Just to show you it can get windy inland too

nice photo - serious move or serious wipe out?

Move or wipe out I would of left the board and rig a long time ago!

yeah I did land it !

I'll verify that !
Mark's one of the few who can pop loops off Draycote chop.

Dunk - Any tips on getting those forwards apart from needing loada's bottle which im struggling with (going into a catapult on purpose doenst sound to good to me).

Im practicing my jumping big time ie nose first landings, tail first, in and out of the harness etc. Trying to get my mid air control to a tee. I think I just need the bottle but any short cuts or help/advise on how you started appreciated.

cheers

I'll second that....

Thing is its not that hard. In fact I think there's more to gybeing. Its just a spin in the air.
My thoughts are,
Don't jump and then think you'll do it, it'll be too late, I know if I'm just going to jump or loop before I take off.
You have to be 100% committed.
Its easier to try off small waves or chop on 5m sails or less nicely powered.
Wedge your back foot right in the strap, move your back hand back (about the same as when gybeing) , unhook, hit the chop or wave no tighter than a beam reach, as you leave the chop /wave, sheet in, look back, pull your back foot up under your bum ( the bit that changed it for me was instead of curling my toes up as when jumping, curl your toes on your back foot down) hold tight and stay sheeted in, you will go round and prob land on your back.
Remember as when you learned to carve gybe, you don't just do one then you can do it. You have to do try hundreds , just keep at it ! Sometimes I don't land any!
We're all still learning !
Good Luck

cheers Dunk - sitting at home I get myself all phyched up but once im out there screaming along I just start having second thoughts and can think of nothing worse than going into a forward - I will get over this but I suppose it will take time and come with more confidence/control on the water.

I suppose im scared of the speed and ive been told you need the speed to get around - the attempts ive done so far def lack commitment and aggresion (as well as technique).

Praying for some nice condition this w/e and im going to have to go for it and convince myself its not that bad - yeah right!

thanks again

Oh , forgot to say,

Don't try to throw yourself round, its all in the sail, stay commited against the sail and just sheet in really hard.

Let me know how you get on

OK Dunk - cheers for the tips... If you don't hear from me again, you'll know why......

Here we go Shaka - Next time i'm out with 5 or less I've promised myself, no matter what, that i'm going for it until i can't go for it any more...... (hopefully that will last more than a few seconds) - gotta crack these monkeys this year........

I've also found that wearing an extra neoprene vest under my suit takes a bit of the sting out of the worst backslaps..... good luck......

R.I.P! - hahah.

Yep next time going for it - taking loads of asprin b4 hand. This w/e looks pretty heavy for trying new moves but we'll see...

In the past ive tried throwing myself forward so now will rely on the sail to catapult me over - gulp..

Good luck - as you say we have to crack them. They have to be one of the coolest moves on the water

Was way to windy for anything new today top gust at Brog was 70 mph

Well I saw Mark pull one of these stunts at Draycote today depite the insane weather. I think that was on his 60L board and 3m sail. He was also getting battered on a regular basis, as were the few others who ventured out.

Sat 20th March,

Yeah, what a mad day !


Went out on a 3.7 and my JP to begin with, the RRD is usually to small inland ( 63 ltrs). When I changad to the RRD things were a little better. Made most of my gybes on port, but think I only gybed once on starboard all day ! Had some huge floaty jumps, and a few forwards, the last one felt massive and landed dead upright. As Paul says I also got battered a few times.

Got blown off at about 2.30 with gusts to 70mph. I was holding my kit, too windy to walk out, when it was ripped out of my hands about 10- 15 ft in the air and took downwind about 100 yds ( thanks Ian and John for recovering it ! I know you want salvage rights !) luckily it landed in the water with no damage.


As I was standing next to the pc linked to the weather station,I saw Tim go out, it was recording 60 odd mph on the south side of the lake, when he gybed over the other side ( about 3/4 of a mile away) he disapeared in a cloud of spray, the whole lake was a mist as the wind blew the water in the air. He made it back planeing ,sheeting out with a 3.3 sail and small F2 wave board

It was a bit over the top all day, but fun !

Mark

Good picture Mark. I didn't get out on manic Saturday myself. But Sunday was still good. When are you off to El Medano next?

CU, Tim - Tenerife
(PS have you heard from Hannes at all? , or did he go down with something more serious?)

i noticed dunk doin a few jumps kitesurfing earlier at borth! looks as though he's got those down to a fine art too! i've really gotta have a blast at kitesurfing one of the days - it looks ace!

Thanks Rob,

Looking at the way you handled a kite, and how you were ripping up the beach on your mountainboard, it wouldn't take you long.

Have a word with Shem, he'll sort you out.

thanks

Woohooo... I went for my first ever forward loop yesterday.....If you haven't already heard!

Sorry to go on about it, but I'm pretty stoked.... I even pulled one off and sailed away from it. And I'm still here to tell the tale.!

Al.

Well done Al

Dunk.... Can you loop on both tacks??? I had a nightmare trying them on starboard tack today... Didn't even get close once... Not even a little bit close!!

Al.

No I can't, it hurts like hell !!!!!

Hmmmm.... Think I'll stick to doing it on port tack for a while then!

Afterall, its not as though I can actually DO them yet even on port tack, I've only landed one!!

Al.