How to Ride a Halfpipe Snowboard
Halfpipes are U-shaped “bowls” that allow snowboarders to travel from one wall to another by tricks or jumps. Originally designed for skateboarders, halfpipes can be found at snow resorts or snowboard parks throughout the world. Halfpipes are not for beginner snowboarders.
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Instructions
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Work on your edge control and turning control before attempting your first halfpipe run. You’ll also need to be able to ride fakie to help with the transitions of the halfpipe between the flats and walls.
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Start your first halfpipe run further down on the pipe. As your skills improve, you can start out higher up.
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Traverse the halfpipe’s transitions. If you’re used to simply riding down regular slopes, you’ll need to get used to the feeling of going up and down the same wall with your snowboard.
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Attempt actual turns once you’ve gotten used to the halfpipe. Also learn how to roll your edges. This means you’ll ascend using one edge and descend using the other edge. Go higher and higher to practice slide turns.
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Leave the lip of the wall and almost take off to perform a jump turn. Turn in mid-air, keeping your knees bent and close to your body while you’re in the air.
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Tips & Warnings
During any snowboard jump, bend your knees and pull them close to your body. Once you’re used to riding on a halfpipe, learn tricks to make the sport more fun and exciting.
Halfpipes are comprised of an entry ramp, platform, lip, vertical, transition, flat and wall. The platform is 50 to 100 meters, the wall is 1.5 to 3 meters, and the vertical is 10 to 30 centimeters. The flat is the center of the halfpipe; it’s a flat floor. The transition is the curved part of the pipe between the vertical walls and the flat. The verticals are the portion of the walls between the transitions and the lip. The platform or deck is horizontal and is located on the top of the wall. The entry ramp is where you start your snowboarding run.
A poorly executed jump turn can leave you landing nose-first on the platform.
References
- Photo Credit snowboard detail image by Galyna Andrushko from Fotolia.com
