# Riding a HalfPipe



## Guest (Sep 13, 2008)

This will be my first year riding a hlafpipe..
FOr the last few year all I have really done are jumps and rails n stuff.
But anyway my friend says that riding a halfpipe is a totally different style of riding that you have to get used to.
Is this true or what? Is halfpipe riding harder, easier, or different(and if it is different in what way?)


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## mal67 (Sep 1, 2008)

Should you land on an identical angle as you took off? Would it be easier to land toe side edge? I too have wondered about proper techniques and actions you should take when in the pipe. I've only ridden it here and there and am able to get about a foot of air off it, but I find landing and making the transition down the most difficult. When you pivot, what foot should you pivot off of? The lead foot or back foot?


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## LouG (Sep 1, 2008)

BR22 said:


> This will be my first year riding a hlafpipe..
> FOr the last few year all I have really done are jumps and rails n stuff.
> But anyway my friend says that riding a halfpipe is a totally different style of riding that you have to get used to.
> Is this true or what? Is halfpipe riding harder, easier, or different(and if it is different in what way?)


That is definitely true. Halfpipe is going whoop you for a little while, it's way different. You are going to be dealing a lot more with edge work and of course the whole vertical transition deal. It's like your friend said, it's just going to take some getting used to.

But here is the good news: if you can ride pipe than you can ride anything. In fact, a lot of professional coaches insist that their riders start out in the pipe because once they get all the grabs and spins controlled it is much easier to make the transition into slopestyle.

Snowolf has got you covered on what you need to think about but I want to re-emphasize some important points...



> Do any speed checks down in the flats, not in the tranny.


 You want to be confident in your speed entering the transition not while you are riding it. When you are coming through the flats pick a point on the wall you want to launch from and commit. This will help you stay on target and hopefully keep you from making any last second corrections.



> As you stall on the wall, unweight your board and pivot, then extend to regain contact with the wall. Avoid pushing off the wall.


 Very important. It's easy to assume that riders are blasting ollies to get the kind of air they do in the pipe... but really it's all about momentum. Let your speed carry you up the wall and into the air. The best way I can figure to describe it is that you kind of 'stand up' into the air rather than really popping.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2008)

Two noob questions:
1.What exactly do you mean by "pivot"
2.What exactly do yiou mean by "transition"?

PS THANKS A TON for all the help! Really helpful


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## nos (Mar 13, 2008)

Sorry to bump, but I'm still confused as to what edge I should be on. For example, if I'm regular and I drop in from the left side, I should land on my toe edge..right?


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## legallyillegal (Oct 6, 2008)

nos said:


> Sorry to bump, but I'm still confused as to what edge I should be on. For example, if I'm regular and I drop in from the left side, I should land on my toe edge..right?


It depends. Do you want to do backflips right away?


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2008)

GENTLEMEN!! don't mean to be a dick.... but, no one can hold your hand here. Get into the pipe with the help of an experienced friend, and or instructor. You will only really understand what is being discussed here until you actually get in the pipe. Shrediquette in the pipe is what you should really learn now.

If you can't connect turns confidently or have other issue that make you unable to control your speed, turn shape or a whole host of other issues, you should not be in the pipe to begin with.

We all want to learn to ride pipe/park and more often than not, lots of you are not ready.

Hone your skills and perfect your carving, small radius turns, and turn shape as it relates to speed control. You will be glad you did when you do get in the pipe.

I don't get many pipe lessons being an instructor, but when I do my progression for learning pipe starts on flat ground (not in any halfpipe) and involves learning to hop turn.. snowolfs reference "up unweighting" 

If I could close the pipe and just have only my students there...then I would start there..I don't have the authority to close the pipe.. (wish I did) ?? can u honestly say your "Shready"??


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## laz167 (Nov 27, 2007)

So true , dont fight or think to much when riding pipe..I rode the pipe at stratton last year for the first time. The problem that I had is that I kept thinking about what edge to go up on and so on. After like 30 tries and alot of falling I just relaxed and basicaly let the tranny do the work, although I didnt catch major air, I did manage to catch about 6 or so feet.This year I plan on going back and riding as much as I can.


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## laz167 (Nov 27, 2007)

:laugh: No... not 6ft. out of the pipe, 6ft. inside the pipe I never cleared the top, but I'll put more effort this year.


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## kri$han (Feb 24, 2007)

oneplankawanka said:


> If I could close the pipe and just have only my students there...then I would start there..I don't have the authority to close the pipe.. (wish I did) ?? can u honestly say your "Shready"??


You do make valid points, but allow me to step in as a pipe noob, to anyone that wants to get in the pipe.

I can make confident, proper turns, high speed, utilising board flex (not rear-foot rudder steering), or I can board slide turn like everyone else. I can 'hop' turn, and 'hop' to switch and ride an edge very well... it was once I had all these things down that I decided to try the pipe.

I'm at a point now where I can gather enough speed to get to the top of the coping of my local pipe (I don't think its a super pipe, but it does have vert walls.. prolly 8'-10' high), and linking the BS turn is easy, but I STILL can't perfect the FS turn --> i.e. up the wall on the heel edge, and transition to the toe side edge. I usually over or under rotate. 

Sometimes I wish I could get into the park when no one else is there, cuz the only other people as bad as I am in the pipe are 4' tall tweens 

practice, practice, practice.


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## Guest (Oct 16, 2008)

Hey MPD Halfpipes not crackpipes!!! ya hear me boy!! D.A.R.E. dare to keep MPD off drugs!! eer donuts ..


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## Guest (Oct 17, 2008)

Try MPD...It will keep you young. I am no spring chicken myself...ie. Manchild. I truly believe that when we stop doing the things we loved to do when we were young..we truely are, or become OLD>>>.>>>>>never stop doing what you love... it will be reflected in the way others perceive you, and how you veiw yourself... shred the gnarwal!!! and remember to SMILE while yer doing it..:laugh::laugh:


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## nos (Mar 13, 2008)

Thanks a ton Snowwolf. Very informative!


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## kri$han (Feb 24, 2007)

Snowolf said:


> What you are describing is reversed. It is the backside turn you are struggling with and is quite common. Going from heel to toe is a BS turn. The way to keep it straight is refer to your toes. If the toes of the rear foot lead the turn, it`s a front side. If the heel of the rear foot leads the turn it`s backside.
> 
> I have the most trouble with the FS turn. For me, as I ride up the wall on the toe edge, it wigs me out still as I release the board from the wall to spin blind over my left shoulder (I ride pipe regular)
> 
> For you, I think you may be resisting leaning down toward the bottom of the pipe in this turn and you get in the back seat too far as you try to ride down on the toe edge.


haha, sorry yeah I keep messing up the FS/BS nomenclature  ... the rear foot analogy works though.

I think you're right about that BS turn too..., i ride up the wall easily on the heel edge, but as I unweight the board, I have this tendency to wanna look 'down' the pipe, which doesn't let me get the full rotation. That, coupled with the fact that riding DOWN the wall on the toe edge scares me a bit.

Even when turning 180s and attempting 360s, I'm WAY more comfortable turning FS.... yeah, FS


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## kri$han (Feb 24, 2007)

oneplankawanka said:


> shred the gnarwal!!! and remember to SMILE while yer doing it..:laugh::laugh:


I wish everyone felt this way...lol. As an 'older' n00b in the park, I always get funny looks from the kids in there like "hey, you're old enough, you should be good at this by now"



Could all be in my head, though...


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## kri$han (Feb 24, 2007)

Good call, man!.. you're right, although not going as steep tends to build more speed, its still way easier...

thanks...


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## romesaz (Nov 21, 2007)

kri$han said:


> You do make valid points, but allow me to step in as a pipe noob, to anyone that wants to get in the pipe.
> 
> I can make confident, proper turns, high speed, utilising board flex (not rear-foot rudder steering), or I can board slide turn like everyone else. I can 'hop' turn, and 'hop' to switch and ride an edge very well... it was once I had all these things down that I decided to try the pipe.
> 
> ............


hoooold on... the pipe at Blue actually OPENED? Not that I've the skill for it, but I didn't see it open ONCE last season :\. Which was very appealing since there was nothing but tons of snow in it, and I wanted to just bomb down the flats


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## squishydonut (Nov 13, 2007)

excellent thread, one of a few recently. :thumbsup:


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