# Stance Width, board length, and ollies.



## Jed (May 11, 2011)

Littlebigdreams said:


> I recently got a 156cm full camber board (capita outsiders) and I'm having trouble doing ollies and nollies. I can't help but wonder if it's too long for me or if I should keep working on my technique?
> 
> I can barely bend the board and my ollies feel like they're a few inches off the ground. I feel like the board wants to snap back into shape before I could fully load up the nose or tail.
> 
> ...


If you could do it before without issues, it's most likely just you getting used to the new sweet spot for springing off the tail of your board. I'm not as familiar with Capita boards, but it sounds like the Outsiders has a stiffer flex too, which will definitely mess with you if you're used to an easier flex for ollies/butters.

Give it some time to get used to it, especially if it's a stiffer board. Once you find the sweet spot you'll find that while it takes more effort to ollie, you'll have more power due to the stiffer flex.

Worse case scenario, the stiffer board can become your jump board (stiffer tends to be more stable for hitting jumps) and your old boards can be your playful jib boards.

As far as sizing goes 156 is fine, you're the same weight as me and I ride a 156 for park too. Give it a week or so of riding and see how you feel. Personally, changing boards always throws my riding off for awhile before I start to get used to the new flex and sweet spots.


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

I'm having a very similar issue... I got used to a super flexy full rocker board (Forum manual 156cm) with which I can ollie pretty high, in fact i have to actually control it on lips so as not to over-ollie. However, for pop jumps i'm super unstable and sketched out specially on the landings.

When i'm riding the stiff all mountain board (Endeavor live 159 cm R-C-R) (i'm 170 lbs) i definitely struggle for height on ollies, but it feels great to pop (which i'm still working on, but the feel is definitely much better)

I think the difference is with a soft flex board you can apply enough pressure on the tail using leg power alone, while on a stiffer board you actually need good ollie form for a decent pop (good ollie form = correctly loading the tail by shifting your center of gravity towards the rear PLUS leg strenght). 

This correct shift of weight is something that needs pretty precise timing and body movement to dial in... i am still struggling with it, but i think i'd rather have stable pop than super high ollie power.....


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## Rasse (Dec 12, 2013)

Yeah, sounds like the new board is just stiffer. Fortunately it's just a matter of getting used to the stiffness. Stance width also has some effect in the ollie height for sure, but it can't be the case if you have the same binding setup. 

I had just the opposite problem few seasons ago when I switched my Nitro Rook which is somewhere in the medium flex range, to a Nitro Haze which is a full noodle (probably flex 1). I was on my back all the time for loading too much weight on the tail or nose when buttering or doing ollies but yes, just takes some time to find the balance


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

Rasse said:


> Yeah, sounds like the new board is just stiffer. Fortunately it's just a matter of getting used to the stiffness. Stance width also has some effect in the ollie height for sure, but it can't be the case if you have the same binding setup.
> 
> I had just the opposite problem few seasons ago when I switched my Nitro Rook which is somewhere in the medium flex range, to a Nitro Haze which is a full noodle (probably flex 1). I was on my back all the time for loading too much weight on the tail or nose when buttering or doing ollies but yes, just takes some time to find the balance


Haha yeah... I borrowed a strange Japanese board from a friend a while ago and it was definitely a noodle. I was teaching this girl at the time and she wanted to see me do some tricks. Every time I tried to do a nollie 3 I ended up flipping onto my back. :yahoo:


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

F1EA said:


> I'm having a very similar issue... I got used to a super flexy full rocker board (Forum manual 156cm) with which I can ollie pretty high, in fact i have to actually control it on lips so as not to over-ollie. However, for pop jumps i'm super unstable and sketched out specially on the landings.
> 
> When i'm riding the stiff all mountain board (Endeavor live 159 cm R-C-R) (i'm 170 lbs) i definitely struggle for height on ollies, but it feels great to pop (which i'm still working on, but the feel is definitely much better)
> 
> ...


Good to know! Sounds like my ollies are lame and I need to suck it up and practice more. I agree, on the pickle I can basically extend my back leg and bring my front leg to my chest while riding. So I hardly ever put any effort into shifty my body weight. I think I will go practice throwing my weight onto the tail and falling over a few times to get a better understanding of the new board's pressure points.


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

Jed said:


> If you could do it before without issues, it's most likely just you getting used to the new sweet spot for springing off the tail of your board. I'm not as familiar with Capita boards, but it sounds like the Outsiders has a stiffer flex too, which will definitely mess with you if you're used to an easier flex for ollies/butters.
> 
> Give it some time to get used to it, especially if it's a stiffer board. Once you find the sweet spot you'll find that while it takes more effort to ollie, you'll have more power due to the stiffer flex.
> 
> ...


Just the thought of possibly having bigger and more powerful ollies once I get used to my new board is making me drool


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Littlebigdreams said:


> Good to know! Sounds like my ollies are lame and I need to suck it up and practice more. I agree, on the pickle I can basically extend my back leg and bring my front leg to my chest while riding. So I hardly ever put any effort into shifty my body weight. I think I will go practice throwing my weight onto the tail and falling over a few times to get a better understanding of the new board's pressure points.


Yea, and let me know what you figure out hahaha.
I'm going to try widening the stance a little (i ride slightly narrower on the stiff board), and then just work on the weight shifting.... the stiff board is by far more stable on landings and much better on the set up carve to pop off small lips, so it's not all loss.


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

You can't ollie a cambered board like your pickle and rockered boards. It's a totally different technique. 

I ride a Capita NAS 159 and I can pop that thing surprisingly easily when..... my technique is right. If I ride my YES camrock board when it snows and then I go back to camber I catch myself trying to ollie on the cambered deck all wrong. Trying to "load up" the tail to jump off of it is the wrong way to look at camber. You have to move your weight forward and then violently drive your back foot under your body. That fast crisp side slip under your center of mass will snap the crap out of your tail and you have to be ready to get up with it and finish the ollie right. What often confuses people is this idea that you can load or stand on the tail and then jump off of it. It has to be much crisper and light of foot with camber a little like a skateboard. 

Check this for cambered : (ignore how long he stands on the tail)
As a side note super wide stances make this more difficult. 

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yWvsjwdWL9Q


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## F1EA (Oct 25, 2013)

Man that's awesome! exactly what i needed to see. I knew you had to load the tail with your weight, but the slide to quickly load it is the little technique that makes all the difference to get it to snap.

My ollies just explode with the rocker board, but i've been really struggling trying to manhandle the camber....... will try it tomorrow or thursday. My stance is not that wide, about 23" on the Forum rockered and 22" on the Live rcr (i'm 5' 11")

Thanks


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## tonicusa (Feb 27, 2008)

That's a perfectly good stance width for your height.


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## Littlebigdreams (Jan 27, 2011)

tonicusa said:


> You can't ollie a cambered board like your pickle and rockered boards. It's a totally different technique.
> 
> I ride a Capita NAS 159 and I can pop that thing surprisingly easily when..... my technique is right. If I ride my YES camrock board when it snows and then I go back to camber I catch myself trying to ollie on the cambered deck all wrong. Trying to "load up" the tail to jump off of it is the wrong way to look at camber. You have to move your weight forward and then violently drive your back foot under your body. That fast crisp side slip under your center of mass will snap the crap out of your tail and you have to be ready to get up with it and finish the ollie right. What often confuses people is this idea that you can load or stand on the tail and then jump off of it. It has to be much crisper and light of foot with camber a little like a skateboard.
> 
> ...


i did some more practice today in slushy conditions and I think i got the hang of my new board somewhat. i was able to explode off a few sweet nollie 5's when i did stuff right  but i haven't gotten the hang of it every time yet. gonna keep practicing! but the sad thing is i jumped onto a rock again and got a pretty deep scar to the core... this is only the second day riding with the new board lol... i dont deserve nice things


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