Learning to jump on a snowboard

If you want to know how to do jumps on a snowboard, here is the short version: learn to pop with ollies on a groomed run, then ride the smallest jumps in the park with a straight approach, a flat board and a calm landing, and repeat until every landing feels routine. Only then add grabs or spins.

For beginners, a good sequence is:

1. Small ollies on a gentle groomed run, including off small natural rollers where you can see the other side is clear.
2. Watching and rolling past the smallest jumps in the park to learn their shape.
3. Straight airs on those jumps, at a speed a coach or experienced rider helps you judge.
4. Repeating the same jump until every landing is on your feet, in the landing.

PSIA-AASI’s Freestyle Specialist Performance Guide describes a good straight air as one with enough pop to control the air through the landing zone and a clean trajectory from lip to landing. Height isn’t part of that description; control is.

In US resorts, look for the orange oval that marks a terrain park and for size labels running from XS up to XL. NSAA’s terrain park page calls XS parks a great place to start, so find the extra-small jumps first, even if you’ve ridden bigger ones elsewhere. Other countries and resorts may label things differently; the signs at the park entrance are the ones that count.

Here is how the five Park Smart messages (Start small, Make a plan, Always look, Respect, Take it easy) translate to a single jump:

• Start small: the smallest jump in the smallest area, repeated until it bores you.
• Make a plan: know your line, your speed and what you’ll do in the air before you set off.
• Always look: check the landing is empty and nobody above is about to drop.
• Respect: take turns, and don’t sit in landings or walk up the jump.
• Take it easy: skip the jump if something feels off, and aim to ride away on your feet.

A park lesson is the best way to learn all of this in person; our advice on booking the right kind of lesson explains what to ask for. Put your helmet on and do the chin strap up before every park lap, but don’t let it change how much risk you take: NSAA’s helmet guidance is clear that helmets can’t prevent every injury.

NSAA suggests riding through the park slowly first while you watch experienced riders. Stand at the side, out of the way, and watch a few people use the jump, then roll past it or over it slowly if the shape allows. NSAA also notes that most features can be ridden around, so if a jump doesn’t feel right, skip it. Conditions change daily, so inspect again each session.

1. Look before you drop. Check that the landing is clear and nobody is about to go. Follow the park’s practice for letting others know you’re dropping in.
2. Ride a straight line. Approach with the board flat or on very gentle edge pressure, pointing straight at the take-off. Turning or skidding on the lip can send you off at an angle.
3. Set your speed early. The right speed depends on the jump, the snow and the conditions, and it’s the hardest thing to judge alone. Watching others and getting guidance from a coach is the safest way to find it. Too slow on a table jump means landing on the table; too fast means overshooting the landing, which is more dangerous.
4. Stay centered and flexed. Knees and ankles bent, weight over the middle of the board, eyes on the landing.
5. Pop gently. Extend through your legs as you leave the lip. A small tail pop adds control, but keep it smooth.

• Tuck in the air. Bring your knees up a little to keep the board under you and ready your legs to absorb.
• Spot the landing. Keep your eyes on where you want to touch down.
• Land flat and centered. Both feet at once, board pointing straight down the landing. Let your knees and ankles soak up the impact.
• Ride out and clear the landing. NSAA asks riders to clear the landing area quickly so the next person has room. Never stop or sit just below a knuckle or in a landing.

If you fall, get up and move out of the landing and run-out as soon as it’s safe. Our guide to falling safely and getting back up covers the basics.

More air usually means more speed and bigger features, which raise the consequences of every mistake. Before moving up a size, ask yourself honestly:

• Do I land on my feet, in the landing, almost every time?
• Can I set my approach speed without guessing?
• Can I ride away in control, including switch?
• Has a qualified coach watched me and agreed I’m ready?

If any answer is no, stay where you are. Nerves are a useful signal, not something to push through. Many riders find fear eases with repetition on a jump that’s well within their ability, a coach beside them and an honest “skip it” option. Tiredness, flat light, icy or slushy snow and busy parks are all good reasons to stop for the day; see how to judge the day’s conditions.

When straight airs feel solid, grabs and a first half-spin are the usual next steps. Our freestyle learning roadmap shows how they fit together.

• Starting too big. Always begin with the smallest features in the park.
• Skidding or turning on the take-off. Keep a straight line and a flat board.
• Too little pop. PSIA-AASI notes that a lack of pop to set your trajectory leads to an unwanted landing spot.
• Leaning back in the air. Stay centered so you land on both feet.
• Guessing speed. Watch others and ask a coach.
• Lingering in the landing. Clear it as soon as you can.