# Frontside Board slides/



## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

Need help with frontside board slides. Have watched "The Worlds Best Frontside Boardslide Tutorial" from Snowboard Addiction 1000 times. My local hill recently changed up the park setup getting rid of the only feature truly ideal for learning them on. We HAD a perfect ride on flat box that was only like a foot off the ground to practice stuff like that on and I was actually getting pretty decent at them and getting all the way sideways and sliding the entire feature. Now the closest thing we have to this is a 4 foot high thin box (Not a rail but not a box. about 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide)with like a 3 foot gap to the box from the kicker. Now don't get my wrong I have no trouble doing my other tricks on this feature its just not ideal (at least in my opinion) for learning new tricks on. 

Does anyone have any tips that can help me get front boards on lock? Should I just go for it on the box I described above until i get it? (will post pictures of it and of my trying front boards on some other features along with video) I know how to use counter rotation and how to keep my base flat while I balance on one leg but I have not taken it to a bigger feature like this yet and have so far used the 50-50 shuffle starting the shuffle within the first foot of the box I was learning on. Hoping they put it back up soon so I can try launching right into the front board.

Any response is appreciated.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

How about sending an email to your mountain, describing the problem? I did that with Mt Seymour and got a reply from the park manager. Within a week they'd put up exactly the type of beginner stuff I was asking for. Sometimes they just need some feedback.


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## Cr0_Reps_Smit (Jun 27, 2009)

if you want to practice front boards on the box you described i would start off going into it in a 50-50 then push it into a front board while sliding on it. after doing this for a while you should start to feel more comfortable doing them and be able to hope right into it.

are you trying to do front board to switch out or more of a front nose and come back out in your regular stance?


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

Cr0_Reps_Smit said:


> if you want to practice front boards on the box you described i would start off going into it in a 50-50 then push it into a front board while sliding on it. after doing this for a while you should start to feel more comfortable doing them and be able to hope right into it.
> 
> are you trying to do front board to switch out or more of a front nose and come back out in your regular stance?


Gonna start trying the 50-50 shuffle again like you said.
I am trying to just do front nose back to regular for now. I think it looks better than front board to fakie.


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## Cr0_Reps_Smit (Jun 27, 2009)

CheoSamad said:


> Gonna start trying the 50-50 shuffle again like you said.
> I am trying to just do front nose back to regular for now. I think it looks better than front board to fakie.


the key for that is to kinda drop your back hand towards your front foot as you go into the slide. the counter rotation of having your arm like that will help you pop back out in your normal stand a little easier. i also try to bone out or straighten my front leg.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

I'm working on my frontboards as well. I do better on the box then the rail, just a balance thing for me and less going on on the box.

I find I really need to rotate more than I think I am to get the 90 degree lock and lock super cool. Also keep your eyes on the end of the feature. I caught myself looking at my board and when I did that my rotation stopped short of the 90 degrees. Not sure why just did. I also try to get my rotation moving fast seemed to help me slide the whole length of the feature and I stayed in the wound up position with a tight core to really rotate back to ride it off after landing. 

Hope that helps and again I'm new to these myself and may not be the best or most technical explanation but works for me :thumbsup:


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

I've been working on them too. I started off hitting the box 50-50 and rotating on the box, but I keep rotating and come off the box switch because once I start the rotation on the box it's hard to completely stop it. Now I'm getting my board on teh box at a 45deg angle and tweaking it to 90, then I can come off the box regular or switch. Last time out I was working on 50-50 then 180 out, coming into the box regular and switch. I've only got 7 days in so far but my slides are getting MUCH better, last year I didn't even think about the 180 out. Next time I get out I think I'll be working on front board 270 out or 50-50 180 and 360 out. Just keep pushing yourself to do a little more each time and you'll get it.


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## eddiethebus (Mar 16, 2011)

what other features are there on the hill?

personally i struggle with front boards on ride-on features, i find them much easier with side hits. If the box your trying them on has a 3 ft gap your probably hitting it straight i guess. I'd personally either make sure i'm hitting from the side or maybe move to lower rail that you can just hop onto without the 3ft gap (if that makes any sense!)

Side hit to FB on gas pipes are the ones I find the easiest if you have one of those


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## eddiethebus (Mar 16, 2011)

honeycomb said:


> I've been working on them too. I started off hitting the box 50-50 and rotating on the box, but I keep rotating and come off the box switch because once I start the rotation on the box it's hard to completely stop it. .


your possibly hopping onto the box but either looking at your board, or back up the slope (blindside). Keep your eyes focused on the end of the rail and your rotation will stop at 90 degrees


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

I was looking down at the box just in front of my board, I didn't try to change it for a while 'cuz it was fun hitting them like that, I can spin 360 on the box then 180 out. I've now figured out where my shoulders go my board will follow. Now I hit them and rotate 45 before I lock onto the box, then tweak it out to 90 and rotate my shoulders the opposite direction a bit. Once I'm on the rail I focus on the end of the rail and the landing, helps keep me from sliding off early. I've just started to hit small handrails and pipes, anything square 3" wide or more I can stay on, but the pipes are a b*tch.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

honeycomb said:


> I was looking down at the box just in front of my board


that's 'just' a boardslide. 

videogames convoluted the names... front board slide means you are sliding on the feature blindside, with your back facing down the hill.


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## honeycomb (Feb 6, 2011)

You sure? The name makes a lot more sense the other way, but I'm not gonna argue with you cuz I'm probably wrong  I can do them that way too, basically all the same tips apply.


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## CheeseForSteeze (May 11, 2011)

For frontboards, I actually like learning them on a down bar that is close to the ground. It's safer because it's lower than a box*, it's still fairly wide and being down incline means you actually will fall less far if you slip out toeside. You can catch yourself with your hand and still be facing fairly upright. This is the ONLY time in snowboarding I suggest using your hand to stop yourself because the fall is to the declined feature is so mellow, the consequences are almost none.

For frontboards, I learned to go fakie first because I could commit to getting on and over the bar more than with the shifty method. If you throw it like a backside one; this is kind of the same thing you do for front board 2s. The two keys are to look up and relax your ankles as you connect because you will slip out on your toes otherwise. Once you start being able to shifty more and more, you can really get a true board. But if you want to come out non-fakie, you have to use the shifty method.

*edit, box not bow


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

FS Boardslide (snowboarding) - YouTube any one got any tips for me?


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## Matt578 (May 1, 2011)

I am learning fs boardslides also, and last week my local hill's park had a nice down rail that was about 3 inches wide and a half a foot off the ground. I got it on my second try, third try I went a little harder into it, forgot to keep my eyes on the end, and slipped out.

Just goes to show what keeping your eyes on the end does for you. 
Beginner down rails are really good for learning them, so I would do what that other guy said and contact the park manager.


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## david_z (Dec 14, 2009)

Definitely not an ideal feature for learning. I'm not a huge fan of the shifty method and I don't really dig ride-on boxes because I feel like it is hard for me to "commit" fully since I don't have to commit as hard compared to a feature that requires a slight ollie. 

This may be a little unconventional but it might be worth trying... I struggled with front boards until I learned back lips (which, ironically I stomped the first attempt!) and then something "clicked" for me because the motion is nearly identical. If you can land a back lip you can land a front board. It's just a slightly different balance point.


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## Matt578 (May 1, 2011)

I don't know if you were talking to me, but the rail was kind of a ride-on down rail, so it was really easy to learn on.


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## CheoSamad (Nov 18, 2011)

Hey guys bringing this old thread back up as I have made huge improvements.
Started trying front boards and a small Ollie on down bar and got both ways dialed (Front nose AND front board with it right in between my feet) I have not ridden in a few weeks because of my knee but hopefully will be back riding this coming weekend. I feel like I am really getting the feel of them. No more troubles keeping my board flat or getting counter rotated. Was working on getting my back hand a bit lower and farther forward so it looks better. Once I am back to snow hoping to 270 out. What do you guys think?


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