Hitting the Wall with Nate Kern
Published in Whitelines Magazine Issue 96, March 2011
Nate Kern, Photo: DAN MILNER
GEAR SET-UP
BOARD: DC Iikka Pro 154
BOOTS: DC Status
BINDINGS: Burton Cartel
STANCE WIDTH: 24”
ANGLES: +18 / -12
GOGGLES: Smith Phenom
OUTERWEAR: DC Danon Pants and Helix Jacket or DC Hoody
GLOVES: Drop
HELMET: Smith Maze
OTHER SPONSORS: Breckenridge Resort, Aerial 7, BawBags, GoPro, Forcefield Body Armour, Me.Glad, Mojo, One Ball Jay Wax
Nate Kern, Photo: DAN MILNER
LAYBACK
Difficulty 1*
The layback is a basic but really fun trick which you can start doing on the piste and take onto wallrides or even boxes. It’s also great to blast your friends with a wall of snow as you cruise by!
1. APPROACH
With this o one you can roll in a bit slower and also to one side of the box. I’m goofy footed so approach from the left; regular riders (left foot forward) would approach from the right.
2. THE TRANSITION
I’m taking a line that will propel me across the wall for maximum layback. I’ve got a bit of weight on my heel edge as I hit the wall itself, aiming to do a big heelside turn.
3. GOING UP
Just before the peak of the turn I sit back even more and drag my trailing hand behind me to get awesome. Careful not to get too much over your heel edge though or you can slip out.
4. STYLING IT
At the peak you can really tweak it out, pushing the rear leg out for extra style points… Booyaaaaaa! As I finish the layback I’m bringing my weight over the board again and flattening my base.
5. COMING DOWN
I’m keeping my shoulders squared over my board and riding down the transition with my weight over the front foot, grinning cos it was pretty radical and felt great. Now go do it.
Nate Kern, Photo: DAN MILNER
ROCK FAKIE
Difficulty 2*
Before trying this trick it’s good to be comfortable riding backwards (switch) for the fakie part. And yes – backwards, switch and fakie are all basically the same thing! It’s an ideal first wallride move since you can start slow and work your way up to the coping as you get more confident. Once mastered you can even apply it to natural features like rocks and tree stumps, or take it to the streets!
1. APPROACH
After a few practice goes to judge the speed, I approach with enough momentum to launch up to the top of the wallride. I’m riding in with a flat base and looking up at the point where I want to rock it.
2. GOING UP
With this trick I stay flat on my board as I ride up the wall, and aim to get my back foot right over the coping at the top.
3. THE STALL
As I reach the top, I keep my weight at about 60% on the back foot and 40% on the front. You want the nose of your board to roll over the top of the wall but not touchdown, then lock in over the rear binding. It really feels great when you get it just right and can balance there for a few seconds. To style it out a bit, twist with the shoulders to the right or left, angling your board off centre, and push the front foot out in that direction.
4. COMING DOWN
Now’s the fun part – after the stall it’s time to head back down ‘fakie’ (the name comes from the skateboarding trick everyone learns on mini ramps). I try and hop off that rear foot a little, back onto the wall, and make sure the base is nice and flat.
5. Landing
Looking over that back shoulder, keep an eye on the transition at the bottom of the wall and absorb the compression with your knees, staying centered over your board. Boomtown, you nailed it.
Nate Kern, Photo: DAN MILNER
BACKSIDE DISASTER
Difficulty 3*
This is another lip trick that’s been taken from skateboarding. It’s more of a challenge than the Rock Fakie and can be made more difficult by doing 180 out of the disaster.
1. APPROACH
Take a bit more speed than you would for the rock fakie, and roll into the wall head-on, with a flat base.
2. TRANSITION
As I hit the transition I’m still going pretty much straight but have put a little bit of weight onto my toe edge in anticipation of the next part of the move.
3. ROTATION
Nearing the top of the wall I turn my shoulders and pop off my tail into a backside (toe side) 180, aiming to land with the coping between my bindings. Landing on the front foot feels best, so that the tail of your board hangs out off the back of the wall.
4. AT THE PEAK
Having reached the top I push my back leg out and twist in the shoulders, then pop off my front foot and back into the wall, landing flat based with my weight centered.
5. COMING DOWN
As I ride back down I have to counter my shoulders so as not to over-rotate out of the trick. I keep my board flat to ride away straight, hoping I nailed it and that it looked good.
