Melon Grab

The melon grab is one of the most stylish, recognizable grabs in snowboarding: with your front hand you grab the heel edge of the board between the bindings. It’s the counterpart to the Indy (opposite hand, opposite edge), and it has a really distinctive look because it puts your body in a slightly arched, open position.

How to Do It

1. Ride into the jump with enough speed to get some hang time. The melon needs the board to come up well toward your hand.
2. Pop a strong ollie. The higher you are, the more comfortable the grab.
3. In the air, pull your knees up toward your chest, but this time shifted slightly toward your heel side. That brings the board up to your front hand on the heel edge.
4. With your front hand, grab the heel edge between the two bindings. Hold the grab and enjoy the moment.
5. Let go early, flatten the board out, and land with soft knees.

Common Mistakes

• Reaching for the wrong edge: the heel edge and the toe edge are on opposite sides, so don’t mix them up. The melon is a front-hand grab on the heel edge.
• Grabbing too close to the tail: aim for the middle of the board between the bindings. It gives you a cleaner, more controlled grab than grabbing near the tail.
• Bending sideways: to reach the heel edge, you’ll tend to lean too far to the side. Bend your knees more instead of folding your upper body.

Progression

Melon and Indy make a perfect pair to learn together, one on the toe edge and one on the heel edge. Once you have both, try adding a spin: a Melon Backside 180 or a Melon 360 are classic combos with tons of style.