How to do a Half Cab on a Snowboard: Step-by-Step Guide

The half cab is one of the most well-known tricks in snowboarding. Basically a switch frontside 180 spin (but don't ever call it that—it's a cab spin), it's a great trick for beginners to learn because not only is it foundation-building for other spins, it's fun to do when you're riding around the resort, popping off side hits and bumps.

Quick history lesson about where the half cab came from. "Cab" is short for "Caballerial." Named for pro skateboarder Steve Caballero who invented the trick in 1980 , the Caballerial is properly a fakie ollie 360. The half cab, a 180 degree version of the infamous trick, came after the Caballerial. Colloquially in snowboarding, any switch frontside spin is referred to as "cab" (again, don't call it "switch frontside," we're just trying to explain), and as rotations have multiplied, cab fives, cab sevens, cab tens, etc. are all tricks in the snowboarding lexicon. Calling any frontside spin "cab" is a bit of bastardization on the original skateboarding trick, but it is colloquially accepted in snowboarding, so we have to deal with it.

In this trick tip, we'll be explaining how to half cab off of a straight jump, but when it comes to the pros, the half cab is often seen off of massive cliffs and in the streets, the latter as in a half cab onto a rail. Case in point, this example of Danimals.

In 2012, Eiki Helgason filed a TWSnow 20 Tricks video that included a half cab out.

How to do a Half Cab

Step 1: Work on Riding Switch

Riding switch may feel like learning to snowboard all over again, but it's worth getting comfortable with this skill as it's fundamental to so much in snowboarding. Not only do many tricks require switch take-offs and/or landings, but being comfortable going in both directions on your snowboard is valuable when just making turns—and it's fun! So before trying your first half cab, in which you take off in your switch stance, rotate 180 degrees frontside and land in your regular stance, get comfortable riding switch outside of the park so when you're on the run in for your half cab, you're stable, allowing you to do the trick smoothly and ride away clean.

Step 2: The Run In and Approach

Find a straight jump that you are comfortable on doing straight airs. Since a half cab is only a 180 rotation, you don't need much airtime to complete it; a small jump is perfect when you're learning. (Note: The half cab is a regular trail trick as well as you can do one on flat ground or off a small bump, but we'll go through learning it off a straight jump.) Approach the jump going switch—your non-dominant foot forward—with your base flat, your weight evenly distributed, and knees loose and bent. Shift your weight slightly on your heelside edge just before you get to the lip of the jump in order to help initiate the rotation.

The above TWSnow video with Dan Brisse illustrates fundamentals from backside and frontside 180s that can be helpful when learning half cabs in terms of overall rotation, take off and landing.

Step 3: Open Your Shoulders and Pop Off the Lip

A half cab is a small rotation, so you don't need to wind up like you do you larger spins, such as a backside 360 or backside 540. Instead, focus on opening your shoulders in a downhill direction to initiate the spin. As you get to the lip of the jump, prepare to pop off by loading your back foot in order to ollie as you go off the jump. As you do this, open your front shoulder (to the right if you're regular and to the left if you're goofy) and allow the rest of your body to follow.

Step 4: Rotate 180 Degrees

Again, a 180 is a mellow spin, so focus on committing to bringing your board all the way around to your regular stance. If you're having trouble getting back to your regular stance and landing 90, focus on bringing your leading arm (which took off the jump in the back) all the way around and closing your shoulders.

Step 5: Get Ready for Landing and Ride Away

You will be able to see the landing the entire time while doing a half cab. Be aware of where the landing and prepare for it by keeping your knees loose, ready to absorb impact, and focusing on where you're going. Land balanced over your board, so both feet hit the ground at the same time. Look where you're going and ride away.

Once you've landed a half cab, do it over and over off anything you can pop off of, even flat ground. Soon doing a half cab will be second nature and you'll be ready to tackle bigger spins, if you want.

When you're ready to upgrade to a cab three, the Caballerial, while the below video of Chris Bradshaw showing how to do a Caballerial was filmed over a decade ago, Bradshaw's instruction and style are timeless.

Learn More. Watch How To Snowboard videos:

1. How To Backside 180
2. How To Backside 360
3. How To Backside 540
4. How To Backside 720
5. How To Nosepress

Related: How to do a Method on a Snowboard

Related: How to do a Backside 180 on a Snowboard