Seat & Back Landing Positions

Seat & Back Landing Positions

When it comes to learning new tricks, taking off in different positions adds to your aerial awareness. That's why, in this tutorial we are going to teach you Seatdrops and Backdrops. While they aren't ski specific tricks, the skills you will learn in this tutorial will increase your aerial awareness and make learning new tricks, then dialling them in on the Tramp Skis so much easier!

(Narrating/Skiing: Dean Bercovitch. Film/Edit: Adison MacDonald. Filmed At: Whistler Bounce)

Quick Note

Doing a seat drop with the Tramp Skis on doesn't work very well because the tails will touch the bed of the trampoline. So let's mainly focus on backdrops when you're wearing Tramp Skis.

Seat Drops

Without the skis on let’s do some seat drops.

  1. Look at the end of the trampoline through the whole trick
  2. Leave the tramp with a slight backward rotation and your arms overhead
  3. Through the air, get your legs horizontal to the tramp and point your toes
  4. As you land, your arms come down from in front, hands slightly behind your hips and fingers pointed forward. Have your elbows partially bent in order to push off the tramp and back up to your feet
Seat DropAn absolute textbook seat drop by Dean. Good on ya Deano'!

Backdrop

Once the seat drop is feeling solid, let's move on to back drops. The first place to start is on the trampoline, but with a mat and without the Tramp Skis on. If you just chuck it it's possible that you'll land uneven and bounce your head. The goal is to get your hips, shoulders and back of your head to hit the ground simultaneously.

Bouncing Back DropThis is not good for those all important brain cells.

Remember these tips for a killer backdrop:

  • When you do it with the Skis on, you need to give yourself extra space on your landing for the tails.
  • Try to be straight in the air and bend at the hip as you drop to find the backdrop position.
  • The backward rotation comes from the feet pushing backwards on the trampoline during your takeoff.

Now you've just learnt two fundamental trampoline skills that will go a long way to improving your skiing. Happy tramp skiing!

Alex McCann
Ski Addiction
Helping You Ski Better