Flips, backs vs fronts

SebsNotCoreAlright boys I'm trying to learn a flip this year. I've been practicing tramp and I can land fronties no problems, however backflips I'm just having a lot of trouble committing to, it feels like my body just refuses to do it. That could change, as I get more and more tramp time in, but as it stands backies seem out of my area right now. The only problem is, everybody seems to learn backs first and I've heard many say they're easier, so I feel like it's wrong or more difficult to learn a front first.

Should I just keep trying to throw backflips no matter what on the tramp or should I try and hit a frontflip on the snow?

Do both. For backies practice a lot of backrolls/summersaults. There's tons of great videos on youtube that can help you out. You'll get it.

I think that might be my strategy, because I feel like although backs are harder to start in to, they look MUCH easier to land since your landing is coming into view in front of you rather than under.

ScootSkiLyfeDo both. For backies practice a lot of backrolls/summersaults. There's tons of great videos on youtube that can help you out. You'll get it.

SebsNotCoreI think that might be my strategy, because I feel like although backs are harder to start in to, they look MUCH easier to land since your landing is coming into view in front of you rather than under.

Yeah, tbh I have never done a backflip on the tramp. I've done them into water plenty of times but the tramp scares the shit outta me.

I have, however, ATTEMPTED a backflip on skis. Crazy what homies and a few beers will do to you.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1014674/backflip-head-injury-mp4
Sorry, shit didn't upload right... here you go!

I would say try a frontie on snow no matter what if you have them down. As far as backflips go, when you jump up, focus mainly on thrusting your hips forward as you are in the air and try to follow your head, it feels like how a fish prolly feels. When you get a pow day, build or find a really poppy jump and just try a backie anyway. Pop hard off it and pretend youre a fish following your head backward

Goddamn, that looked gnarly.

these clips actually make me less scared of attempting, because in all honesty, yeah, I’m much less scared of attempting something like this into fresh pow then a trampoline.

ScootSkiLyfehttps://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1014674/backflip-head-injury-mp4
Sorry, shit didn't upload right... here you go!

Ah, ok, these are all very good tips. Thank you, wise core Monkey.

ReturnToMonkeyI would say try a frontie on snow no matter what if you have them down. As far as backflips go, when you jump up, focus mainly on thrusting your hips forward as you are in the air and try to follow your head, it feels like how a fish prolly feels. When you get a pow day, build or find a really poppy jump and just try a backie anyway. Pop hard off it and pretend youre a fish following your head backward

Front flip are pretty easy you can basically do them flat first with the help of your hand then do the same motions on a jump without your hand (for the dylan manley style frontflip)

I’m in the same boat. Front flip feels natural for me and I’ve been doing em on tramps forever. I can’t seem to rotate my head backwards and under for the backy like I just scorpion. I’m 100% trying the front this season before ever considering a backie.

Backflips are very unnatural and weird at first. Your brain has to be taught to travel backwards and lose the horizon sight at the same time.

Here's how I learned to do it;


Do a 100 backwards somersaults on a tramp. This will set your brain to accept the motion of the backflip later.

Then do a 100 jumps to your back. Start small and build up. If needed, just fall/roll on your back at first. Remember to tuck your chin into your chest at all times doing anything on your back in a trampoline setup and never ever land on your lower back. Keep an active core and round spine at all times doing this. This will help getting used to the feel of traveling backwards.

Then do a 100 jumps to your back and a backwards somersault from it. Tuck your knees in and grab your shins or dub safety. Progress on magnitude when you feel confident doing so. Try to add speed and height to a level where you do the somersault in air, and after that build up to a point where you can do this from nearly maximum bounce. It will be wonky, weird, and scary, but it will also be very rewarding.

When all this feels comfortable, it's just about commitment. When you're ready, bounce high, and commit to a backflip just like you did with the back bounce somersault.

Then practice the backflip to a level where you land on your feet 100% of the time and slam from your feet 10% or less.

Then it's time to start practising to spot the landing. When your air awareness is at a level where you can see the landing 100% of the tries (this will be tricky to learn as the tramp is always the same and you don't actually need to spot the landing because it's always at the same spot and time window every time) it's time to try it on snow.

Do this on every session and you'll get it soon. I'm starting my fourth skiing season atm and did my first backflips on a tramp at the age of 35 and first backflips to snow at 37.

When ready, find a kicker with similar air time than your trampoline. The more pop it has, the better. And of course a soft landing. I did all this and still managed to land on my hip/side because I lost the landing and went to panic mode on my first try. After that, I've landed every try on my feet, which is only 6 times last spring, but hopefully will be adding more reps today as I'm at Ruka and the season is already on.

Most people learn backys first because they are way easier. But frontys and backys are completely different motions obviously, so you can definitely learn frontys first

This gives me hope. In my early 30’s been wanting that trick but figured too old to learn it

tominiemenmaaBackflips are very unnatural and weird at first. Your brain has to be taught to travel backwards and lose the horizon sight at the same time.

Here's how I learned to do it;


Do a 100 backwards somersaults on a tramp. This will set your brain to accept the motion of the backflip later.

Then do a 100 jumps to your back. Start small and build up. If needed, just fall/roll on your back at first. Remember to tuck your chin into your chest at all times doing anything on your back in a trampoline setup and never ever land on your lower back. Keep an active core and round spine at all times doing this. This will help getting used to the feel of traveling backwards.

Then do a 100 jumps to your back and a backwards somersault from it. Tuck your knees in and grab your shins or dub safety. Progress on magnitude when you feel confident doing so. Try to add speed and height to a level where you do the somersault in air, and after that build up to a point where you can do this from nearly maximum bounce. It will be wonky, weird, and scary, but it will also be very rewarding.

When all this feels comfortable, it's just about commitment. When you're ready, bounce high, and commit to a backflip just like you did with the back bounce somersault.

Then practice the backflip to a level where you land on your feet 100% of the time and slam from your feet 10% or less.

Then it's time to start practising to spot the landing. When your air awareness is at a level where you can see the landing 100% of the tries (this will be tricky to learn as the tramp is always the same and you don't actually need to spot the landing because it's always at the same spot and time window every time) it's time to try it on snow.

Do this on every session and you'll get it soon. I'm starting my fourth skiing season atm and did my first backflips on a tramp at the age of 35 and first backflips to snow at 37.

When ready, find a kicker with similar air time than your trampoline. The more pop it has, the better. And of course a soft landing. I did all this and still managed to land on my hip/side because I lost the landing and went to panic mode on my first try. After that, I've landed every try on my feet, which is only 6 times last spring, but hopefully will be adding more reps today as I'm at Ruka and the season is already on.

DesertStixThis gives me hope. In my early 30’s been wanting that trick but figured too old to learn it

Got 2 more reps in. As you can see, I'm a loooong way from mastering this, but getting there. It's been way too windy and flat light for me to attempt more. Went a little too big on the second try and ended up over rotating.

Got season first 270's on too. Good times :)

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1014837/Project-10-21-4K-MEDIUM-FR30--1--mp4

This is raising my stoke level. Tomorrow is my first day of the season and you got me pumped. Those look clean to me, G!!

tominiemenmaaGot 2 more reps in. As you can see, I'm a loooong way from mastering this, but getting there. It's been way too windy and flat light for me to attempt more. Went a little too big on the second try and ended up over rotating.

Got season first 270's on too. Good times :)

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/1014837/Project-10-21-4K-MEDIUM-FR30--1--mp4

Thanks, I really appreciate it!

DesertStixThis is raising my stoke level. Tomorrow is my first day of the season and you got me pumped. Those look clean to me, G!!

Front flips feel less scary because its easier to commit to a front roll. Also if you land on your back or ass it doesn't hurt that much on a small jump.

If you don't commit on a backy it's significantly worse.

On the tramp try doing a backward roll on the ground not jumping. Obviously your head will be a little in the way but try and get the feeling of going straight back.

Also you can do back bounces and then go over toward a backflip. From a back bounce even if you fucked up you coukd stick your arms out and back hand spring.


Backies are way easier but harder to try. I learned backflips on snow before i could do them on tramps but def learned fronts way begore backs on tramps. I could front slip when i was little. Dodnt learn backs till maybe 13 or 14.

Best of luck man! If it's not there yet it's not there but don't worry too much. Learn fronts if you want. Backies will come eventually if you want.

There are some people that never learn them but most people are able to pull them off pretty easy once they commit to a few.

Ngl to me, the fronts don’t feel the same on snow. I can’t backie on snow, but can do it perfectly on trampoline.. i don’t know man, fuckin physics lol

Backies are also way different on snow than tramp.

tominiemenmaaBackies are also way different on snow than tramp.

Not really that much. Depends on what you're doing them off. Like a cliff is totally different but laying one out on a jump feels pretty similar to me once you're upside down. I lay it out the same way pretty much.

I could do off axis stuff thrown backward without fear but couldn’t do a backflip straight up it was like a mental block. I can’t remember how I broke it, just relentless repetition and having us spot each other trying to do it small to begin with. Once I got it though it became completely automatic, most comfortable rotation

I learned mine the gymnastics way, landing on the same spot I left the tramp. The different feel must be due to this.

theabortionatorNot really that much. Depends on what you're doing them off. Like a cliff is totally different but laying one out on a jump feels pretty similar to me once you're upside down. I lay it out the same way pretty much.

SebsNotCoreAlright boys I'm trying to learn a flip this year. I've been practicing tramp and I can land fronties no problems, however backflips I'm just having a lot of trouble committing to, it feels like my body just refuses to do it. That could change, as I get more and more tramp time in, but as it stands backies seem out of my area right now. The only problem is, everybody seems to learn backs first and I've heard many say they're easier, so I feel like it's wrong or more difficult to learn a front first.

Should I just keep trying to throw backflips no matter what on the tramp or should I try and hit a frontflip on the snow?

So I’m learning flips on skis at a place called snobahn. But I learned a backflip fairly young, not sure exactly when and my cousins taught me who was a gymnast I think. That all helped, but that’s besides the point. If you haven’t done them on a tramp, go to a trampoline park with a foam pit and get on a block, solid, tramps make it a little hard and awkward, jump out, back and look back and you’ll be fine. Then move that to tramps, get some comfortable you can talk, do grabs, do stalls, etc to make sure you have good air awareness so if something bad happens you can try to get out. Next, if you can find and indoor facility like mine or Woodward, if you cant, get powder and learn it into something soft. That should help with confidence and just go you’ll get it, skis make it a little awkward. They don’t eat a ton just throw it how fast you flip because they’re long. That’s my advice and just in the end forget it all and go for it.

backflip easier frontflip take more skill

Huh, thanks a lot!

ColoradoSkiSo I’m learning flips on skis at a place called snobahn. But I learned a backflip fairly young, not sure exactly when and my cousins taught me who was a gymnast I think. That all helped, but that’s besides the point. If you haven’t done them on a tramp, go to a trampoline park with a foam pit and get on a block, solid, tramps make it a little hard and awkward, jump out, back and look back and you’ll be fine. Then move that to tramps, get some comfortable you can talk, do grabs, do stalls, etc to make sure you have good air awareness so if something bad happens you can try to get out. Next, if you can find and indoor facility like mine or Woodward, if you cant, get powder and learn it into something soft. That should help with confidence and just go you’ll get it, skis make it a little awkward. They don’t eat a ton just throw it how fast you flip because they’re long. That’s my advice and just in the end forget it all and go for it.