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How do you “Urban on” to a rail?

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ColoradoDogfart
Posts: 2459 - Karma: 29,410
I am able to hit tubes straight on no problem as long as there is a big enough lip to where you can straddle the rail as you get on, my problem is that when ever I try to hop onto a rail from the side no matter how big it is I always end up sliding out backwards and slamming on the rail. Anybody have any tips to stop sliding out and getting over the fear of approaching a rail from the side?

**This thread was edited on Nov 20th 2019 at 1:28:03am

**This thread was edited on Nov 20th 2019 at 1:28:44am
Nov 17 2019 9:19PM
10 1
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IanAvery-Leaf
Posts: 9932 - Karma: 9,411
confidence in your downhill foot will help keep that weight over it instead of slipping out backwards. I know those first 5 attempts sucked slamming your hip on the rail, but if you focus on getting your weight more downhill for the next 5 I bet you'll grease it
Nov 17 2019 10:06PM
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Youngm_IPCME
Posts: 1082 - Karma: 2,851
Try to convince yourself that you’re going to slide out on your tips rather than your tails. It’ll help you commit to getting centered after the jump. Don’t try this on a rail you can easily hit your nuts on the first time though
Nov 17 2019 10:22PM
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Casey
Posts: 7887 - Karma: 24,862
5 times? If you don’t have it down after 200 tries then make a thread
Nov 17 2019 10:25PM
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sijbot
Posts: 373 - Karma: 263
Tbh man idk I just learned that way and it feels more natural, lucky me ig. Maybe try to do it wrong a few times by sliding off toward the tip and then once you get the feel for each of them you can slowly make fine adjustments until you get it right and prevent yourself from sliding off early.
Nov 17 2019 10:30PM
6 0
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nmwninjart
Posts: 3022 - Karma: 15,309
I was working on this yesterday. I have yet to successfully make it to the end. I have a couple sexy big bruises on my hip from sliding out off a small tube. I wasnt even thinking about my weight over the front foot at the time. I was also going too slow.
Im just happy I am slowly getting over the fear of jumping up onto a slippery thing with slippery things on my feet
We just gotta keep at it. Get up and try again. And again....
Nov 17 2019 10:37PM
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ColoradoDogfart
Posts: 2459 - Karma: 29,410
I’ve tried it way more than 5 times, the 5 times I’m referencing to I’ve walked about with a slamming headache and bruised hip
Casey5 times? If you don’t have it down after 200 tries then make a thread
Nov 17 2019 10:40PM
6 0
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Kevski
Posts: 7056 - Karma: 2,790
Same with straight-on but looking at the end of the rail is helpful. I feel like its easy to get caught up looking at your skis and whether they make it over. In that case your weight will be off by the time you’re on top of the rail.

Also I remember learning this when gorilla steeze was the hot shit, and people said to put your left arm by your right knee and right arm towards your front foot’s binding heel piece I think? Forces you to keep your shoulders square while your skis are perpendicular, and keeps your weight forward. Bit of an extreme look these days but the principle is the same.

You can also cheat by stepping rather than an even pop, but I don’t suggest it as you’d just have to break that habit later on anyways...
Nov 18 2019 12:48AM
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12526 - Karma: 116,495
showing us a vid would help us and yourself
Nov 18 2019 1:13AM
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ColoradoDogfart
Posts: 2459 - Karma: 29,410
That’s probably true but I’ve gotten to a point where I don’t wanna attempt it until I know I have better understanding on how to do it as I’ve been trying the same thing over and over with the same result.
Nov 18 2019 1:25AM
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Lemuel
Posts: 14505 - Karma: 10,764
I remember when I learned urban on. Definitely intimidating at first. Come at the rail at more of an angle instead of parallel to it. This will force you to get more on top. This is how I learned to hit rails switch.

keep trying man, that first time you get it will feel amazing.
Nov 18 2019 6:22AM
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partyandBS
Posts: 4876 - Karma: 75,315
If your slipping out off you back foot you are like standing too tall and need to squat down a considerable amount. Also sound like under committing. Think of your body in parrels shoulders hips feet and rail. Another thing is to look at the end of the rail upon take off and then past the end once on. (This is kinda like if you balance a broom on your hand and you look at the contact with your hand vs looking at the top of the broom. Try it) lastly, breathe and picture yourself slaying it. Truely imagine what it would be like to stomp any trick. May quantum physics be on your side!!!
Nov 18 2019 6:48AM
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Bmxyy
Posts: 279 - Karma: 684
ColoradoDogfartI am able to hit tubes straight on no problem as long as there is a big enough lip to where you can strangle to rail as you get on, my problem is that when ever I try to hop onto a rail from the side no matter how big it is I always end up sliding out backwards and slamming on the rail so far I’ve attempted this 5 times and every time I get my ass kicked. Anybody have any tips to stop sliding out and getting over the fear of approaching a rail from the side?


You should approach the rail leaning more forward. Idk if you approach a little backseat but you can't be slacking while hitting a down rail. Also it isn't any different from hitting a flat rail you just need to trust it and commit. If you're sliding back you probably get scared and fall back if you just committed 100% then you won't slide backwards. Also match your shoulders on the slope of the rail if nothing else helps.
Nov 18 2019 6:55AM
3 0
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partyandBS
Posts: 4876 - Karma: 75,315
Woops my phone tricked me and i double posted....

**This post was edited on Nov 18th 2019 at 7:06:35am
Nov 18 2019 6:59AM
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eh+
Posts: 110 - Karma: 283
Don’t jump on - just think about placing your skis on the rail. Try to be relaxed and confident and just put your skis on the rail with your weight evenly distributed between them. Hopefully this helps haha it really helped get urban 2 ons down.
Nov 18 2019 8:23AM
3 0
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Saucerboyshane
Posts: 226 - Karma: 591
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/945016/How-To-Hit-An-Urban-Rail-On-Skis--Rail-From-The-Side-
Nov 18 2019 8:32AM
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firecrotch
Posts: 1471 - Karma: 5,507
Practice on a PVC tube, slams hurt less and will help you practice getting the motion down
Nov 18 2019 10:15AM
4 0
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Frankenberry
Posts: 3 - Karma: 16
ColoradoDogfartI am able to hit tubes straight on no problem as long as there is a big enough lip to where you can strangle to rail as you get on, my problem is that when ever I try to hop onto a rail from the side no matter how big it is I always end up sliding out backwards and slamming on the rail so far I’ve attempted this 5 times and every time I get my ass kicked. Anybody have any tips to stop sliding out and getting over the fear of approaching a rail from the side?


I suggest practicing more on flat tubes and when you are super confortable on these move on to the urban features. Maybe tries to put your weight more forward. It is one of those tricks that you just have to commit to do it. You’ll see whit some practise sliding the rail will be natural.
Nov 18 2019 11:19AM
3 0
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Ginger_Drew
Posts: 649 - Karma: 2,528
In addition to what others have said, if you're hitting tubes and other rails straight on, continue hitting those features and progressively work your way over to the side until you're hitting them urban style. Once you feel comfortable with those, it should make the transition to other rails a bit easier.
Nov 18 2019 11:51AM
6 0
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TrickyDick470
Posts: 443 - Karma: 2,350
I'm not sure if this will help, but when I was working on sliding unnatty I would find a low box or rail in the little park and hop onto it from the side (not using the lip of the feature at all). It seemed to help since I wasn't ready to commit to a real urban type rail yet unnatty, but hopping on to those low boxes / rails was a similar concept with lower consequences when falling.
Nov 18 2019 2:22PM
1 0
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J_Steez
Posts: 1164 - Karma: 4,214
idk i had this exact same issue when I was learning rails too. Mostly just sacking up and going fast got me success
Nov 18 2019 2:56PM
2 0
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ScootSkiLyfe
Posts: 1030 - Karma: 5,477
Make sure you’re approaching the feature with a good stance as well. Knees bent, skis parallel to the rail. Keep a small angle approaching the rail urban, land with your skis spread about shoulder width apart, look at the end of the feature. When starting off hitting features urban I would ski up to the feature almost straight on. That way if you lose your balance you will just slide out on the same side you hit the feature from.
Nov 18 2019 4:00PM
1 0
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K-Dot.
Posts: 3750 - Karma: 7,847
go faster, pop harder.

if it helps just go off the lip without hitting the rail a few times to get the air awareness of enough speed and a tall enough pop. whenever slipping out happens its because you're trying to get your feet up onto the rail before your entire body weight is on. your body weight is trailing behind where your feet are which is why you slip back. just go faster and pop harder so that you land with your body weight over your feet. if someone takes a video of you it will be easier to see.

its about establishing yourself in the air in a controlled way before you ever touch the rail.

also don't worry about trying to land on the "start" of the rail. you're going to be skipping much more of the beginning of it compared to when you just hit a rail straight on. it will feel scary to go faster but momentum is your friend with rails
Nov 18 2019 4:15PM
1 0
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clorox
Posts: 1728 - Karma: 4,863
I usually tell people your front foot is where your weight goes and your back foot is for balancing. If you look at someone's ski (assuming they have a left and right ski, and mostly slide one way), the ski that's typically their back foot will have less underfoot edge damage, and a lot of scratches running edge to edge underfoot. Their front ski will have underfoot inner edge damage, and not much base damage from rails.

More reason to switch left and right skis I guess.
Nov 18 2019 4:15PM
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johnblaze
Posts: 1488 - Karma: 2,624
try it 50 times and get back to us.
Nov 19 2019 10:52AM
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whackhouse
Posts: 736 - Karma: 939
idk if anyone has said this but when I have trouble sliding through the end of a rail I try to keep my eyes on the end of it as im hopping on. a good trajectory is key, then im able to focus on my trick with less fear of falling off
Nov 19 2019 6:52PM
2 0
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Andy03
Posts: 51 - Karma: 18
I'm a real jerry so I had to google "urban on" first. I figured out thats to get on tubes or rails I learnd first and its normal for me. So I wondering: what means straight on? Doing a wallie or something?
Mostly I dont know the name of the tricks I do. all of my friends are snowboarders :(

My Tip: grab your front knee with your front hand. Its easier to figure out how to get your weight on the front foot if you doing something like this cos "bring more weight on your foot" is really undefinded if you are in struggle. but "touch your knee" is a really defined move. Have fun :)

**This post was edited on Nov 20th 2019 at 12:21:27am

**This post was edited on Nov 20th 2019 at 12:30:05am
Nov 20 2019 12:17AM
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-emile-
Posts: 6613 - Karma: 8,592
maybe you should quit skiing if you can't hit a rail after 5 tries
Nov 20 2019 12:53AM
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