Straight Air

Your first real air off a park kicker. Approach with moderate speed, stay compact, and let the kicker's shape pop you into the air. Don't jump off the lip, just ride up it and stand tall. Keep your body centered and spot your landing.

Speed is what intimidates beginners most, and the mistake everyone makes is going too slow. An under-speed jump lands on the flat top or the knuckle, which hurts. A jump with enough speed lands on the downslope of the landing, which is shaped to absorb your impact gently. Watch a few other riders hit the feature before you drop in so you can calibrate the speed. If in doubt, a bit more speed is safer than less.

Think of your body as a spring that loads on the takeoff and releases on the landing. Stay balanced and compact up the lip with knees slightly bent. As the lip kicks you up, extend your legs and stand tall. That's "popping" off. In the air, keep your shoulders level with the board and your arms quiet. On landing, absorb with bent knees; think of your legs as shock absorbers that collapse on impact.

Another resource for more info here:

Video by SnowboardProCamp

Key tips

• Start on the smallest kicker in the park
• Approach with a flat base. Don't edge into the lip
• Stand tall at the lip, knees slightly bent
• Keep your eyes up and forward. Your body goes where your eyes go.
• Keep your arms quiet. Flailing causes instability
• Land with knees bent to absorb the impact