Learning to windsurf and unlocking new moves can be challenging. With today’s windsurfing tip you will learn how to have a better stance. Keeping and increasing your speed is all about having the correct stance. Being able to quickly adapt to choppy conditions is a prerequisite for all else.
Windsurfing Stance:
Often our windsurfing stance is held back by what we think it should look like. This video explains what the best body position is to get ourselves going, wave riding, blasting, going faster or even just getting in the foot straps.
While learning windsurfing, you often get told to “push our hips in”, “lean back” or “commit to the harness”. But with these directions, you can end up in a position where you have a lot of commitment on the boom, but the load gets taken on by your arms. You will start to pull the rig over you and as you hit bouncy choppy water you will be bounced and drop out of the harness. The other challenge is that you will start to bend and flex your legs and the rig will move around a huge amount. In turn, this will make you feel like you have no control, especially in choppy conditions. If you start to move your feet for something like a jibe while you are in this position the only way you will be able to do that is by pulling on the rig. Pulling your rig will shift the center of balance and you will lose speed.
Sam’s tip to get into the right stance for windsurfing is:
Drive your hips out and down and then bring your shoulders out to meet them there.
You need to have a flat back with your back always reflecting the position of the rig. The more upright your back is, the more upright your rig will be. This will allow you to drive pressure through the rig and down through the mast foot. All things that will help you to keep your board flat. The added benefit of hinging at the waist is that you can now typically use your legs no matter how much you shift up and down or flex your knees and toes.
I’m not changing how much weight I’ve got in the harness.
- In light winds, I can extend the legs but keep the hinge of the waist.
- In stronger winds, I can sink my hips down but the distance between myself and the boom will not change.
Now if I want to go into a maneuver like a jibe I can slide my backhand down, unhook and place my foot in the middle of the board without pulling the rig towards me.
In Summary:
- Hook in and squeeze out and backward with your hips.
- Keep an upright back to keep an upright rig this will keep your board flat.
Looking for a new board to suit your style, Starboard has a wides range of windsurfing boards for you to choose from so you can be sure to find the perfect board for you, no matter your weight, skills or discipline.
Check out Starboard’s 2020 Range and find the perfect board for you.
You can find more information about Sam Ross and his work as a windsurfing coach here
Video By Light Box Film
