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March, 2024

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Beginner Freestyle

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sambob
Posts: 73 - Karma: 187
Hi guys, i'm an expert skier, current age 21 been skiing since i was 3, however my whole ski experience has been race / normal downhill... Recently i've started freestyle and im looking for some advice on the best way to practice or go about learning the basics

Gear:
Salomon Czar's
Z10 Bindings
Matching boots i cant remember their exact name but their in the car...

The Czars themselves are not great for the park as their more big Mt and pow ski's so im saving for some suspects right now.

Now i can slide boxes ok and throw in a 180 slide to come out switch, pretty much the same with metal pipes, but im yet to try a normal rail because i feel like they must be harder, other than that i can throw straight airs nice and easily with safety's as well as 180's both ways and 360's but i just cant get enough rotation on my 3's i keep over or under rotating and end up landing back seat and dragging an arm, i also seem to only be able to do them over a spine i feel like they would be much harder of a normal kicker...is this true? Other than this i don't have access to airbags or foam pits a lot other than maybe once or twice a year, im looking to really progress my riding but being British i only have the chance to ski about twice a month at XScape

anyone got any tips for progression, things to practice over and over? I do a lot of spins on the ground before i try my 3's to get a feel for the motion. I have great balance but would like to know if theirs any other tips about that could progress my skiing in the park. Would it be beneficial to get some skates, and hit the skate park? I know spins will be a tad different due to no ski swing but it should help me get used to grinds and rotations with boots on as well as im sure foam pits are much more readily available at skate parks.

Has anyone been to the Salomon grom camps? if so are they as helpful as i've heard as im going on the 23rd

Any help, hints, tips or advice would be appreciated.
May 14 2013 7:47PM
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skitheeast77
Posts: 224 - Karma: 6,577
Yes
May 14 2013 7:49PM
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Washow
Posts: 343 - Karma: 460
for 3's, realize that the rotation starts before you are in the air. you start to turn right before the lip and then pop, making that turn continue on in the air.

i was just fucking throwing my arms around and failing before realizing that's how you 360 properly haha
May 14 2013 7:56PM
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sambob
Posts: 73 - Karma: 187
yeh i always pop before the lip and am easy 1/4 round after immediate take off, i find myself accidentally popping off 1 ski and trowing a leg some times, then when i land i think WTF, i've been told to not throw my arms for 3's but i suppose until i get them dialed properly i'll just have to keep trying.
May 14 2013 8:03PM
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stupendous-man
Posts: 8637 - Karma: 13,293
DONT buy suspects, instead get something like the k2 revival. Suspects have horrible durability
May 14 2013 8:39PM
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ABalls
Posts: 2091 - Karma: 3,754
Practice makes perfect, with skiing it really all is repetition. The more you do it the better you get. Good luck and stay healthy.
May 14 2013 9:07PM
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sambob
Posts: 73 - Karma: 187
cheers for the advice, ill look into some K2 Revivals.
May 17 2013 4:34AM
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.Roockley.
Posts: 3857 - Karma: 4,000
where do you live? i assume the uk?
May 17 2013 4:54AM
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Joerga
Posts: 416 - Karma: 3,687
Check out some video tutorials for example the K2 School of Rockers:
https://www.youtube.com/user/k2schoolofrockers

Maybe it helps with some tricks.
May 17 2013 7:35AM
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TripleBlack
Posts: 87 - Karma: 73
Maybe this works for this guy, but I usually pop and then spin. A solid, equal-footed pop helps you balance better in the air for your spins and really helps with the landing as well.

Make sure to keep looking for the landing throughout your spin so that you get the right rotation. Learning 3s off a straight-on jump is better than a hip or a spine because you will learn to consistently spot the landing and land at perfectly 360 degrees.


May 17 2013 7:16PM
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Mag
Posts: 8155 - Karma: 14,809
You may think you pop before you spin, but your body spins before you pop.

and @roockley, he lives in barnsley?
May 17 2013 7:23PM
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sambob
Posts: 73 - Karma: 187
@Magnus yeah Barnsley is in the UK, and again thanks to everyone who's given any advice.
May 17 2013 8:13PM
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Wizerd
Posts: 908 - Karma: 6,694
For rails i would try to hit a low flat bar or rail first and get comfortable on it. Even if its something you throw together in your yard, being comfortable with the park is one of the most important things in skiing. Then eventually move onto a down rail or something of the sort. You don't want to try and move up too quickly because you'll end up hurting yourself. Like for jumps just hit it a few times, straight air to get a sense of what it feels like, then start trying to throw 3s or grabs.
May 17 2013 8:56PM
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TripleBlack
Posts: 87 - Karma: 73
Your body might start spinning before your skis leave the ground, but the pop (extension of legs) begins before the spin, so it's best to time the spin to start after the pop.

May 17 2013 10:55PM
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iH8pow
Posts: 1726 - Karma: 7,207
3's were the hardest for me to learn right with backflips. Just takes trying upon trying upon trying to get it down. I was about 21-22 as well when I got to that point me thinks. Frustrating because there is beginners luck, you may land the first one like I did although sketchy so you want to improve, but it's so elusive and you fall harder and harder and seem to be getting worse, but suddenly you get it. Try a grab

It took me four years to finally fall down doing a 540, just happened this year. weird how that works out
May 18 2013 1:04AM
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Negromancer
Posts: 1014 - Karma: 1,499
Look over your shoulder all the way around when you do a 3 it really helps.
May 18 2013 4:02AM
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sambob
Posts: 73 - Karma: 187
cheers, and i landed my first ever attempt at a three was super stoked, then i pretty much under or over rotated the next 15 i did that day, kept dragging my arm and seriously damaged some ligaments, lifes a bitch! i'm looking to get 3's dialed asap and move onto 2's on off rails and boxes, then ill work on 5's and 7's, and i need an airbag before i try flips :(
May 18 2013 8:38AM
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