# Proper Procedure Approaching and Hitting a kicker



## tlake2568 (Dec 22, 2011)

Hey Guys,

Wanted to get some feedback on your thoughts of proper procedures approaching a kicker, and getting that POP off the jump, and how you maintain control in the air...
More of an open forum rather than asking for a HOW_TO.

-Tim


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

This






And This


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

1. Approach the ramp in a downhill trajectory, with no regard for safety.
2. Catch an edge just at the lowest point in the approach
3. Fly forward head first, burying your head and shoulders to about mid-shoulder.
4. For extra steeze points, bone your entire body on impact so that it extends rigidly up from the snow at an angle, before relaxing and letting yourself fall to earth.
5. If desired, you can hold up a cartoon sign that says "Medic" at this point.


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## Jed (May 11, 2011)

This is a really complex and vague question. Approaching a jump, popping and aerial control are 3 separate areas that you can literally write an essay for each topic.

Also, what are you trying to do? A spin of some sort or just a straight air?


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## Ryan_T (Oct 18, 2011)

Donutz said:


> 1. Approach the ramp in a downhill trajectory, with no regard for safety.
> 2. Catch an edge just at the lowest point in the approach
> 3. Fly forward head first, burying your head and shoulders to about mid-shoulder.
> 4. For extra steeze points, bone your entire body on impact so that it extends rigidly up from the snow at an angle, before relaxing and letting yourself fall to earth.
> 5. If desired, you can hold up a cartoon sign that says "Medic" at this point.



This is how I normally do it.


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## Shred&Butter (Sep 15, 2012)

It's different depending on what you want to do but generally for me if I want to just fly straight off a kicker I carve until my speed is comfortable, approach slightly on my toe edge and once I'm at the kicker I flatten the board and pop an ollie.

Don't go too fast - It's better to roll over the top first time than get tons of air and fall. From a beginner's point of view it's important to keep your shoulders completely square and lead with your front arm otherwise you'll go into a 180 and land on your ass. Also popping the board at the top of the jump makes me feel more in control and because I've initiated the jump movement it means my body is prepared for flight so I have more time to think about the landing.

Oh and stay loose. It tends to lower the risk of the flail reaction.


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## gakbar22 (Sep 5, 2012)

You don't mention your experience level but I can tell you what worked for me.

For me there were a couple of key things. 

1) try to limit your speed checks as you approach the kicker. It's easier said then done. You want to carry speed into a jump to catch air. How much speed you carry depends on your confidence. I tried to pick one kicker and own it. It was a bump really but I hit it 10 times in one day, each time doing my best to hit it with more speed then the time before. 

2) be stable. 

If you ride up the kicker correcting, adjusting and moving around youll have a bad approach, a bad take off and the landing will rely on luck . Don't rely on luck. As you approach the kicker get lower to the board, into a comfy stance and let your momentum do the work. Even if you're going kinda sorta slow, if don't absorb the kicker using your legs you can catch some air. 

3) be stable in the air

Remember what I said about a stable approach? It was my key to a stable air. Your body should be quiet. Casual. Relaxed. 

When I'm in the air I'm in the same crouch I was in when I approached the kicker. 

3) land easy

Even if you land on the knuckle, try to land on your back foot first. Meaning as I come down I extend my back leg down so that the back of m board will touch down first. Like an airplane lands on its back wheels and then the nose comes down... Same thing w a board. It hurts to land both feet at the same time. 

I taught myself how to keep my body quiet in the air by jumping natural terrain. When it's flat and then suddenly steep again. Id carry some speed into the flat and just hop up. I wouldn't get very high but I'm moving forward fast enough that the ground kinda drops away. You have to land it back foot first anyway. 

I know i didn't answer your question about popping... I'm still figuring that out myself. I'd suggest learning to be stable in the air before trying to work in how to max it out. 

Hope this helps! Hopefully someone will correct me and -I'll- learn something too!


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## Frozen (Apr 21, 2012)

Donutz said:


> 1. Approach the ramp in a downhill trajectory, with no regard for safety.
> 2. Catch an edge just at the lowest point in the approach
> 3. Fly forward head first, burying your head and shoulders to about mid-shoulder.
> 4. For extra steeze points, bone your entire body on impact so that it extends rigidly up from the snow at an angle, before relaxing and letting yourself fall to earth.
> 5. If desired, you can hold up a cartoon sign that says "Medic" at this point.


Jesus loooool.

To the op you cant really control yourself in the air. Most of what you do when jumping happens on the jump face. I like to pop off both feet cause I think it's pretty easy and when I ollie off a jump shit seems to go all haywire. As far as approach goes I will speed check a few times just because. Speed is probably the trickiest part of hitting bigger jumps but in my opinion coming in hotter is way better than coming in slow. You're first and second time you might die crashing but when you finally land it its so awesome. And when you get better you land it your first time fairly often.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Frozen said:


> Jesus loooool.
> 
> To the op you cant really control yourself in the air. Most of what you do when jumping happens on the jump face. I like to pop off both feet cause I think it's pretty easy and when I ollie off a jump shit seems to go all haywire. As far as approach goes I will speed check a few times just because. Speed is probably the trickiest part of hitting bigger jumps but in my opinion coming in hotter is way better than coming in slow. You're first and second time you might die crashing but when you finally land it its so awesome. And when you get better you land it your first time fairly often.


I agree with Frozen, I'm way more comfortable with a two-foot pop rather than an (attempted) ollie. Approach speed is the factor I'm having the most trouble with, because I have a deathly fear of overshooting, so I tend to over-brake. This year I'm going to do this to get used to the proper speed:

1) Pick a specific jump.
2) Pick a point on the approach slope just above even with the top of the jump.
3) Start from that point, from a dead stop. Don't speed check.
4) Probably knuckle it.
5) Start from a few feet farther up.

Repeat 4 and 5 until I find a good starting point. Then do that a number of times until I get used to the speed. I really can't see any dependable way to do it otherwise. Trial and error just doesn't work for me because of my overshooting phobia.


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## Frozen (Apr 21, 2012)

Frozen said:


> Jesus loooool.
> 
> To the op you cant really control yourself in the air. Most of what you do when jumping happens on the jump face. I like to pop off both feet cause I think it's pretty easy and when I ollie off a jump shit seems to go all haywire. As far as approach goes I will speed check a few times just because. Speed is probably the trickiest part of hitting bigger jumps but in my opinion coming in hotter is way better than coming in slow. You're first and second time you might die crashing but when you finally land it its so awesome. And when you get better you land it your first time fairly often.


I forgot to mention your tounge is gonna be wagging back in forth in your mouth like fucking crazy when you are screaming bloody murder and your arms are gonna be waving all over. That was me when I landed my first big jump anyway.


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

Ollieing and hitting booters are completely different mechanically and mixing them is a recipe for disaster except when you know you are too slow, its too late to bail, and you can rip an ollie to get you over the knuckle, but chances are its gonna be ugly.

You really can't beat the SA vids for learning how to approach a kicker. The setup, and setup turn are key points as you learn to take off the lip both heelside and toeside.


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## slyder (Jan 18, 2010)

My input is learn "air awareness" what I mean by this. My 1st time I'm looking at the transition of the ramp next thing I know I'm riding down the hill. I completely blocked out anything happening. As I went a few more times I was able to see what was happening and spotting my landing. 
This was key to me as I started to get better and see what was happening on each jump 
Good luck start small and build up.


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## shtef (Sep 16, 2012)

Donutz said:


> 1. Approach the ramp in a downhill trajectory, with no regard for safety.
> 2. Catch an edge just at the lowest point in the approach
> 3. Fly forward head first, burying your head and shoulders to about mid-shoulder.
> 4. For extra steeze points, bone your entire body on impact so that it extends rigidly up from the snow at an angle, before relaxing and letting yourself fall to earth.
> 5. If desired, you can hold up a cartoon sign that says "Medic" at this point.


LOL

^this had me howling


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## ShadowCloud04 (Sep 6, 2012)

Donutz said:


> Approach speed is the factor I'm having the most trouble with, because I have a deathly fear of overshooting, so I tend to over-brake.
> 
> What you said reminded me of the second time my buddy and I went to Breckenridge. He blasted down park lane at kicker and had way to much speed. He had roughly double the speed needed so he ended up landing flat on a giant kicker at the base of the down ramp. Luckily he only bruised his foot and had no serious injury, but it could have gone much worse.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Every once in a while someone posts a vid of an overshoot (usually that one off the giant pyramid). Gives me nightmares. And I mean _literally._


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## ShadowCloud04 (Sep 6, 2012)

I also had a scary experience on the same kicker as my friend because I accidentley didn't maintain my stance and start falling backwards mid flight and land on my back going down the down ramp. I was lucky and my backpack broke some of my fall.


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## Skinny Bam (Sep 7, 2012)

Depends how big your going...smaller jumps I like to pop ollie because when i kick my front foot forward it levels out my board in the air and it ensures im not going to lean too far back, 40 footers and up I dont pop as much because your speed is going to launch you anyway, but still do it to level my board in the air


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## almostheaven (Sep 30, 2012)

When you are first learning to hit kickers (jumps) the main thing you need to worry about is proper speed as you approach and nice solid form as you hit the jump.

Use edges to control speed as you approach but before take off let your board go flat.

Also, when first learning dont worry about actually ollie-ing to get air off of the jump. Its called a jump for a reason, with proper speed it does all of the work for you.


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## Vaughanabe13 (Feb 2, 2012)

This video will literally be haunting my dreams for weeks. Overshot & Undershot Ski / Snowboard Jump Video Collaboration - YouTube


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## poutanen (Dec 22, 2011)

snowklinger said:


> This
> 
> And This


Those were really good vids! Explains why on my first real attempt at a 360 yesterday I failed every time... It was off an off-piste hip that had me on my heel edge and I was trying a BS 360. Should have tried a FS 360 instead.

ORRRRRR, I just need to keep trying!


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