Front board on a flat bar

[rikki]

As everyone knows, the almighty front board is an iconic trick at its best. Think Arto for one thing.

At its worst, it's pain and misery.

My issue: I've never really dared to commit to a front board on a flat bar (let alone a down rail). I can only do them on ledges/curbs. I get the body mechanics (keep shoulders parallel to the obstacle while your lower body does the turning) and I can actually do an acceptable front board on decent-sized ledges.

But once I'm confronted with a flat bar, I freeze. My fear of slipping out (more so than fear of sticking) gets the better of me and I can't even get myself around to ollieing on the flat bar, even at a snail's speed. Shit feels so much safer on a ledge.

I know this is 99 % a mental thing as the trick isn't physically/technically hard.

Any tips? Mental/technical, all welcome.

[silhouette]

Snail speed actually is the best way to just die on that thing, you need to embrace that it is going to slide because it is going to slide (since you are used to the motion already means less risk of getting on wrong), however when going moderately fast feels continuous and less brutal and abrupt; also might help run it out when bailing (backwards) instead of tripping. Start out with front board taps at the end of the bar, you don't need to get on top of those (they feel closer to ledge ones) but that will naturally teach you how to with the more you do them and then they will get longer and proper as you acquire the confidence.

[rikki]

Snail speed actually is the best way to just die on that thing, you need to embrace that it is going to slide because it is going to slide (since you are used to the motion already means less risk of getting on wrong), however when going moderately fast feels continuous and less brutal and abrupt; also might help run it out when bailing (backwards) instead of tripping. Start out with front board taps at the end of the bar, you don't need to get on top of those (they feel closer to ledge ones) but that will naturally teach you how to with the more you do them and then they will get longer and proper as you acquire the confidence.

Thanks! Good tip on the tap thing. Will try. Just gotta warm up properly on a ledge first.

I know it's all about the first truly committed attempt, regardless of the result. Once I get both feet on the board on the bar, things should be fine. But I gotta get there first. Gotta shut that analytic brain down and crank up the reptilian.

[GnarAlarm]

I pretty regularly front board flat bars, when it goes wrong it's typically one of two things (or both)

1. Looking past the pop in. The scariest front board bails for me aren't the ones where the board flies out or I stick, it's when I fail to get the front truck over the rail and end up in this awkward pretzel position over the rail with no board to jump off of.
Really focus on getting a good, strong pop into it, don't look past the ollie and try to just slap it up there.

2. Not leaning into the slide enough. This applies to front noseslides for me also. If they keep blasting out from under me it's always because I'm not leaning back into the direction of the slide enough. It feels really unnerving at first but it's 100% necessary. Bailing from a front board that sticks isn't too bad on a flat bar, as long as your weight is centered over the rail you naturally just kinda jump backwards and it's no big deal.

[WashingtonNECKTIE]

After learning taps and short slides and move on to holding em, I suggest focusing on strong but accurate pop straight to the middle of the board. Most importantly, keep it flat and square, but still balancing in tune with the momentum.

Avoid really extending your front leg way out. Keep your center of gravity directly beneath you. Sometimes going to fakie is helpful in learning the balance point and is also fairly easy. Just some suggestions

[ChuckRamone]

Putting pressure down on the board into the slide helps me do these, if that makes sense.