# progression



## Cr0_Reps_Smit (Jun 27, 2009)

i was in the same boat for awhile but i would watch everyone else in the park and whenever i saw something i thought looked cool i would start trying to work my way up to do whatever i saw. 

start with small new things like hitting rails switch, that alone will open up a whole new spectrum of tricks. also spinning onto rails would be the next step up like 180s on to presses or 270s. work on making everything look smoother and stuff like that. if you can already spin onto rails one way maybe try spinning onto them the other way so you dont get stuck doing the same stuff all the time. thats something i got stuck in for a bit, i had a couple of sick tricks i could do but would always do just those tricks, now i always try and do something different every run i make. of course ill still bust out the nasty stock tricks i had on lock but would try and make my self just try something new so i wouldnt get stuck in a rut.


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## X1n54n3x (Sep 28, 2007)

start spinning! (start with the little hits, move you're way up) it's a whole new world of frustration, but the good kind.


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## Guest (Nov 10, 2009)

i was at the same point you're at now at the end of last season. i rode switch all day my first day out this season, and now i'm doing spins. spins really do open up a whole world of new tricks. my goal for this year are front flips.


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## j.gnar (Sep 4, 2009)

hmmm
i really want to learn spins but its scary as shit trying anything more than a 180. spinning onto boxes is pretty simple but spinning onto rails or flat bars is a whole different world. i will definitely try to get comfortable enough to try and hit stuff switch. thanks for all the advice guys


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## Guest (Nov 11, 2009)

practice 360's off natural bumps or small kickers first. it'll help you learn the proper positions for takeoff and landing long before you hit a rail.


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## iKimshi (Feb 18, 2009)

Cr0_Reps_Smit said:


> i was in the same boat for awhile but i would watch everyone else in the park and whenever i saw something i thought looked cool i would start trying to work my way up to do whatever i saw.


This is what I did too. I would just watch some tricks and try imitating it.


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## j.gnar (Sep 4, 2009)

Snowolf said:


> I notice that you always refer to hitting rails when talking about progression. It`s fine if you love to jib, but are you also expanding your riding in other areas such as steeps, trees, chutes and natural terrain?
> 
> The reason I mention this is because a lot of times these plateaus in learning can be a result of boredom. Mixing things up helps a lot. When we teach freestyle, we stress the importance of "outside in". This is where you use riding outside the park to discover things that work well in the park. The advantage of this often is you have time to just play without the added stress of clearing landings and watching out for other park riders. Learning things in the park is a little like learning to drive on a crowded L.A. freeway at rush hour. You sometimes need to go somewhere more relaxed that allows you to have time to think and reflect upon your riding. Natural features are great for this.
> 
> Also, don`t become so obsessed with "having to progress" that you forget to just have fun. Instructors often get into this trap when working toward their next certification, All their free time on a snowboard becomes work and frustration dialing in their riding to meet standards. Sometime we forget to just go out and ride to have fun.


i ride at bear mountain, in california. its not the biggest mountain around but it got rated #1 park in the country by transworld the past two years, so thats mainly what it has to offer....park stuff. it has features top to bottom so the lines you can put together are endless. with that being said, it doesnt offer much in the steeps/trees/chutes/drops area. i wish to god it did because i got my first taste of all that when i rode mammoth last month and it changed my view on what i thought snowboarding was.

since bear is my home mountain, im kind of forced to direct my progression in park riding


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## Guest (Nov 11, 2009)

j.gnar said:


> i ride at bear mountain, in california. its not the biggest mountain around but it got rated #1 park in the country by transworld the past two years, so thats mainly what it has to offer....park stuff. it has features top to bottom so the lines you can put together are endless. with that being said, it doesnt offer much in the steeps/trees/chutes/drops area. i wish to god it did because i got my first taste of all that when i rode mammoth last month and it changed my view on what i thought snowboarding was.
> 
> since bear is my home mountain, im kind of forced to direct my progression in park riding


there are some gnar tree lines and chutes at Bear. just takes a little hike to find them.


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2009)

push yourself just out of your comfort zone and ride with people better than you. you will never improve if you dont do things your dont know how to. you do have to take some controlled risks


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## Gnarly (Mar 12, 2008)

Some questions:

Can you ride switch almost as well as regular?
Can you carve? How about carve down blues/blacks? How about carving switch? Carving switch on blue/blacks?

How about butters - you got those down?

What about moguls - switch and regular?


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## j.gnar (Sep 4, 2009)

Gnarly said:


> Some questions:
> 
> Can you ride switch almost as well as regular?
> Can you carve? How about carve down blues/blacks? How about carving switch? Carving switch on blue/blacks?
> ...


my switch riding is decent, but not near as well as my regular
i can carve on pretty much everything ( except switch)
not a fan of butters 
moguls are cake, as long as they arent swtich haha

with that being said, looks like i need to work on my switch riding! :laugh:


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2009)

if you really want a challenge, hit up Bow Canyon off to the side of the Geronimo run. it'll make your butt clench swerving past those trees and by the time you reach the bottom, if you haven't killed yourself from the crazy chutes and cliffs, you've just progressed a ton on your carving. 

best to hit this with friends, though, as it's pretty far off from the lifts and safety gets sketchy when there's fresh pow... but let me tell you now that the experience is incomparable to anything else, even some of the most crazy park tricks.


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