Ski Tricks for Beginners: Your First 12 Tricks in Order (2026)

Before You Start: Are You Ready?

Tricks build on solid skiing. Before you start popping and spinning, you should be able to:

• Ski green and blue runs comfortably.
• Link parallel turns and carve reasonably well.
• Control your speed and stop without a wedge (pizza).

If you're not there yet, start with how to ski. Progress at your own pace; most of the tricks below start on flat, easy terrain, not in the park.

Beginner Ski Trick Progression at a Glance

The order follows common freestyle coaching progressions; adjust it to what feels comfortable for you.

1. The Pop (Ollie)

The pop is the foundation of every jump. On flat snow, crouch slightly, shift your weight back onto your tails so they flex, then spring up and forward off them, pulling your knees up so both skis leave the snow. Start with a jump of a few inches, then try it over small rollers and side hits. Pushing off from the noses of your skis instead gives you a nollie, the same idea in reverse.

Off a jump, the pop also adds height and control: stay square and balanced with your arms forward, and extend as your feet reach the lip.

2. Nose and Tail Presses

While gliding slowly on a gentle groomer, lean forward to press onto your ski tips so the tails lift (a nose press), or back so the tips lift (a tail press). Hold it for a few seconds. Presses teach balance over the ends of your skis, which you'll use for butters and box tricks.

3. Straight Air

Find the smallest jump in the park (look for XS or S signs) or a gentle roller. Approach with steady, moderate speed, stay centered with your hands forward, pop at the lip and keep your body compact in the air. Look at the landing and absorb it by bending your knees and ankles. Repeat until your straight airs feel controlled every time.

4. Spread Eagle

A classic old-school trick: in the air, extend your arms and legs out to the sides in an X shape, then bring them back under you before landing. Start small; you need enough airtime to open and close the position.

5. Daffy

In the air, bring one leg up and forward while the other goes back and up, like a running stride or splits, then bring your skis back together before you land.

6. Skiing Switch (Backward)

Skiing switch is essential for landing 180s. On a wide, easy green run:

1. Start by sliding backward on a very gentle slope.
2. Look over one shoulder, opening your hips and upper body in that direction.
3. Offset your skis slightly so the ski on the side you're looking toward is a little ahead.
4. Make gentle turns by switching which shoulder you look over.
5. Build speed gradually as you get comfortable.

Twin-tip skis, with upturned tails, make switch skiing much easier.

7. The Shifty

In the air, rotate your skis one way and your upper body the other with equal force, then return to straight before landing. Keep your shoulders fairly square to your direction of travel. A shifty teaches you to separate upper and lower body, which helps with spins.

8. Ground 180

On flat, smooth snow, make a small pop and turn your skis 180 degrees so you land skiing backward. Lead with your shoulders and look over your shoulder; your hips and skis will follow. Pick one direction and stick with it until it feels natural. You can practice the motion on grass or a soft surface before your ski trip.

9. Nose and Tail Butters

A butter is a rotation done on the snow while pressing on your tips or tails. For a nose butter, flex forward so your tails lift and your tips stay on the snow, then pivot around your tips to finish facing backward. Start with 90 degrees, then 180, and practice on flat terrain before trying it on a slope. Softer, twin-tipped freestyle skis make butters easier.

10. The Safety Grab

Grabs are the easiest way to add style to a straight air. The safety grab is the simplest: grab the outside edge of your ski near the boot with the same-side hand.

• Bring your knees up to meet your hand rather than reaching down to your skis, which throws off your balance.
• Practice the position standing still on flat snow, or lying on your back at home.
• Pop harder to give yourself more time.

Next Grabs to Learn

11. Air 180

Once ground 180s and switch skiing feel easy, try a 180 off a small jump. Wind up slightly on the approach, pop and turn your head and shoulders in your chosen direction, spot the landing over your shoulder and land switch with your knees bent. Landing backward takes practice, so expect a few falls and keep the jump small. After that, the next step is a 360.

12. 50-50 Box Slide

Boxes are wide, forgiving features that teach you how it feels to slide on something that isn't snow. Start on the smallest, widest, lowest box:

1. First, ski straight over it a few times, keeping your skis flat and centered.
2. Approach straight with moderate speed, step or pop onto the box and keep your skis flat and parallel (a 50-50).
3. Stay centered and relaxed, look at the end of the box, and ski off it.
4. Next, try a 90-degree slide with your skis sideways, then exiting switch.

Save rails for later, and start with low, wide ones: sliding out on metal hurts more than on a box.

Terrain Park Safety: Park SMART

The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and Burton run the Park SMART program, the evolution of the earlier Smart Style campaign, with PSIA-AASI and the National Ski Patrol as partners. Its five points:

Some resorts still post the older Smart Style wording: Make a Plan, Look Before You Leap, Easy Style It and Respect Gets Respect.

Understanding Park Signs and Feature Sizes

• Orange oval: marks freestyle terrain in the US, just as green circles and blue squares mark runs.
• Size labels: many parks sign features from XS to XL, while others use small, medium and large.
• Size, not difficulty: ratings describe the feature's size, not how hard a trick is, and they're relative to that resort, so a medium at one mountain may be larger than at another.
• Start at XS or S, and pick the resort's beginner park if it has one.

Terrain Park Etiquette

• Take an inspection run first and watch others use the features.
• Call your drop by saying "dropping" or raising a hand, and wait your turn. The person ahead of you has the right of way.
• Never stop on a takeoff, under a jump or in a landing.
• Clear the landing quickly after you fall or finish.
• Signal a hazard: if someone is down, crossing your arms in an X tells others the feature is closed.
• Enter and exit where the park says, and never duck ropes.
• Don't go alone as a beginner.
• Move up a size only when you can do a trick fast, slow and with control every time.

For general slope rules, see the Responsibility Code in our how to ski guide.

Gear for Ski Tricks

Twin-Tip Skis

Freestyle skis are twin-tipped and symmetrical so you can ski and land switch. According to REI's ski guide, they're softer flexing for buttering and jibbing, typically run about 85 to 95 mm underfoot and have bindings mounted at or just forward of center. You don't need them for your first pops and grabs, but they help a lot once you start spinning.

Helmets and Protection

A helmet is essential in the park. According to NSAA, helmet use among US skiers and riders rose from 25% in the 2002/03 season to 90% in 2023/24, and the association urges skiers to wear one but ski as if they weren't. Many park riders also wear wrist guards, impact shorts and knee pads. See our guide to ski helmets.

Landing and Falling Safely

• Land with your knees and ankles flexed, bending slightly forward to absorb the impact.
• Keep your hands forward and your eyes on the landing.
• Don't land on flat ground. Aim for the sloped landing zone, not the knuckle or flat area before it.
• If you're going down, try to fall to the side and slide rather than putting a straight arm out to catch yourself.
• Get up and clear the landing right away.

Common Beginner Mistakes

Take a Lesson

Many resorts offer freestyle and park lessons, and they're the fastest way to learn tricks safely. A coach can spot problems in your takeoff and landing that are hard to feel yourself.

Related Guides

Learn about the sport's competitive side in our freestyle skiing guide and see how freestyle events work in Olympic skiing. For deep-snow days, read how to ski powder, and browse types of skiing.

Frequently Asked Questions