Craig Lematta
Physics 212
4/21/14

How About those Tricks?

    Professional snowboarders are capable of pulling off some impressive stunts.  These include grabs, spins, flips, and many combinations of the three.  Let's focus on spins though and how the physics works behind them.  To start spinning in the air, a snowboarder must gain angular momentum on the ramp just before they take off into the air.  They do this by quickly twisting their body in the direction of the desired spin.  To calculate angular momentum, one must use the equation w=d(theta)/dt.  w is the angular momentum, d(theta) is the change in angle, and dt is the change in time.  The greater the angle, the greater the angular momentum, allowing for more spins in the air.  Also, once in the air, snowboarders tuck their arms in closer to their body.  By doing this, they moved their center of mass closer to the center of their bodies, allowing for even more spins while airborne.





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