What do you do after you have learned the basics of freestyle skiing? You perform some more challenging freestyle skiing tricks. This article provides a list of tricks which every skier should learn to use.
When you are snow skiing, it is natural for the daredevil in most of you to dream about performing those numerous stunts performed by ski experts and professionals. If you have learned the basics, then you may attempt any of these freestyle skiing tricks presented here.
List of Tricks
Important:These skiing tricks should be performed under the consultation and supervision of an expert, to reduce the risk of potential injury while performing them.
This is not a list of tricks for beginners. You should know how to be able to maintain a good balance when you are airborne to perform any of these. Start by performing on a ski rail rather than immediately jumping off your favorite slope. Once you get the hang of them, you can be a true ski stunt-master!
Tricks
Description
180
Use twin-tip skis to perform this one. As you take off the ski rail, spin to the right or left side (wherever you are comfortable. You will land backwards when performing this trick. Keep a landing spot in mind, and when you land, keep steady. Neither bend forward, nor backward.
Lincoln Loop
As you reach the end of the ski rail, relax your shoulders, and extend your arms up on both sides, and flip your body sideways.
Lincoln Loop 180
Learn how to perform the Lincoln Loop before trying the Lincoln Loop 180. When you almost finish, look out for your landing. Perform the 180 freestyle skiing trick before you land. Land on the tips of the skis.
Fakie 180
Ski in the normal manner, with your weight centered on your feet, as you begin the Fakie 180. As you start off on the ski rail, look over your shoulder, towards your right or left, to rotate your body in that direction. As you take off the ski rail and are airborne, keep looking over your shoulder. Grab your ski tips, and then head for a landing. Release the tips as you near the landing.
360
As you take off to perform this trick, look over your shoulder, towards the left or right, and rotate your upper body along with it. As you are airborne, you will find your entire body along with the skis, following the direction set by your upper body. As your body spins, grab the tail of the skis, and hold on to them. While looking over your left shoulder, see your landing, and land firmly on the ground, after releasing the tail as you near your landing.
360 Safety Grab
When you begin this freestyle skiing trick, keep your body weight forward. Prepare your body to spin by looking over your shoulder, as you start off. As you reach the lip of the ski rail, go for the grab. When you land, tread heavily.
540 Tail Grab
While doing this trick, your rotation will cause your spin to slow down. So spin harder as you take off. Hold the tail of your ski with your trailing hand as you are airborne, and involve it in the spin, with your eyes over your shoulder. You are now spinning through the 360. After you spot the landing, land with your weight centered on your feet, and first on the ski tips, followed by the tail.
Flatspin
To perform this trick, as you take off, you will have to jump both, backward and sideways so that your body is horizontal when airborne. After you have flipped, spot your landing and land firmly on the ground.
Alley Oop
For this one ensure that you take off at a higher speed. Turning your body up hill, while looking over your shoulder, mark the direction of your spin. As you spot your landing, land firmly and tread heavily as you land.
Corkscrew 720
Perform this ski trick off the right or left edge of the ski rail. After taking off the chosen direction, have your right arm extended forward and turn your upper body toward your left hip. Open up and you will go through a 540. As you do, you will spot your landing. Head for it as you finish your spin.
D Spin 720
This trick is normally performed on powder. As you start off, rotate your head, and throw your shoulder towards the right or left side. As you tuck up, your skis will cross each other. Find your landing as the spin finishes. Straighten up as before you land firmly on the ground.
Helicopter
As you take off the ski rail, you can choose to perform a 360, 720, or 1080 degree rotation.
Under Flip
As you take off, turn at a 90 degree angle, so you are facing the slope a right angle. Push your uphill shoulder downwards, and flip upside down. Tread heavily at the landing.
Backflip
While the underflip is a forwards somersault, the backflip is a backward somersault once you are airborne. To perform the backflip, push your upper body backwards, and have your hips thrust forward causing you to spin. Complete an entire spin before you mark your landing and land firmly on the ground.
Mute Grab
After you take off, to perform this freestyle skiing trick, lift your legs upwards with a strong thrust. Grab hold of the opposite ski and complete a backflip before you land.
Half Cab Mute Grab
Ski backwards as you approach the jump. Keep your weight centered on your feet, and keep looking over your shoulder. As you take off from the rail, you will spin. Complete the spin and tread heavily as you find your landing and land.
Backflip Mute Grab
This trick requires higher speed, and quick rotations. To do this trick, start with the backflip. While you are in the tucked position, go for the grab. Keep your back arched as you see the landing, and then tread heavily as you land.
Flair in the Pipe
To perform a flair in the pipe, you should be able to do backflips well. Take off the pipe at a high speed. Perform a spin similar to that required for a backflip. Flip as you move your head and shoulder backwards, and thrust your hips forward. Finish with a 180 as you are inverted, and land with a heavy tread.
Backscratcher
As you take off, bend your knees backwards, so that the tails of your skis touch your back. Keep your body straight and don't slouch or lean forward while you are airborne so that you can land safely.
Iron Cross
Perform this trick off a good height from the ground, so that the tips of your skis don't get caught in the snow while performing this trick. As you take off, do the backscratcher, but cross the skis behind you. Then uncross them and bring your legs back to the starting position., so that the skis are parallel to the ground. Stomp as you land while keeping your body steady.
Rocket Air
To perform this one, extend both your legs before and after you have taken off, and go for the grab.
Zudnick
After you have taken off, bring together your upper and lower body by bringing them forward, while keeping your skis close to each other.
Spread Eagle
After you have taken off, spread open your arms and legs to your side, while keeping your body erect. Before you land, close your legs. Performing this trick requires a good sense of timing.
Daffy
A daffy requires you to extend one leg forward, and the other backward, so that one ski points upward, while the other points downward. Before you land bring your legs back to their original position.
Twister
You should be able to balance your body in the air well to be able to perform the twister. After you take off, turn your head and upper body to the right, and your lower body towards the left. Once you have mastered this trick on one side, you can give the other side a shot.
Cossack
Perform this trick only if you know how to perform the Spread Eagle and the Zudnick. After you take off, spread your legs to the sides of your body, and extend your hands in between your legs, while keeping the skis and ski poles upright. Bring back your body to its normal position before you land, and land with a stomp.
Make the most of your ski vacations by learning and performing these freestyle skiing tricks. Just don't get carried away and injure yourself. Maintain safety, and ensure you have someone to assist you and prevent you from going wrong while performing these tricks.
