Now where were we before we were so rudely interrupted? Part one of this journey was published the very day we entered our homely prisons. It wasn’t planned, but tacking turned out to be the perfect lockdown topic. With a board on the sand/lawn/veggie patch and just a puff of wind, you can realistically drill the sequence, and in a way that’s elusive and even delusional with the speedy carving moves.
The underlying message of the first instalment was ‘just get on with it will you …!’ or words to that effect. To hesitate is to plop. If you’re entering the tack still unsure where, when, how and in which order you move feet and rig, you will inevitably pause and pay the penalty. Getting the method wired on dry land frees up your mind and allows you to perform instinctively, skilfully and, most importantly, more quickly.
From the contents of my electronic mailbag, it seems that many took up the dry land practice challenge and were delighted at how gracefully they flowed from one side to the other … in the garden. And then, as lockdown eased and you took this skill to the water, you were happy to notice improvement – but also miffed at how former malpractices still infected your game.
In this concluding episode I will address those woes. Others have been confused by the variety of tacking advice out there. “….you said to do ‘x’ … but I’ve been told to do ‘y.’ So tackling the ‘more than one way to cook a goose’ issue is where we shall start.
Beware of templates
This story is from the Issue 396 - August 2020 edition of Windsurf.
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 Issue 396 - August 2020 edition of Windsurf.
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!
