Garlos Garcia Knight (Absolute Park, Austria)

Unlock your snowboard spins with effective pre-wind and timely un-wind

by James Streater @maverixsnow

I’ve discussed in a previous blog the effectiveness of a suitable approach line in making spins easier. If that line is starting to come together then you’ll want to pay more attention to how your arms assist or hinder the trick at takeoff. This would be through a pre-wind and un-wind of the arms.

Riders struggle with a number of things in relation to their arms. In this article I’ll discuss a suitable position for the arms just before takeoff. The timing of the un-wind and the way the arms un-wind.

Pre-wind arm position for Goofy riders

For backside spins off the toe edge you’ll want to have your back-arm in front of you and front arm just by your front hip. Have a look at the picture below to see the positioning. Although James is executing a Backside Rodeo you can see the placement of the arms, as this is still a backside focused rotation.

James Waterman (Les Deux Alpes, France) Backside Rodeo Goofy arm position

For frontside spins it would be the opposite. Your front arm would be slightly in front of you and your back arm just by your back hip.