How to Buttercup a Snowboard

You can learn a lot of tricks on a snowboard. If you are just beginning, learning how to butter or buttercup a snowboard should be one of the first tricks you learn how to do. It's simply a 360-degree turn as you go down a slope.

Instructions

1. Find a relatively low slope or even a flat space to begin learning how to buttercup a snowboard. It's best to practice where there aren't too many other people that you might accidentally run into as you learn this maneuver.

2. Assume a fairly wide stance on your snowboard. The type of snowboard you are riding makes a difference in how flexible it is, so this can affect your stance. With some practice, you can soon figure out the best stance for you.

3. Begin going forward. As you gain momentum, put your weight on your front leg. As you do that, pull up the back of the snowboard. It may take some practice for you to get the right balance as you make this portion of the movement. Try not to raise the snowboard too high. Only raise it enough to clear the snow.

4. Continue bringing your back leg around to the front of you. When you get to the 180-degree position, put your weight back down on the back of the snowboard.

5. Lift the front of the board and turn another 180 degrees to complete the buttercup turn. Continue to the bottom of the slope, or finish one buttercup and go into the next one.

6. Practice making buttercup turns on your snowboard. As you become more proficient, you can begin to do them on steeper terrain. You can also use the skills you learned doing buttercups to advance to more difficult tricks.