Snowboarding is a thrilling sport, offering endless fun for everyone from first-timers to seasoned pros. This guide provides a curated list of 15 snowboard tricks, perfect for beginners looking to get started with freestyle riding or for intermediate snowboarders aiming to elevate their skills. We’ll cover everything from fundamental techniques to more challenging maneuvers, helping you progress your riding and add style to your runs.
Essential Snowboard Tricks to Learn
This list includes a range of tricks suitable for different skill levels. While some are beginner-friendly, others require a solid foundation and a bit of courage. Remember, consistent practice is key to mastering any trick. It’s essential to start with the basics, build a strong base, and then gradually move towards more complex maneuvers. Don’t rush the process, and focus on technique over speed.
1. The Ollie
The ollie is the foundation for almost every snowboard trick. It’s a jump using the snowboard’s flex to propel yourself into the air. While skateboarders often spend weeks or months mastering the ollie, it tends to be easier on a snowboard because your feet are strapped in. However, it still requires practice to become a natural movement.
Snowboarder performing an ollie, showing the board flexing and lifting off the snow
2. Sliding 360
Sliding 360s involve rotating while sliding on the snow. Once you’ve nailed the 360, it’s easier to progress to 540s, 720s, and beyond. This is a fun and dynamic way to move around the mountain, offering a departure from traditional turns. It significantly improves your board control and opens up possibilities for more advanced freestyle tricks. Practice rotating in both directions to become a more well-rounded rider.
3. Tail Press and Nose Press
A tail press involves balancing on the tail of your board with the nose lifted in the air. A nose press is the opposite, balancing on the nose with the tail raised. These are fantastic starting points for freestyle riding and can be practiced anywhere on the mountain, including on boxes and rails. The tail press is often considered easier to learn, while the nose press can be slightly more challenging, requiring a more aggressive lean downhill.
Snowboarder doing a tail press, balancing on the rear of the board
4. 180s
A 180 is a half-spin and the first rotation you should master. There are eight different variations of a 180, depending on your direction (clockwise or counterclockwise), your edge (toe or heel), and your stance (regular or switch). Mastering 180s is critical for learning the mechanics of spins and will make it easier to progress to 360s. Experiment with each variation to find the rotations that feel most natural to you.
5. Grabs
Grabs are a way to express your personal style and flair while performing tricks. Adding a grab to a spin can change the feel and appearance of the maneuver significantly. There is a wide array of grabs to learn, from the classic method grab to more complex and individual ones. Start with the basic grabs and work towards defining your own unique style.
Snowboarder performing an ollie, showing the board flexing and lifting off the snow
6. Euro Carve
The euro carve is a classic old-school trick where you lean into a carve, touching your arm as close to the ground as possible. Carving itself takes practice and figuring out the euro carve can be challenging initially, but once mastered, it’s a relatively simple and stylish maneuver. Euro carves are a fun way to impress your friends and they can be customized with various unique twists and variations.
7. 50/50
The 50/50 is typically the first rail trick that snowboarders learn. It involves riding a rail or box in a straight line with your board parallel to the feature. It’s best to learn on a ride-on box, where you don’t need to jump onto the feature. Getting comfortable on boxes before moving onto tubes and rails is key. Remember to keep your board flat on the feature rather than using your edges.
8. Board Slide
Once you’ve mastered the 50/50, the board slide is the next rail trick to learn. A board slide is when you slide across a rail with your board sideways. There are two main types: backside board slide, where you approach the rail with the rail behind you, and frontside board slide, where you approach the rail with it in front of you. Mastering these two basic rail slides will unlock a world of variations and more advanced tricks.
Snowboarder doing a tail press, balancing on the rear of the board
9. MFM Butter
Named after pro snowboarder Mark Frank Montoya, the MFM butter is a slightly technical but very stylish trick. It involves a nollie, a shifty to your tail, and a frontside 180 out. While it might take some time to break down the movements, once learned, it’s a fun and satisfying maneuver to perform.
10. Shifty
A shifty is when you rotate your lower body while keeping your upper body facing forward. Some will find it easier in one direction compared to the other. A shifty adds style to jumps, spins, and flips and is also the same movement used in a board slide. Practice the movement on the snow before taking it into the air to get a feel for it.
11. Tripod
The tripod is a playful trick that involves turning your upper body to face uphill while keeping your board facing downhill and then putting both hands on the snow, lifting the nose of the board. It’s called a tripod because you’re balancing on three points. It’s a relatively easy trick to learn and allows for a lot of creativity with variations.
12. Nollie Backside 180
A nollie backside 180 is a flatland trick that adds creativity to your butter tricks. It requires solid 180s and a comfortable nollie. Once you have those, it should not take long to learn. Begin on a flat surface at low speed, and then gradually work your way up. Once you have this down, you can link it with other tricks.
13. Muller Flip
The muller flip is more of a hand drag than a flip, it is essentially a corked 360 where you drag your hand on the snow. It’s generally performed off of knuckles or rollers. It’s a relatively safe way to start getting off-axis as you’re using your hand to stay steady. It may take a few attempts, but it is sure to impress.
Snowboarder performing an ollie, showing the board flexing and lifting off the snow
14. Backflip
A backflip involves a backward somersault rotation of 360 degrees. It is more of a confidence trick than a technical one. If you can do a flip on a trampoline and have experience hitting jumps comfortably you can do a backflip. It’s best to start learning in soft powder or with the use of airbags for safety. Although it can be a bit intimidating, it’s a fun and crowd-pleasing maneuver.
15. Tamedog
The tamedog is a front flip on a snowboard, always performed like a cartwheel, and easier to learn than most people think. It can be learned off cat tracks or very small jumps making it less scary and more accessible than a backflip.
Final Thoughts
This list provides a great starting point for beginner to intermediate snowboarders looking to improve their skills. Remember to focus on the fundamentals first and to develop control and confidence on your board. Avoid rushing the process, and always be mindful of your surroundings. Don’t hesitate to take lessons from experienced instructors, and always prioritize safety. If you are looking for more advanced tricks, check out our guide on insane snowboard tricks to keep you inspired.
Snowboarder performing an ollie, showing the board flexing and lifting off the snow
Michael McKernan
A former snowboard instructor and park builder with years of experience, specializing in the art of freestyle snowboarding.
