can only 1 and 3 smaller jumps I would not recommend going that big.
12 years ago
0 2
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PsychedelicMoose
Posts: 792 - Karma: 3,568
I started doing 3s off 30-40ft jumps a couple weeks ago. lean forward into the jump and rotate with your shoulders and hips. That way you probably won't land backseat.
12 years ago
2 0
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ILLinoisance
Posts: 3527 - Karma: 5,398
I didn't know Shaun White was on NS...
12 years ago
1 0
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yasgur99
Posts: 402 - Karma: 955
a lot of good tips above, but I had the same problem a few years back. Make sure u r patient and wait till ur toes have left the jump to start the spin. If its started too early, u normally land backseat.
12 years ago
0 0
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holla@cha_boy
Posts: 58 - Karma: 348
remember with spins your head is your balance point. if you landing backseat, youre probably leaning back with your head when you spin. just make sure your head stays straight up in the air and think of the jump the same as like a 20ft, just some more air time so everything is slower
12 years ago
0 0
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Billek
Posts: 5665 - Karma: 98
A very important point.

Think of 3-ing on flat ground. You'd have to cock your upper body, swing your arms, jump really quickly, and so on.

On your jump, you want to tone-down these 'pre-winding' exertions on the lip, and wait to jump *straight up!* and start spinning just as your toes leave the lip. Harder spins mean more pre-winding, and more stylish 3's can come from mixing pre-winding with a gentle carve off of the lip.

As noted above, the hands foreword and popping straight up will bring your plane of rotation through that 90* pitch change, and having you landing with good form.
12 years ago
1 0
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Turd.Ferguson
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 2,713
judging that youre proably better at math and making diagrams than you are skiing, just huck it and throw up a rodeo to give some racers a boner
12 years ago
0 0
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NMMedia
Posts: 982 - Karma: 1,700
Dont think knees over toes, this can still get you backseat as you can crouch back and achieve this effect. I always think about shoulders over toes with my knees bent. Works all the time for me
12 years ago
0 0
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Slush
Posts: 1916 - Karma: 12,961
I STOPMED IT!!! THANKS A BUNCH GUYS :D

No video though :( Spun it nice and clean, the best 3 i've done in my life!
I was so stoaked I went to throw my first backflip on a smaller jump... Thaaaaaaat didn't work so well... Ow
12 years ago
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