Can you learn snowboarding tricks from videos?

Yes. Absolutely. Sometimes all you need is a single pointer, an idea that you hadn’t thought of, and when you try it in practice you start getting much better results. Maybe you’ll pick that up from watching another rider perform the trick; that could be in person, or perhaps on YouTube, for example.

But it doesn’t always work like that; learning some tricks can be difficult. Sometimes you get stuck. To get past it, there are a few, general options:

• Work it out for yourself. Keep plugging away at it. Sometimes this works just fine, but there are times when you get stuck, and you can’t work out why it’s not happening.
• Get some help from your friends. Great if you’ve got friends who are good freestylers and good at explaining how things work! Riding with friends is always good.
• Get some freestyle coaching. Get a freestyle instructor to teach you how to do the tricks you want to learn. It’s their job so they should be good at it, but it’s more expensive than the first two options

When it comes to freestyle coaching you can get a hands-on lesson, on the slopes with an instructor. This is potentially the best option, as during the freestyle lesson, the coach can watch what you’re doing and correct any mistakes. It’s two-way: they give you help, then you get feedback based on your efforts.

The down-side? A private snowboard lesson, or camp, is also the most expensive option. More affordable, is to use video coaching. The main criticism of video coaching is the loss of the two-way conversation. They can instruct, the video can show you how to do the trick, but you can’t ask questions back, and they can’t watch your attempts…

Which is why Snowboard Addiction is so good…

Snowboard Addiction have a comprehensive freestyle program that’s regarded highly by many snowboarders, myself included. I’ve compared the SA freestyle program with many others, to make sure that I recommend the best option. Jumping with Jussi, Jibbing with Jeremy, Rider’s Ed, the freestyle part of Go Snowboard, Burton’s ABC of freestyle, Expert Village, Snowboard Academy…

None of them come close. The single reason that I recommend SA so strongly is that their program bridges the gap between video tuition and a real life lesson. How?

1. The explanation of tricks is crystal clear and very thorough, so you really understand how it works
2. There are many practical exercises to aid the learning process; intermediary steps to try rather than going straight for the trick

It’s awesome. Yes, you have to pay for it. But, it’s one of the best ways to successfully learn tricks, quickly. Compared to a lesson on the hill, it’s cheap, not to mention the 10% discount they’ve set up for this guide (use code “afterbang”).

Proof of Snowboard Addiction in action

It’s always helpful to see results. Here are two examples of the SA freestyle program working out:

Mark Vorass From SA: Mark first started snowboarding during the 07/08 season. He’s relied exclusively on our snowboard instructional programs. He first came on one of our snowboard camps last summer in Whistler. At 43, having a good plan to progress his riding has been invaluable. Check out this video showing his progression over the past season including the killer backyard setup he built for him and his kids.

Jeremy Butler From SA: Jeremy has been coming to our summer camps for the past 3 years. He’s gone from straight airs and 50-50s to rodeo 540s and change ups on rails. He also joined us in Japan this year where he learned tamedog frontflips. He’s also coming back to our COC camp this summer. Here’s a short video showing him in action.

An overview of what’s available

If you’re looking to improve your freestyle riding, it’s worth considering the SA freestyle program. It’s one of few products that afterbang strongly recommends. Take a look at the overview video below, then if you want to see more, go visit Snowboard Addiction’s website.

Don’t forget you can use the code “afterbang” and you’ll get a 10% discount. Sick.

If you want to know even more about the structure and the content of the freestyle program, read my reviews.

Snowboard Tricks Guide

This article is part of the afterbang Guide to Snowboard Tricks.