Backflip at 40 - a long way to go

[phatlip]

Hi. I have just taken up skiing after a seriously long brake (18 years) and I am loving it! Been watching all the ski films on youtube, redbull etc and the thought of doing a backflip seems really intriguing. As of now I have a really long way to go, but I was curious to hear what would be a good form of transition. What basic tricks should you master before even thinking of doing backflips? I understand that most of the users of this forum are a lot younger than me and that a backflip might not be a big deal.

All thoughts and tips are much appreciated!

 

[Andy03]

I have the same issue but I'm a bit younger. To go trampoline might be help.

 

[Finito]

Get comfortable at jumps and at doing backflips on a tramp or in a pool.

Start small on the jumps and make sure that you have the right technique, check out the tutorials from stomped it tutorials on Youtube. First things you will learn before attempting a Backflip on a kicker are grabs, 180s and 360s.

Then if you feel comfortable move on to bigger jumps and get used to them.

If you feel safe on the jumps and with your backflips you know that you are ready to send it. But do your first attempts on an airbag or in the backcountry.

 

[CalumSKI]

Get comfortable at jumps and at doing backflips on a tramp or in a pool.

Start small on the jumps and make sure that you have the right technique, check out the tutorials from stomped it tutorials on Youtube. First things you will learn before attempting a Backflip on a kicker are grabs, 180s and 360s.

Then if you feel comfortable move on to bigger jumps and get used to them.

If you feel safe on the jumps and with your backflips you know that you are ready to send it. But do your first attempts on an airbag or in the backcountry.

I think you shousld try you first backie on a mogul jump as it already shoots you back wards and there is less flipping involved

 

[eljefe]

Depending how athletic you currently are, and what's available to you in your region, go hire some coaching!

This could be with a tumbling/gymnastics instructor, or could be at a more ski oriented place like a Woodward or any number of the various places.

The amount of competence that can be acquired with a small amount of expert guidance is so huge!

Keep us posted on your progress!!!

 

[sheddd]

I'm 46 and on a similar quest, and also took a long break from skiing; I got to go to a freestyle camp @ momentum last year and I am eager to safely progress (I slightly broke arm and tore rotator cuff and bicep at camp). I just got a tramphttp://www.skywalkertrampolines.com/shop/17x10-rectangle-trampoline-combo-platinum put together yesterday; already hyperextended a toe; I thought I would be flipping easily but it looks like it's gonna take a good bit of time and work. It takes a lot of leg muscle for me to get good height on it, and I need a lot more tramp time. At the moment I can 360 and do a 3/4 front flip. I have some little tramp skis https://skiaddiction.com/products/trampski. Hopefully in a month I'll have expanded my tramp skills some without significant injury!

**This post was edited on Apr 8th 2019 at 9:18:56am

 

[eljefe]

I'm 46 and on a similar quest, and also took a long break from skiing; I got to go to a freestyle camp @ momentum last year and I am eager to safely progress (I slightly broke arm and tore rotator cuff and bicep at camp). I just got a tramphttp://www.skywalkertrampolines.com/shop/17x10-rectangle-trampoline-combo-platinum put together yesterday; already hyperextended a toe; I thought I would be flipping easily but it looks like it's gonna take a good bit of time and work. It takes a lot of leg muscle for me to get good height on it, and I need a lot more tramp time. At the moment I can 360 and do a 3/4 front flip. I have some little tramp skis https://skiaddiction.com/products/trampski. Hopefully in a month I'll have expanded my tramp skills some without significant injury!

**This post was edited on Apr 8th 2019 at 9:18:56am

Be careful! The trampoline can work against you as much as it can work for you. Repetition is the mother of all skill.. don't underestimate the power of doing literally hundreds and hundreds of 180's & 360's to build sound foundations and increase/regain your fitness!

 

[KilaTsunami]

I think you shousld try you first backie on a mogul jump as it already shoots you back wards and there is less flipping involved

yeah a mogul jump will send him backwards...... around 7000 miles per hour. ?

OP i think its worth noting that some of us out here rip Frontys first. Just a weird commitment thing i guess.. Im 24 and i sent my first front flip was last year. I could 3 and 5 every time off bigger jumps and wanted to flip. They just felt easier and more approachable to me with all my skis and gear on. Landed it. First Try Friday. I do them all the time now. People will argue and say their harder for all sorts of reasons, all of them lowkey valid. But really, It comes down to what you personally, feel is fathomable in your head.

Which flip/ spin can you do into a pool? I'd start there.

Trampoline training translates better for spins/grabs then flips but will 100 percent help you find your cool up there

 

[OldSpice]

Well... I did my first back flip at 52 (I'm 56 now). I've been skiing since I was 12 or so and started skiing park with my son when I was around 50. At first, I was straight airing jumps, doing some grabs, sliding boxes and could 180. I was working on my 3 when I decided a backie was pretty steezy and probably the easiest inverted trick I could do. I learned how to do one on the tramp and could throw it consistently on the indoor ramps at Woodward Copper. I took it to the airbag and had it on lock but the season ended before I could take it to snow. Knowing I had this and not wanting to wait until next season, I attended the Woodward Copper summer camp and after a couple days of coaching, threw it to snow 3 times. I'm working on my cork 7 now and my rail game If you watch all the videos out there and commit to the trick, you will absolutely take it to your skis on the first try. You might not ride it out but you will land on your skis. Hope this helps!

 

[OldSpice]

BTW, I wanted to try the backie on a smaller jump for my first attempt but my coach said that a small jump would cause me to just huck and tuck and I should lay it out with more air awareness. He suggested that a bigger jump (20-25') would give me the airtime I needed. Turned out to be good advice.

 

[CalumSKI]

yeah a mogul jump will send him backwards...... around 7000 miles per hour. ?

OP i think its worth noting that some of us out here rip Frontys first. Just a weird commitment thing i guess.. Im 24 and i sent my first front flip was last year. I could 3 and 5 every time off bigger jumps and wanted to flip. They just felt easier and more approachable to me with all my skis and gear on. Landed it. First Try Friday. I do them all the time now. People will argue and say their harder for all sorts of reasons, all of them lowkey valid. But really, It comes down to what you personally, feel is fathomable in your head.

Which flip/ spin can you do into a pool? I'd start there.

Trampoline training translates better for spins/grabs then flips but will 100 percent help you find your cool up there

Mogul jumps are the best for first backies PERIOD

 

[ReturnToMonkey]

Well... I did my first back flip at 52 (I'm 56 now). I've been skiing since I was 12 or so and started skiing park with my son when I was around 50. At first, I was straight airing jumps, doing some grabs, sliding boxes and could 180. I was working on my 3 when I decided a backie was pretty steezy and probably the easiest inverted trick I could do. I learned how to do one on the tramp and could throw it consistently on the indoor ramps at Woodward Copper. I took it to the airbag and had it on lock but the season ended before I could take it to snow. Knowing I had this and not wanting to wait until next season, I attended the Woodward Copper summer camp and after a couple days of coaching, threw it to snow 3 times. I'm working on my cork 7 now and my rail game If you watch all the videos out there and commit to the trick, you will absolutely take it to your skis on the first try. You might not ride it out but you will land on your skis. Hope this helps!

Holy shit I wanna see a 57yo cork sev that's be epic

 

[GrandThings]

Well... I did my first back flip at 52 (I'm 56 now). I've been skiing since I was 12 or so and started skiing park with my son when I was around 50. At first, I was straight airing jumps, doing some grabs, sliding boxes and could 180. I was working on my 3 when I decided a backie was pretty steezy and probably the easiest inverted trick I could do. I learned how to do one on the tramp and could throw it consistently on the indoor ramps at Woodward Copper. I took it to the airbag and had it on lock but the season ended before I could take it to snow. Knowing I had this and not wanting to wait until next season, I attended the Woodward Copper summer camp and after a couple days of coaching, threw it to snow 3 times. I'm working on my cork 7 now and my rail game If you watch all the videos out there and commit to the trick, you will absolutely take it to your skis on the first try. You might not ride it out but you will land on your skis. Hope this helps!

Damn this post gives me so much inspiration. Keep it up!

 

[OldSpice]

Dub at Woodward. The indoor ramps are really confidence inspiring and replicate what happens on the snow really well. The kids there told me which jump in the park was like each ramp. You gotta love the kids. Each time i would attempt a trick, indoor or on the snow the kids would always ask, "What are you gonna throw?" It never mattered what I said the answer was always the same, "Dude, you got this!" What these kids can do on skis is nothing short of amazing to me and they all seem so willing to help me progress. No, I haven't taken the dub to snow yet

 

[OldSpice]

[video]https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/930697/IMG-0644-mov[/video]

Ok, think I figured out how to post :/

 

[OldSpice]

Also, if you do one of the camps they usually have an adult camp. If you really want to learn, avoid the adult camp and attend the camp the kids go to. You will learn so much more hanging around them and the energy is amazing. Of course, I did have some explaining to do to when I booked my week as they seemed to think I might be a creeper or something for wanting to attend the kids camp and kept trying to switch me to the adult camp. It definitely helped that I attended with my kid.

 

[phatlip]

Thanks eveyone for all the advice. My interest in spins/flips also came with my daughter enjoing the parks and jumps.

I live in Norway at there is not a lot of camps as I know of. I have been in contact with a sort of parcour coach and they do private sessions and a 16 week dedicated backflip course aimed at doing them from a stand still.

As the season is coming to an end that might be something, but once a week for 16 weeks seems a lot. Maybe a couple of private sessions and hitting the pool might be better.

Dub at Woodward. The indoor ramps are really confidence inspiring and replicate what happens on the snow really well. The kids there told me which jump in the park was like each ramp. You gotta love the kids. Each time i would attempt a trick, indoor or on the snow the kids would always ask, "What are you gonna throw?" It never mattered what I said the answer was always the same, "Dude, you got this!" What these kids can do on skis is nothing short of amazing to me and they all seem so willing to help me progress. No, I haven't taken the dub to snow yet

 

[ReturnToMonkey]

Thanks eveyone for all the advice. My interest in spins/flips also came with my daughter enjoing the parks and jumps.

I live in Norway at there is not a lot of camps as I know of. I have been in contact with a sort of parcour coach and they do private sessions and a 16 week dedicated backflip course aimed at doing them from a stand still.

As the season is coming to an end that might be something, but once a week for 16 weeks seems a lot. Maybe a couple of private sessions and hitting the pool might be better.

Even at an older age, 16 weeks is way too long to learn a backflip. It should take one or two seshes at most unless you have no idea what a backflip even looks like. If you have a dock/rock into a lake or pool, that's the best way to learn in my opinion.

 

[patskis22]

Dont do a backflip

Do a cork

 

[BedBugDoug]

find a small, super kicky lip into ungroomed snow, the deeper the better, and just huck it straight back and keep your arms folded across your chest. do it like 20 times in a row, should land one

 

[drew.green]

Thanks eveyone for all the advice. My interest in spins/flips also came with my daughter enjoing the parks and jumps.

I live in Norway at there is not a lot of camps as I know of. I have been in contact with a sort of parcour coach and they do private sessions and a 16 week dedicated backflip course aimed at doing them from a stand still.

As the season is coming to an end that might be something, but once a week for 16 weeks seems a lot. Maybe a couple of private sessions and hitting the pool might be better.

16 weeks is too many weeks. Get your standing backie on tramp, get your vertical to a reasonable height, then when you have that all super solid, put an old mattress on the ground behind you and giver the onions! After you have it on flat it definitely helps w confidence taking it to snow, although a tucked backflip on flat is pretty diff from the eventual goal of a fully laid-out steezy backie.

 

[nmwninjart]

Holy shit I wanna see a 57yo cork sev that's be epic

Me too.

This whole thread is inspring.

 

[OldSpice]

I'll work on the cork7 over summer at woodward and if I have it on lock on the ramps I will throw it to snow next season. BTW, I can't do a cork3 or 5 yet but decided on a 7 because a 3 doesn't impress much and a 5 has me landing switch which is still a little sketch for me (need to work on that). Doesn't seem like I can wreck myself too bad so the risk/reward works for me. I will have my son video any attempts for NS entertainment

**This post was edited on Apr 10th 2019 at 1:12:57am

 

[SofaKingSick]

Hi. I have just taken up skiing after a seriously long brake (18 years) and I am loving it! Been watching all the ski films on youtube, redbull etc and the thought of doing a backflip seems really intriguing. As of now I have a really long way to go, but I was curious to hear what would be a good form of transition. What basic tricks should you master before even thinking of doing backflips? I understand that most of the users of this forum are a lot younger than me and that a backflip might not be a big deal.

All thoughts and tips are much appreciated!

describe your area of knowledge and experience with jumps and tricks, and flips (say on a trampoline or into water). that'll help us tell you how to approach this

also do you get soft snow often where you live?

 

[OregonDead]

I'm 46 and on a similar quest, and also took a long break from skiing; I got to go to a freestyle camp @ momentum last year and I am eager to safely progress (I slightly broke arm and tore rotator cuff and bicep at camp). I just got a tramphttp://www.skywalkertrampolines.com/shop/17x10-rectangle-trampoline-combo-platinum put together yesterday; already hyperextended a toe; I thought I would be flipping easily but it looks like it's gonna take a good bit of time and work. It takes a lot of leg muscle for me to get good height on it, and I need a lot more tramp time. At the moment I can 360 and do a 3/4 front flip. I have some little tramp skis https://skiaddiction.com/products/trampski. Hopefully in a month I'll have expanded my tramp skills some without significant injury!

**This post was edited on Apr 8th 2019 at 9:18:56am

^ you are like the youngest looking 46 yo ever. Don't look a day over 12. I guess NS is the secret.

OP are you like a backflip guy when you are not on skis? I kinda think that is the key to whether it is a big deal or not. Like when you go to jump into a pool does it feel like the thing to do? I think some people are back flip people and some are just not. If you are then you know. Age doen't have much to do with it IMO.

 

[-olives]

just have fun off a dock or ledge or something like that into water for a very very basic feeling and comfortability with the rotation. it really is all it sounds. once you know you can do a shitty backflip a huge mental block will disappear. (dad claim incoming) heck, my dad is 52 and can backflip 4 feet into water. Really, little risk for the basic comfort levels. from their you can slowly work your way up! You'll get it, if it wasn't that simple why would so many of be able to do them? all in the head haha

 

[IHUFFPAINT]

Doing it on the trampoline really helped me get the rotation down and feel a bit more comfortable while in the air. Second it might help if you get a jump that has a decent amount of pop to help you start the rotation and I would do it on a powder day or a slushy day. But honestly the part most people have a hard time is just working up the courage to do it. I just told myself that I would get hurt more if I didn't do it completely then the actual trick came naturally while I was in the air.

 

[Poikenz]

^ you are like the youngest looking 46 yo ever. Don't look a day over 12. I guess NS is the secret.

OP are you like a backflip guy when you are not on skis? I kinda think that is the key to whether it is a big deal or not. Like when you go to jump into a pool does it feel like the thing to do? I think some people are back flip people and some are just not. If you are then you know. Age doen't have much to do with it IMO.

I agree that it depends on the person as much as the skill. I can say that I am not really a backflip person in the mental state of things. I am scared to throw a backflip on a trampoline, but I will do one into a pool or into a foam pit (but even those took time to build confidence on). I can do backflips on skis, but I still won't throw one on a trampoline, so I'm a huge metal case.

To the OP: if you practice doing backflips in a safe and comfortable way for you and you find a jump that feels like you could flip it given 100% commitment (aka, you know you can do it but you are scared) then you should go for it. As plenty of people have said before it is seemingly easier than a 360 once you get past the commitment part.

 

[Chunderface]

Well... I did my first back flip at 52 (I'm 56 now). I've been skiing since I was 12 or so and started skiing park with my son when I was around 50. At first, I was straight airing jumps, doing some grabs, sliding boxes and could 180. I was working on my 3 when I decided a backie was pretty steezy and probably the easiest inverted trick I could do. I learned how to do one on the tramp and could throw it consistently on the indoor ramps at Woodward Copper. I took it to the airbag and had it on lock but the season ended before I could take it to snow. Knowing I had this and not wanting to wait until next season, I attended the Woodward Copper summer camp and after a couple days of coaching, threw it to snow 3 times. I'm working on my cork 7 now and my rail game If you watch all the videos out there and commit to the trick, you will absolutely take it to your skis on the first try. You might not ride it out but you will land on your skis. Hope this helps!

Dude, damn I love hearing this! Totally inspiring. Get some!

 

[codizzle]

get on a trampoline or diving board.

if you get do it on both of those, then you can do it on snow.

 

[phatlip]

Don´t think I am a backflip guy, it is not something I see will come naturally. SO I think my progress have to be much more step by step and that it will take time. And maybe it will never happen. But I like the thought of the process.

^ you are like the youngest looking 46 yo ever. Don't look a day over 12. I guess NS is the secret.

OP are you like a backflip guy when you are not on skis? I kinda think that is the key to whether it is a big deal or not. Like when you go to jump into a pool does it feel like the thing to do? I think some people are back flip people and some are just not. If you are then you know. Age doen't have much to do with it IMO.

 

[phatlip]

As I said, I have been away frome skiing for a very long time. Started skiing when I was 4, kied slalom and gs untill 14 and then started snowboarding and did that for 7 years. On a snowboard I could do 360 & 540, but it is a long time ago. Now I am bulding up my confidence on the jumps without doing much other than taking on bigger once.

describe your area of knowledge and experience with jumps and tricks, and flips (say on a trampoline or into water). that'll help us tell you how to approach this

also do you get soft snow often where you live?