A handplant is a backside 180 done up a steep wall - you ride up on your toes, pop, plant a hand where your tail was, swing the board over yourself and land riding back down. No jump, no rail, just a bank. It's a low-consequence trick you can build up at your own pace, and the falls are soft.
Before you try it
Find the right terrain first - that's most of the trick. You want a steep bank with some vert: a halfpipe wall, a wind lip, a snowbank on the side of a groomer. The steepness is what brings the board around and puts you back on your feet.
Warm up with small backside 180s straight up the wall on your toes. That's the same feeling as the handplant, minus the hand.
How to do it
Ride in on your toe edge and be patient - go high up the wall so you're actually vertical before anything happens. Pop off your board and keep your knees bent so the arc stays tight; the weightless feeling comes from the pop, not your speed. Put both hands down roughly where your tail was, then work toward just your back hand. Finally, look your head around so the board follows and you land riding out.
The first ones will be sloppy - knees dragging, sliding down the bank. That's fine. Just get used to hands on snow and the board rotating around you.
Learn more here:
Video by SnowboardProCamp
Key tips
- Steep terrain is key - a mellow bank won't bring the board around
- Ride high up the wall on your toes before you pop
- The float comes from the pop, not your momentum
- Two hands first, then just the back hand
- Look your head around and the rest follows
- Once it's clean, add a melon grab - it keeps you tight and looks better