Freestyle Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a relatively new and exciting sport. Most popular among participants under the age of 30, the sport is fast paced like the other three sports on which it was based. Skiing, skateboarding, and surfing inspired this sport and created many of its styles that are very clear to see. As snowboarder glides at a rapid pace down a mountain with the rider moving around the board during stunts or tricks, it immediately brings to mind a surfer taking a wave back to shore. Freestyle snowboarding, on the other hand looks very much like skateboarding, with similar stunts and movement made by the boarders.Freestyle snowboarding uses a manmade terrain that looks very much like a skate park. The terrain has features like jumps, boxes, rails and other innovations, which are created by the designers who are often riders themselves. This means that the terrain becomes as much a part of the sport as the mountain is in skiing or the wave in surfing. Each feature is a chance for the freestyle snowboarder to demonstrate their skills. The snowboarder must use not only his or her skill, but also ingenuity to get on the terrain to gain points against other freestyle snowboarders.Features such as rails, jumps and boxes are usually used to demonstrate aerial slides or jibs. Boxes are objects with slick tops most often comprised of polyethylene (HDPE) on which a rider uses to slide with the base of the board. Boxes are very versatile in that they can be made into any shape or size. This creates various levels of difficulty with the boxes to test the freestyler's skill. Rails are long and narrow and used for either slides or jumps. A jip is slang for a rider completing a slide or press on a box, rail or other object that is not made of snow.Freestyle is often done in halfpipe as well. A halfpipe is a ditch-like half tube dug out of the snow. Tricks can be performed with rotations of up to full 360 degree turns in the air, or a "McTwist". A McTwist is an off-axis spin. Features can be included or modified for the halfpipe giving the riders an opportunity to do combinations and rotations either in practice sessions or for competitions.Different types of foot gear such as boots and binds can have an important role in how well a snowboarder can perform. A freestyle snowboarder usually uses a soft boot with a twin tipped board. This is for better balance while either riding or performing the stunts. A flexible board makes mobility easier. Freestyle snowboarding is a sport in which being able to move quickly is the key to winning a competition. Binding stance in freestyle is usually the 'duck foot'; a look with feet spread a space apart and facing outward.

Posted in: Snowboarding