As in Mario Kart 64, you are able to power slide in this game as well! To perform a power slide, press and hold R to hop while holding Left or Right. When you land, you'll slide in the direction you were holding. After about 2 seconds, let go of the R button and stop sliding. When you drive straight, you'll be given a boost, which is the result of a power slide. It may take a little bit of practice to pull it off, but it helps when trying to get around hairpin turns, or if you want to cut a couple seconds off your time when racing in Time Trial mode.