How to 50-50 Kinked on a Snowboard

The 50-50 grind is an intermediate snowboarding trick you can use to transition down kinked rails. The only thing separating kinked rails from regular rails are their kinks, which are elbow-like bends in their shapes that present an added challenge to riders. In order to 50-50 grind these rails, you'll need good balance and a lot of confidence, both of which you'll gain from practice.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Approach the rail on your board so that it's facing the front side of your body. For example, if you ride with your right foot back, the rail should be downhill and to your right.
2. Ollie onto the rail, and ride it 50-50. Instead of turning your body so your board straddles the rail, continue facing sideways so it slides straight down the rail.
3. Bend your knees as you ride up the first part of the rail. This helps you control the board and stay balanced before hitting the kink.
4. Keep your arms extended for balance as your board glides over the kink. Avoid leaning too far forward or backward during this transition.
5. Adjust your body position after the kink to accommodate the new angle of the rail. Since kinked rails are angled downhill, lean back a bit to correctly place your center of gravity over the snowboard.
6. Hop off the rail and ride away smoothly. Remember to bend your knees to absorb the impact of landing.

Tips & Warnings

• Throw in a small hop as you ride over the kink. This gives your 50-50 a shot of style and preserves your momentum as you come down the rail.
• Don't ride onto the rail unless you're carrying a moderate amount of speed. Going too slowly makes it harder for you to stay on balance during the 50-50.