The first question anyone ever asks when they see a snowboarder execute a perfect trick is "how did you do that?". The answer is taking each day step by step, perfecting a new trick before moving on to another. Notice I said 'perfect'; there are definitely instances where a trick or obstacle is just so gnarly that any successful attempt is good enough but for the most part you want everything you do on your snowboard to be perfect... and the stuff that doesn't go perfect should be made to look like you wanted it that way.
The greatest way to perfect every aspect of a new trick is through video analysis. I don't mean making those ho-key 'sponsor me' tapes that you never send (although those are pretty fun to do, haha). So grab your camcorder and get ready for a different kind of fun. Video analysis is that time when you take excruciatingly detailed footage of everything you do right and unfortunately everything you do wrong as well.
By now you've watched a ton of trick tips on my site (if not than check them out here). You may have noticed that trick tips are filmed in a pretty specific way. You can see that the angles are really straight forward and there is always a shot of the trick from behind, to the side, and sometimes in front. When you take videos of yourself for analysis those are the angles you want to use, this way you can get a good general sense of how you look on a feature. If you aren't lining up right you will be able to see exactly what doesn't work and adjust; you may notice that your spin isn't coming all the way around because of your head position just off the lip; there are tons of really small things that, when you are sliding on a narrow strip of metal some 10 ft. off the ground, you just aren't aware of. Video analysis is the key to making a good trick perfect.
Video analysis can also play a crucial role early on in developing a good sense of style. If you do some crazy lobster claw motion with your left hand every time you ollie, then that's something you might want fix before you make that 'sponsor me' tape. How about this phenomenon: you ollie or boardslide and it just feels perfect, then your friend tells you the ollie was like a foot off the ground and the boardslide was more of a slightly tweaked 50-50. You should document what you accomplish to make sure you are completely comfortable with how you look... even professional snowboarders will find themselves re-shooting a trick several times before they get 'the' shot. It can suck having to keep stepping up to something that might scare you, but there's a feeling you get when you watch your perfect trick go down. It's all your own... it's what snowboarding is all about.
One last thing about video analysis is that if you are planning to compete then you absolutely cannot do without footage. At contests the focus moves toward impressing the judges, and this is where textbook trick execution plays a vital role.
Remember just have fun with it. If something you want to try really scares you then for sure you want to back down. Fear is the last thing that needs to be in your mind mid-trick, but you can beat fear with confidence...which you get from constant progression coupled with video analysis.
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