- How To Article

The 4 Stages to a Perfect Jibe

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Most of lifes toughest lessons come with a 10-step program... well ABK makes Jibing easy by using only 4!

Below is the basic outline of what you want to accomplish (with a few tips thrown in for good measure). If you want to know more of the specifics to jibing then either sign up for an ABK Boardsports camp or come to one of the various free shop nights presented around the country while we're on tour.

Start with the SETUP where your goal is to get your body into proper jibing postion (unhooked and out of the back footstrap) without losing any speed or control.

Second is the ENTRY where you begin to carve the turn downwind. Try to let the sail pull your body up over the board so you carve smoothly in a wide arcing turn.

Third is the TRANSITION. Switch your feet while keeping your weight over the carving rail. If the board flattens out or looses its carve you will be thrown off-balance.

Finally you get to EXIT with speed (hopefully) or at least just a smile plastered across your face. Hang your weight down off the boom to help accelerate the board back up to full speed.

More MacGyver VENT PLUG tips

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:39:00 -0400

MacGyver

Vent Plug Advice Extras!

If you leave your board on the roof of your car you should use your vent plug. If you leave your board in a board bag you should use your vent plug. If your gear lives in a vehicle that warms up on hot days you should use your vent plug. If you fly with your gear or drive across huge mountain ranges you should use your vent plug. The problem is that if we take out our vent plug we might not remember to put it back in.

Here's some tips to help you treat your board the way you should:

1. Replace o-ring gasket on your vent plug screw once a year.

2. Don’t crank the screw…just squeeze the o-ring a little bit to prevent air from passing.

3. When the inevitable happens and you find yourself on the water and you haven't closed the plug, a penny tucked into your footstraps can be used as a screw driver in a pinch.

4. Once a board has water in it, it is imperative that you use the vent plug everyday, as water vapor will expand more than just air, and the potential for your board to delaminate goes way up.

5. Although it's tempting fate, you do not have to completely remove the vent plug for it to do its job. To help make sure you close it before going sailing you can get out a Sharpie and make a mark to let you know whether it's open or closed. This works best with flathead screw driver vent plugs. Tighten your vent plug and then with the Sharpie continue the line on either side of the slot. Now with a quick glance you'll be able to tell if it's closed or not.

6. If you are one-of-those-people who rolls the dice by never loosening their vent plug, we suggest doing the following at the least every so often. When the temperature rises during the first heat wave of the year, bake your board in the sun for about 15 minutes with the vent plug out. Then, take the board out of the sun and close the vent (screw it in). If later on down the road you get an even hotter day then repeat this again.

7. For those of you that use a Chinook 2-Bolt plate in their mast track, you can use it to make sure you at least look at your vent plug everyday! Once you have removed your vent plug at the end of a day of sailing, simply drop it into the 2-Bolt plate upside down and then close the cotter pin. It will be locked-in and can't fall out. Next time you go sailing you won't be able to hit the water without removing the plug, so you'll be sure to put it back into the board.

8. When the inevitable happens and you get water in the vent, you'll want to dry the board as quickly as possible. Remove the plug completely, flip the board upside down to see if any water comes out. Once no more drips are coming out, turn the board upright and shove the end of a rolled up end of piece of paper towel into the vent and then bake it in the sun or a warm place. When the paper towel is dry you've gotten as much water out as you're going to get.

Turning an A-base Fin into a Slot Box Fin

Fri, 10 Aug 2012 11:49:00 -0400

Did you just get a board with a Slot Box fin? Do you want to use a different fin? Well you can take a standard A-base fin and turn it into a Slot Box fin! If you have everything ready it should take no less then 45 minutes... unless you're an Engineer!

How to Get People into Windsurfing - Part 1

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 14:05:00 -0500

In this video Sam Ross, from the UK, begins a five part "Getting People into Windsurfing" series by looking at the best gear to use, or adapting the gear you may already have.

Matt Pritchard's Quick Wavesailing Tips

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:25:00 -0400

One thing about windsurfing is you never get bored!!! There is always something new to learn or another challenge that lies ahead! No matter if you are learning to jibe or rip the waves to pieces, all of these tips help you to build a platform to better your performance!

We just finished our Punta San Carlos July Wave Camp. We had some great waves the first half of the camp and they slowly decreased towards the end of the week. Students came from all over the world as far as Israel to learn some new moves in one of the greatest windsurfing locations on the planet!

What did we learn?
Wave Selection- Just because you are coming in doesn’t mean you should! LOOK at what is behind you and pay attention to set waves. Watch and follow the good guys that are catching waves.
Rig Separation- keep the sail further away from you so that it can pull you through the turns. When you choke the sail and have your arms bent you lose the input from the sail driving the board.
Hand Movement is a big Key- Backhand back in the bottom turn, slide it forward coming off the top as you twist your body and redirect your path.
Body follows head- when coming off the top, look back to the beach to where you want to go so that your body twists in the hips while you weight your heels and pull down on the booms to keep mast foot pressure and your speed going.
Knees- get em low and move your body like a surfer. This helps pump the board and keep your speed going down the line. Straight legs=braking! The more speed you have on the wave, the easier it is to turn and look like a pro! Speed is your friend-

Not every location has perfect side-off shore winds blowing up a nice smooth face! It is very important to know what direction the wind is blowing. If it is more on shore, you will need to work much harder to go down the line. You need to open your sail sooner in the bottom turn so that you don’t get backwinded. When the wind is side-shore, you don’t have to think about this as much, same with off-shore winds! The common denominator for riding waves is starting off with good speed before you initiate your turns and being able to keep that speed down the wave. Keeping that front arm straight helps you get your weight forward and driving through the front foot to keep your rail engaged in the turn. Having your knees bent and your weight low drives you through the turns and gives you forgiveness if you hit any chop.

This is exactly what is required for a great JIBE! A good base foundation helps and no matter where you sail, you can practice perfect wave riding skills in flat water just by working on your jibes…..
So get out there and have FUN!

CLICK HERE to post a question for Matt Pritchard…

Longboard vs. Shortboard Tack

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Dueling tacks from a Andy Brandt wearing the crazy new NPX Lucifer Dry suit! Let's put these two tacking maneuvers head-to-head and see what happens.


(View larger)	(View larger)

Longboard Tip: Oversheet the sail to steer through the eye-of-the-wind and then transition to the new side.

Shortboard Tip: Transition to the new side before the board reaches the wind's eye so that you maintain stability through forward motion.

Check out the proper simultaneous hand and footwork in the following videos:

How to Forward Loop with Matt Pritchard

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:55:00 -0500

Matt Pritchard shows you some forward loop tips and tricks!

Science of the Flaka

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In this descriptive video theoretical physicist Dr. Tony Warwick explains some key scientific concepts inherent in the windsurfing freestyle move the Flaka. The objective of this interview is not to create a "how to" manual for the Flaka or even to discuss technique, but rather to set the stage for an informal dicussion of physics. We use an example video taken by Kris Ostness of Rob Warwick (Dr. Warwick's son) doing the flaka and in the video interview Dr. Warwick in order to illustrate the points. The center of effort and the quality of rotation are explored.

In the second video we let Rob Warwick hear what his father has had to say and comment from the point of view of a professional freestyle windsurfer.
- Zoe C. Najim

Zoe Najim interviews Dr. Warwick about the Flaka:

Pro windsurfer Rob Warwick discusses Dr. Warwick's points in the previous video:

(Note: Credit correction - Rider on Windwing is Nick Allen)

How to Back Loop with Matt Pritchard

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:10:00 -0500

Check out Matt Pritchard at Punta San Carlos showing you the art of the back loop!

Heli Tack like "The Color of Money"

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:12:00 -0500

When thinking about going for a Heli tack in 5kts or in 25kts I try and think of the movie The Color of Money. If I'm teaching, I put on my best Paul Newman and try to imagine my student as a young Tom Cruise. Thats because the best advice I can give anyone is to "reach back" on the boom and "slide the sail into the wind." But invariably everyone thinks about the heli tack and how the sail moves around... and they think the sail goes everywhere except into the wind (like hitting every rail but not a single ball in the pocket). So If we think of The Color of Money and you have a big sweaty pile of greenbacks sitting on the rail, which by the way if you sink the 8-ball you get to walk away with, we achieve a slightly different focus.

Enter our cue — the boom! Our front hand is the guiding hand and our back hand is the striking hand. Now we don’t play pool with our hands 3-inches apart, so we are going to reach WAY back on the boom!

Our Guiding hand, is going to keep the sail de-powered and pointed straight in the wind.

That Striking hand (which is WAY BACK on the boom) is going to propel our cue/boom towards our target moving the head of the boom straight and true through the wind.

Once the head of the boom (or the Cue ball...in this analogy) has moved enough into the wind (i.e. harness lines in front of body) our ball has been struck!

We are going to stand tall, arch our back in triumph and release the pressure from our front hand, still grasping our back hand “WAY BACK on the boom!” We are not going to watch our stick/boom but follow the cue ball strait to the 8-ball! And we'll continue to follow the 8-ball into the corner pocket. The sail will harmlessly move around us as we stand proud and tall. All thats left is to level our boom, flip our sail and collect that big wad of sweaty money sitting on the rail.

Tips to Remember:

- Never let go of your cue stick! I know its a big temptation to throw the stick to the ground, or to release it after a big shot, and announce to everyone “yeah, I made that shot” but we have more money to win later....so stop with the sail clew first!

- Follow the ball into the hole. After striking your ball you are not done! Keep looking forward and into the wind despite how cool it looks when the sail flips around. Learning that this shot is for everyone else to watch with a jaw dropped, but not for you to watch!
- Use the granny stick. You get no extra points trying to making this shot the hard way, so go out in light wind using a big board to get all the motions down. Then start making it harder. You don’t win the big game with out hustling on the streets for a while.

- "You gotta have two things to win... you gotta have brains and you gotta have balls.”— Eddie Felson. We have taken care of one, so go out there and rack them up!

Brendon Quinn (aka the Windsurfing Gypsy) teaches full time for ABK Boardsports and is sponsored by RRD boards and sails.

Three Tricks in One

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Students often ask to learn a trick that looks hard but is easy to do. A great place to start is with a cool-looking move that will lead to more tricks in the future: the clew-first Nose Sink Tack. Depending on either point of sail or type of entry method, this move can be turned into at least three other tricks that I’ll talk about later.
This move, like most, is easier to learn in light wind with a big board and small sail. While sailing clew-first, turn the board into the wind by raking the sail toward the back of the board. Stagger your feet around the mast, staying on the centreline as you approach the eye of the wind. Once the board has reached the wind’s eye, begin a normal sail flip by leveling the clew to windward with the clew hand. Next, slide your mast hand up to the boom head for the flip. The closer this hand is to the mast, the tighter the sail rotates for less swing weight. Now release your clew hand, letting the sail flip, and simultaneously lock your mast arm and shoulder to keep the sail upright. Don’t complete the sail flip by grabbing the new boom, but instead step around the mast base, allowing your body to follow the flipping sail to the new side. Look forward towards the board’s nose as you re-grab the same side of the boom with the back hand and sail away the new direction. In order to add the nose-sink part of the tack, take a larger step out onto the board’s nose and hold the clew for a second during the flip to kick the tail out in the new direction.
Performing this same manoeuvre on an upwind reach will get you sailing backwinded or on the leeward side of your sail rather than completing a tack like the previous version. Changing the direction slightly gives you a brand-new trick. Next, try throwing it in mid–Helicopter Tack by following the clew to the leeward side instead of just flipping the sail. This will put you back on the leeward side, where you can perform another heli exit for the final completion of a Double Helicopter Tack. Finally, after a planing jibe entry and foot switch, try flipping the sail and chasing it around like before. Immediately add a Helicopter Tack exit, and you will complete your first Reverse Monkey Jibe.

Go to abkboardsports.com to attend a clinic by owner-instructor Andy Brandt.

Duck Jibe

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

So you have a few years of windsurfing under your belt and can carve a halfway descent jibe, but you still want more. Next time you go sailing, why not try a Duck Jibe? It will impress your friends and is safe and easy when properly attempted.

This trick has been around for a while and still looks awesome. It's one of the reasons I learned to windsurf 18 years ago. Before going out, it's best to consider which conditions will make learning the easiest. Moderately shallow flat water is ideal with the wind blowing 15 to 20 knots, allowing you to be on a 5.0 to 5.7 m2 sail. If it's blowing any harder, you might be too scared to try. Whereas if you're forced to use a bigger sail in less wind, the boom will be too long for comfort.

Ultimate Setup

Use the same head-to-toe setup as you would for a regular planing jibe. Here is a little reminder in case you forget. Start at your head by looking down wind and behind you to make sure it's safe to turn. Moving next to the shoulders, slide the rear hand back at least a foot and a half down the boom to help keep the sail sheeted in. Slowly let the sail's power shift into your hands. The hips come next, so lift your pelvis, as subtly as possible, to unhook without bending the elbows. Lower your body down and out so that your eyes are at boom level. Use leg strength to keep the board away from you. This keeps the sail sheeting in and the board at speed and in control. Finally, sneak the back foot out of the strap and place it on the leeward rail just behind the front footstraps. Now you're in the best possible position to enter any jibe with speed and control

Entry

Start carving the board downwind by moving back up your body, from toe to head (ankles, knees, hips and shoulders), gradually allowing yourself to be pulled in over the board by the sail. Just as you start carving and your posture is upright over the board, initiate the "ducking" motion. However, this does not mean you literally duck with your head. Instead, reach the front hand over back, pushing the sail forward, allowing the rig to fall to leeward (to the inside of the turn). Keep your body balanced and still. If the mast doesn't fall to leeward, you're probably ducking too late. Once the mast falls to leeward, pick the sail up, throwing the clew back and away from you and grabbing the new side in front of the harness lines. Your goal is to get the mast past your back shoulder and keep the sail sheeted out.

Exit

Keep the sail sheeted out and let the board carve past downwind before switching your feet with normal jibe footwork: pivot the front foot out of the strap across the centreline and step forward with the new front foot. Now, sheet in and sail smoothly away, impressing all your friends.

Tips to Rip

1. You can never "duck" the sail too early.
2. The handwork during the "duck" should happen in front of you.
3. If overpowered, bear off slightly before starting the move.
4. Do not sheet in too soon at the exit, or else you'll stall and fall in backward.

by Nathaniel "Mac" McFarlane / Photos by Pete DeKay

ABK Aerial Inspiration VIDEO

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you are looking to get out there a try throwing down your first aerial windsurfing trick... try watching the following video for a little inspiration. It shows you what fun can be had at an ABK Boardsports clinic!

Vulcan Tips from the UK's Sam Ross

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:18:00 -0500

View this video on "full-screen" mode and get ready with the "pause' button to read all Sam Ross' tips.

Longboard Secrets

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

1. Foot position to rail upwind
The art to out-pointing your competition upwind has to do with increasing the leeward waterline. Like a sailboat, tilting the leeward rail (10 to 45 degrees) increases the waterline, helping the board climb a few degrees higher into the wind and slice through the chop instead of plowing. Place your back foot on the board’s leeward side to apply pressure. Keep both feet forward so the board rides flat (lengthwise) for a clean water release off the tail for maximum speed.

2. Oversheeting on a tack
To achieve a smooth tack with no loss of momentum, the longboard must be turned all the way past the eye of the wind before transitioning around the rig. Oversheeting the sail will do this. Push out on your front arm (on the mast) while pulling in on the back arm (on the boom behind the balance point) as you approach the wind. Keep all your weight over your back foot on the leeward rail. It’s possible to get 15 degrees past the eye before making your move.

3. Tighten your pivot jibe
The secret to a tight jibe with your daggerboard down involves a combination of three actions: apply foot pressure on the opposite rail to the direction of the turn, lean the sail as far to the outside of the turn by moving your hands to the boom’s clew, and shorten your waterline by standing as far back on the board as possible while leaning your upper body back towards the tail. Practise giant S-turns while heading downwind to get the feel of combining all these elements.

Catch Andy Brandt at an ABK Boardsports clinic. He rides for Neil Pryde, JP-Austrailia, Dakine and Ozone Online.

The Best Jibe Entry

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0500

THE BEST JIBE ENTRY

by Andy Brandt / photos by Pete DeKay

Learning to plane out of a jibe takes time and practice. The next step is figuring out how to plane out of a jibe faster than anyone else at your local beach. The tricky part to the latter is, it requires the discovery of a certain "feeling.".

I can explain how to jibe, simulate the steps, and coach students how to learn a dry jibe, but full-speed exiting is something the student must attain on his or her own. It all starts with allowing your sail to pull you over the board during the jibe entry. The most natural reaction is to resist the pull and fight back. The secret is to resist this temptation and instead control the speed of the pull with the back hand as your body goes from riding over the fin to surfing into the board's carve. Let the sail do the work for you.

Once you've completed your jibe setup and are still hanging down off the boom, concentrate on feeling the power in the sail. Sheet in the back arm and allow the front arm to roll your body into the turn. It's an odd feeling to follow the front arm into the turn; this requires commitment and concentration.

Keep your head up while rolling through a normal jibe entry that starts at your ankles and moves gradually up your body. First, soften your ankles to start coming in over the board. Next, bend your knees to keep them in front of your nose at all times and look forward past the mast as your body continues to roll in over the board. Remember, take your time. Understand that the slower you move, the better chance your board has to maintain maximum speed.

The final piece is to turn the sail off at the right time by over-sheeting. This must be done before you reach straight downwind to keep from rolling too far over the board and into the water. Continue pushing with the front arm to complete the entry and resist the natural urge of pulling against the sail's power.

With practice, you should be able to accelerate into the turn while keeping the board's nose down in the water for a fast and smooth carve. With this last step, the rock-star jibe will appear a reality in your windsurfing.

GOOD = Follow a straight front arm into the turn BAD = Fighting against the pull of the sail slows you down

Teaching Geoff to Back Loop

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:39:00 -0400

A little Sprecks action with Geoff, working on some Back Loop and wave riding skills.

Butt Sailing Drill

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you are looking to learn proper sail handling for waterstarting or just wanting to get more comfortable in highwind here is a drill for you: Butt Sailing. Don't laugh...it can come in handy.

Setup: Practice this drill in waist to shoulder deep water with normal to over-powered conditions. Use moderate to smaller size gear.

The Goal: Don't try to get up (at least at first). See how long you can float along under the sail with your feet resting on the side of the board. Practice steering upwind and downwind building up your muscle memory for dealing with the sail in a waterstarting position.

A Two-footed waterstart: If you get hit by a gust the sail may just yank you up over-top of the board. Congrats...you just made your first waterstart! However, for more efficiency on a true waterstart you should drop the front foot away from the board and do it with only the back foot.

Plane into a Tack

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

1. Set up for the tack from head to toe. Think about where you want to tack and what went right and wrong on previous attempts so you can make adjustments. Look to avoid tacking into the path of oncoming sailors. Reach back on the boom about six inches to keep power, and drop your front hand down to the mast at about waist height. Unhook from the harness moving only your hips with no arm bending. Hang your weight from the boom to keep your feet light and maintain speed.

2. Move your body forward without losing speed. Hang from the boom and slide the back foot out of the strap, placing it as close to your front foot as possible. Slide the front foot out of the strap all the way forward to the leading edge of the mast base. If this step seems too big, an extra slide forward with the rear foot may be necessary. The key to keeping speed while moving forward is to stay sheeted in with the back hand while keeping your feet light by hanging from the boom.

3. Carve upwind into the tack. The board may begin turning as you move your feet forward, but not necessarily. Start carving gradually by subtly weighting the windward rail. Take care not to over-weight the rail, creating drag that kills your plane before reaching the eye of the wind. As you get more comfortable with this entry you will gain more ground to windward before falling off a plane. This newfound speed is the secret to transitioning around the sail and full completion of a planing tack.

Jason Voss is a professional instructor sponsored by RRD, Hansen Sails, HPL, Powerex, Epic Gear, Ultra Nectar and jrvwindsurfing.com .

Use Your Head

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Windsurfers often worry about what their arms and legs are doing while sailing when they would be better off using, and thinking about, their head. Keeping your head up and looking forward gives better balance, directional awareness and teaches a windsurfer to feel and not look for feedback from their sail.

Leverage Loss and Gain
Moving your head in or out affects how much leverage you have over the sail. When waterstarting or beachstarting, your head should be tucked in and down toward the board to have less leverage against the sail, allowing it to pull you up easily. Other uses for this head in position include earlier planing through hanging down off the boom and to save your balance during a fall backward (to windward) off the board. The opposite applies when trying to be stronger or have more leverage against the sail. Leaning your head out over the water and to windward maximizes your pull against the sail. Any skill requiring leverage—sailing faster, pivot jibing, flipping the sail, or even hooking into the harness—will go better and dryer with your head leaning toward the wind and away from the sail.

Better Balance
Sometimes it’s better to not do anything with your head at all, but concentrate on keeping it still and steady overtop of your body. This is the secret to almost every carving manoeuvre. For the planing jibe, duck jibe and basically all carving tricks, keep your head still and your chin up. This will prevent you from leaning too far forward into an Eddie “the Eagle” Edwards (ski jumper) posture. All sail-throwing moves, like Duck Tacks and Boomerangs, require balance, especially when you’re not holding onto your sail. Once again, the perfect head-up and still stance will keep you dry and looking good as you perform magic with your sail. While moving around overtop of the board, you always know when you’re off the centreline because you feel the board tip. Keeping your head up will allow you to recover and improve your overall balance and strength.

Improving Angles
Sailing at extreme angles upwind and downwind is difficult. Using your head can give you the advantage of a few extra degrees. Leaning your head forward, to the nose of the board, and out, to windward, is a great trick for pointing upwind higher and maintaining full speed. This places more of your weight on the mast foot, increasing the amount of board in the water and allowing for a better upwind angle. The opposite applies to downwind sailing. Leaning your head back towards the tail and out, for leverage, will let you fly downwind. This is because adding more weight to the back foot decreases the waterline and turns the board off the wind. The more you exaggerate either position, the better it works.

Go to abkboardsport.com to attend a clinic by owner-instructor Andy Brandt.

The Art of Sail Chi

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

1. Boom Boxing Basics
Find a clear location with steady, light wind and rig up a sail. Don’t rig too big, as you need only minimal power to practise. Secure the sail by attaching it to an old “drag” board or piece of plywood on the ground. Set the angle of the drag board to the wind at about 30 degrees (the board’s nose points slightly upwind). Position yourself on the board to the leeward side of the sail. Start with the sail balanced and backwinded, your hands equally spaced around the balance point on the boom. Push (or punch) with each hand independently without ever gripping. This pushing with the front hand followed by the back around the sail’s balance point is like sparring or boxing with it. The sail should fall toward the ground when pushing with the mast hand and rise back toward you when pushing on the back-clew hand.

2. Boom Boxing Drills
Now, try staggering your hands away from the balance point. The farther you reach away from the balance point (or closer you get to the mast and clew), the easier it is to get the result you want. Understanding leverage helps you in all aspect of windsurfing. The ability to reach back on the boom to sheet in, or forward to sheet out, can give you the confidence to do many basic skills as well as advanced tricks. Next, try boxing on the sail below the boom. You should find it easy to push the sail down with the front hand and float it back up to you with the back because the maximum width of the rig decreases the lower you get. The sail’s leading and trailing edges are closer to the balance point, making sail control easier. This movement can give you great saves during tacks and leeward sailing.

3. Luffing from the Clew
Controlling the sail’s power with only your back hand is essential for many manoeuvres, from beachstarting to Chachos. Set up a real sail land simulator with the board perpendicular to the wind. With the sail luffed in a balanced, upright position over the board and you standing on the ground just downwind, reach back on the boom halfway between the clew and the harness lines. Release the front hand and try to keep the sail flying in this luffed position with only the back hand. If the mast falls away from you, pushing with the back hand will make it float back up. If the mast comes toward you, pulling in on the back hand will make it fly away. Try to react slowly and gently. Once you’ve mastered the basic skill and can keep the sail still, try switching from one side of the sail to the other while maintaining this luffed floating position in front of you.

Check out abkboardsport.com to become a far better windsurfer!

Loop Inspiration...pehaps

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Proffitts Pozo Training Diaries - Part 7

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 11:32:00 -0400

Ok... this is the big one! We have 3 batten sails, Wipeouts, wipeouts and more wipouts, Push forwards, Doubles and some sick wave action. We also have wipeouts.. cant remember if i told you that. We have crashes and lots of blood.. haha.. i am not joking there is some funny shit in this one!! I'm still laughing from putting it together!! haha..oh yeah and more crazy dogs!

Ben Proffitt's Pozo Training Diaries - Part 6

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 08:17:00 -0400

Welcome to part 6.. News includes: Tenerife PWA is on! Ricardo crashing hard.. Bruch and lewis over for the weekend.. Kauli has arrived plus... Local kids attack us with rocks!! And some dog drowning!!

Leeside Save

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

1. Getting Leeward
Transitioning around the sail during a shortboard tack can be quite the handful, as the sail’s bulky mast sleeve isn’t easy to grab even when using a reduced-diameter mast. The only way to lighten the rig for easier handling is to keep it upright and balanced, eliminating as much clew weight as possible. The key to stability while tacking a shortboard is to transition early (before reaching the eye of the wind) so you keep forward momentum and end up standing on the leeward side of your sail.

2. Making the Save
Once on the leeward side, the sail becomes light, often catching us off-guard. The sail boom falls beyond your reach down toward the water. Human instinct causes you to grab for the sail and lose balance over the board. Instead, go against this natural impulse and push or tap lightly against the foot of the sail behind the balance point (harness lines). Impressively, the rig will return back upright toward your body. The key is to sheet-in the sail just enough for it to return to you and then let it sheet-out or luff.

3. Controlling the Power
If you don’t allow the sail to luff once it’s upright, it will have too much power and push you off the board. Just a tap or light push is enough to save the tack while allowing you to maintain your spot over the board’s centreline. With a little practice you’ll be amazed at how close the sail can get to the water and return to us.

Jason Voss teaches in California, Maui and the Gorge. He rides RRD, Hansen, HPL, Powerex and Dakine.