With this new video, we’re excited to introduce a new educational series, TRY TO XV, which stars Xavier De Le Rue as a student instead of his usual role as a teacher. On his own channel, HOW TO XV, Xavier passes on tips and tricks he’s picked up during his 20 years as a competitive freeride snowboarder and teaches other snowboarders HOW TO advance their skills. Every episode in this series will show Xavier learning a new sport.

In the first episode of TRY TO XV, Xavier De Le Rue, a snowboarder with two decades of experience, switches spots with Swatch Proteam biker Sam Pilgrim and learns HOW TO land a backflip on his bike.

“Kids do it every day,” said Sam, reassuring Xavier before he executed the big move.

The two head to the Adrenaline Alley in Corby, UK, an indoor skate park and Europe’s largest urban sports venue. Sam shows Xavier HOW TO properly warm up and shares his own advice on HOW TO safely land the flip. At first, it looks like Xavier should stick to keeping a board strapped to his feet, but as he listens to the advice from his coach, he builds his confidence and begins to look like a natural.

Sam’s tips to do a backflip on a bike:
1. Start with a fluffed foam pit
2. Practice your jump
3. Keep your body strong into the jump
4. Hold onto the bike
5. Practice landing on your back in the foam pit
6. Commit fully to the trick to avoid injury
7. Wear a helmet!
8. Pull up on the handle bars at the top of the ramp
9. Look where you want to go
10. Stay strong to boost the pop

Xavier works his way up from maxing his air time to landing on his back in the freshly fluffed foam pit, and then finally going for it and completing a full flip into the pit. Sam was pretty impressed!

“It’s been so amazing to learn all these tricks from Sam! I was pretty scared at the beginning and not sure that I could do it, but I think I’m ready to throw some backflips into my life this winter,” Xavier said.

A few more flips to perfect the move and then it’s time to level up to the resi ramp. How does Xavier do?

Watch the episode below to find out!