How to Ollie on a Snowboard: Your First Trick, Step by Step

The ollie is how a snowboarder jumps without a kicker. You load the tail of the board like a spring, release it, and the whole board leaves the snow with you. The name comes from skateboarding, but on snow it is easier to learn, because your feet are already strapped to the board. Once you can ollie, you can hop over small bumps, get across flat patches and, later, take your first jumps in the park.

Before you start

You should be able to ride linked turns on a blue run and glide in a straight line on a flat base without catching an edge. If you are not there yet, start with our guide on how to turn on a snowboard. Wear a helmet; wrist guards and padded shorts make the first falls much softer. A soft freestyle board is easier to ollie than a stiff all-mountain board, but you can learn on any board.

1. Practise on flat ground

Start without moving, on a flat spot away from the piste. Stand in your normal stance with your knees bent. Shift your weight onto your back foot and lift your front foot so the nose rises: you will feel the tail bend under your back foot. Now jump off that back foot and pull both knees up. Both feet should leave the snow, the back foot last. After ten of these you will feel the board flex and spring back.

2. Ride straight on a gentle slope

Pick an easy green run with nobody close behind you. Ride slowly straight down the fall line on a flat base: if the board is on an edge when you pop, it will slide out sideways as you land. Keep your weight centred, knees bent, shoulders in line with the board and eyes looking ahead.

3. Load the tail

As you glide, move your weight smoothly onto your back foot and lift your front foot, just as you did on flat ground. The nose comes up and the tail bends. Do not rush this step: the spring only stores energy if you really bend the board.

4. Pop and tuck

Snap off the tail by straightening your back leg quickly, as if you were pushing the snow away. Straight away, pull both knees towards your chest so the board rises level beneath you. Keep your arms relaxed and slightly out to the sides for balance. The higher you tuck, the higher the board travels; the height comes from the pop, not from your shoulders.

5. Land soft and centred

Extend your legs to meet the snow and land on both feet at the same time with the board flat, then bend your knees to absorb the impact. Keep looking ahead, not down at the board. Ride a little way in a straight line before you start your next turn.

Common mistakes

• Jumping with both feet: Without loading the tail first, the board barely leaves the snow. Lift the nose, then pop.
• Popping on an edge: The board slides out sideways when you land. Pop only when the board runs flat.
• Leaning back on landing: The board shoots forward and you end up sitting down. Land with your weight centred.
• Landing with straight legs: The impact goes straight into your knees and back. Bend them as you touch down.
• Looking at the board: Your body follows your eyes. Look at the spot where you want to land.

The next steps

When your ollies feel steady, try one over a small roller, popping just as the board reaches the top. After that comes the nollie, the same move off the nose, and later the small kickers of a beginner snow park. Before you go faster, it is worth knowing the 10 FIS rules for sharing the slopes. Erciyes' wide, gentle beginner areas are a good place for your first ollies: read what to expect in our guide to snowboarding at Erciyes, and our First Steps lesson packages include snowboard lessons with an instructor.

• Snowboarding
• Snowboard tricks
• Ollie
• Freestyle