If you are into technical riding or would like to get into it, chances are you have seen Chris Burandt or Dan Admas throwing down. Moves such as the hop over are a popular one amongst technical riders. Mastering maneuvers used by technical riding professionals may give you the ability to go places you would otherwise have dreamed about going. In this short article we discuss the hop over. We tell you what it is and when it is used as well as where it is done and why it is done.
What is a snowmobile hop over and when is it used?
A hop over on a snowmobile is when a rider changes sides on the snowmobile while simultaneously laying the snowmobile over onto its other side in one fluid motion. This is used when performing a side hill and wanting to go back in the direction you came from. A lot of times this is used to get higher up on the hillside as well as a method used to help avoid getting stuck. While not the easiest move to perform, it offers great benefits to you as a rider once mastered. Your technical riding game will be through the roof with this move.
Where to do a hop over and why
Let’s say you are on a steep sidehill and in a small clearing. As you near the edge of the clearing you realize there is no other option than to go back the way you came, but remember it is not as easy as just turning around. You are on a steep sidehill after all. It is in this situation you will find a hop over to be the most useful in your bag of tricks. This is going to allow you to get where you want to be and avoid getting your sled absolutely buried in the deep powder.
How to do a hop over
As we previously mentioned, performing a hop over on a snowmobile is not easy. This move will take you a lot of practice and you will fail many times. Get back up and try it again. Practice will lead to improved hop overs and eventually you will be just as good as Chris Burandt. Doing a hop over takes a combination of physical strength and agility as well as a strong understanding of how your sled operates. Being extremely comfortable on your sled will also be a huge bonus to successfully completing a hop over.
While standing on one side of your snowmobile in the sidehill position you will use your throttle while pulling over and back on your handlebars to point the snowmobile’s nose up. While this is happening you will be hopping over the seat to the other running board and laying the sled on the opposite side that you just came from. This is pretty much as complicated as it sounds. You need to do all of these things in the same motion to successfully complete the hop over. We highly recommend watching Caleb Kesterke’s tutorial on How to Do a Hop Over on a Snowmobile for further understanding on the topic.
