Backside 360
aka BS 3
A full backside rotation off a kicker, grabbed indy or melon to stay compact. The landing spots late over your back shoulder — commit and stomp it.
The Breakdown
Four phases from roll-up to roll-away. Scrub the analyzer above — each phase lights up as the board hits it.
- 01 Approach
Straight and centered
Approach a medium-to-large kicker dead straight with enough speed to clear the knuckle with margin. Ride flat-based and centered, knees soft, with no pre-wind in your shoulders. Keep your eyes up the lip and stay calm — a backside spin starts blind, so trust is everything.
- 02 Wind & Pop
Load the backside wind
As you reach the lip, pop evenly off both feet and lead the rotation by opening your back shoulder and looking back over it. The wind comes from your upper body, not from throwing the board. Stay stacked over your feet so the rotation is driven, not flung, and you keep control of the axis.
- 03 Spin & Grab
Grab to stay compact
As you come around, reach for a backside grab — indy on the toe edge or melon on the heel — and pull your knees up to stay tight. The grab pins the board to your feet and keeps the spin compact and on-axis. Holding it through the middle of the rotation is what makes the 360 feel controlled instead of loose.
- 04 Spot & Land
Spot late and stomp
Backside 360s reveal the landing late, over your back shoulder, so keep your head turning and pick up the downslope as soon as it appears. Release the grab, get your legs back under you, and level the board to the slope. Absorb with bent knees, flat-based, and ride away.
When It Goes Wrong
The most common ways Backside 360 bails — and the fix. Diagnose your slam, then get back on.
I can't see the landing and panic mid-spin.
That blind moment is normal for backside — the landing only appears late over your back shoulder. Keep your head and eyes leading the rotation so you pick it up as early as possible. Repetition into a soft landing builds the trust to commit through the blind phase.
I under-rotate and land at 270 sideways.
You're throwing the board instead of winding your body, or you bail on the rotation early. Drive the spin from your back shoulder and stay committed to a full turn, and use the grab to keep momentum tight. Slightly more pop and a more aggressive wind off the lip finish the rotation.
I over-rotate past 360 and wash out.
Too much wind or you held the grab too long and kept spinning. Once you spot the landing, release the grab and open your arms to check the rotation. Bringing your legs back under you and squaring up to the downslope stops the board on the right number.
My spin goes flat and off-axis.
You're leaning back and chucking your shoulders rather than popping straight up first. Pop evenly off both feet to set a clean vertical axis, then add the backside wind. The grab pulls everything compact and keeps the rotation tidy instead of corked or sloppy.
The backside 360 is the spin that teaches you to commit through the blind. Because the rotation winds away from your toes, the landing hides over your back shoulder until late, and the whole trick hinges on trusting the wind and letting your eyes find the downslope right on time. Grabbed indy or melon, it stays compact, stomps clean, and is the cornerstone of nearly every bigger backside spin.
Build it on a kicker you already trust and lean on the grab — it keeps the rotation tight and gives your hands a job through the blind phase. Pop straight, wind from the shoulder, grab, and keep your head turning. Land this one and 540s, 720s and grabbed variations all start to feel within reach.
Dial In Your Setup
Gear that makes this trick easier to learn. Tune the setup, not just the technique.
All-mountain freestyle board
156–160cm · medium–stiff flex
A stable, slightly stiffer board gives you a predictable pop and holds its line through a full rotation off bigger kickers. Mushy boards make the takeoff and on-axis spin much harder to control.
Shop boards & gearResponsive park bindings
Medium–stiff highback
Spinning with a grab demands a board that responds the instant you wind and pull. Stiffer highbacks transmit your pop and rotation cleanly so the 360 stays compact and on-axis.
Shop boards & gearHalf-shell helmet
Certified · goggle-integrated
Spotting late over your back shoulder means the occasional miscalculated landing. A properly fitted helmet is non-negotiable the moment you're rotating off real jumps — protect your head and ride another day.
Shop boards & gearAffiliate links may earn nollie.zone a commission — never changes your price.
Stack Your Clip
Landed Backside 360? Soon you'll drop your line here and battle the crew for the top of the board.