-
Hitta rätt utrustning! Stort eller litet.
Hittade ett inlägg på Gaastra konfen som är riktigt vettigt, eller vad säger ni?
Det är med andra ord bara att träna på! Utrsutning i all ära, men det är den som tränat mest som sätter flest trick i slutändan.
/PeterAuthor Topic: usings on large vs medium size freestyle boards
Geoff
Member posted 25 March 2003 01:57 PM
I see lots of postings asking what size/brand freestyle board to get. I deduce that if you don’t know what size you want, you’re new to freestyle. Such posts seem to lean toward the 100L range, and in my experience this is probably a bad decision for most sailors.
My perspective comes from living an a place that has mainly frontal wind sailing. No trade winds, no big thermals like the Gorge / SF Bay. I’m 75 kg. In other words, I’m like the vast majority of locations in the world, and an average size sailor. I’ve done 2 ABK freestyle clinics, and have been into freestyle for about 3 years. I’ve tried a lot of things – fins / sails / boards to make it as easy as possible, and I’m beginning to do OK on a lot of moves. The bottom line:I’ve watched a lot of beginning/intermediate freestyle sailors going out on 100L boards and not even come close to making anything. They get frustrated and give up. Look, if the pros fall half the time, what do you think you’re going to do? The other thing beginners do is (seemingly reluctantly) go get a 120-135L board and try it on that (often with better results)! It’s like they are embarrassed to be seen on anything bigger than 100 L. You can see them thinking “Oh, I’m better than that. I don’t need the floatation anymore”. Right.
If you think you’re going to get the fancier aerials WITHOUT being good at subplaning moves, dream on. Spocks, Grubbys, etc., are mainly an elaborate chop hop with SUB-PLANING sail/board type tricks tacked on at the end. You’re not likely to get them until you’re dialed in with backwinded, fin-first, and heli-type maneuvers. All of those skills you need to learn when you’re not planing and need flotation.
Everyone who wants to learn freestyle needs a BIG board as their basic platform. Get a smaller one later on if you really get into it, OR if you live in a reliably windy area (i.e. 6.0 or better >20 d/month). Face it, freestyle tricks are HARD moves that are easier to learn if you have a stable platform. Freestyle is hours and hours of trying a new move, most sailors need at least a HUNDRED attempts before landing the first one. You need all the help you can get from the board.
The new freestyle boards in the 110-120L range are *perfect* for most beginning freestylists (i.e., sailors who are already dialed-in for freeride sailing). If you’re going straight to freestyle, before you can reliably plane out of normal jibes, you probably would be better off with a short and snappy ~130L freeride board (e.g., *B Carve, BIC eTechno Large, etc.). . Then graduate to a full-on freestyle board later. It’s not out of the question for even a skilled freestylist having a 130L board for the really marginal days.
Freestylists are showing the same phenomenon that got windsurfing in trouble – trying to use Maui-boards for something that is mainly done in light to moderate air. Don’t forget that one original allure of PWA freestyle was to be able to have an event when there’s not enough wind to race or wave sail – to keep events from being cancelled. Freestyle is, therefore, mainly a light to moderate air discipline, and your first board needs to be the *BIG BOARD*!
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.Jelmer
unregistered posted 26 March 2003 06:14 AM
Great post Geoff!
I very much agree with you, although I went the other way round. First a small board, now a bigger board for early planing. Small is good for improving your balance, big is better for improving your tricks.One addition, mess around when the wind is virtually zero knots, try tricks, sailrotations, handling etc. You’ll improve much quicker, when it is blowing.
Juan de Arteaga
Member posted 26 March 2003 06:24 PM
It hurts to admit it, but you´re right I´m too proud to see myself riding a board in the 130 ltr range (and i come from Formula). I sail a 78 ltr board in a place where the wind is VERY light. I went sailing yesterday at the local lake, and for the first time in my life i sunk my board. It made sail tricks very hard as well as planning (10 knots).
Matt, how big is your biggest freestyle board?Best of Winds,
BRA333Geoff
Member posted 27 March 2003 01:36 PM
Thanks for the compliments, all. I made the post because I want to see people having a good go at freestyle. I’m thrilled that The Team makes a special effort to make a web space for freestyle. Many thanks to Barry and Matt (I’ll have to look into getting some Gaastra sails!!!).
Absolutely, Jelmer, I agree that having all your sub-planing tricks dialed is what helps you nail the planing maneuvers. You need to have the sail/board handling to the point of being a reflex – automatic. Then it is amazing what you pull off.For all the beginning freestylists: if the wind is more than 3-4 kts, *always* rig and go. It has to be just about 0 before you get skunked. Work on clew-first, fin-first, backwinded, and all the spinny moves. As I said, it’ll help a lot if you have a somewhat floaty, but short and maneuverable board, with about 40-50 L of excess floatation (i.e., above sinker size).
Spend hours doing that. Do it until long past everyone who’s watching you from the beach gets bored and leaves you all by yourself. You’ll be glad you did.
Matt Pritchard
Administrator posted 27 March 2003 02:39 PM
Hey Guys,
Going big is Good! Don’t be afraid. My big board is probably almost 130ltrs. It works for me even in stronger winds. I can get away with one board from 5.4 to 7.0 and bigger.Freestyle is meant to be fun and yes you fall off- you don’t want to sink, you want to float and be able to spin your sail around if you are not planning-
Go out there and fall off trying pirouette helicopter tacks- at least you are floating around and not sinking trying to get back to the beach.
As a note, if you want to get some of my custom super trick freestyle boards that will blow your mind and help you stay afloat- let me know. They are soon to be available.
All for now.
Matt
-
1 Svar
-
Gött. Känns som jag definitivt köpte rätt bräda – en fet freestyle på 112 l. Kommer att bli mycket “snurra rigg” i lätt vind till att börja med så man får lite känsla i movesen
Logga in för att svara.
