BEN PROFFITT
Everyone has different techniques, but you need a bit of width in your board. It is the same as in surfing. The width in the board keeps you moving on the wave. In Tenerife we had two types of conditions. When the waves were softer at high tide you really needed a big board with plenty of width to keep the speed. The first turn is crucial. You can’t just hack the first turn because you will most likely lose all your speed. Then you will not be able to make it down the line. When it is onshore like in Tenerife you need a big sail as well as the wide board. Your first turn should almost be the setup for the second turn. You almost use the wave like a hill. Go up the hill, come back down the hill and use that momentum to crank into that second turn.
I use a lot of quads, but I think in onshore the tri fins are probably king. They feel a bit faster and I think they give you a bit more drive with a good centre fin. I don’t rig my sails any different. If I have a big sail like a 5.3m or 5.6m I will rig it a certain way anyway. I don’t have a lot of outhaul on my sails. Our Simmer sails have quite a lot of pull from the front. I kind of use that power from the front of the sail in my technique to help me get my weight forward and over the board. In onshore don’t just sit back, especially off the top. Don’t just hack a turn and lean back, you have to bring your weight on top of the board like a surfer and assert the pressure towards the front of the board because that is what accelerates down the wave. If you paddle into a wave on a surfboard and you lean back you won’t catch the wave, so when you come off the top it is really key to get your weight right over the centre line. Also the movement of the rig is really key. Your hand goes right down the boom and as you come up you throw yourself forward and move your hand and weight forward. Hopefully as you come off the top all your weight forward will generate speed to take you into the next turn. Onshore riding is all about linking turns, you try and generate your own power and speed to continue down the line.
“ Bring your weight on top of the board like a surfer.”