How to lay a flat table
Hey Lee,
I’ve been doing freeride type riding for years now, and am fairly competent at jumping. I hit 35′ gaps and launch doubles like it’s nothing, but I cannot table to save my life! I have your book, but something just doesn’t feel right. I’ve tried them on straight out gaps, hips and a lot more, but no matter what I do, it seems to want to either stay level and just turn the bars or flatten out but my body does too!
Is there something I’m missing?
Trevor
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Hi Trevor,
I have good “book knowledge” of how to do a tabletop, but I must admit I’m not great at doing them.
Meet Zach Lewis. He’s a pro freestyle snowboarder and dirt jump/trick rider. He does shows with the Yellow Designs Stunt Team. He’s a good man and a great rider, and here he is:
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From Zach:
Table tops are one of the coolest and most stylish tricks in the world, and once you have them on lock down you will be having your friends over for lunch. Here are some helpful hints and a how-to on laying those things over flat enough to host a picnic. I have found it very helpful to start off in the half pipe or on the quarter pipe, take it to the hips and then head to the straight jumps using this simple formula.
[Say you want to lay your bike to the left, as on a left hip. -Lee]
Step one – the approach: When approaching the lip make sure you are very relaxed on the bike, knees and elbows bent.
Step two – arm tuck: As soon as your front tire leaves the lip, you begin the trick. Pull your dominant hand [the one that will be on top, in this case your left] toward the opposite side of your body. Push with your other arm. Make sure you pull with your dominant arm and not push; otherwise the bike will stay vertical and just go to the other side of your body. Pulling your top hand toward you leads the rest of your body through the trick.
Step three – knee tuck: As your rear tire leaves the lip you will want to suck your dominate knee [the left one] up toward your elbow. Your other leg will naturally follow the process. The more you suck up that dominant knee, the flatter the bike will get.
Step four – exiting the trick: Pull your dominate hand and knee back to an upright position lock your seat belt and get ready for the landing.
Step five – landing: This is the same as the approach make sure you are very relaxed knees and elbows bent and centered over the bike.
Helpful hints: When learning this trick it is helpful lower your seat so it is not pushing against your leg. Also narrower bars are easier to suck up without becoming a body contortionist.
Good luck,
Zach Lewis
Here’s Zach last Sunday at a The Fix Jr. Team training sesh.
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Zach’s sponsors
Snowboard corner: Revolution mfg., Dopamine clothing, Optic Nerve, Airwalk,
Eskimo Ski & Board shop,
Bike corner: Addict cycles, Yellow Design stunt team, Dopamine clothing,
Optic Nerve, Airwalk, Mojo Wheels.
Try to punch yourself in the bicep and bring your legs up.
uhh. . .one huge important tip not mentioned. . .how about rolling that top hand under the grip when you table. . .if you don’t roll your grip you’ll be stuck at 45 degrees or so. . ..zach is doing it in the sequence photo.
Awesome! I can hardly wait to go out riding this weekend now.
What camera are you shooting with Lee? That’s a pretty good framerate… Better than my Canon Rebel
w00t, great point. You can’t do this fisting the bar.
Trevor, I have a Canon 1D digital SLR. The thing’s a tank, but it rocks.
BTW: That shot was made by Dylan Patterson.
thats all nice and dandy, but it’s not a table if your top knee isn’t tucked to the frame, otherwise it would definatly be considered gaper
Fun Fact: The tabletop was voted the most stylish trick in all of action sports. So learning this trick is worth a lifetime of showing off.
so true
even with all the progressive tricks out there
a great table or moto whip is still a beautiful thing to see
key to table,
Yeah, yeah Zach won’t get his photo in any 20″ mag. Thing is he’s a snowboarder and if he put his knees together on the snow he’d be a major gaper (or seriously old school). Look at the take off and notice how his knees stay directly over his ankles-pure snowboarding. I’d call him a talented athlete. Check out Earthed 3 for the knees together style. As I recall, Brendon Fairclough throws down some mega style tables and there’s some 20″ guys in the same segment.
+ vibes
Knee tucked or not Zach’s bike is inverted through out this trick. I could actually see this shot in a mag and maybe Zach’s style doesn’t allow him to close his legs like a little school girl wearing a skirt. All I have to say is not to many riders in the world are getting their bikes past flat… Good Riding…