List of Snowboard Tricks - Grabs

Grabs

1 2 (one-two; not twelve)

A trick in which the rider's front hand grabs the heel edge behind his back foot.

A B

A trick in which the rider's rear hand grabs the heel side of the board front for the front bindings.

Beef Carpaccio

A Roast Beef and Chicken Salad (in between the legs) at the same time with hands crossed. Also known as "beef curtains".

The King

Advanced version of a Roast Beef where both hands simultaneously grab the heelside edge of the board between the bindings.

Bloody Dracula

A trick in which the rider grabs the tail of the board with both hands. The rear hand grabs the board as it would do it during a regular tail-grab but the front hand blindly reaches for the board behind the riders back.

Cannonball/UFO

A trick in which the nose and tail of the board are grabbed simultaneously.

Chicken salad

A trick in which the leading hand passes through the legs from the front and grabs the heel edge between the feet.

China air (West Coast) /Korean air (East Coast)

An easier version of the Japan Air; the front hand grabs the toe side in front of the front foot. Both knees are then bent.

Crail

A trick in which the rear hand grabs the toe edge in front of the front foot.

Cross-rocket

Advanced variation of a Rocket Air, where the arms are crossed in order to grab opposite sides of the nose of the board, while the rear leg is boned straight and the front leg is tucked up.

Frontside grab/indy

A fundamental trick performed by grabbing the toe edge between the bindings with the trailing hand. This trick is referred to as a frontside grab on a straight air, or while performing a frontside spin. When performing a backside aerial or backside rotation, this grab is referred to as an Indy. The frontside air was popularized by skateboarder Tony Alva.

Japan air

The front hand grabs the toe edge just behind/on the front foot. However, the arm must go around the outside of your front knee. The board is then pulled behind the rider (tweaked). Note: Advanced riders performing this trick will usually turn and move facing fully forward, or put the nose of the board close to the upper arm or shoulder.

Lien air

When performing a frontside air on transition, the snowboarder grabs heelside in front or behind the leading binding with his/her leading hand. In order for it to be a Lien air, the board can not be tweaked and has to be kept flat. The origin of the name of the trick is the reverse spelling of skateboarder Neil Blender's first name.

Melancholy; Melon

Performed by grabbing the heel edge between the bindings with the leading hand, while the front leg is boned forward.

Melon, water

A melon grab where the rider bones the front leg and turns the board the 45° angle.

Method

A fundamental trick performed by bending the knees to lift the board behind the rider's back, and grabbing the heel edge of the snowboard with the leading hand. Variations on the method include :

Power method, cross bone, or Palmer method

Performed by grabbing the heel edge with the leading hand, and tucking up the board while kicking out the rear foot in such a way that the base of the board is facing forward. Derived from the snowboarder Chris Roach of Grass Valley, CA. Other notable riders who popularized this air include snowboarders Jamie Lynn, Shaun Palmer, Terry Kidwell, and skateboarders Steve Caballero and Christian Hosoi.

Suitcase

A method in which the knees are bent so that the front hand is able to grab the toe edge and hold the board 'like a suitcase.'

Mindy

Both hands grab toeside between the bindings. This is more commonly referred to as a gorilla.

Stiffy

This is a variation of the Mindy where the rider straightens their legs while holding the grab.

Mindy, Super

Both hands grab toeside outside of the bindings.

Mule kick

An early snowboarder adaptation of the skateboarders method air. Often called a Toyota air, after its similar posturing to the early 1980s Toyota "Oh What A Feeling" ad campaign featuring people jumping off the ground, performed by jumping into an aerial backbend with legs bending until nearly kicking yourself in the butt as with skiing's backscratcher air, both arms bent back high over the head and not grabbing the board. Still occasionally seen and widely regarded as terrible.

Mute

Front hand grabs the toe edge between the bindings. Variations include the Mute Stiffy, in which a mute grab is performed while straightening both legs, or alternatively, some snowboarders will grab mute and rotate the board frontside 90 degrees.

Nosegrab

Front hand grabs the nose of the board.

Nuclear

The rear hand grabs the nose of the board.

Perfect

The front hand grabs the tail of the board.

Roast beef

Back hand grabs through the legs to the heel edge.

Rocket Air

Both hands grab the nose of the board, while the rear leg is boned and the front leg is pulled up.

Rusty Trombone

A Roast Beef and Nose grab performed at the same time.

Seatbelt

The front hand reaches across the body and grabs the toe edge behind the back binding.

Slob

A mute grab where the back leg is boned straight.

Stalefish

Back hand grabs the heel edge of the board at the back foot, around the outside of the knee.

Squirrel

A trick in which the rider's front hand grabs the heel edge in front of the front foot and his rear/back hand grabs the heel edge behind the rear foot.

Steak Tar Tar

A Chicken Salad and a Roast Beef at the same time.

Swiss cheese air

The rear hand reaches between the legs and grabs the heel edge in front of the front foot while the back leg is boned.

Tailfish

Similar in naming convention to a Tindy, Tailfish is a portmanteau of 'Tail' and 'Stalefish'. The trailing hand grabs the heel edge between rear binding and the tail.

Tailgrab

The trailing hand grabs the tail of the board. Variations include straightening, or 'boning' the front leg, or 'tweaking' the board slightly frontside or backside.

Taipan air

The front hand reaches behind the front foot and grabs the toe edge between the bindings. The front knee is then bent to touch the board tuck knee style. Called Tai-Pan because it's a variation of the Japan Grab.

Tindy

The tindy grab is a controversial grab, and the name is a portmanteau of 'tail' and 'indy'. The trailing hand grabs between the rear binding and the tail on the toe edge.

Truck driver

When both hands grab Indy and Melon.