Harty this month suggests that improvement may lie focussing not so much on ‘how’, but ‘how long.’ It’s all about time and timing
Over-thinking, or just thinking for that matter, in a technical sport like ours where you’re trying to link movements quickly and at speed, is death to a satisfying outcome. But for those with a logical, analytical brain (and that’s most humans), thinking is a hard to break.
For those who are stuck, there is a very simple rule that everyone knows but few obey – and that is the insanity avoidance scheme of doing something different. You need to upset the established order; and not just think outside of the box but destroy the box altogether.
One slightly left field approach I employ to help lift people out of ruts is to get them to focus on time. I’m not trying to carry on where Stephen Hawking left off, but time in its various guises, in a windy context, is a vital and oft ignored component.
TIME Mention ‘time’ to a recreational windsurfer and the words that tumble miserably from his or her mouth are inevitably ‘not enough.’ Sadly the solution to finding more of the stuff to allow meaningful practice is less the remit of the humble tipster and more one for the life coach. However, in a technique context, time has three meanings. Time. The length of time needed to complete a move (spoiler alert – most people take too long). Tempo. It’s the rhythm of the move – the time between elements – too long, too quick, speeding up or slowing down. Timing. It’s the hardest to express in words but is the key to power and efficiency. It’s not just when you perform each element (like the rig flip) of the move – but also how the end of one action can be the platform and trigger for the next.
TIME – THE AMOUNT OF … (IT’S NOT ON YOUR SIDE)
How long it takes you to complete a move or skill – getting planing, a gybe, tack, loop - is a reliable barometer of standard.
Denne historien er fra Issue 385 - May 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 385 - May 2019-utgaven av Windsurf.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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!