360 airs on a half pipe

Doing a 360 air in a half pipe is very similar to doing a 360 air off a jump. The main difference is the timing of your spin. When launching from a jump you have a few options as to when you start your spin and a little more grace when you land. When doing a 360 air in the half pipe you must be fast and accurate or you will bail when you land.

The key to performing a 360 air is the build up of potential energy in your body and being able to control the release of the energy. This is easier to do than it sounds thanks to the physics of the human body. In order to build up the required energy for the spin you need to pre-load or twist certain points of your body. If you fail to pre-load your body it is unlikely that you will ever be able to complete a 360 air.

The first step to a 360 air is the launch and your skill. You must be able to do a 180-degree spin before trying a 360 air. You must also be able to get enough air and be fast enough that you can do a 180-degree spin before you hit the apex of your air. Being able to do a 180-degree spin before the apex of your air will ensure that you have enough time to do a full 360 air.

As you race towards your launch point you will want to do a pre-flight check. You should be crouched down, ready to do a Bunny hop and your body pre-loading for the spin. There is some debate as to when and where you should begin your spin. Many people feel that you should start to spin before you launch into the air while other people feel that you should spin once you are in the air. For a 360 air the debate is not all that important especially if you can do a 180-degree spin before the apex, but it does become much more important when you try to do more than a 360 air.

The reason why I suggest pre-loading your body and then spinning in the air is due to the drag that can occur during the launch. If you begin to spin while you are still in contact with the ramp you will loose some of your momentum and this will reduce your speed and thus amount of air and increase the odds of your not being able to complete the 360 air. If you have already begun the spin you do not need as much air to complete it but I feel it is better to get as much air as possible and spin within that constraint.

Once you are in the air you can release all of your energy in to the spin. This is easy to do as long as you are looking where you want to go. As you are looking your shoulders, hips and snowboard will also spin to follow. You can stop your spin by looking at a single point on the ground.

A 360 air in a half pipe isn't hard to do nor is it much different from a regular 360 air. If you are able to do a 180-degree spin before the apex of your air you can do a 360 air. A 360 air is an eye-pleasing trick that everyone will pay attention to and is the base for many more tricks and variations.

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.