3 MUST-HAVES FOR TURNING STUDENTS INTO PARK RATS BY SCOTT ANFANG
reestyle riding – whether on a run or in the terrain park – is a massive part of our industry, and represents an amazing way to expand skills and have a blast on snow. For students motivated to ride the park, there has never been a better time to teach them the skills they’ll need to get their jib on boxes, rails, and jumps. Remember, the rider has to want to be in the park… and not
F
because you want to share your love of freestyle. For students eager to join the growing ranks of riders who’d love to add an another exciting element of play to their repertoire, here are three basic must-haves for freestyle.
1. Know Park Smart® Formerly known as SmartStyle, Park Smart is an initiative by the National Ski Areas Association to spell out the “rules of the road” that all skiers and riders in the park should follow. Make sure your students know and heed these Park Smart principles, because the intent is to keep everyone safe – your students as well as other skiers and riders in the park: START SMALL - Work your way up. Build your skills. MAKE A PLAN - Every feature. Every time. ALWAYS LOOK - Before you drop. RESPECT - T e features and other users. TAKE IT EASY - Know your limits. Land on your feet.
2. Build confi dence in basic skills Understanding how your body and board work together (or against each other) is a huge part of progressing as a rider, in or out of the park. In the park, of course, there’s another element to consider; the actual feature. T e confi dence and skill to make your body and equipment do your bidding is a huge part of success. Help students develop these elements outside the park and then bring these existing skills into the park to expand on them by adding features and diff erent types of terrain.
3. Understand and apply ATML PSIA-AASI’s ATML Method® – which emphasizes a park strategy that breaks down the elements of a freestyle trick into the approach, takeoff , maneuver, and landing – provides a framework for eff ective park sessions. Emphasize ATML and how it works in relation to everything students ride in the park. Did you know ATML applies even when you teach a student to ollie over a snowball? It’s true. T e rider picks up speed and chooses the line (approach) toward the snowball, the act of doing the ollie is the takeoff , being in the air over the snowball is the maneuver, and getting the board back on the ground and riding away is the landing. Ollies over a snowball have low consequences for mistakes, but the exercise builds solid skills and gives you a great platform for giving feedback tied to a specifi c time and place in the overall sequence.
HOW IT ACTUALLY WORKS Check out photo #1 and see how the three must-haves apply. (By
74 | 32 DEGREES • WINTER 2016
On ONE CONDITION
the way, if you could see the smile on my face, you’d be able to check the “wants to be in the park” requirement off the list!)
1. Know Park Smart: At the top, I called my drop and there’s plenty of space (notice there’s no one else in the photo, especially in the landing zone). In your lessons, make sure the rider hits plenty of other, easier features before building up to this one.
2. Confi dence in basic skills: T e fl exed knees and upper body separation are the key skills required.
3. Understand and apply ATML: T e approach actually happened before this shot, but it’s important to note that it was a side approach to set up for what you are actually seeing in this photo: the takeoff .
Now look at photo #2 and again consider the must-haves: 1. Park Smart: I’m keeping it safe making good decisions.
2. Confi dence in basic skills: Notice that I’m now actually on the feature, using edging skills. “What edging?” you say. T ere’s a range to edging, from no edging to full-on carve and my edging here is all the way down to zero. T e other skills displayed are upper and lower body separation, and fl exion of the knees and ankles.
3. ATML: I’m in the maneuver stage of ATML, doing a board slide. Finishing up with photo #3, refer once more to the three must-haves:
SCOTT D.W. SMITH
SCOTT D.W. SMITH
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