Spin Loop Fault Analysis (no pain, no gain)

[spinmaster3000]

Something I aspire to do as well. Maybe this summer in the gorge, since that's where all my windsurf gear is.

[AdrienGrelon]

Hey BigD, I think that sail-only drill is good to begin with, as it gets you used to the powering up of the sail during the rotation, but I think you need to quickly graduate to Wymaroos or other drills/full attempts. The reason being that that sail-only drill is effectively teaching you to leave the board behind - something that's common to struggle with once you start going for full attempts.

Check out Jem Hall's vid where he demonstrates Wymaroos:



Eventually add a bit more speed to them as you get comfortable (he does them in super light winds) - again to try to make the drill as specific to the actual movement as possible.

One thing I've realized with my own loops is that I was probably over-thinking things for a while. When you're looping on flat, you don't have much time to do anything. You have the position you pop from and the position you end up in just before the sail bites and throws you, and then it's all over. So pretty much those are the two things to focus on: your positioning as you pop, and your positioning as you begin to rotate.

1) For the pop, key points are:

- Being over the board. If you're still "outboard" like when you're cruising you'll kill the rotation.
- Front hand touching the harness lines, back hand right back.
- Extremely impulsive - you can't hesitate: hard punch on the back foot as you draw the rig up and into the apparent wind. Trying to get the rig as forward as possible.
- Staying back. Joe mentioned this earlier, and it took me a while to figure out as it's counter intuitive, but you need to stay back whilst trying to get the rig as forward as possible.

- Blasting/being well powered/overpowered. Can't emphasize this enough. If you're only slightly powered loops don't work. Still go for attempts in the early stages even if you're underpowered, as getting over the fear is a big part of learning them, but once you start to get a feel for them don't even bother if you're not lit. Took me a while to figure that out - was wasting my time with underpowered attempts.

2) For the rotation position, the key points are:

- Front arm extended.
- Back arm bent, with chest trying to stay above the boom.
- Back tucked up, front leg as straight as possible.
- Looking back? I've seen different schools of thought on this, but as long the other elements are there it shouldn't matter too much. See if the queue helps you or not.


Rotation position - photo C36

The rest takes care of itself, but if the pop and rotation position are off (rotation position took me a long time to figure out), the rest of the loop will look like crap and sailing out of them will be tough. Transitioning from the pop to the rotation position should drive the nose down and tail up. The nose will touch the water if it's off complete flat, but then the rotation speeds up and you go around.

Here's a good series of shots from Kiri that show how flatwater looping technique can be "simple":


Blasting


Unhook. Coming over the board. I've noticed a lot of good flatwater loopers twist their hips at this stage to point forward - probably to allow them to get the rig even further forwards and to windward whilst keeping the body back


Popping. Rig high, forward and to windward


Going into rotation position. Notice how his back hand is even in front of his head, and his body is still "back"


Textbook rotation position


The rest of the move happening accordingly..




Booooooom

Hope this helps!

[C36]

AG: Interesting description - especially the 2-step 'pop' and 'rotation' part (it makes sense to me as I have been struggling to free the board from the water and often leave it behind). Your description also reminds me of something Mike C told me a long time ago - "go up like Spiderman [pop] and then in like a cannonball [rotation]".

Last time out when I was practicing the Wymaroo's I was thinking I should start working on pulling up with the back foot (but it was hard without the 'pop'), Interesting hint about being back to aid in the 'pop' until you initiate the rotation.

In my clustered adult mind I am starting to picture a bit of teeter-totter move. Body back, back foot down for the 'pop' - then back hand in, body forward, back foot up for the 'rotation'.

Thanks for sharing!

[eastside]

"Clustered adult mind", that's a good one and the real problem C36. If we were 13 they would be easy. I've only got about 3/4 way around. Last bout a year ago gave me whiplash for a week. Reading this is inspiring me though. I have only tried them at Columbia Beach in small waves in a set up that is more side shore wind to the wave. The Gorge would seem a better place to try them. That seems way easier to do than flat water. I agree that focusing on the pop and pull/rotation seemed to help me, otherwise I just thought of too much stuff and left the board behind.

[AdrienGrelon]

Here's an excellent example of how to make an upwind ramp work for the Forward Loop:

http://www.continentseven.com/forward-loop-off-lip-morgan-noireaux/

[C36]

Windsurf Forward Looping Tip #1


Windsurf Forward Looping Tip #2


Windsurf Forward Looping Tip #3


Windsurf Forward Looping Tip #4