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April, 2025

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Is learning unnatty worth it?

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jhnegbrt
Posts: 61 - Karma: 441
Starting to learn rails and spins — is it worth spending the time to learn to do these unnatural?

For example, I learned how to 3 last year. I feel like it would take me more time to learn how to do an unnatural 3 than to learn a natural 7. Is it worth learning the unnatural 3?
a year ago
30 3
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bertBertson
Posts: 290 - Karma: 4,680
Absolutely take the time to learn unnat and switch, especially on rails - way easier to learn now than trying to go back and do it later. Plus when you go to learn more advanced tricks you'll have much better balance and air awareness.
a year ago
32 0
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midwestcoast
Posts: 231 - Karma: 2,368
Learn unnatty now. Don't be lazy. It will for sure be worth it from an awareness perspective. Same for skiing switch - learn how to look over both shoulders and link turns.

I've got plenty of friends that didn't build their foundational skills from park to pow to groomers and it shows.
a year ago
24 0
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Farmville420
Posts: 5133 - Karma: 66,775
Do whatever u want but I promise you it's worth learning everything both ways. If I want to hit a rail in my unnatural stance I have to do a switch lip because I never actually learned (still haven't really) how to get on rails both ways.
a year ago
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ScootSkiLyfe
Posts: 1069 - Karma: 5,753
yes it is worth it , opened up way more tricks for me, makes swaps easier, you'll have a bigger bag sir
a year ago
9 0
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weastcoat
Posts: 6499 - Karma: 75,273
A wise man once said if you don’t have it both ways then you don’t have it at all.
a year ago
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SteezyYeeter
Posts: 3944 - Karma: -12,870
you have to learn unnat to do basically any tricks on a rail. it just adds more diversity to your tricks.

im in a similar position to you and will hopefully throwing a couple unnat tricks this year. more focus on switch tho.
a year ago
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McDanielsprite
Posts: 213 - Karma: 1,009
Best way to get ahead on rail tricks. I find myself learning “beginner” tricks again because I failed to learn unnatty
a year ago
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 3336 - Karma: 32,102
Yes, you should strive to be mad nice with it in both directions.
a year ago
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7953 - Karma: 23,099
If you can't do a trick in both directions, you don't have the trick.
a year ago
5 2
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-Dan
Posts: 7189 - Karma: 53,451
I did switch tails before I ever did a k fed.
a year ago
14 0
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Young_patty
Posts: 3326 - Karma: 39,061
If you ever want to:

A) Do well in rail jams or competitions
or
B) Destroy people in games of SLVSH

Then it's usually a good plan to learn them. Plus it gives you a much more nuanced and well rounded bag of tricks.
a year ago
6 0
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b0ss
Posts: 820 - Karma: 6,359
Yes. All takeoffs are worth it
4 way flat ski
4way carving
4 way tokyo
4way blender
4way blender tokyo
4way pole plant
a year ago
4 3
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Jems
Posts: 7689 - Karma: 100,586
it’s as worth it as a free box of pasta
a year ago
5 0
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SteezyYeeter
Posts: 3944 - Karma: -12,870
b0ss4way carving
4 way tokyo
4way blender
4way blender tokyo

ooh pls explain diff. is tokyo a fake nosebud? i thought blender was some sort of spinning trick, like a dub 16.
a year ago
0 0
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Dadskierr
Posts: 44 - Karma: 326
I would definitely recommend it, Will help in the long run for rail combos.
a year ago
1 0
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brownetown
Posts: 491 - Karma: 4,798
SteezyYeeterooh pls explain diff. is tokyo a fake nosebud? i thought blender was some sort of spinning trick, like a dub 16.


Tokyo drift is like a hockey stop continuing through the lip of the feature (and into the air) or *intentionally* landing sideways in the landing. A blender is kinda when you look over the opposite shoulder of the direction you rotate (ie looking over right shoulder for a sw left cork 5 or over left shoulder for a sw right dub 16). Some people think blenders are weak cause it means you can’t look over both shoulders switch but personally I’m way more scared of catching an edge going blender than looking over the other shoulder.
a year ago
4 0
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brownetown
Posts: 491 - Karma: 4,798
b0ss4way pole plant

Pole plant 1: left hand
pole plant 2: right hand
pole plant 3: in mouth
pole plant 4: up butt?
a year ago
9 0
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_brrett
Posts: 1739 - Karma: 28,969
Unnat tricks make skiing wayy more fun and you’ll find that a lot of unnat tricks are easier than doing it regs.

Doing a full line in the park and only spinning one way builds up this weird tension/energy/something in my body that gets released when I spin the other way but I am kind of a kook so idk if anyone else gets that
a year ago
11 0
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Kyguyy
Posts: 610 - Karma: 6,525
Yes expands trick vocab by 2x and you can hit any feature

**This post was edited on Nov 13th 2023 at 11:07:01pm
a year ago
2 0
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KilaTsunami
Posts: 3336 - Karma: 32,102
KyguyyYes expands trick vocab by 2x and you can hit any feature

**This post was edited on Nov 13th 2023 at 11:07:01pm


True. Vocab goes way up
a year ago
1 0
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BIIIGZ
Posts: 244 - Karma: 2,358
literally the best thing you can ever do for your skiing.
a year ago
1 0
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Slowbro
Posts: 4121 - Karma: 24,533
BLandzUnnat tricks make skiing wayy more fun and you’ll find that a lot of unnat tricks are easier than doing it regs.

Doing a full line in the park and only spinning one way builds up this weird tension/energy/something in my body that gets released when I spin the other way but I am kind of a kook so idk if anyone else gets that


I get that. I have to spin both ways in a line or it feels wrong
a year ago
5 0
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teabag
Posts: 691 - Karma: 4,974
Fuck yes. I wish I realized it when I was just starting out. I still can’t do unnatural tricks properly after almost 10 years of park…
a year ago
5 0
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BallClapper
Posts: 3704 - Karma: 16,799
Both ways all day! Learn it. Will open up so many opportunities like switchups, pretzels and other rail shenanigans.
a year ago
2 0
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Sighman_Fisher
Posts: 78 - Karma: 372
YES. when i see someone doing tricks and they spin the same way every time and start every rail trick on the same foot my skiing ocd flairs up. I much prefer it when someone does simpler tricks but show creativity and control and variety in their skiing, which is very hard to obtain if you don't learn your tricks both ways. but it takes a lot of work and a lot of hiking, and if your happier doing more "impressive" tricks the same way, do that.
a year ago
1 0
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Dlonetti
Posts: 1995 - Karma: 21,402
Finally doing this in my 9th year of park skiing, would recommend earlier lol
a year ago
5 0
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7953 - Karma: 23,099
-DanI did switch tails before I ever did a k fed.

Now THAT'S core
a year ago
3 0
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mikem
Posts: 968 - Karma: 9,892
flip the footage as steve taught us
a year ago
1 0
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9699 - Karma: 65,335
-DanI did switch tails before I ever did a k fed.


sorry i must be missing something, what does this have to do with the question?
a year ago
5 0
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partyandBS
Posts: 5767 - Karma: 90,210
brownetownPole plant 1: left hand
pole plant 2: right hand
pole plant 3: in mouth
pole plant 4: up butt?

i woulda guessed reg and switch for each hand but i guess this could also be it. idk i rarely have skied with poles and i think pole plant tricks are wonky
a year ago
1 1
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7953 - Karma: 23,099
partyandBSi woulda guessed reg and switch for each hand but i guess this could also be it. idk i rarely have skied with poles and i think pole plant tricks are wonky


We are on polar opposite ends of the pole opinion spectrum.
a year ago
3 0
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partyandBS
Posts: 5767 - Karma: 90,210
skiP.E.I.We are on polar opposite ends of the pole opinion spectrum.


‘mo poles mo problems’ -the notorious b.i.g.
a year ago
3 0
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7953 - Karma: 23,099
partyandBS‘mo poles mo problems’ -the notorious b.i.g.


"West side when we ride come equipped with poles"- Tupac Shakur
a year ago
8 0
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asparagus
Posts: 2499 - Karma: 28,453
^^^ Poles vs no poles is the real east west beef
a year ago
3 0
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IsaacNW82
Posts: 777 - Karma: 6,776
Especially for more foundational, basic tricks yes definitely important to get comfortable both ways, like basic rail maneuvers and smaller spins.

If you think about a lot of more intermediate/advanced rail tricks, you're often linking together basic stuff, often in spinning/sliding both ways in one trick. Take a kfed for example, you have to choose either hop on the rail unnat or spin out of a rail unnat, so having the basics dialed both ways will help you a ton. Same with a 2p2, you're spinning 270 both directions either way
a year ago
1 0
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Farmville420
Posts: 5133 - Karma: 66,775
partyandBSi woulda guessed reg and switch for each hand but i guess this could also be it. idk i rarely have skied with poles and i think pole plant tricks are wonky


You are tweaking poles are the shit
a year ago
2 0
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partyandBS
Posts: 5767 - Karma: 90,210
Farmville420You are tweaking poles are the shit


ive been hiking features a lot lately especially on weekends or taking one of those weird surface lifts with the circle you put between you legs (im fried today. i should know what that is called lol) and poles suck for that. the counter weight is nice especially when setting on a rail
a year ago
0 0
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SteezyYeeter
Posts: 3944 - Karma: -12,870
partyandBSive been hiking features a lot lately especially on weekends or taking one of those weird surface lifts with the circle you put between you legs (im fried today. i should know what that is called lol) and poles suck for that. the counter weight is nice especially when setting on a rail


poma lift. although there's a fucking stupid variation where it's a rope tow with a little handlebar stick and then the circle, and its fucking short and is like on ur knees. sorry whaleback is getting a new lift this year and it's just fucking that (i will not be riding it once)
a year ago
1 0
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b0ss
Posts: 820 - Karma: 6,359
brownetownPole plant 1: left hand
pole plant 2: right hand
pole plant 3: in mouth
pole plant 4: up butt?


You’d be surprised what you can come up with if you take the time to try stuff.
a year ago
3 0
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7953 - Karma: 23,099
SteezyYeeterpoma lift. although there's a fucking stupid variation where it's a rope tow with a little handlebar stick and then the circle, and its fucking short and is like on ur knees. sorry whaleback is getting a new lift this year and it's just fucking that (i will not be riding it once)


Poma- well, Poma-Leitner, is a brand that makes all different kinds of lifts. That kind of lift is technically called a button lift or if that kind of handle is on a t-bar it's called a j-bar. Most people call it a poma though so you're not wrong.
a year ago
2 0
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SteezyYeeter
Posts: 3944 - Karma: -12,870
skiP.E.I.Poma- well, Poma-Leitner, is a brand that makes all different kinds of lifts. That kind of lift is technically called a button lift or if that kind of handle is on a t-bar it's called a j-bar. Most people call it a poma though so you're not wrong.

yes i meant the button lift when referring to the poma.
i did not mean a j-bar though. i would love if we were getting a j bar. the handlebar w/poma is this:






it's really stupid which is why i didn't explain well lol.
a year ago
0 0
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SmokedGouda
Posts: 1229 - Karma: 6,827
SteezyYeeteryes i meant the button lift when referring to the poma.
i did not mean a j-bar though. i would love if we were getting a j bar. the handlebar w/poma is this:






it's really stupid which is why i didn't explain well lol.


That girl in front is definitely thinking about cheese
a year ago
3 1
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12691 - Karma: 119,623
Not worth it. Just simply add another 180 on top of whatever youre doing. Soon youll be at 2160s
a year ago
9 0
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thebusiness19
Posts: 871 - Karma: 7,116
weastcoatA wise man once said if you don’t have it both ways then you don’t have it at all.


*2160 cuban grab entered the chat* lolll
a year ago
2 0
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weastcoat
Posts: 6499 - Karma: 75,273
If I can’t count the spins then it’s not even a valid trick in the first place haha
a year ago
0 1
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9699 - Karma: 65,335
naw, babes dgaf about unnnatural tricks. ski fast and learn flips
a year ago
7 0
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Ginger_Drew
Posts: 649 - Karma: 2,528
As a midwest rope skier, who doesn't hit jumps too often, I'll speak from the rail perspective. **left spinner, right foot forward rail slider** super feds are significantly easier when you start on the rail unnat vs nat (kfeds I prefer starting RF forward, but everyone's a little different). Plus having it both ways just adds diversity, which others have already mentioned.
a year ago
2 0
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ScootSkiLyfe
Posts: 1069 - Karma: 5,753
DlonettiFinally doing this in my 9th year of park skiing, would recommend earlier lol


Yeppp
a year ago
1 0
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freestyler540
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 20,163
In favor of learn them sooner than later. Ive been having a tough time getting unnatural 3s because of getting too used to spinning 3s everywhere
a year ago
1 0
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Malcolm
Posts: 15953 - Karma: 9,501
freestyler540In favor of learn them sooner than later. Ive been having a tough time getting unnatural 3s because of getting too used to spinning 3s everywhere


Sometimes there's that perfect side booter that isn't your natural side. Learning unnatty is worth it just for those moments. That said, my unnatty 3's look like pure penciled out garbage.

**This post was edited on Nov 15th 2023 at 8:51:48pm
a year ago
6 0
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