Search - Todd Richards Tips 1: Snowboarding Basics on DVD

Informative and Entertaining First Volume

D+10 | Seattle | 06/16/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have had a chance to view this DVD twice since purchasing it last week and I'm very pleased. Unlike most - if not all - other instructional snowboarding videos on the market, Todd Richards' Trick Tips Vol. 1 does not start the viewer with how to get into your bindings, fall over properly, and make your first frontside turn. Richards and Co. thankfully skip over such basic knowledge (which most any rider would outgrow after two or three visits to the slopes anyways) and after a very brief segment on safety, jump right into park and halfpipe basics. Todd and righthand man, Billy Anderson, tackle straight airs, 50/50 rails, as well as method, mute, tail, indie, and stalefish grabs, as well as other park essentials. As for the halfpipe, Todd and Billy introduce such basics as dropping in, speed control, transitions, kick-turns, ollies, and then progress to 5 different backside grabs and 5 different frontside grabs. I really enjoyed this video. One of the first things that caught and kept my attention was the candid, off-the-cuff humor between Todd and Billy. Laughs make learning easier, and this DVD is no exception. The quality of the DVD was respectable as well. I own a few instructional martial arts videos which look as if they were produced by the practitioners themselves with no additional or professional help. Although you won't find any Spielbergian special effects or emotional John Williams soundtrack here, the little graphics and music that were used were modern and complemented rather than distract from the presentation of the film. My review isn't complete without testing the taught techniques of this DVD, but being in Seattle in mid-June leaves me little to no opportunity save a lengthy trip to Mt. Hood, which probably won't happen. The good news is this video has provided me with the know-how, inspiration, and confidence to try out these techniques as soon as I hit the hill. This great DVD spurred me to inquire about Volume 2, and I e-mailed producer Morgan Stone of 900 Films. Coincidentally, they were just wrapping up voice-overs for Volume 2 as I e-mailed last week. It's essentially finished but won't be available until Thanksgiving of 2003. Morgan wrote some of the things Volume 2 would cover, such as frontside, backside, and switch 180's, 360's, and 540's. I wouldn't be surprised to see frontside and backside railslides either. Maybe they'll save the inverted stuff for a future Volume 3? If so, I should best buy a helmet, and start nailing the basics in Volume 1!"

Think you're ready to catch some air, but a little scared?

shredder_dude | Washington, DC United States | 04/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Who isn't? This DVD was excellent for settling those butterflies and giving me an idea of what to expect. It'll put you one step ahead on the learning curve. This was my first season hitting the park and pipe. The video was great, first to give me a little confidence and create a shred-thought (kinda like a swing thought for you golfers), and then as a review to make it automatic. It's a real instructional video, not a "watch someone jump off a cliff and dream that I can do that" video. Its only drawback--I want more! When's Vol. 2 coming out?Note, keep in mind that this is for beginner tricks--jumps, rails and grabs in the park and pipe. No spins, no flips, nothing excessively extreme, so don't expect too much. After watching it, you may think you can master most of this in a couple of days--not (I'm glad I withheld my review until after the season).On the flip side, if you aren't confident with your edges (say, at least comfortable (not, "well I think I can make it") on black diamonds or difficult blues), the vid won't help you, and learning that well first on the slopes will make your (and everybody else's) park experience much nicer--remember shred-iquette. Until then, the vid is great for inspiration.To Amazon: the video title isn't "Snowboarding Basics," it's "Snowboarding Park and Pipe Basics." That's kinda like the difference between "Jumping Basics" and "Base Jumping Basics.""