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How to Backside Handplant on a Snowboard

Introduction

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What up shredder…

Ahh the handplant. Thank god for snowboarding because this would be a hard one to do on a skateboard, staring face first into a concrete bowl.

Lucky for you, you get to fall face first into a pile of slush instead, because that’s likely what will happen on your first try.

Don’t worry though, as long as you pick a soft or spring day to try it, you really won’t get very hurt on a handplant. It’s kind of like going sledding on your stomach.

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The Dave Andrecht Handplant, or Backside Handplant

Ok, the andrecht handplant, invented by dave andrecht on a skateboard.

Also called a backside handplant, because we’re turning backside, this is the easiest handplant to do, and the first one I learned.

The andrecht handplant is done by riding up the wall, planting your BACK hand, grabbing your heel edge with your front hand, and turning backside 180 back into the quarter pipe to land.

If you were to plant your front hand, which is a lot harder, that would be an eggplant which is a lot less common.

The backside handplant, or andrecht, first of all, is one of the most fun tricks EVER. Handplants are like being a kid again, going upside down and seemingly magically returning to your feet.

They aren’t that hard, just a little scary at first, so even if you’re not a pro on the snowboard, as long as you can do a backside 180 on a quarterpipe, you can try a handplant.

How to Get the Right Speed do a BS Handplant on a Snowboard

Step 1 is to find the right feature. This is easiest on a small to medium quarter pipe with some vertical at the top, also called vert.

You can also do this in a halfpipe but it’s a lot harder because you have to stay on an edge, and the wall falls away down the slope, so if possible, try this on a quarter ipe where you can ride straight up the wall.

Now, contrary to popular opinion, the hardest part about this trick is NOT the handplant.

It’s getting the speed right. If you do that, everything else is easy.

Before we start planting, let’s practice backside airs on the quarter pipe to get comfortable with the speed.

We want the same speed as if we were going to air about 2 feet out of the quarter pipe. This is a little bit faster for this trick than most people would guess.

That’s because, we want to plant on the very top of the lip, and we want our feet to go above our heads, in an almost weightless manner.

If you go too slow, you’re not going to make it up the vert, and your full body weight will come crashing down.

If you go too fast, your hand will miss the plant and you might fly out of the quarter pipe.

If we get our speed JUST right, it’s the right amount to throw our feet over our head, and keep them weightless.

Remember, one more time, if you go too slow, you will feel the weight of your body.

With the right speed, this trick feels weightless. That’s why you don’t need gymnast level strength to pull it off.

How to Approach and Execute a Backside Boardslide

Ok, let’s talk about the approach. We’re going to come straight into the quarter pipe, and basically ride straight up the wall.

A lot of people try to do a huge backside carve here, but don’t. Ride straight up.

Since we are turning backside 180, a lot of people want to start turning early, and they try to plant their hand in front of them on the toe edge. That’s a recipe for a faceplant.

To do this right, You’re going to plant your hand DIRECTLY behind your tail and keep your shoulders in line with your board. Don’t turn towards your toe edge to plant your hand.

You’re not going to spin 180 at all, until you’re coming back into the QP.

So this trick is actually done, like an air to fakie, and then you just turn backside 180 to get OUT of the handplant.

Notice that I didn’t say you turn backside 180 to get into the handplant. Turn to get out.

Ride straight up the wall, look at your back foot, be patient, and just as you reach the lip, and not before then, heave your feet up and over your head, and reach directly behind you for your tail. PLant the hand on the QP, grab your heel edge with your front hand, also called a “melon” or “method” gab, and THEN turn your shoulders back side towards the landing.

Once you get the hand down, and turn your shoulders, you will pivot on your hand and just naturally fall back into the quarter pipe. Landing isn’t hard if you’ve gotten your speed and your pop right.

A quick note on pop. You don’t need to pop out from the quarter pipe unless the feature isn’t vertical at the top.

If it is vertical, popping OUT will send you to the flats, so take it nice and easy, and send your feet straight up rather than out.

Now, a lot of people suggest you learn this with two hands first, and a lot of people can’t do proper handplants. I don’t recommend using two hands unless you have to mid trick to save yourself like this.

Improving Your Backside Boardslide

Using two hands is just teaching you poor form, and it’s going to mess up the trick.

Learn this right, and just learn it with one hand. I think it’s easier that way, I couldn’t do it with two hands if I wanted to.

The handplant is all about confidence and speed. I think I learned this first or second try.

Just pick a slushy day so the landing is soft, and go for it.

The worst case scenario is you slide down the QP on your stomach, which isn’t too bad as long as you land at the top. Don’t pop out super hard or you might fall to the bottom.

This trick doesn’t require tons of pop, just simply replace your tail with your hand once you leave the lip and fall back in.

The cool thing about this trick is, once you have them down, you can do them with all sorts of different grabs. Nose grabs, japan air and melon are the most popular.

That’s it, the handplant. Ride straight up the wall of a QP with just enough speed to air two feet out. As your tail leaves the lip, reach down directly behind your tail with your shoulders square to the board, and place your hand on the top of the QP. Grab your heel edge with your front hand.

Turn your shoulders backside AFTER you’ve planted and fall back into the QP.

Find a slushy quarter pipe and Go give your first handplant a shot today.

That’s it.

Peace out shredder