How To Ollie BIG On A Snowboard

The Ollie is one of the most fundamental tricks to practice on a snowboard. It is used in every scenario of riding, from avoiding obstacles during free riding, to improving your park riding and overall style.

Starting out, you want to find a flat spot where you can practice the basic movements:

1. Put a little bit of pressure on the front foot (with bent knees to lower your centre of gravity)


2. Slide the board forward into a tail-press position


3. Snap the tail just as you reach the tail press position, jumping into the air using the flex of the board and the spring generated from your bent knees


4. Bring both of your legs up underneath your body and stabilize in the air

5. Stomp your landing with both feet equally absorbing the landing

6. Absorb your landing through soft knees, then ride away like you just don't care ;)
Once you have learned the basics movements of how to ollie on a snowboard, you can take it all over the mountain and use while popping through tree runs, jumping higher on side hits and kickers, jumping cleaner onto boxes and rails, jumping into and out of butters and jumping to avoid obstacles.

See the free video of "How to Ollie" below, or sign up to our Snowboard Tutorial Membership to view the full length tutorial in regular or goofy:

Additional Tips For Improvement

1. Challenge yourself and your friends by jumping over anything or anyone! A block of ice, a glove, a stick, a human or a snowboard!
2. If you can find a bamboo stick, you can play a game with your buddies to see who can jump the highest, this will improve your timing and your jumping abilities.
3. As said by the wise words of Kung Fu Masters, practice 10 000+ of them before you say you can ollie ;) 10 000+ ollies later, after practicing them in both regular and goofy, you will have the technique, the timing and the pop to handle anything you want to ollie!

4. If you don't have access to the mountain or some snow, or wish to practice your ollies at home, strap into your Training Board Bindings on your Tramp Training Board. Practicing on a trampoline or on your Balance Bar will improve your ollie ability and keep your muscle memory improving between snow seasons:

Things to Know Before You Fat Tire the Snow

If you’re anything like me you feel a mixture of happiness and sadness when winter approaches and the temperature starts to drop. For one thing, it means ski season is on the way. But, on the other hand, it means putting your mountain bike in the garage for the next few months. Fortunately, there is a way for us to bridge the gap in the cold, winter months.
Fat Tire biking has been increasing in popularity over the last few years. I remember riding through Red Rocks Canyon not too long ago seeing one these ‘mountain bikes’ flying by wondering, “what are those?” Upon further investigation I would come to find out Fat Tire mountain bikes, while becoming popular year rounders for some, have been around for a while and have been most widely used to keep on riding that sweet single track in the snow and ice.

Now that you have cleaned the coffee off your computer that you spewed of your mouth in excitement, let’s talk about 5 things you need to know before you Fat Tire the snow.

1. Fat Tire Bikes are Mountain Bikes - With its increasing popularity over the last few years, more and more companies are making Fat Tire mountain bikes. You can get the full range of bikes from hard tail to soft tail to a fully rigid frame. They ride like mountain bikes and you can ride them anywhere. Interestingly enough, the wider tires actually make it a great bike for those getting into mountain biking in general.

2. The Conditions Will Change Your Experience - You will more than likely run the gamut of emotions your first season of winter riding. You’ll find conditions you love, and some that you hate. A couple of inches of fresh snow will make you feel like you have stumbled on the greatest sport ever, while 5+ inches of snow will leave you questioning your sanity (probably). The deep powder combined with the terrain underneath gets the bike squirly pretty quick. Be patient, and take your time. And always, be careful of ice, especially in the corners. Snow that has been on the ground for a few days will more than likely have frozen patches.

3. Keep Your Feet Dry - Snow is wet and snow is cold. There aren’t too many things that will end your ride faster then cold, wet feet. It will probably be a good idea to invest in some winter riding boots. I may or may not have wrapped my feet in plastic bags and put them in my shoes to keep my feet dry. I don’t recommend this practice, but it might be helpful in a pinch.

4. Flat Pedals are Your Friend - While clipless pedals are God’s gift to humanity for warm weather riding, they can become a problem when riding in the winter. You’ll find yourself having to knock the snow out of your cleats on a pretty consistent basis so yo can clip in properly. Clipless shoes also may not be the conducive to hiking your bike in the snow. And if you’re new to this, having your feet clipped to your pedals might not be the best idea.

5. Dress Appropriately - Snow on the ground means cold in the air. And sometimes, it can be really, really cold. The trick (for any cold weather sport, really) is to find the balance between staying warm and staying dry. You’ll quickly notice riding in the snow is a little bit harder than riding on the dirt which means more physical exertion and more sweating. Sweating is not bad except when it doesn’t dry quickly; then it becomes miserable. Layers are your friend; sweat wicking layers.

The hierarchy of the road

Respect. That’s what missing from our roads. Nobody respects anybody. Drivers in cycle lanes, cyclists on pavements, pedestrians in cycle lanes, cyclists running red lights, drivers speeding. It goes on. We’ve become a self-entitled, self-centred, self-important society. A self society. And it’s ugly, real damn ugly.
Sure, we must look out for ourselves but at all costs? What does it cost to look out for others? To respect and care for one another? I can but dream. We cyclists often feel like we’re on the receiving end in such a world, and it’s often true, yet we also ignore others in the pursuit of the self. I count myself amongst that number.

I’ve commuted in London by bike for well over ten years. In that time, I’ve had hundreds of pedestrians step into my path. Two of them had the misfortune to feel steel against skin. Ouch.
Both incidents were many years ago in my (more) reckless youth. Not that either would have been classed as my ‘fault’ in a court of law. Yet this is beside the point. We should rarely rely on our courts, the very same system that fines a driver more for killing a swan than a cyclist.
Truth is, I wasn’t respecting the road as a shared space when I hit those two people. I had adopted the attitude that pedestrians shouldn’t have been on the road, just like car drivers who think cyclists shouldn’t be on the road, an attitude sadly reinforced this week by the UK’s so-called transport minister (I don’t know whether to laugh or cry).
I now cycle with more care and attention, adopting what should be a worldwide philosophy, the hierarchy of the road:

Pedestrians >> Cyclists >> Motorbikes >> Motor vehicles

What does this mean for cyclists? It means pedestrians come first. It means you have little excuse for hitting a pedestrian. It means you give way to pedestrians crossing at junctions (just like the Highway Code advises for cars).
It means you look out for pedestrians crossing the road in traffic even when there is no crossing. It means you wait for pedestrians to cross the traffic lights when the light is flashing amber (again, as the Highway Code advises).
Even in both of my collisions, where you could legitimately argue the pedestrians should have taken responsibility to look out for themselves, I still believe I could have been a better cyclist and looked out for them (as I now do).

Cyclist runs a pedestrian crossing. The clue’s in the name.

Collision #1: Pedestrian jumps off the rear of an old Routemaster bus and straight into my path. I had no chance to swerve, to brake, to shout, to use a bell. So what could I have done? Simple, I could have slowed down, giving me more time to react. I could have given the bus a wider berth when passing, allowing those exiting the bus more space to depart.

Collision #2: Pedestrian crosses the road, filtering through the stationary cars stuck in heavy traffic, unaware that I am riding on the road near the curb. Pedestrian assumes it is safe to cross because the traffic on the road is stationary and they don’t even think there could be a cyclist coming. Out they step, right in front of me. Wallop.

As above, I had no chance of reacting but once again, I could have slowed down, I could have been aware that pedestrians are highly likely to be crossing the road and may not be looking out for cyclists.
Should they be looking out for cyclists? Ideally, yes of course, but all other road users should modify their behaviour to look out for more vulnerable road users. So is a cyclist to blame in every pedestrian-cyclist incident? Of course not, but slowing down and showing more consideration would reduce the incidents, the near misses, the intimidation.
What about taking responsibility for our own safety? Certainly, otherwise we’d not last too long as a species. Yet where do you draw the line? This logic is often used by drivers who believe cyclists should wear helmets in case they are hit by the driver of a vehicle who didn’t see them or wear hi-viz clothing because, again, the driver didn’t see them.
Following the hierarchy of the road, a driver should be driving slow enough to see everything (i.e. obeying the speed limit!), even a cyclist dressed in normal clothes. If the conditions are bad, they should slow (showing consideration for other road users) and cyclists should use a light (showing consideration to other road users). Drivers should expect cyclists on the road, just like I as a cyclist expect pedestrians to be on the road. The road is a shared space. It is not the preserve of cyclists or car drivers.

Still not convinced? Flip the scenario. Cyclist is filtering through traffic. Using the self-responsibility rationale, the cyclist should be looking out for drivers turning left across their path, car doors opening, etc. Right? Yes, of course they should be looking out for themselves, but drivers should look out for cyclists too.
It is not always possible for cyclists to leave enough space to avoid car doors opening. Drivers should check their mirrors for cyclists when opening their door and exiting the vehicle just as they would check for other cars when crossing the road. They should let cyclists move off from traffic lights and patiently wait to overtake etc. You get the picture.

People being considerate to others? An ideal? Here in the UK, yes a crazy dream in a country where a large majority of road users (of all types) have a sense of self-entitlement where only they and their needs exist.

Are there cases where the hierarchy of the road doesn’t apply? Sure. Pavements are not shared spaces, hence no cyclists or cars should ever be on the pavement. This is the domain of the pedestrian. Cyclists have segregated cycle paths. These are the domain of the cyclist. They should be respected by pedestrians as much as pavements should be respected by cyclists.

What about the car? Well car drivers, some of you may think the road is your domain but you my friend are incorrect. The only domain solely for cars are motorways. That’s right. Every other road is shared and therefore should adhere to the hierarchy of the road.

When shared spaces just don’t work

There’s many examples. A shared path for cyclists and pedestrians can work. Cyclists must slow down to use them and use a bell. Pedestrians must look out for cyclists and avoid walking in marked bike lanes and look both ways when crossing them. However if the shared path is in a very busy area, e.g. seafront boardwalk, then I’d argue that a shared cycle-pedestrian path doesn’t work.
There’s just too many pedestrians and so cyclists would be better off either on the road (which should always be a shared space too remember!) or better still, on a segregated bike path. Often such shared spaces are badly designed too, which only adds to the confusion.
Where else are shared spaces unsuitable? Busy and narrow canal towpaths. It is unpleasant to be a pedestrian on a narrow towpath with bikes coming through. Here the hierarchy fails, not because pedestrians or cyclists have failed but because the space has failed as a shared space, it makes the experience unpleasant for the most vulnerable user of the space, i.e. the pedestrian.
Where else? Busy dual carriageways. Cyclists can legally ride on a dual carriageway. Should they? Not if they can avoid them. Vehicles moving at 70 mph (and over of course) and cyclists just don’t mix. Again, even if both the driver and the pedestrian are in a shared space observing all of the rules, the space itself is unpleasant for the most vulnerable user of the road, i.e. the cyclist. Of course it is not always possible for cyclists to route without hitting these horrid roads, again because of an infrastructure fail.

Speaking of fails, how about the common sight of the ‘National Speed Limit Applies’ sign (70 mph / 113 kmh) on a narrow and twisty country roads in the UK? Here madness lies.

So how do we achieve this Utopian ideal?

Consideration, nothing but an artist’s impression?

Good question. It requires a change in human behaviour, in law. The former takes generations but can be accelerated by a change to the latter. Changing the law is relatively easy, but what use are laws if unenforced? 79% of US drivers say it is safe to speed, 80% of UK drivers admit to speeding, 57% of cyclists admit to having jumped a red light (14% regularly).
How to enforce laws? First you need evidence. There’s not enough police to enforce what they perceive to be misdemeanors. Yet there’s enough drivers and cyclists on the roads with video cameras. Unfortunately such evidence is routinely ignored so again, you’d need funding to create an enforcement team. Where to get funding? Fines. You’d probably have enough revenue in a single month to fund such a team for years.
Once caught, you need justice. Points on licenses, fines, education courses, community service and ultimately prison. At the moment a few points or pounds here and there is nothing, if by a miracle of misfortune you’re caught. Should the chances of you being caught increase, the points and pounds will soon aggregate and will make you think twice about who could be filming.
So we all need to buy cameras and spy on each other? It’s a sorry state of affairs for sure but if, like naughty children, we cannot be trusted to regulate our own behavior then others must do it for us.
What’s the alternative? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments. Self-driving cars offer hope. Programmed to obey rules, breaking traffic laws could in theory be eliminated. Assuming the programmers get the code right in the first place of course. Last, but not least, we can all try to modify our own behavior and be considerate to others no matter our choice of transport.

Getting Found

  Despite all your preparations, planning your route, knowing how to use a map and compass, it still happened - you're lost! So, now what should you do?
Following some simple guidelines will greatly improve your chances of being rescued rather than recovered - if you know what I mean. They are simple guidelines, but over and over again people lost in the woods just can't seem to follow them. Sometimes, it takes a strong will to stay under control and do what is needed.
  The Number One tool needed for survival when you are lost or injured in the wilds is a Positive Mental Attitude. You should continually tell yourself that you have to get home. When you panic or lose hope, the situation becomes fatal.
The Number One thing you should have done before you got lost is something you should have done before ever stepping on the trail. Leave Your Hiking Plan and expected return time with someone, they can report you missing if you do not check in with them at your return time. If you also left this information with a ranger at the trailhead, they'll know quickly when you are not back.
STOP - As soon as you realize you may be lost, stop, stay calm, stay put. There is nothing you can do about whatever got you to this point - all you can do now is solve the problem of getting out of the situation. The further you walk, the longer it will take rescuers to find you. If you don't know where you are, walking further has at least a 75% chance of being the wrong direction. If you are not safe where you are, then move to someplace safe and stop there.
Sit down, take a drink of water, eat a handful of trail mix, and relax while you think things over.
THINK - Go over in your mind how you got to where you are. What landmarks should you be able to see? Were you heading North or West?
Do not move at all until you have a specific reason to take a step. Walking around while thinking is not good, sit on a rock or log while you observe your surroundings.
OBSERVE - Get out your compass and determine the directions from where you are currently sitting. Using your map and the general area where you are, identify landmarks that you should be able to see. This step is often enough to get re-oriented and sure of where you need to go to get back on track.
Consider your situation. Estimate how long you have until dark. Check out the weather and determine if it looks like it will be getting better or worse. Check your water and decide how long it should last. Consider the other hikers in your party and how they are doing when you plan your next steps.
PLAN - Based on your thinking and observations, come up with some possible plans and then act on one of them. Prioritize the needs of your group and deal with them in turn.
If you are confident that you have determined the way to go and have time before dark to reach a known spot, such as the marked trail on your map, then go carefully and obviously mark your route with stacked rocks, sticks stuck in the ground, or strips of cloth from your bandanna.
If you are not very, very confident in the route, then its better to stay put.

Surviving Until Found

So, you make the best choice and decide to wait to be found. Now, you need to take steps to ensure rescuers find a live person and not a body. There are a handful of problems that tend to be the most common threats to your chances for survival. Be aware of these and be ready to combat them:

• Loneliness - If you begin to feel lonely and bored, it means you are not taking your situation seriously enough. When lost, the only resource you have is yourself. Either you are not really convinced that you may die or you've given up - either way, this is a common threat to lost hikers.
  To combat this, make a list of useful tasks that need to be done and stay busy doing them. Things like collecting water, firewood, bedding, and insulation materials, or setting up signals. There should always be something else to be done. Even sleeping is a survival task that rests your body and conserves energy.
• Fear - There have been plenty of scary movies made about bears, wolves, cougars, and other nasty wild animals. When you're alone with just your pocketknife for protection, fear about what might be out there can build up. Also, being afraid that no one will find you, or that you'll get hurt, or that it will snow tomorrow can all work against you. Everyone will experience some fear when lost, but turning that fear to a motivating driver is your goal. Being afraid of the cold night ahead, you quickly build a small shelter, make a fire and gather plenty of wood for the night. Being afraid a plane might not see you, you lay out some bright cloth and have leaves and green boughs ready to throw on the fire.
  Or, you curl up in a ball and wait for a miracle. Fear can motivate or paralyze - you need to control it or it will control you.
• Thirst - you can last 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. Don't worry about collecting berries or eating pine nuts. Dehydration is the most common physical ailment of lost hikers. Find a water source, filter or treat the water, and keep your body hydrated. Even if you can not treat or filter the water, it is better to be sick a week from now rather than dead 3 days from now.
• Exhaustion - Whenever you feel tired, you should try to sleep. Catnaps all day long may be what you need, especially if you were too cold or scared to sleep at night. When you are tired, you can not complete your tasks effectively and you are more apt to become injured. Get as much rest as your body seems to need.
  By making a somewhat comfortable and warm sleeping area and shelter, you are more likely to sleep better and this will help you ward off the other threats.
• Hot/Cold - Unless the temperature where you are lost is right around 90 degrees, your body will either be fighting to stay warm or to cool off. Not being prepared to combat the weather will be disastrous. Hypothermia and heat illness are two very common problems effecting found survivors, and both can be prevented with preparation and sense.
  Staying dry and warm are two of the most important tasks you have when lost. When you are wet, your body gets colder much faster and you can die from hypothermia when its 60 degrees. Preventing unnecessary sweating is a good goal to help keep you dry. When clothes do get wet, do whatever you can to dry them out as soon as possible. Using the sun or your survival fire are good options.
• Injury - Of course a broken leg is going to really reduce your ability to get anything done. But, even small cuts and scrapes and burns can become serious in the dirty outdoors. Its important that you clean and treat any wound you might get immediately to help prevent infection. A burn or cut on your hand can make gathering wood or filtering water more difficult. Every small thing makes survival a bit harder and you don't need the extra challenge.
• Hunger - anyone lost for more than a day when they were just going on a day hike will probably experience hunger. Every day that you don't eat is another day you are consuming your body's stores and becoming weaker. Fortunately, you can go many days without food, but every day will see you weaker. It's important to complete all the survival tasks you can early on so you aren't required to do them as you weaken. It's also important to understand what edible plants are available to you.