Ski Tip: 3 Tips to Land a 360 on Skis

Learning how to land your first 360 is challenging, but this skill will take your free skiing to the next level. The prerequisites for a 360 are going off jumps in a controlled manner, doing 180’s, and skiing backwards. The key to any trick while jumping is a great pop. Pop is jumping as you leave the takeoff. Make sure to fully extend your knees with your arms out at both sides, using your arms to provide stability and rotational force. With any trick, make sure to take the necessary steps to safely progress your skills and attempt your first 360. Here are 3 tricks to land your 360 every time!

How To Pick Your Jump

When picking out a jump for your first 360, it can be difficult to know how big it should be. It is important to remember that while bigger jumps seem scarier, they give you more airtime, making the trick easier. My recommendation is to find a jump that has a 10-foot gap to the landing. It is important to understand the speed you need to clear the knuckle of the jump. A good tool is watching other riders in the park to see if they slow down before. To warm up, hit the jump a couple times and from there try your 360.

Your Approach

When approaching the jump, stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Once the front of your skis has cleared the lip of the jump, pop hard and start rotating your upper body to your preferred spinning direction. Focus on looking at the horizon, as many people look down and go off axis. To help spin faster, start your take off motion with your arms fully extended and bring them closer to you. This will bring your center of mass closer together and rapidly increase your speed of rotation.

Sticking the Landing

The most important part of a clean 360 landing is spotting your landing early. This trick is considered “blind” because for a moment you will have to commit to spinning and not see the landing. The earlier you spot the landing the more time your body will have to adjust. Remember to pop hard, keep your head up, arms out, and spot the landing early. Follow these steps and you will land it!

Once you become comfortable spinning 360’s, continue your rotation with your hips and keep your upper body still to do a 540. Learn tips like this and more this summer at Ski camp.