How to perform handplants

Doing a handplant to impress your friends can be a awesome trick, however you are going to need some upper body strength to perform this maneuver not too mention some patience. A good place to start practicing is on a quarter pipe due to the fact that they are generally smaller than half pipes thus not hurting as bad when you fall.
Performing a Handplant -
1. If you have a quarter pipe that is seldomly being ridden, it will be a good place to start practicing handplants. With a quarter pipe you can approach it flat based where as with a half pipe you will more than likely find yourself on toe or heel edge.
2. Have an adequate amount of speed coming to the quarter to perform a small backside air. As you come to the lip, begin transferring weight to back foot and pop a little while placing your hand where your board just broke contact with the snow.
3. With your hand planted you want to concentrate on staring down the transition of the pipe not at your board as you will probably fall and look ridiculous.
4. Tuck your knees while inverted so you won't be supporting so much weight with such a great distance from the snow. With your free hand perform a melon grab, which can more easily be acheived.
5. After the grab, let your board come back down in front of you, perpindicular to the lip or the quarter.
6. Once your board has made contact with the ground again, push your body up with the handplanted arm and straighten up to ride away. Don't be discouraged if your first two or even 20 handplants look like messed up cart wheels. This trick requires a little bit of upper body strength not to mention a lot of practice. Don't give up, you will get it soon enough.
"The Life & Times of Timothy MacAlistaire", Timothy MacAlistaire, 2008
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