Approaching boxes

michael.hsu.5059

Posts: 37 - Karma: 284

Dec 21 2015 1:54AM

Hey guys I'm new to the park and I've just started it maybe 1/3 of the last season and I immediately fell in love with it. I am learning slowly and one of the things I've still got to get down is simple sliding boxes sideways.

I've only been able to do it once or twice and most of the time I'm still just working myself up to actually attempting it lol (most of the time I just 50/50 it).

One question I have is the snow "ramp" that leads up to the box. The "safest" type I see is the snow slopes straight up to the start of the box and is completely flush with it (so when I 50/50 it I literally just ride up to it and through it).

Then the second type are ones with "ramps" to either side of the start of the box (I see this for all types, but just wanted to talk specifically about those side ramps). This is probably most challenging for me and I haven't attempted it yet. I'd have to ride up to one of the ramps and then jump towards the box at the end of the ramp. There's a question I have with this. I've gotten some really great advice from you guys last season about sliding boxes and someone mentioned that as I approach boxes I should keep the box in between my skis. That means my skis are a bit more than shoulder width apart. But that doesn't make sense to me especially if it's the second approach type. I am completely to one side of the box in that case. My skis would be at most shoulder width apart and certainly not even pointed at the box (should be parallel to the box). Or is that advice purely for the "safest" type that I described earlier?

Third type, which I am not sure if it's just a badly built ramp or what, is that the ramp that slopes up towards the head of the box isn't flush with the box. So there is a gap between the end of the ramp and the start of the box. Sometimes it even looks as though the head of the box is higher than the end of the ramp. So if I try to ride onto the box 50/50, my ski tips will hit the head of the box and I'll get completely rekt. Are these types just unapproachable straight-on? Would I have to approach in the second type? Or is it actually safe and my eyes are just playing mind tricks on me? ie. ramp and box not flush but are level?

Sorry for the long description. Any help greatly appreciated!

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will_powder

Posts: 3194 - Karma: 5,445

Dec 21 2015 2:23AM

Really the differences between ride on rail and urban on (from the side) is purely mental. The skillset is exactly the same.

Regardless of straight on or urban on, you want to:

1. Pop from a balanced stance.

2. Rotate 90 with your whole body and prepare to balance, focusing on having more weight on that front foot.

3. Land and grip the rail with your skis, using the scissor technique.

4. Look forward towards the end of the rail.

5. Ride the sucker!

To progress towards urban-on, get really comfortable with those ride on boxes. Try going a bit faster, and make sure you're fully getting that 90 on. Once you're comfortable at speed doing those ride on boxes, try an urban on. The skills are the exact same, you just have to buck up and get on that rail from the side.

Good luck!

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michael.hsu.5059

Posts: 37 - Karma: 284

Dec 21 2015 3:45AM

Hey thanks will_power, I figured it was mental. Always is it seems haha. But I'm just doing boxes, not rails right now.

Do you have a comment on the "gap" between head of the box and the ramp issue though? Is it legit to ride straight onto that?

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Julius_Steezer

Posts: 776 - Karma: 4,527

Dec 21 2015 7:21AM

michael.hsu.5059Hey thanks will_power, I figured it was mental. Always is it seems haha. But I'm just doing boxes, not rails right now.

Do you have a comment on the "gap" between head of the box and the ramp issue though? Is it legit to ride straight onto that?

If its a tiny difference and the tip of your ski won't catch the box then you can probably ride straight on (although if the front of the box is sharp you may scratch your bases a little)

Any more than that...just Ollie on (either from straight in front of it or urban style depending on the gap)

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Julius_Steezer

Posts: 776 - Karma: 4,527

Dec 21 2015 7:26AM

michael.hsu.5059Hey thanks will_power, I figured it was mental. Always is it seems haha. But I'm just doing boxes, not rails right now.

Do you have a comment on the "gap" between head of the box and the ramp issue though? Is it legit to ride straight onto that?

If its a tiny difference and the tip of your ski won't catch the box then you can probably ride straight on (although if the front of the box is sharp you may scratch your bases a little)

Any more than that...just Ollie on (either from straight in front of it or urban style depending on the gap)

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Julius_Steezer

Posts: 776 - Karma: 4,527

Dec 21 2015 7:27AM

Wooh first dub of the season

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Newschoolers55

Posts: 851 - Karma: 4,792

Dec 21 2015 8:18AM

Check out Jake Mullers tricktips. They got really good tips for sliding rails and boxes

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