Stackin it! The glossary of snowboarding
slams...
where_ur_at : step-on
magazine > articles
> stackin it
 |
 |
slamming
is an integral part of snowboarding
and indeed most board sports. taking a
decking on a daily basis and still wanting
to get back on it the next day is a mentality
which many cannot understand and which
some thrive on, the truth is every snowboarder
knows the feeling of well and truly...stackin
it. so we bring you, for those who don't
know, a short insight into the world of
common snowboarding stacks, and for those
who do know, just some reminders perhaps...! |
// catching an edge
the daddy of all snowboarding slams, this is
the most common type of slam for beginners and
even the pros still do it every now and then.
It is the slam that 'catches' out everyone once
in a while, as if to remind you never to get
too confident. So you're cruising at mach 10
down your favourite piste, one of those pistes
like the home run where you know every roller,
every hit just off the side of the piste, every
rock jib, you know the type, it's all going
well and you've got the usual grin and steez,
then before you know it you're being catapulted
down the slope, it's like being struck by lightening.
outta nowhere the metal edge of your board seems
to have found a way to dig in and wants to stay
there. A little dazed and confused you usually
get yourself back up, possibly after punching
the ground a couple of times, check no-one saw
you and carry on, clearing the snow from your
goggles as you go..
// hitting the knuckle
never any riders cup of tea this one. You've
dropped in, you're leathering it down the run
in and you've got the confidence of James Bond
with a beautiful lady. All is going well, you
leave the lip of the jump, hold your grab and
tweak it nicely, then as you come round to spot
your landing the reality hits you like a slap
round the face from a beautiful lady..you ain't
gonna make the landing. You have but a few milliseconds
to prepare your body for the impact before boom!
Usually you'll bounce and be thrown down the
landing zone, after that destiny is in control!
Of course then you've gotta figure out how to
retrieve your hat and goggles before the next
rider comes flying over.
// the opposite - overshooting!
oh yes, it can go the other way, you've dropped
in, you're leathering it down the run in and
you've got the confidence of James Bond with
a beautiful lady...yep it all happens the same
until the millisecond after you've left the
lip of the jump and you just know that somehow,
you don't know how but somehow, you've judged
it oh so wrong! Usually you'll be so put off
by knowing you're going too fast that you'll
totally screw you're spin up, or if you were
going for a straight air you can guarantee that
by now your weight will be way back and you'll
be winding the windows down like a roadrager.
You waive the knuckle goodbye and by the time
you land your board is usually above your head,
meaning your lower back is gonna take all the
impact of that flat landing. Can be particularly
nasty in some cases, and is never gonna be pretty
in any circumstances. If by some miracle you're
ok and want to hit the jump again, for Christ
sake put a speed check in, not too heavy though
or it'll be the knuckle as above, it's risky
business this jumping lark ain't it?
// the arse ripper
oh yes that old chestnut..can occur in any number
of ways but usually is the result of sitting
down on the landing of a jump and/or landing
sideways on one's arse, causing the arse cheeks
to be pulled/ripped apart with great force,
thus creating a similar effect no doubt to being
raped by a herd of black bull rhinos. 10 seconds
or so of extreme discomfort follow, accompanied
sometimes with the feeling that you've actually
shit yourself. Once these pass you're usually
ok to carry on riding and forget about it!
//the donk
session a rail long enough and you're bound
to do one of these at some point. It usually
happens just when you're getting really confident
(possibly overconfident) on a rail, you start
focusing on the landing of the trick earlier
and earlier until you start getting slack on
the ollie onto the rail, "donk!" you
ain't ollied high enough you've smacked your
board on the front of the rail before getting
onto it. If it's frontside there's only one
method of flight after this happens and that's
supermanning it over the rail...landing on the
rail in this manner is gonna be particularly
heavy on the chest or balls and/or face, in
fact generally your whole body tends to receive
a hefty beating on this slam. If it's backside,
well that could be worst 'cos you will no doubt
be sent into an accidental backflip, backwards
towards the shiny awaiting metal! High chance
of whacking your head on the way down and either
way you won't be trying backside lipslides for
a while! Oh and after a donk you might even
have to repair your board to add insult to injury.
Editorial: Andrew Winter
Step-On Magazine
    
|
