The Gorilla is an old-school grab that's equal parts fun and silly. It's an Indy and a mute at the same time: both hands come down to the toe edge, between your feet, while you tuck your knees up underneath you. It looks great off a park kicker and it's just as good on a side hit off the piste.
Before you try it you want a comfortable straight air off a kicker and a clean Indy grab, so reaching for the toe edge in the air is already muscle memory. Then take it to a flat, quiet patch of snow, strap both feet in, and practise dropping both hands to the toe edge while standing still. Do it a handful of times until it feels natural. Doing both hands at once feels a lot more awkward than one, and you don't want to discover that in the air.
Ride into the jump flat and straight. Speed checks on the approach only make the takeoff harder to read, so pick your speed early and commit to it. Coming into the lip, stay low with your weight centred and loaded, ready to spring. As you pop, tuck your knees up and reach down with both hands to the toe edge between your feet. Let out your best gorilla noise while you're there. Then release, spot the landing, extend your legs and ride out straight.
Learn more here:
Video by Onyx Snowboarding
Key tips
- Practise the double-hand reach on flat ground before you take it to a jump
- No speed checks on the approach. Pick your speed early and stay flat and straight
- Stay low and centred over the lip, then spring
- Tuck the board up to your hands, don't fold at the waist to reach it
- Both hands on the toe edge, between the bindings
- Release early, spot the landing, and extend your legs into it
See a map of all grabs here.