Variations to add to aerial movements

Two common last minute movements to add to your routine are Late Spins and Reverts. While these can be considered a trick on there own, they really are something to add just before you land after doing another trick such as a Shifty. Doing so really shows off your skill.

A Late Spin is a way to change the direction that you are going to land at the last minute. This is as easy to do as any other 180-degree spin is however you must be much faster at doing it since you have so little time to complete the maneuver. Setup is the key to pulling this off.

To do a Late Spin make sure you have completely finished the trick that you where doing before and are straight and ready to land. As you are about to land you must snap your body around and stop at exactly 180-degrees or risk bailing when you land. As always pre-load your body for the spin. Twist your shoulders and hips as far as you can and then suddenly release the energy by snapping your head around and allowing your body to do the same. Just like with all spins, the key to stopping the spin accurately is to be looking at where you want to go. Your body will always follow your head and if you are looking straight ahead it will adjust to go straight ahead.

Reverts also allow you to change from Fakie to Normal or Normal to Fakie but it is done just as you land. There are several ways to do this but the most stylish way is to do so on the nose or tail of your snowboard. The Tail Revert may be the easiest to get used to doing. The lead up to a Tail Revert is the same as a Late Spin you must pre-load your body for the spin.

As you can imagine the landing for a Tail Revert is a bit different than normal. Your body will be primed for spinning around and you will not be looking to land evenly on the hill. You need to land on the tail of your snowboard and hold that position until you can spin 180-degrees. As soon as your tail touches the ground release your spin. You may find it easier to maintain your balance if you lower the nose of your snowboard as you spin. Once you have completed your Revert you can completely touch down like you would from a Wheelie.

Reverts and Late Spins are nice little add-ons for any maneuver that you may be doing at the time. These all use basic skills that you undoubtedly already know but must be executed faster and more precisely than if you where doing it separately. Remember to pre-load your body for the spin and execute these as cleanly as possible.

Latest snowboarding articles

» 360 airs a killer move with vast possibilities
Because of the vast number of possible variations of 360 airs it is reasonable to call a 360 air the most important and noticeable trick for snowboarding.

» Bonking - The snowboarders "high five"
Bonking is on of those strange little things that people do for the fun of it or to make a person jump.

» Variations to add to aerial movements
Two common last minute movements to add to your routine are Late Spins and Reverts.

» How to wheelie like a pro on a snowboard
Wheelies are an old trick that goes back at least as far as roller skating does and most likely much further.

» Layback slides and slashes
Layback slides and slashes are an extreme maneuver that originated with surfing. When surfing, a surfer would literally lay back on a wave and ride it before rising to stand again.

» Nose & tail rolls
How do you switch from riding Fakie to riding regular? Many times when landing we end up riding Fakie and you may wish to revert back to riding regular.

» Snowboarding at night
Nighttime snowboarding is another aspect of snowboarding that is unlike any other that you may have tried so far.

» Skidded turns and beyond
For many beginners, learning to turn on a snowboard can be rather challenging and unnerving.

» The key to stopping is sideslipping
Sideslipping is one of the most important skills that you can learn while on the slopes.

» Lift lines: The bane of snowboarding and all other activities
As is true with almost everything else that we do on a daily basis, a line must be entered and waited out. Of course the lifts on a hill are no different.

» Snowboarding helmets
We all know that not everyone uses their head as much as they should but this is no reason to not protect it.

» Snowboarding jackets
Winter jackets have changed a lot over the years as technology has improved. The best solution used to be those big, puffy, down filled jackets.

» Snowboarding boots
The boots that you wear when snowboarding will make a huge difference with your ability to control your snowboard and your comfort on the hill.

» The base trick for all other tricks, snowboards flex
The flex of a snowboard is a non-quantifiable factor that determines the performance of your snowboard.

» The sexy shape of a snowboard
Everyone knows that an hourglass figure turns heads. Not as many people know that the same figure is also behind the design of modern snowboards.

» The costs of snowboarding
As with any other recreational activity there is always a startup cost and it is the startup cost that is the killer.

» Alpine snowboarding
Alpine snowboarding is for those of you who are a little more extreme about speed than most.

» Freeriding
If you are a skier, enjoy the peace of the outdoors, enjoy powder snow, enjoy a little trick riding or just like to enjoy the slopes then this is the style for you.