Learning a snowboard 180

How to do a 180 on a snowboard, in short: ride straight, set your speed, pop, turn half a rotation in the air and land riding the other way. Because every 180 finishes in switch, shaky switch riding means a shaky landing. Get comfortable linking switch turns on easy runs first.

PSIA-AASI’s Freestyle Specialist Performance Guide, which sets the standard for freestyle instructors, puts it in three words: “set speed, then pop and spin.” It asks entry-level instructors to show a variety of air 180s outside the park on a groomed slope before spinning 180s off small jumps. That order is a good one for learners too.

You also need a reliable tail pop, and for 180s off park jumps you should already land straight airs on the smallest features comfortably. Buckle a well-fitted helmet before you start; rotations add new ways to fall, including catching an edge on landing.

Which way is clockwise depends on whether you ride regular or goofy, and whether you start in your normal stance or switch. That’s why riders describe spins as frontside or backside rather than left or right.

Riders differ on which is easier for a first 180. Try both on the snow and ask a coach which to focus on. PSIA-AASI’s entry-level list includes both frontside and backside 180s, so plan to learn both in the long run.

On a gentle, quiet groomed slope at low speed, turn the board 180 degrees while it stays on the snow, then ride away switch. A light press on the nose or tail helps it pivot, just like the 180 butters in our buttering guide. Keep the base flat as the board comes around so the edges don’t catch.

Practice both directions until you can finish each one riding away cleanly in switch.

1. Set up. Ride straight and slow on a flat board, knees bent.
2. Wind up. Turn your shoulders slightly against the direction of the spin, just before you pop.
3. Pop, then spin. As you ollie, let your head and shoulders lead the rotation; your hips and board follow. PSIA-AASI lists beginning the spin before the pop as a fault, so pop first.
4. Look for the landing. Turn your head over your shoulder toward where you’ll land.
5. Stop the rotation. When the board lines up for a switch landing, steady your shoulders so the spin doesn’t keep going.

Keep the rotation smooth. Throwing your arms hard usually over-rotates or drops you onto an edge.

Only move to a small park jump once ground 180s and ollie 180s are routine and a qualified coach agrees. The movements are the same, but timing on a take-off is different and mistakes cost more. Keep your approach speed exactly where it is for your straight airs on that jump. A faster run-in won’t make the rotation easier, and it pushes you further down the landing.

A park-specific lesson is part of NSAA’s advice for anyone new to freestyle terrain. In US schools, instructors who teach in the park may hold a PSIA-AASI Freestyle Specialist certificate; our guide to finding a freestyle lesson explains what to ask for. Before each attempt, decide which way you’ll spin, check nobody is in the landing, and pick a jump you already clear comfortably.

• Land on both feet. Base flat, weight centered, not on the tail.
• Absorb. Bend your knees and ankles as you touch down.
• Point straight. Landing with the board still turning, or sideways, can make an edge catch.
• Ride away switch. Look ahead in your new direction and keep riding in control. On a jump, clear the landing quickly, as NSAA advises.

Landing short of the full 180 and skidding around is common early on. Go back to the ground and flat versions until the rotation is complete in the air.

Spinning on or off a box shows up only in PSIA-AASI’s FS 2 trick list, a level above straight slides, boardslides and 180s on small jumps. Get comfortable with 50-50s and clean exits on low ride-on boxes first, and learn box spins in person with a park coach.

When 180s are consistent in both directions, the next rotation is the full 360. To see where spins sit among the other freestyle skills, read our step-by-step freestyle learning order.

• Weak switch riding. If you can’t ride away switch, practice that first.
• Spinning before the pop. Set speed, pop, then spin.
• Spinning from the feet. Let your head and shoulders lead the rotation.
• Over-throwing the arms. Leads to over-rotation or landing on an edge.
• Landing on the tail. Stay centered through the rotation.
• Taking it to jumps too soon. Master ground and flat 180s, then ask a coach.