What is the best way to practice a 360 rodeo flip?

Question

I watch videos all the time, still not sure how its going to feel when I'm in the air, and when I should spot my landing? Is it the same as spotting the landing on a backflip?

Answer 1

Well, first off Rodeo 5's are actually easier than Rodeo 3's. It may sound weird but if you throw into it right you'll come out of your cork better backwards than forwards.

To practice, start off with frontside 180's. Make sure you have these down so well you can land them in your sleep. The next obvious step is to move up to frontside 3's and then start trying 5's. When you are comfortable with fs 5's you can start thinkin' about getting corked.

Rodeo's, like Misty Flips and other off axis spins are all about your shoulders. As you approach the lip of your jump you want to go from base flat and load up your toeside edge. You will be popping off your toes. As you begin your spin you need to drop your leading shoulder back and down while bringing your back foot up. I find that it helps to point back at the lip with your leading hand and grab Indy (obviously with your trailing hand and I'm sure you know to never, ever grab tindy). Don't reach down for the grab so much as bring your board up to your hand (I will actually reach pretty much straight out for my board), this will help with the off axis rotation. At this point you'll be completely blind for a landing if you were going for a three, hang on to your board for the last bit of rotation and don't let go until you spot the landing. As you come out 5 it'll be right in front of you. At this point remember back to the frontside 180's that you can now land in your sleep because that is all that is left to do.

When watching what the pro's are doing in the videos pay close attention to their shouldes, hands and feet. That is where it all comes from. I would suggest practicing this on a kicker into powder and not in the park as it isn't a very natural feeling spin and you will more than likely come up short the first couple of times.

Good luck and it's nothing like a backflip, it's much harder but way more styley