Welcome to the long lost world of jibbing! The fufanu is an old-school BMX trick from the back that involves a rear-wheel stall to a hop-180 (or as close as possible) to the exit. Normally you would see it on a parallel mini ramp or a high ledge from some kind of lip, but on a dirt MTB it's a fun move to get used to the high dirt and jumpy lips.
Personally, I like a quick fufanu when I look for a jump lip to turn quickly in a narrow place to go back up the hill or sometimes it's just fun when I see a climb. Once you master it its great fun and great exercise in bike handling.
It's definitely a more advanced move and best learned on a dirt jumper hardtail or similar with a lower seat position and flat pedals as you'll be jumping off a bit as you learn. My background with the fufanu began 20 years ago tearing up skateparks and streets with a hardtail, but it's still something I like to do on a trail bike whenever I'm out and about.
It's definitely a move that takes time to master and you'll spend more time off the bike than on it learning, but remember practice makes perfect! If you have a jumper rig or BMX to start with that's the way to go before you switch to what we would consider a mountain bike in this day and age.
For the young workers out there (or the young at heart), here are some tips to help you out and have fun. Start with a dirty bank like you see here at the beginning, and progress to higher settings from there. Here's how to do it.
Step 1 – Check your landing with pinpoint accuracy
As you curl your lip, facing whatever you're aiming for, you need to choose your destination with absolute precision. There are two reasons for this – the first is to make sure you don't slip on something like a ledge or coping, and the other is for balance. I find that the more I focus on a spot, the easier it is to gauge when the rear wheel hits it.
Step 2 – Take your weight back and put it back
This is probably an unnatural feeling for this move, but as you climb up and start to jump from your chosen position, you need to regain your weight and bring it back. This means your arms and legs are extended and your back hangs back beyond the balance point to help bring your bike back. Your bike needs to follow your body and if your body goes beyond the balance point of the “sell” point you will have absolutely no chance to recover.
Step 3 – Turn your bars and hips into a stall
As you hit the “sell” point, you immediately want to turn your arms and hips back to the way you came out. Getting the bike to do a successful 180 in the wind when going backwards takes a lot of effort and leading with your hips and front wheel is key here. The sooner you can do this the better and as you pause in the stall you should be looking back down.
Step 4 – Use your legs to push yourself out
As you hit the top and start to pivot, you'll need to get into the stall so you can use your legs to get out. You aim to get the bike in the air to complete a 180 exit. The momentum from your legs to the hips and waist flex will get you there. From this point it's all about the explosive pop and twist to get back down and go the right way.
Step 5 – Pop and twist
Once you have them all loaded, you'll want to pop in and spin. Successfully aim to complete a mini 180 in the air to find the correct exit. This is where you really need to put in a lot of combined effort with your head, arms, hips and legs to get the bike in a short amount of time. The more explosive you are, the easier it is and the more you look back, the more your body and bike will follow you.
Step 6 – Keep your wheel and head open on landing
As you hit the ground, keep your wheel and head back as you touch the ground. While I've talked about doing a 180 throughout this piece, the truth is that getting a real 180 is bloody hard work and it's usually going to come slowly (like me here!). Keeping your wheel turned and facing down will help kick the bike so you can get out. From then on it's all about practice! The tighter the bank, the easier it is, as it helps bring you back to the bottom of the bank so don't be afraid to progress to higher banks as you start to relax as this will help you in the end to get the hang of it.
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