flakkas....help!!

can any of you guys pull them off consistently, and have you got any hot tips (for learning flakkas of course)

i really want to gettem sussed this summer........and before davecta does

try to dig in the outside rail [}:)]

A few general tips:

I like bearing downwind just a tad before the jump. That's me, doesn't mean it's right, but something to try.

Don't jump right off, easier is when board barely lifts, fairly horizontal, ready to catch with the tip. Lot of people try to make a high jump out of it, that don't work.

I like to stay close to the rig when I'm on the wrong side, something to experiment for you if it doesn't work. Closer to the rig is not elegant, I'm told, but more control. I find the more speed, the easier to keep the normal stance, lower speeds you have to push harder including the body.

Once the nose takes water, bring the board flat, don't let it sink. It must barely catch water for the board to rotate.

What else? Underpowered better than overpowered at first. At least this way you get the feel for the first part, which is getting front-to-back. Speaking of which, usually at first one falls to leeward only. Make a point to overpower and fall to windward too. Eventually thus one finds the in-between point.

I find for many of these rotation moves a lower boom helps (more control, less power). It helps for the first part of the move, not for the hanging onto the rig when you resume normal sailing though. You can bring it back up once you master it the whole thing.

About mastering: I was in a sponsored comp this very weekend with pros and all, and I can tell you that everyone missed a lot, so nobody gets it 100%. Mind you it was howling, but again falling and trying is 90% of the fun.

One last bit: like those guys this weekend, I find it's a mistake to go for a 1-mile tack before trying stuff. I would much rather sail shortest possible before the next fall/move. Do 10 in a row, then go walkabout and try other stuff, then come back 10 minutes later. Practice in shallowest possible water - gives incentive to try stuff.

Good luck mate, it's well worth it just to try. Again we was all swimming this weekend but had an absolute ball !

Hey - I'm not in any position to lecture here, but I found one thing that really helped with the initial rotation...

Having watched some guys try to get 'em by bearing off downwind for a bit and then jumping (and making a mess of it) I started making the bear-off-down-wind to "jump" as one quick move.

Basically, sailing along, beam reach, bear-away-open-the-rig-then-throwtherig/jump all in one smooth move - I found it brought me much more over the board and the sail.

I know this probably isn't going to directly solve your problem, but it might help.

I found Dixon's Turfdog vid on youtube kinda helpful as well:

> Take everything I've just posted with a pinch of salt

Me too, by the way. There is a personal side to all this. They're just things to try...

It's on then. First one to nail them gets respect. Sorry but thats all I can think of as a prize at the moment. You can make your claim here but you have to have someone back it up.
Cheers ,Hoop

Nah not yet. I'm pretty keen toget them this Summer though. A few guys over here getting into some freestyle this season. Should be fun.

i thought they were a style of wetsuits

haha - sounds great - im keen too.

Been reallying trying to get spocks dialed lately - got a new freestyle board and its bloody awesome!!!!!!

Went out on monday arvo and can get all the way around now - best feeling!!

I am finding though that once i get to the last final flip of the sail, i tend to overbalance and fall on my face haha.

Here is a wicked link for freestyle technique - got a fair few tricks on there.

http://www.roynbartholdi.com/windsurf/

I think a sequence shot has to be shown for proof :)

Peace.

go as far downwind as possible at first with th esail sheeted OUT, dont carve the board as this will kill your speed, all your weight is on your front leg as you jump, throw the sail into wind with a straight front arm while throwing your bodyweight forward, look at the water a few meters directly upwind, dont be a wimp with the sail throw, u should be throwin the sail up and then down, this will send the nose down and therefore a nosefirst landing, not the spako tailfirst straight leg ones the germans do.. its eaisier to do them downwind of the back of big chop, but that gives u a slow slide when u land, once u get the hang of them u can do them across the wind and youll come out full speed!

orsm


barn - where do people place their hands? from the vids it looks like front hand a fist width in front of front harnessline and back hand in almost forward loop position a fair way back

managed to pull off some sliding Flakas today. not yet making the full jump onto the nose but did manage to pop and slide onto the nose then twist out of it. yeh

will has a shiny new 2009 jp freestyle

i saw will virtually pull a spock. was soooo close it was a gimme but ya didn't fall all in and that's what counts

Nope - tried a few the other weekend, but nothing yet. Now the clocks ahve gone forward over here in Vic hopefully I'll get out after work a bit and do some work on 'em...

I want to learn them because they are named after me

Steve Flack!

or eventually Steve FLAKKA!!!

not much practicement from me lately. hopefully next moderately windy NE