This month we look at letting go in order to boost and enjoy our jumps even more. One-handed jumps will really improve your regular jumps and they also feel awesome.
THE BASICS
Letting go of the boom, with one or both hands, has the benefit that it encourages us to keep low; position the rig and our body/hips/legs correctly; get away from the rig; sheet the sail in or out correctly and position our hands more precisely on the boom. It also massively helps us to take a more risk taking mindset, which is crucial to moving forward in our jumps and wavesailing. When one of my rippers does not let go of the boom, it tells me a lot about not only their skills, but also their mindset!
I will present this move with the formula of who, what, why, where, when and how. And also present the options you have of what to do with your hands.
WHO: This is for both people who are early in their jumping career and experienced ‘airtimers’. Intermediate freeriders who are aspiring to be wavesailors should know that doing your recommended ‘Hall’s homework’ of one-handed blasting/sailing is already putting you in the position to be able to enjoy your one-handed jumps in the future.
WHAT: The one-handed jump is the releasing of either hand just as you take off, or even just before. It will improve your hooked in jumping, which is an important skill and one to be undertaken after properly learning and improving your jumping in the more physical, and safer guise of being unhooked.
WHY: There are really so many reasons to do these jumps, but the main one I discovered after feedback from one of my female wave rippers, Patricia Herrero, is that you cannot do them taking off into the wind! Jumping into the wind is an absolute killer for most ‘normal’ jumps and is one of the top malpractices that I have to coach out of people.
Here are a few more reasons to let go:
The main one is that it is fun and really feels great.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
New School
Slingshot’s windsurfing brand manager, Wyatt Miller, has noticed that kids are drawn to playing with wings and puts forward an interesting case as to why he thinks this could help entice them and others into windsurfing.
Changes
Wave sailor Flo Jung reflects on our changed world during his lockdown in Germany.
THE LAST WAVE
Lockdown stirred the creative juices of reader Björn Alfthan, who peers into the future to present a fictional story set in the wild waves of Norway, five years from now.
STILL IN THE GAME
After a horrific fracture in his leg from a crashed aerial in 2018, Alessio Stillrich is back! John Carter talks to the highflyer from Gran Canaria about his move to the Simmer team, recovering from injury and how he learned to windsurf in Gran Canaria!
MOVE ON UP - GET ON THE FRONT FOOT
This month we look at how our front foot weighting can affect and improve different aspects of our main windsurfing moves.
SOUTH' KIPA
Nik tweaking it over home waters.
A NEW NORMAL
On a trip to La Tranche-sur-Mer in France last year, Tris Best estimated over 80% of the windsurfers were foiling. This summer in Portland Harbour, foiling activity has increased dramatically too he reports. With the market offering plenty of choice to recreational windfoilers, our test team check out some of the latest foil offerings.
TACKING – THE SEQUEL
Having given you time to practice, Harty concludes his tacking series by critiquing various tacking options, including the carve tack, as well as offering solutions to common slip-ups.
‘NO VAPOUR TRAILS TO SCAR THE SKY' *
Realising we may be about to enter an extraordinary period in our lives, Harty decided to keep a windsurf-centric lockdown diary. Here are some of his choice excerpts.
REDEMPTION DAY!
Renowned for its windsurfing and variety of spots to sail at, Kimmerdige Bay is a wave sailing jewel on the south coast of England. Timo Mullen gives a guide to its shores while reflecting on why a recent session there was a reminder that there is no place like home!
