# AASI Freestyle I Cert. help (360 butter)



## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

I'm having trouble finding the technical 2012/2013 list of what I need to be able to do to pass, but I have heard a few things from various sources. 180s off small jumps, boardslides, half-pipe (not sure what, no tricks though), 50-50 landing fakie, and 360 butters to name a few. I know it is all relatively simple stuff, but I have a pure freeride background, and apart from big straight airs and 50-50s, most is pretty foreign to me. I have roughly 14 days on snow for spring break to get it all down, which I think it totally enough. 

The one thing that is getting me right now is a full 360 butter... I get the first 180 (sorta). I know I have too much arm movement but I can get the board rotated 180. The last 180 is really problematic for me and I can't even sorta get it... not even slightly. It is as if I am stuck... and I just can't get the damn board around.

Suggestions?

Any advice from anyone experienced with the AASI freestyle exams would be appreciated as well.


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

Can you do a full 360 butter at a standstill on flatground? I practiced that a lot first to get used to the momentum required in the windup. Its actually easier once you get moving since you have the additional momentum from traveling downhill.


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

redlude97 said:


> Can you do a full 360 butter at a standstill on flatground? I practiced that a lot first to get used to the momentum required in the windup. Its actually easier once you get moving since you have the additional momentum from traveling downhill.


Haven't tried it a on super flats yet, but I was on a super easy bunny hill when I was practicing. Is it just a matter of winding up enough to get through the whole 360? I would get the first 180 and then my board would sort of lock up (like a switch nose butter) and that was all I could get out of it. I didn't really try just winding up like crazy, cause I was trying to do it slow and smoothish.


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## redlude97 (Jan 9, 2008)

BigmountainVMD said:


> Haven't tried it a on super flats yet, but I was on a super easy bunny hill when I was practicing. Is it just a matter of winding up enough to get through the whole 360? I would get the first 180 and then my board would sort of lock up (like a switch nose butter) and that was all I could get out of it. I didn't really try just winding up like crazy, cause I was trying to do it slow and smoothish.


I don't usually wind up a lot when doing full butters but its the only way on flat ground. I also have trouble getting all the way around if I start the butter from a tailpress so I usually initiate it by doing a heelside turn till perpendicular then starting the butter around the top of the rotation, then I usually have enough momentum to keep it coming around for multiple rotations.


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

redlude97 said:


> I don't usually wind up a lot when doing full butters but its the only way on flat ground. I also have trouble getting all the way around if I start the butter from a tailpress so I usually initiate it by doing a heelside turn till perpendicular then starting the butter around the top of the rotation, then I usually have enough momentum to keep it coming around for multiple rotations.


I see. I didn't really think of this. I'm not sure how I'll have to do it for the examiner... I can't find the 2013 guidelines for what I will have to do and they seem to change from year to year.


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## scrotumphillips (Oct 27, 2012)

I've never really had to wind up my 360 butters. I just go on my edge a little bit and look over my shoulder and that tends to get them around pretty easily.


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## Cr0_Reps_Smit (Jun 27, 2009)

A good progression I use for butters is flat ground 360s while traversing across the hill. This is best done on a wide open trail that is not too steep.

Pretty simple but you just traverse across the hill a bit, (let's just say on your heel edge but it can be done either way, heel being frontside, toes being backside) when you are ready for the spin just throw your back arm across your body while looking over your front shoulder. This will help you get momentum for the spin and get you sliding around on your heel edge, you will get to a point where you need to switch to your toe edge(about parallel to the fall line) then keep the spin going till you switch back to your heels going across the hill the same way you started.

For the backside version of this everything is the same except you start on the opposite edge. 

If you can do them going across the hill no problem you can try the flat ground spins while going down the fall line as opposed to across it. This helps control your edge transitions and helps you figure out when you need to be switching edges in the spin so you don't catch one.

To turn those into butters, once you are about 90 degrees into the spin, get your weight on your back leg while boning out your front leg. This should get you in a press and after that everything else is the same, just with your weight on one leg as opposed to evenly on both.

There are many different ways and variations to the butter but this is what I found to be the simplest way for getting a foundation of spinning in a butter.


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

Cr0_Reps_Smit said:


> A good progression I use for butters is flat ground 360s while traversing across the hill. This is best done on a wide open trail that is not too steep.
> 
> Pretty simple but you just traverse across the hill a bit, (let's just say on your heel edge but it can be done either way, heel being frontside, toes being backside) when you are ready for the spin just throw your back arm across your body while looking over your front shoulder. This will help you get momentum for the spin and get you sliding around on your heel edge, you will get to a point where you need to switch to your toe edge(about parallel to the fall line) then keep the spin going till you switch back to your heels going across the hill the same way you started.
> 
> ...


I agree, with the one exception that learning to nose roll a 180 may be a better in between step before a full 360 press.


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

redlude97 said:


> I don't usually wind up a lot when doing full butters but its the only way on flat ground. I also have trouble getting all the way around if I start the butter from a tailpress so I usually initiate it by doing a heelside turn till perpendicular then starting the butter around the top of the rotation, then I usually have enough momentum to keep it coming around for multiple rotations.


I do roughly the same thing. If I want to keep the spin past 360, I just rotate my upper body a bit past the board so my arms and board make a slight X. This keeps it rotating for as long as I want.


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## neshawnp (Jan 29, 2013)

Start rotation w hip, shoulder after, head after, n head up, eyes always looking in direction of rotation. timing thru mileage my friend


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## Cr0_Reps_Smit (Jun 27, 2009)

^That signature is a little intense.


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## neshawnp (Jan 29, 2013)

I can't see my Sig when I post, but can imagine it. Toned down. Just Updated this membership, so I'm still adjusting this. Thanks for the notice.:thumbsup:


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

I got nose roll-180s and flat ground spins no problem. I think my issues was starting to butter before I had any rotational momentum built up. I would just lean back and then try to spin. Never thought about starting a flat spin and then getting back in to the butter after the spin starts. That makes so much sense I feel like a gaper.


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## aiidoneus (Apr 7, 2011)

Snowolf said:


> I can do nose butter 360' one after the other until too dizzy to stand straight but I have trouble doing them on my tail. Not nearly the same level of balance on my back leg.
> 
> I have the AASI level 1 freestyle and when I took it a few years ago, it was really more of a clinic format than an actual exam. Which division are you in? I will se if I can dig up a manual in PDF format.


They do make you dizzy! I have got to the point with tail press 3s where I can easily get into the spin, BUT! I always drift to the right


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## BigmountainVMD (Oct 9, 2011)

Snowolf said:


> I can do nose butter 360' one after the other until too dizzy to stand straight but I have trouble doing them on my tail. Not nearly the same level of balance on my back leg.
> 
> I have the AASI level 1 freestyle and when I took it a few years ago, it was really more of a clinic format than an actual exam. Which division are you in? I will se if I can dig up a manual in PDF format.


Eastern Division. I have seen a manual or two, but they are past years and they all had different expectations. The site is kinda annoying to find stuff on, so I haven't tried super hard. Good to hear it is more of a clinic format. I'm just going from my experience during my Level 1 clinic, where there was one person taking the clinic/exam that could not ride switch. The clinic leader had to spend 20 minutes with him making sure he could do it to pass... I just don't want to be the one guy at the clinic that can't do one of the required tasks.


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