# Comfortable with air?



## JP89 (Jan 31, 2009)

dont be scared and just go for it...and stay stable.


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## DiamondCarver (Jan 27, 2009)

"stay stable". Thanks. Of course i go for it, but when i do go for bigger than usual it's anything but stable. I just want to expand my comfort zone.


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## Jeklund (Dec 14, 2009)

I don't think there is going to be any sort of magic advice we can give you that's going to help you out. The best thing would be to just gradually progress to larger jumps and once you get comfortable with them move on to the next biggest one. The only way to get more comfortable on bigger features is to just say fuck it and go for it. The more you hit larger jumps the more comfortable you will come and your body can develop the muscle memory which will eventually lead to your landings being more clean.

As for technique wise avoid speed checks and just find a spot that will give you enough speed for the jump. The less your worrying about your speed the more you can concentrate on your setup and takeoff. Sometimes doing a grab can also help as you can stabilize your body and prevent any unnecessary flailing of the arms and legs that could through you off balance.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

I don't want to end up being a shill for Snowboard Addiction, but I bought their download vids and the sections on jumps are pretty good. They go over proper technique in detail, and give you a number of steps you can go through to work yourself up starting with coasting off side hits and ending with spins off big ramps. I have a couple of minor nits with the buttering vids but generally I'm very satisfied with the product. And they manage to almost completely avoid the standard (and useless) 'just hit it right' advice.

(I wouldn't buy the DVD's. More $ for less useful IMO.)


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## Extremo (Nov 6, 2008)

Def don't just go for it...work your way up to bigger jumps. 

It has to be said that each jump varies greatly from the next. I've hit 50+ footers that were so smooth it felt like you were floating and I've hit 25 footers that I felt like I would die on if I hit it again. Find a good park that takes the time to figure out the angles of the take offs...some parks just pile a bunch of snow and shape and re-shape as the season goes and the jumps end up looking like spines. 

After you find a good jump just hit it over and over. You'll become comfortable and confident over time and before you know it you'll be ready to start throwing 180's and so on.


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## HoboMaster (May 16, 2010)

One thing I've noticed with my limited experience of jumps, is that you gain a lot of stability if you keep your body compressed/tucked while in the air, rather then fully expanded,(being crouched vs. standing straight up). Once I started consciously making myself stay compressed, I noticed some of the awkwardness of being in the air go away.


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## alecdude88 (Dec 13, 2009)

HoboMaster said:


> One thing I've noticed with my limited experience of jumps, is that you gain a lot of stability if you keep your body compressed/tucked while in the air, rather then fully expanded,(being crouched vs. standing straight up). Once I started consciously making myself stay compressed, I noticed some of the awkwardness of being in the air go away.


thats a good point to be made cause I feel that grabbing helps me stay stable which the same concept applies of being crouched


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## Enigmatic (Feb 6, 2009)

I'm in the same boat as you and here's some things that might be added or worth trying..


1. *Stop speed-checking*.
I try to figure out what distance will give me enough speed to clear the jump, pick that line, and stick with it straight up...no cutting back and forth.

Personally, when I'm nervous to hit something, I know I tend to cut back and forth, speed-checking excessively, maybe buying more time to think about what I'm going to do...and that always F's me up

2. *Hit a step-up*
If your park has a step-up feature you're set because it allows you to feel the air time without actually being that high up in the air. So you feel a little more comfortable because the ground is not so far away...yet you're still off the ground for a longer time than a smaller jump. 

And in order to "step up" to the table, you have to be going pretty fast, so it helps you to get comfortable with picking a line, staying straight and maintaining speed up through the lip

3. If you're going to tuck or grab, suck your knees up to you...don't reach down for the board, bring it to you, then grab.


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