R’s

Rail
There are two rails on a snowboard; each comprised of a sidewall and an edge.

Railing
A term used to describe making fast and hard turns. e.g. “He was railing around that turn before he slid out.”

Rail Slide
To slide the rails of the snowboard onto almost anything, other than a flat slope. Some good rail sliding surfaces include: fallen tree branches/logs, the coping of a halfpipe, a picnic table.

Reaction Injection Molding (RIM)
Snowboard construction in which a wood core is placed into a mold, and resin is injected into the mold around the core. These boards are very durable and efficient to make, but are sometimes a little heavy.

Rear Hand
The trailing hand closest to the tail of the snowboard. In other words, the right hand for regular footers and the left hand for goofy footers.

Rear Foot
The foot mounted closest to the tail. A regular-footers right foot and a goofy-footers left foot.

Regular Footed
Riding on a snowboard with the left foot in the forward position. In other words, the left foot is closest to the nose, furthest from the tail, and in between the right foot and the nose.

Revert
To switch from riding fakie to forward, or from forward to fakie, usually while the snowboard is still touching the ground.

Rewind
A term used to describe any maneuver where a rotation is initiated, stopped, and its’ momentum reversed.

Roast Beef Air
The rear hand reaches between the legs and grabs the heel edge between the bindings while the rear leg is boned.

Rocker
The opposite of camber. Some early snowboards were built with rocker, presumably for riding in powder.

Rocket Air
The front hand grabs the toe edge in front of the front foot (mute) and the back leg is boned while the board points perpendicular to the ground.

Rodeo Flip
An inverted frontside 540. Off of a straight jump, it feels like doing a backflip and landing riding fakie. In the halfpipe, it is more like performing a 540 degree rotation which is inverted and off-axis.

Rolling down the windows
A phrase used to describe when someone is caught off balance and they
rotate their arms wildly in the air to try and recover.

Rollout Deck
The very top horizontal portion of the halfpipe wall where one can stand and look into the halfpipe. Also used as a walkway in order to hike to the top of the halfpipe.

Running Length
The length of the base of the snowboard which touches the snow.

S’s

Sad Plant
A term used to describe any handplant where the front leg is boned for style.

Sandwich Laminated Construction
Snowboard construction which is the most labor intensive and therefore the most expensive to make. Can use either foam or wood core and usually provides the lightest weight and most lively flex.

Seatbelt Air
The front hand reaches across the body and grabs the tail while the front leg is boned.

Segmented Edges
Steel edges which do not form one or two solid pieces around the edge of the snowboard. Snowboards with segmented edges usuallhave many pieces around the nose and tail. They are less durable, but easier to replace than solid steel edges.

Session
A name for a certain interval in which one snowboards. e.g. “That was a good halfpipe session, but the powder session was even better.”

720 Air (a.k.a. seven)
The snowboarder rotates 720 degrees in the air and lands riding forward. In the halfpipe, the rider approaches the wall riding forward, rotates 720 degrees, and lands riding fakie. Of course, it may also be performed switchstance by riding fakie and landing riding forward.

Shifty Air
A grabless trick where the upper torso and lower body are twisted in opposite directions and then returned to normal. Usually the front leg is boned.

Shovel
The lifted or upward curved sections of a snowboard at the tip and tail.

Sick (Slang)
An expression used to describe something exceptionally good.

Sidecut Radius
The measure (usually in cm) of the circle radius to which the sidecut of a snowboard corresponds. A small circle or sidecut (under 900cm) will make tighter turns than a large sidecut (over 900cm).

Sintered Base
High molecular-weight base formed by the heating and compression of small fragments of P-tex. Sintered bases absorb and hold wax better and are more durable than extruded bases, i.e. they are faster.

Sketching
The act of riding along precariously and near falling.

Slob Air
The front hand grabs mute, the back leg is boned, and the board is kept parallel with the ground.

Slopestyle Competition
A freestyle event in which the competitor rides over a series of various kinds of jumps. He or she is then judged on the performance of tricks and maneuvers.

Smith Grind
A lip trick where one slides with the coping perpendicular to the snowboard, the front leg is boned, and the nose is oriented below the coping while the tail is above. This is another skate trick that doesn’t really make sense in snowboarding.

Soft Boots
Footwear designed for use in freestyle and freeride snowboarding. Boots are soft and pliable and allow a large range of motion while maintaining sufficient support.

Snake
A term used to describe someone who cuts in front of you in the lift line, or drops in front of you in the halfpipe.

Spaghetti Air
The rear hand reaches between the legs and behind the front leg to grab the toe edge in front of the front foot while the back leg is boned.

Speed Check
If you are approaching a jump too fast, you may need to slow down by making quick speed check. In other words, sliding sideways to slow down.

Spine
A snow sculpted jump which has two transitional walls coming together to form a spine. One may air off either side and land on the other.

Spoon Nose
A nose of a snowboard which is shaped so the edges curve up like a spoon.

Stale Egg
An eggplant with a stalefish grab. See Eggplant and Stalefish

Stalefish Air
The rear hand grabs the heel edge behind the rear leg and in between the bindings while the rear leg is boned.

Stalemasky Air
The front hand reaches between the legs and grabs the heel edge between the bindings while the front leg is boned.

Stalled
When a maneuver is performed such that the point of emphasis in the maneuver is held or “stalled” for an extended period of time. Usually the best time to take a picture.

Staircase
A series of ledges where one jumps down from one to the next. For example, a staircase could be on a naturally occurring cliff jump or on a manmade BoarderCross course.

Stance
The position of one’s feet on the snowboard. Includes: stance types, such as regular or goofy, and also stance specifications, such as widths and angles.

Step-in Binding
Binding system in which no major manual adjustment is needed in order to attach and detach the boot from the binding. You simply “step in” and then pull a lever to “step out”. It has been developed for hard as well as soft boot binding configurations.

Stick
1. Another name for a snowboard.
2. A term used to describe making a good landing. e.g. “He stuck a huge Method Air off of that jump.”

Stiffy Air
Any maneuver in which both legs are boned and a grab is incorporated, i.e. Mute Stiffy.

Stinky
Riding with the legs spread open, (knees apart).

Stoked (slang)
An alternate term for the word psyched. In other words, to be excited.

Stomp
A term used to describe making a good landing. e.g. “He stomped that McTwist.”

Stomp Pad
The no slip pad attached to the snowboard between the bindings for aiding in getting on and off the lift with the rear foot out of the binding.

Suitcase Air
A maneuver similar to the Method Air; only once the knees are bent, the front hand reaches under the base of the snowboard to grab the toe edge.

Swiss Cheese Air
The rear hand reaches between the legs behind the front leg and grabs the heel edge in front of the front foot while the back leg is boned.

Switchstance (Switch)
The term for performing a trick while riding fakie (backwards). It is important to note that it’s a specific term given to a maneuver which is performed exactly like riding forwards. The only difference is the rider is going backwards, hence the term “switched stance”. Thus, any trick may be performed switchstance. Also, see Fakie

T’s

Table Top
A jump in which the take off and landing is connected by a long flat surface. Ideally, one wants to clear the “table” and land on the down slope.

Tail
The rear tip of the snowboard.

Tail Bonk
To hit an object with the tail of the snowboard.

Tail Grab Air
The rear hand grabs the tail of the snowboard.

Tail Poke
Any maneuver where you bone your rear leg and “poke” the tail of the snowboard in a direction away from your body, usually while grabbing.

Tail Slide
To slide along the ground or an object solely on the tail of the snowboard.

Tail Tap
See Tail Bonk

Tail Wheelie
To ride solely on the tail of the snowboard with the nose in the air.

Taipan e legs and grabs the heel edge between the bindings while the front leg is boned.

Stalled
When a maneuver is performed such that the point of emphasis in the maneuver is held or “stalled” for an extended period of time. Usually the best time to take a picture.

Staircase
A series of ledges where one jumps down from one to the next. For example, a staircase could be on a naturally occurring cliff jump or on a manmade BoarderCross course.

Stance
The position of one’s feet on the snowboard. Includes: stance types, such as regular or goofy, and also stance specifications, such as widths and angles.

Step-in Binding
Binding system in which no major manual adjustment is needed in order to attach and detach the boot from the binding. You simply “step in” and then pull a lever to “step out”. It has been developed for hard as well as soft boot binding configurations.

Stick
1. Another name for a snowboard.
2. A term used to describe making a good landing. e.g. “He stuck a huge Method Air off of that jump.”

Stiffy Air
Any maneuver in which both legs are boned and a grab is incorporated, i.e. Mute Stiffy.

Stinky
Riding with the legs spread open, (knees apart).

Stoked (slang)
An alternate term for the word psyched. In other words, to be excited.

Stomp
A term used to describe making a good landing. e.g. “He stomped that McTwist.”

Stomp Pad
The no slip pad attached to the snowboard between the bindings for aiding in getting on and off the lift with the rear foot out of the binding.

Suitcase Air
A maneuver similar to the Method Air; only once the knees are bent, the front hand reaches under the base of the snowboard to grab the toe edge.

Swiss Cheese Air
The rear hand reaches between the legs behind the front leg and grabs the heel edge in front of the front foot while the back leg is boned.

Switchstance (Switch)
The term for performing a trick while riding fakie (backwards). It is important to note that it’s a specific term given to a maneuver which is performed exactly like riding forwards. The only difference is the rider is going backwards, hence the term “switched stance”. Thus, any trick may be performed switchstance. Also, see Fakie

T’s

Table Top
A jump in which the take off and landing is connected by a long flat surface. Ideally, one wants to clear the “table” and land on the down slope.

Tail
The rear tip of the snowboard.

Tail Bonk
To hit an object with the tail of the snowboard.

Tail Grab Air
The rear hand grabs the tail of the snowboard.

Tail Poke
Any maneuver where you bone your rear leg and “poke” the tail of the snowboard in a direction away from your body, usually while grabbing.

Tail Slide
To slide along the ground or an object solely on the tail of the snowboard.

Tail Tap
See Tail Bonk

Tail Wheelie
To ride solely on the tail of the snowboard with the nose in the air.

Taipan Air
The front hand reaches behind the front foot and grabs the toe edge between the bindings. The front knee is then bent to touch the board tuck knee style.

360 Air (a.k.a. three)
The snowboarder rotates 360 degrees in the air and lands riding forward. In the halfpipe, the rider approaches the wall riding forward, rotates 360 degrees, and lands riding fakie. This trick may also be performed by riding fakie and landing riding forwards; in which case it is called a Caballerial. See Caballerial

Toe Edge
A snowboard has two different edges. The toe edge is the one at which the toes rest.

Toe Overhang/Drag
If the bindings of a snowboard are mounted so that the toe hangs off the edge, the toe may drag, catch in the snow, and cause one to slide out while turning.

Toeside Turn
Making a turn on your toe side edge.

Transition (Tranny)
The radial curved section of a halfpipe wall between the flat bottom and the vertical. A snowboarder pumps and rides the transition to gain speed, to catch air, and to land.

Traverse
To ride perpendicular to the fall line. A halfpipe rider traverses from wall to wall in the halfpipe.

Tuck
A crouched position of low wind resistance used to attain higher speed.

Tuck knee
A technique where one knee is bent and the ankle bent sideways in order to touch the knee to the snowboard between the bindings. (e.g.. Tuck Knee Indy Air).

Tweaked
1. A term used to explain the emphasis of style in a trick. In other words, if someone “tweaked out a method” they would grab hard and create an emphasis of the maneuver such that their ankles or other joints may appear bent or twisted to a maximum degree. 2. A term used to describe an injury. i.e. “He tweaked his ankle.” 3. Someone who isn’t quite right, “He is seriously tweaked.”

Twin Tip
A snowboard which has both nose and tail shaped identically. The board is meant to ride the same both ways.

pan Air
The front hand reaches behind the front foot and grabs the toe edge between the bindings. The front knee is then bent to touch the board tuck knee style.

360 Air (a.k.a. three)
The snowboarder rotates 360 degrees in the air and lands riding forward. In the halfpipe, the rider approaches the wall riding forward, rotates 360 degrees, and lands riding fakie. This trick may also be performed by riding fakie and landing riding forwards; in which case it is called a Caballerial. See Caballerial

Toe Edge
A snowboard has two different edges. The toe edge is the one at which the toes rest.

Toe Overhang/Drag
If the bindings of a snowboard are mounted so that the toe hangs off the edge, the toe may drag, catch in the snow, and cause one to slide out while turning.

Toeside Turn
Making a turn on your toe side edge.

Transition (Tranny)
The radial curved section of a halfpipe wall between the flat bottom and the vertical. A snowboarder pumps and rides the transition to gain speed, to catch air, and to land.

Traverse
To ride perpendicular to the fall line. A halfpipe rider traverses from wall to wall in the halfpipe.

Tuck
A crouched position of low wind resistance used to atttain higher speed.

Tuck knee
A technique where one knee is bent and the ankle bent sideways in order to touch the knee to the snowboard between the bindings. (e.g.. Tuck Knee Indy Air).

Tweaked
1. A term used to explain the emphasis of style in a trick. In other words, if someone “tweaked out a method” they would grab hard and create an emphasis of the maneuver such that their ankles or other joints may appear bent or twisted to a maximum degree. 2. A term used to describe an injury. i.e. “He tweaked his ankle.” 3. Someone who isn’t quite right, “He is seriously tweaked.”

Twin Tip
A snowboard which has both nose and tail shaped identically. The board is meant to ride the same both ways.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 15th, 1999 at 12:00 am and is filed under How-To. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Air-to-Fakie
Any trick in the halfpipe where the wall is approached riding forwards, no rotation is made, and the snowboarder lands riding backwards.

Alley-oop
A term used to describe any maneuver in the halfpipe where one rotates 180 or more degrees in an uphill direction; that is, rotating backside on the frontside wall or rotating frontside on the backside wall.

Alpine Snowboarding
This term is most often used to describe riding a directional carving board with hardboots and plate bindings. Since there is no such thing as Nordic or cross-country snowboarding it is not used to describe snowboarding in general.

Andrecht
A rear handed backside handplant with a front handed grab.

Asymmetrical Sidecut
Snowboard sidecut design in which the toe edge and heel edge have different sidecut radii. In shifted asymmetrical sidecut boards the center of the heel sidecut radius is shifted farther back than the toe side radius in order to compensate for the center of weight distribution which differs between toe and heel edges.

B’s

Backside
The backside of the snowboard is the side where the heels rest; and the backside of the snowboarder is the side to which his/her back faces.

Backside Air
Any air performed on the backside wall of the halfpipe.

Backside Rotation
A rotation in which your back the first thing to cross the vector in which you’re traveling. i.e. clockwise for a regular-footer, and counter-clockwise for a goofy-footer.

Backside wall
If you ride straight down the pipe the backside wall is the wall that your back faces.

Bail
A term used to describe crashing or falling. e.g. “He bailed and landed on his head.”

Banked Slalom
A slalom race course in which the turns around the gates are set up on snow banks. Originated at Mount Baker, Washington where the course is set through a ravine.

Baseless Bindings
Snowboard bindings without a base plate. Thus, one’s boots are in direct contact with the top of the snowboard and are as close to the snow as possible. Some people say it gives them a better “feeling” of the snow and terrain beneath the board; hence, better control. Other say it’s a silly sales gimmick.

Beat
A term used to describe something that is not good. e.g. “It’s pretty beat that we have to shape the pipe all day.”

Bevel
The degree of angle to which the edges of a snowboard are tuned. Snowboards used for racing and carving should have a greater bevel than say a snowboard used in the halfpipe.

BFM
See Elguerial

Blindside
A term given to any rotation where the snowboarder has oriented themselves “blind” to their takeoff or landing and must stretch to look over their shoulder. Such a technique usually increases the difficulty. (e.g. A backside alley oop air in the halfpipe is often harder than a frontside alley oop air because it is blindside).

Boarder Cross Competition
A race course in which gates have been set up through an obstacle course. It is a snowboarding version of a Motocross. Racers run head to head, usually in heats of four or six, over various jumps and banked turns.

Boned
A term us to explain the emphasis of style in a trick. In other words, if someone “boned out a method” they would grab hard and create an emphasis of the maneuver such that his/her legs or arms may appear extended or stretched to a maximum degree. To “Bone” means to straighten one or both legs.

Bonk
The act of hitting a no-snow object with the snowboard (e.g. A tail bonk could be hitting a picnic table with the tail of the snowboard).

Boost
A term used to describe catching air off of a jump. e.g. “He boosted ten feet out of the halfpipe.”

Burger Flip
A halfpipe trick in which the rider performs a switch 180 to late McTwist. One approaches the backside wall riding fakie, rotates 180 degrees in the air, and then reenters the pipe while doing a McTwist. Invented by Todd Richards.

Bust
A term used the same as the verb “to do” only with more emphasis. e.g. “He busted a huge air over that tree.”

C’s

Caballerial (Cab)
A halfpipe trick which begins fakie, spins 360 degrees, and lands riding forward. Named after skateboarding guru, Steve Caballero. Also see Half-Cab and Gay Twist.

Camber
When a snowboard is placed on a flat surface, the center portion of the board is raised and it rests only on the tip and tail. This curvature in the snowboard effectively aids in turning. Camber is measured by looking at the amount of space between the center of the base and the flat surface on which it rests.

Canadian Bacon Air
The rear hand reaches behind the rear leg to grab the toe edge between the bindings while the rear leg is boned.

Cant
A term used to describe the angle at which either foot is positioned medial or lateral from a vertical axis. In other words, how much angle beneath your feet from side to side bends your knees together or apart.

Cap Construction
Snowboard construction in which the top sheet wraps around to the steel edges. Provides increased torsional stiffness over a traditional top sheet and is of a simpler and cleaner cosmetic design because it does not require sidewalls.

Centered Stance
Mounting the bindings on a snowboard such that there is the same distance between the tail and the rear binding as the nose and the front binding. This allows the board to be ridden backwards and forwards with similar control.

Chatter
When the snowboard vibrates unnecessarily. Usually this happens at higher speeds and through turns. Racers are always trying to reduce chatter in their boards so they can stay in control.

Chicken Salad Air
The rear hand reaches between the legs and grabs the heel edge between the bindings while the front leg is boned. Also, the wrist is rotated inward to complete the grab.

Coping
A reference to the edge of the lip which runs the length of a halfpipe wall. Borrowed from pool coping.

Corduroy
When a snowcat freshly grooms a trail it will leave a finely ridged surface. Corduroy is usual very nice for laying out clean turns.

Corkscrew
A term used to describe a very fast and tightly performed rotation, either free riding or in the halfpipe. A term used to describe any rotation which is off-axis.v

Crail Air
The rear hand grabs the toe edge in front of the front foot while the rear leg is boned.

Crater
A term used to describe a crash or fall. e.g. “He fell off the lift and cratered into a snow bank.”

Crippler Air
An inverted aerial where the snowboarder performs a 180 degree flip. In other words, the athlete approaches a halfpipe wall riding forward, becomes airborne, rotates 90 degrees, flips over in the air, rotates another 90 degrees, and lands riding forward.

Crossbone Method Air
A Method Air where the back leg is boned. See Method Air.

Crooked Cop Air
Free riding version of the mosquito air. See Mosquito Air.

Cruiser Run
What you call making a relaxed and mellow run on a fairly smooth trail.

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Crail Air
The rear hand grabs the toe edge in front of the front foot while the rear leg is boned.

Crater
A term used to describe a crash or fall. e.g. “He fell off the lift and cratered into a snow bank.”

Crippler Air
An inverted aerial where the snowboarder performs a 180 degree flip. In other words, the athlete approaches a halfpipe wall riding forward, becomes airborne, rotates 90 degrees, flips over in the air, rotates another 90 degrees, and lands riding forward.

Crossbone Method Air
A Method Air where the back leg is boned. See Method Air.

Crooked Cop Air
Free riding version of the mosquito air. See Mosquito Air.

Cruiser Run
What you call making a relaxed and mellow run on a fairly smooth trail.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 15th, 1999 at 12:00 am and is filed under How-To. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.