Backside air on a mini

[Tomas Hirsch]

I have been skating tranny for ever, especially small mini ramps that have little or not any vert. Do any of you guys have any tips for backside airs on a mini or small bowl? Without the grab, should I ollie or just come out of the ramp and try to stick it?

[ohhgreenworld]

Well i can tell you right now that the more vert, the easier it is.
On mini ramp, youre gonna have to basically do a ollie as if it was a bank.

[SkateJawnz]

You also wont really be able to get that high either if there isn't much vert. What are we talking? a 4'-5' transition? the only way to get higher without ending up in a back disaster would just be to pop hard and aggressive as hell and bone the shit out of it.

[Tracer]

come at an angle and pop the hell out of it.

[Chavo]

It would be more aesthetically pleasing as an ollie-grab, but a straight up backside air is definitely possible. I'd grab it after your board's nose breaks the plane of coping (unlike on vert where you'd wait until the back wheels or tail bumps off coping). You won't hang up that way.

It's definitely possible to pull high early-grabbed airs on mini ramps. Back in the Venice wall/quarterpipe sessions in the '80s, Eric Dressen could yank 6+ foot airs out of a 5 foot ramp with no vert.

[ohhgreenworld]

^^^
seriously! watching those early 90's videos of like koston, santos, and riley's dad
 they were busting like 540's on 6 foot mini-ramps!
 

[busch]

^^^
seriously! watching those early 90's videos of like koston, santos, and riley's dad
 they were busting like 540's on 6 foot mini-ramps!
 

[20matar]

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^^^
seriously! watching those early 90's videos of like koston, santos, and riley's dad
 they were busting like 540's on 6 foot mini-ramps!
 

[close]

He was a famous skater back in the day. Named Eric Sparrow or something.

[ohhgreenworld]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

^^^
seriously! watching those early 90's videos of like koston, santos, and riley's dad
 they were busting like 540's on 6 foot mini-ramps!
 

[close]

[close]

He was a famous skater back in the day. Named Eric Sparrow or something.

nah, his name was Tommy Chalk

[noileum]

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

Expand Quote

^^^
seriously! watching those early 90's videos of like koston, santos, and riley's dad
 they were busting like 540's on 6 foot mini-ramps!
 

[close]

[close]

He was a famous skater back in the day. Named Eric Sparrow or something.

[close]

nah, his name was Tommy Chalk

didn't he write a book or two

[corto]

You definitely just need to ollie the fuck out, and come at an angle. The more mellow the ramp the more you need to ollie to get back in.

Also ollie using only you legs (mainly back leg), don't whip your upper body and hands to get air. This way right from the moment you pop you have your upper body and arms relaxed to just balance and guide it around back into the tranny. It feels really weak and shitty at first, before you get used to popping only with you legs. Last thing is I think you need to have a reasonable amount of flexibility to open up you knees as you turn backside, so that you can kinda float the board "in between you legs" (sounds stupid, but I don't know how to put it into words better).

That's how I've figured them out, hope it helps. It's one of the first tricks I lose if for some reason I stop skating even for a couple of weeks.