How to ollie higher on a snowboard – Trick tip

The mountain is a playground. There are features and all sorts of lumps and bumps to fool around on if you know where to look. If you like to jib, you can make the entire mountain your park. One of the tricks that make all of this possible is the Ollie. The Ollie is a foundational, transitional gateway trick that elevates your riding. Perhaps you already have ollieing down, but now, you're wondering how to ollie higher on a snowboard and dial in your riding so you can take over the mountain. Well, look no further, because we have put together a quick-fire tutorial on how to ollie higher. So grab your board, and let's get started. 

Before we dive in, remember, no matter your level of Ollie ability, you can always ensure comfort, style and cool points with your snowboard jackets and snowboard pants.

How to ollie - the basics

To kickstart your Ollie, you need to initiate the proper stance. Begin by bending your knees and then applying pressure to your front foot. A little lean into the front foot will help exaggerate the movement. 

Now, slide your board forward and underneath you to move the pressure onto the tail. Then comes the fun bit: release the tension, allowing the board to propel you into the air.

The Ollie is almost a wave-like motion when executed quickly. But it's that "pop" of pressure where you can get creative, ollie higher over signs, barriers, or wherever the mood takes you.

Stance

The stance is vital. You need to go into the Ollie in the right stance to ensure you don't injure yourself, but also so the Ollie looks tight and professional. After that, it's going back to basics; start by looking where you are going, then check in with your form from the top down. Your body should be in line with your board. No twists or turns or random body parts going in different directions; keep your shoulders, hips, and feet in line with your board, knees slightly bent yet flexible. This is the starting point to initiate the Ollie. 

Location for practicing ollies

The best place to try your first Ollie is on flat ground with plenty of space. Getting a higher Ollie is harder, but it's a safe place to start practicing to build the bigger pops.

Once you've graduated on the flats and you're ready to add some height and swagger to your Ollie, head for the rollers and knuckles of jumps. This is when you need a little speed, and you start your Ollie as you approach and aim to clear the knuckle or roller and land on the downward slope.

After gaining confidence in the rollers and knuckles, you can graduate to Ollies over features. You can get playful by trying some variations on this trick, like ollie frontside and backside 180s, or a switch ollie. Other common variations of an ollie are to shifty your board, either frontside or backside, turning the board ninety degrees in the air, and then back to land the same way you took off. By this point, you will be confident to start Ollieing onto features in the park, incorporating street-style rails and boxes.

Preparation

Now for the preparation. You have found a good spot; you are in the right stance; now what? Remember, your back foot and board’s tail act as the main spring in the Ollie that will allow you to pop off the ground. So, prepare to shift your weight seamlessly in a wave-like motion to add power and height. The Ollie is not the same as a "hop"; you won't get the height if you don't use your tail to propel you. The tail should be the last thing to leave the ground. 

Bend and crouch

The bend and crouch is all about sucking your knees into your chest as your start the Ollie and bending those knees coming down to land. We bend our knees and crouch to make the Ollie compact.

While in the air, shift your weight to be centered over the board. Raise your knees towards your chest as you do this. Raising your knees helps keep you balanced and should give you a little more air time. Referring back to the wave-like motion of the Ollie will help with this movement.

Common mistakes

The biggest mistake is not jumping high enough. Use your tail to propel you higher into the air to combat this. Using the wave motion to lean into the nose first gives you more momentum to put more of your body weight over the tail. 

Another common mistake is jumping off the ground with both feet like a bunny hop rather than in a wave-like motion. In doing so, you'll not have the height needed to initiate the Ollie; plus, this ends up looking amateur.

Wrapping up

There you have it, the basics of how to ollie higher on a snowboard. You'll be the rider everyone envies, catching air off almost anything. Before you know it, you will use the Ollie as a gateway into all the best tricks, maximizing your riding and pushing your skill set! The mountain is yours to explore!

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