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The Upwind Carving 360
This is an excellent carving move and can be built up from light wind freestyle fundamentals. It is suited to bigger more floaty boards and medium winds.
The move is the gateway to all modern freestyle; flakas, spock 540s etc. The dancing Brazilians might be switch stance, one handed or clew first, but lots of the moves end up with this rig transition.
Essentially you are going into a heli tack but rather than flip the rig, you continue to bear away until dead downwind. When you reach this position, you open the sail and it will pull you round to your original tack.
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KEY PARTS
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Carve into wind – This takes you from full planing to just through head to wind, whilst both feet remain in the straps. Ensuring the rig goes back as the body moves forward and in.
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Front to sail – Once through head to wind, you need to steer and control the board whilst front to sail, directing the board downwind.
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Push and Change – Opening the sail and taking the weight from the front foot onto the back foot and turning the last part to your original direction.
PRACTICE
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Front to sail – The building block of many freestyle moves. Get out there in light winds and gain control and steering ability in this position.
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Non-planing upwind 360s – The move can be practiced in light winds using the same control and changes in weight distribution. With less power in the sail it’s all a bit more serene.
FUNDAMENTALS
Look where you want to go – Look into the wind as you carve and then over your front shoulder whilst front to sail and continue doing this until you are pointing back to your original direction.
Board flat – Maintaining a flat board will ensure a fast carve into the wind. It will also help you control the power whilst in head to wind position. Lastly, a flat board will facilitate a smooth exit.
Rig away – As you carve hard into wind, the rig is leaned back and the body is forward. Front to sail power control is achieved through an extended front arm.
Front to sail sailing – The crux of the move. Having control and the steering skills to take you downwind will keep you that much drier.
Scissoring the board – The feet are subtly steering the board in conjunction with the rig. They are pushing and pulling to steer the board downwind and then take it through to the new direction.
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SET-UP |
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Ensure you have plenty of speed, perhaps bearing off a bit to gain it. From a low body position unhook and hang off the boom.
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CARVE INTO WIND
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Bring your hands together and look upwind as you start to carve off your heelside.
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To keep the board flat aim to turn the board off the front foot. As the rig goes back move the body forwards and in, whilst the sail remains sheeted in.
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Progressively through the carve upwind move your body inboards towards the mastfoot by bending your knees and elbows. This will get your weight forward and keep the board flat and put you in a position to transition into and control front to sail.
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The board has now passed through head to wind and its time to move forwards with your weight over the board. You are now coming over on to your toeside in readiness to go front to sail.
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FRONT TO SAIL |
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Throw the rig forward through an extended front arm to keep the sail away. The backhand moves right down the boom. Dip the mast into the wind as the power comes onto your backhand. Look over your front shoulder to where you want to go.
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Push the mast more to windward to depower the sail and steer you downwind. As the backhand is well down the boom it can open the sail. Your weight will be over your front foot and toeside through a bent front leg. All these actions will depower the sail and steer you downwind and would be the same if you were on the regular side of the sail!
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Hold this position until you go through downwind. You should feel this by the sail going light. As with all moves the more you look where you want to go the easier it all is, so keep twisting your head round over your front shoulder. The weight change is about to come.
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PUSH AND CHANGE |
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With the board through downwind the weight moves onto the back foot through a bent back leg. Punch the sail out with the back arm and bring the mast upright by pulling the front arm in.
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Look over your front shoulder more than I am here and keep opening the sail. You are aiming to get the sail fully sheeted out to stop you getting yanked like a rag doll. The body will move outboards and over the heelside to resist the sails power and help slide the board round.
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The rig goes forward as the body moves back and most importantly stay low. In order to keep the tail from sinking you can move your head towards the mast foot.
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View video of this move:
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Come up and get planing and then learn the move going the other way! Oh yes and then learn it one handed!
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- Do this move when you are slightly underpowered. If you are too powered up, you will find it impossible to control the rig as it fills at the end of the move.
- Make sure you practice on both tacks. There’s no glory in being one sided!!
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SUMMARY
- Unhook and hang
- Look into wind and carve on heelside
- Rig goes back and in whilst body moves forward
- Get over the mastfoot
- Throw rig into wind through extended front arm
- Ensure back hand is way down the boom
- Weight is on front foot and toeside
- Dip sail more to windward and open the sail
- Keep looking over front shoulder
- Move weight over back foot and heelside
- Rig goes upright through bending front arm and punching out on back arm
- Body move back and out as rig goes forward
- Stay low
FAULT ANALYSIS
Getting left behind as you carve into wind – Ensure you move weight forwards and in as you carve, rig back and body forward
Overpowered at front to sail – Get your weight forwards and onto toeside. The front arm must be extended to keep rig away. Don’t push hard on the back arm
Board steers slowly at front to sail – Dip mast to windward and open the sail. Keep it simple, look to where you want to go
Getting ejected as you open sail – Go late, the sail should be light and you weight must be over the back foot. Open the sail all the way and fast!
Tail sinks at end as you oversteer – With all your weight over the tail you need to anticipate when to flatten the board by moving head forwards and in over mast foot. Stay low!
“In order for things (your sailing) to change (progress) you must change (try new moves and methods)”
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Jamie Lever GBR-5
“When the sail fills in front-to-sail position, make sure you keep your back hand tucked in close and avoid the temptation to push with it.”
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Lucy Horwood GBR-95
“Keeping your knees bent and your weight low will make you a lot more stable through the move.”
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Ben Proffitt K-800
“Learn this move on both tacks. It’s the key to many modern freestyle moves!!”
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