The Ultimate Guide to Trampoline Skis: Tips and Tricks
Summer is here, and you may think that you would need to wait for another year for the snow to arrive before you start building up your skiing or snowboarding tricks. That’s not true actually.
Unless you live at the North Pole, you probably don’t have the advantage of year-round snow to practice your snowboarding skills. So how do you do it then?
That’s where a trampoline and a trampoline ski come in handy. Having a jump routine on a trampoline can really help you strengthen your core muscles. It’s a great way to master tricks for ski jumps.
However, most of us are still skeptical about using trampoline skis as we are not sure whether it’s really effective in improving our ski tricks or not. To give you a short answer — yes, it helps!
In this article, we will elaborate on how you can use a trampoline ski or bounce board to master your aerial skills and where you can get one. Let’s go then!
Trampoline Skis 101
Do Trampoline Skis Help in Learning Skiing Tricks?
A lot of people still don’t know this, but a trampoline bounce board can be used for more than just jumping around. In fact, a lot of expert skateboarders, snowboarders, and other sports professionals do a lot of their practicing on trampoline boards.
But what is a trampoline ski exactly?
A trampoline ski, or bounce board, is a foam board that you hook your feet into. It’s similar to a wakeboard or snowboard, but it’s made out of materials that won’t damage a trampoline.
It’s a perfect way to practice and advance your tricks and techniques in a controlled, safe, and comfortable environment before taking them out into the real world. In case you fail to land a proper big jump on a skateboard, you could be putting your life at risk.
But if you do it on a trampoline, especially one with an enclosure net, you don’t have to worry about seriously hurting yourself in any way.
However, trampoline boarding is becoming a new sport in itself. Some practitioners are developing jump tricks and techniques that can only be done with bounce skis on a trampoline. In fact, if you are not even interested in learning the snowboarding tricks, you can still have fun. It lets you do cool trampoline jumps, which otherwise won’t be possible with just your own two feet.
How to Make Trampoline Skis
Sure, you will find hundreds of models on the market to buy and practice on. But you won’t need to if you already have a skateboard or wakeboard lying around.
We will show you a step-by-step guide on how to make a trampoline ski using your old skateboard.
Things you will need:
- An old skateboard
- Shoelace
- Screwdriver (not flathead)
- Duct tape
Step 1: Removing Wheels
Start by removing the wheels from the skateboard which can otherwise damage your trampoline. Remove the nuts and bolts using the screwdriver. Do this for both the wheels.
Step 2: Drilling and Tying up Shoelace
Drill four evenly spaced holes at the front and back of the deck. Use the holes to thread some shoelaces through to tie down your feet. And there, you have got yourself a trampoline ski.
If you had a giant crack in the skateboard while removing wheels or drilling holes, fix it using the duct tape.
Didn’t we tell you making your own trampoline bounce board is extremely easy? The process is pretty simple, and it shouldn’t take you more than an hour to complete it.
How to Make Skis for Trampoline out of Cardboard
OK, so you say you don’t have an old skateboard or snowboard at home. You can still make your own bounce board by using cardboard. Let us show you how.
- Cut out two pieces of cardboard and sandwich 3-inch foam between them.
- Add a piece of 1/8" hard plastic to the top to allow for bindings to screw in.
- Wrap the whole thing with denim fabric.
- Lastly, using sheet metal screw, fasten the overlays from an old pair of bindings to the top of the board.
It perfectly flexes while you try to land, and holds the shape when in the air.
You will find plenty of other ways of making skis for the trampoline. It depends on what materials you have at home, and how you can use it.
Other DIY Trampoline Skis Ideas
There are long threads of discussion on various forums about different ways of making bounce boards. We found a useful DIY idea on one of such blogs.
You can take your old pair of shoes, and duct tape 2 3” x 30” pieces of quarter-inch plywood to it. Then make sure to tape 4 to 5 inches along the part that isn’t attached to the shoes just to make sure that the wood doesn’t snap under the heel and toe. The extra tape is to keep the ply and shoes together. And there you have your ski ready.
Trampoline Skis for Sale
We understand that not everyone will have the time to invest in making a bounce board.
There are certain things to look into while buying a trampoline ski — durability, slip-resistant bottom, and foot straps.
Trampoline bounce boards made of lightweight materials. Although they may look exactly like a snowboard or wakeboard, they are comparatively lighter.
We have listed a few of the trampoline boards available online that will be perfect for you to hone your skiing tricks.
1. Voda Snow Training Trampoline Board
If you are serious about practicing your aerial tricks before the slopes open up again, Voda Snow Training Trampoline Board is one of the best trampoline skis available on the market.
Although this may not be the most affordable option for everyone, its quality and design justify its cost. Check the latest price on Amazon here >>
It gives out a feel of a real snowboard as it is built of the same material except that it has more flexible foam core to protect a trampoline. What’s more, it even uses the same full-foot cinch bindings just like in a real snowboard, instead of hook-and-loop bindings.
Furthermore, it is designed to fit different sizes — large to small. Many shoe weights are supported by this board. You can now have the most realistic-feeling experience while practicing your boarding tricks on Voda Trampoline Board.
Pros:
- Feels like a real snowboard
- Flexible foam core
- Supports different shoe sizes & weights
Cons:
- A bit expensive
2. NorthShore NSI Tramp Skis
We will be honest here. It may not exactly be the best bounce board on the market, but if you are budget-conscious and a beginner looking to hone your aerial skills, you should consider NorthShore NSI Tramp Skis.
It is one of the best cheap trampoline skis that have long durability. Made with lightweight foam and fabric, it can easily last for several years if maintained with proper care. And you don’t have to worry about damaging the trampoline as the material used is very soft and gentle.
Furthermore, both adults and kids can use the NSI Tramp Skis. This 40” long and 5” wide board comes with an adjustable foot strap system and thus can be used for different size feet. It also provides a stable platform to practice all of your tricks on a trampoline. Check latest price on Amazon here >>
You can choose from two available colors. After all, we are all kids at heart.
Pros:
- Flexible foam material
- Lightweight
- Cushioned bindings with ankle support
- For both adults and kids
Cons:
- Requires extra care & maintenance
Trampoline Skis Tricks
Of course, a trampoline ski jump is way different from taking it to a real snowboard. But it trains all your balance, perception, and awareness skills, which are really important if you don’t want to land on your backside on the slopes.
If you are new to this sport, always start by practicing beginner’s tricks such as:
- The Double Bounce
- The 360
- The Ollie
- No Comply
As and when you master those skills, keep moving a little forward to intermediate and advanced level skills. Some of those include the backside and frontside flip, backside 180 nollie, nollie flip, nollie heelflip, hardflip, and others.
There are tons of new techniques invented all the time. However, there are still many things that can’t be learned using skis on trampolines such as wobbles, grinds, etc.
Despite those, we strongly recommend practicing on a trampoline as much as possible. You will learn a lot. Try to master one or two tricks at a time, and slowly watch yourself become a skiing expert.
Our Final Thoughts
So now it’s up to you whether you choose to make a board of your own or buy one online.
We hope that this article was able to give you enough knowledge about trampoline bounce board benefits and how to pick out the best one of your very own.
But above all, always remember to play and practice safely. Keep practicing on a trampoline until you completely feel confident about trying the jumping tricks out in the open snow.
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