If you’re a longboarder looking to dive into snowboarding, there’s a lot you’ll find familiar, but also some technical changes that make it exciting. Your knowledge of weight distribution, momentum, and footwork already sets you up for success. Snowboarding adds the challenge of being strapped into your board, which changes how you adjust pressure and flex for maneuvers. The dynamics of sliding on snow are also different from pavement.
Having been through this transition myself, here are five tricks that will tap into your longboarding skills while pushing your riding style in new directions.
1. Ollie
As a longboarder, you probably know how to pop your board up to avoid cracks or curbs. The ollie in snowboarding is similar. It’s the trick that helps you jump with your snowboard without using ramps or jumps. You just need to use your back leg to “pop” the board up, while your front foot lifts the nose. The big difference on a snowboard is thatyou’re strapped in – this makes it easier to pull the board off the ground.
It’s a great starter trick because it helps with timing and balance on the snow, much like how you’d get air off your longboard. Plus, it’s a key move to learn if you want to do more advanced jumps or tricks later on.
2. Carving
Carving on a snowboard will feel a bit like carving on your longboard, but the sensation is different because of the snow and the fact that you’re strapped in. The key here is shifting your weight between your toes and heels to make smooth turns. Your longboarding skills give you a leg up (pardon the pun) on controlling speed and direction, but with snowboarding, you’ll lean more into your edges to grip the snow.
Once you get the hang of using your body to guide your board through turns, carving will come naturally. It’s one of the most enjoyable parts of snowboarding, just like a deep carve on a long downhill road.
3. Shifty
If you ever slide your longboard sideways during a turn, you’ll pick up the shifty quickly. This trick involves rotating your hips and board mid-air while keeping your upper body facing forward. The snowboard straps help you control the movement, so it feels a bit more stable than on your longboard.
It’s a simple trick to try off small jumps or rollers, and it looks really stylish. Since you already have good board control from longboarding, this one should come to you relatively quickly.
4. Nose press
If you enjoy doing manuals or nose rides on your longboard, you’ll love the nose press in snowboarding. It’s similar, but the snow makes it feel smoother. To do a nose press, shift your weight to the front of the board and lift the tail off the snow. It’s a great way to hone your balance skills.
The main challenge is getting used to the feeling of your snowboard straps locking you in place, but that also helps keep your board steady. Once you find your balance, the nose press will certainly add style to your runs.
5. 180 Spins
Spinning on a snowboard feels different from sliding or carving on a longboard, but your sense of balance and board control will come in handy. A 180 spin involves jumping and rotating your board halfway, landing with the opposite foot forward. You’ll use your shoulders and hips to generate the spin while your snowboard straps keep your feet connected to the board.
This is an awesome beginner trick because it feels similar to the sliding moves you already know on a longboard. Once you master it, you can then build up to 360s and beyond.