# Ollie on a stiffer Camber Board



## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

I've asked a similar question before but after failing to make improvements, I'm back =(

I have a short 150cm Park Pickle and a longer 156cm Capita Outsiders. 

On the Pickle I can ollie fairly confidently. I can ollie over 2 ft obstacles pretty easily. But it's a short rocker board so there not too much effort involved. I basically bend low, lift up my nose, suck up my tail, and it's done. But on my full camber Capita, I have trouble making any ollies that are higher than 1ft. I'm pretty sure I should be getting much more power out of this board but I've tried and tried =( 

I practiced by trying to first see how high I can lift the nose up. I can easily tailblock on my pickle while cruising down the mountain, but I can't even bring the Capita above my knees (the board wants to snap back down on the snow). 

Then I tried to really lean forward on the Capita and do a quick shift to the back + ollie. Pretty much I can get like 1 ft of air and then the board again wants to snap back down. Mind you this board feels like magic off little rollers or jumps because a small ollie is all I need. But I really want to learn to use the most of this board and figure out how to load it up properly and ollie high up in the air =D

Another thing is my nollie back 180 on this board feels smooth and pretty high. So I'm certain something's wrong with my technique =( 

Does anyone know any good drills or practices I can work on to get a better/stronger ollie?


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## linvillegorge (Jul 6, 2009)

How much do you weigh? You should definitely be getting significantly more pop out of that Capita than you are your Park Pickle, but you're going to have to work harder to access it.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

You don't know how to ollie. You don't lift the nose up. You can do anything on a rockered board that's why they make them for people. On a cambered board you have to learn all of the proper mechanics. Start here: (and use the search function)

Do Not lift the front foot first. Wait until the weight has shifted to the tail and the nose is starting to lift off the snow. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWvsjwdWL9Q


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

tonicusa said:


> You don't know how to ollie. You don't lift the nose up. You can do anything on a rockered board that's why they make them for people. On a cambered board you have to learn all of the proper mechanics. Start here: (and use the search function)
> 
> Do Not lift the front foot first. Wait until the weight has shifted to the tail and the nose is starting to lift off the snow.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWvsjwdWL9Q


My explanation skills are terrible =( Sorry, yes, I do NOT just lift the front foot first. I think I understand how to weight shift (or maybe I don't =S)

As I mentioned, I tried to tailblock on my Capita while going straight. I'm pretty sure I need to shift weight properly in order to do that while cruising, even if I was using a rockered pickle originally. So I should have at least some understanding of that motion but I'm only getting like 1ft of height. 

I guess what I'm trying to ask is whether if there's drills that can help me do more exaggerated ollies. The video you linked is helpful but it's only showing how to learn a very mellow ollie, which I can do already.


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

linvillegorge said:


> How much do you weigh? You should definitely be getting significantly more pop out of that Capita than you are your Park Pickle, but you're going to have to work harder to access it.


I weight about 165lbs, but I'm pretty short (5'6). 

Yes, I feel like I'm being denied access T_T I guess really the only thing to do is to keep trying, just like every other trick out there.


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## Joe77 (Feb 7, 2013)

I ride the same 156" board, we weigh the same and only get around 1' high olies too (so far). I gave up and had lessons three weeks ago because of this issue. 

Because it's a stiffer camber board than my previous flat board, I need to get much much of my weight back before the olie. It feels like It's either I'm being tipped over backwards or board just wants to spring flat forward. At the moment, this very narrow sweet spot is what I am trying to be comfortable with.

Just imagine that when trying to olie, the stiffer positive camber will have a narrower fulcrum closer to the tail than a soft reverse camber which will have a wider contact to snow and forgiving fulcrum that's closer to the rear binding.


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

Joe77 said:


> I ride the same 156" board, we weigh the same and only get around 1' high olies too (so far). I gave up and had lessons three weeks ago because of this issue.
> 
> Because it's a stiffer camber board than my previous flat board, I need to get much much of my weight back before the olie. It feels like It's either I'm being tipped over backwards or board just wants to spring flat forward. At the moment, this very narrow sweet spot is what I am trying to be comfortable with.
> 
> Just imagine that when trying to olie, the stiffer positive camber will have a narrower fulcrum closer to the tail than a soft reverse camber which will have a wider contact to snow and forgiving fulcrum that's closer to the rear binding.


That's a really nice analogy (I had to search what a fulcrum is lol). Hmm I can already imagine that it's gonna take same practice to figure out how to shift the weight to the tail and not overdo it to prevent flipping backwards. 

I'll go practice a bit more this week! Cheers.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

I think you're missing the essence of it. Maybe don't think of it as pop but a twang that comes from quickly and forcefully compressing the tail against it's own camber and the ground. It has to be a snappy, quick, force full motion.

You can't just shift your weight backwards. Think more about driving your back foot forward so forcefully under your hips that you worry you might fall over backwards. Roll the shit out of your back ankle right through the binding towards the tail. You will immediately discover the snap. If you don't first shift your weight out over the nose of the board you will never be able to generate enough force driving your back foot under yourself. Then use your arms, core, and everything to "get up out of the way" of the popping piece of wood.Get low, core engaged to keep force aimed down through the board, don't break at your waist, and keep your arms and shoulders parallel to the board.

Remember to think about it from a skateboard stance. "Lift" up your front foot sideways from the middle of the foot, snap the tail down afterwards in a piston motion. Stay sideways head turned board flat, hips unbroken, back straight.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Do what Tonic says.

I had the same issue going from full rocker to camber... high ollies on rocker, and like 6in  on camber. After doing what he says, i can do them about the same now; but i do have to plan them a bit more. With the added benefit that on the camber i'm super stable off the lip and on landing jumps.


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

tonicusa said:


> I think you're missing the essence of it. Maybe don't think of it as pop but a twang that comes from quickly and forcefully compressing the tail against it's own camber and the ground. It has to be a snappy, quick, force full motion.
> 
> You can't just shift your weight backwards. Think more about driving your back foot forward so forcefully under your hips that you worry you might fall over backwards. Roll the shit out of your back ankle right through the binding towards the tail. You will immediately discover the snap. If you don't first shift your weight out over the nose of the board you will never be able to generate enough force driving your back foot under yourself. Then use your arms, core, and everything to "get up out of the way" of the popping piece of wood.Get low, core engaged to keep force aimed down through the board, don't break at your waist, and keep your arms and shoulders parallel to the board.
> 
> Remember to think about it from a skateboard stance. "Lift" up your front foot sideways from the middle of the foot, snap the tail down afterwards in a piston motion. Stay sideways head turned board flat, hips unbroken, back straight.


Thank you so much for this detailed explanation!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

On a snowboard, pressuring the front foot before the rest of the skate-inspired kinetic, helps.

As you cannot move your feet, instead your weight rolls through different points of pressure from front foot, to back foot, to airborne and shuvving the front foot up and over again.


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## Slush Puppie (Aug 15, 2011)

try this progression: stand on flat ground on the board, mark a line in the snow between your feet. Then slide the board forward under you so that the back foot comes stops at the line. Keep the upper body static, just slide the board in a quick motion under you, keeping the board entirely on the snow. Once you have that, then simply press off the back foot as the last step. You'll release the built up pressure in the tail and should get a nice smooth ollie. Good luck!


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