The Shaka is a combination of a Shove-it and a Flaka – it is not one of the newest moves but is still one of the nicest to watch but also one of the most difficult to learn.  It was invented by Ricardo Campello back in 2002, it was and still is used in the freestyle arena today.  However, as with a lot of the freestyle moves the Shaka has made it in to the wave sailing arena in the form of a backside 360.

• The most important requirement for a good Shaka, especially without a piece of chop or small wave is a lot of speed.
• Then to start the rotation, carve hard and fast to windward by putting the weight is on your heels. Make sure you sheet in hard with your backhand by pulling the boom in and upwards (this is the Shuv It part).
• As you carve up in to wind turn your back hip into the sail and push your back foot down, this will allow you to pop the board (this is where a small wave or piece of chop will help). Your front heel should stay down to keep the board turning in the right direction to windward.
• Once in the air you can push downwards on your back arm to backwind the sail to give you some lift and help float you around the rotation.  It’s very important that you keep turning your head in the direction of the rotation, also try to think about turning your shoulders and body in this direction as well.
• Hold this position in the air as you rotate.
• As you come down you should land with the front of the board first providing you held that same position and kept your front arm straight.
• This part is much like the end of a Flaka providing you got the fist steps right! The end of rotation will happen naturally and you will just spin round!

Andy ‘Bubble’ Chambers K540 Multiple British Freestyle Champion with over 10 years coaching experience.  A regular on the World Tour and a well travelled windsurfer; Bubble has the knowledge and experience to teach all aspects of windsurfing from beginner to the most advanced freestyle moves on the planet.  Follow him on Twitter https://twitter.com/bubblek540

Boardseeker will have a closer look at what’s in this next exciting issue very soon, for now check out the cover and content below.

Image credit NeilPryde/Jerome Houyvet. Rider Steven van Broeckhoven.

For more information or any queries regarding the magazine or your subscription please contact:

Tasmania’s North West Coast offers some of Australia’s best down-the-line wavesailing but generally remains under the radar. Only recently has it attracted a little more attention than usual as a potential Red Bull Storm Chase location. Boardseeker catches up with Alastair McLeod after a recent trip to the isle down under to find out more. 

The rugged coastline of Australia’s southernmost island state is battered by huge swells and the cranking wind of the roaring forties all year round. This and the fact that it is situated on the world’s longest expanse of open water earns it the somewhat ominous nickname – ‘ The Edge of the World.’ However, during our summer the conditions mellow out and the huge frontal systems are replaced with lighter seabreezes and warmer temperatures, offering a bit more all round appeal for a typical windsurfing trip.

The quiet town of Marrawah is a special place, home to large cattle farms and a multitude of empty beaches holding a variety of beach and reef breaks. With bays and points positioned on nearly every angle possible you can nearly always find somewhere side shore for windsurfing or offshore for a surf!

It has been over two years since I have visited Tasmania and despite scoring a lot of awesome conditions in Maui, Mexico or even in West Oz, it still remains one of my favourite places to go.

Down in Tassie there is never a shortage of swell, and the beauty is that there are literally zero crowds. On a busy day it will be only you and a couple of friends scoring waves all day long.

Typically summertime offers wind between 15 and a solid 25 knots cross offshore and the swell rarely is below head high. If down the line riding is your thing it is somewhere you really need to check out.

For this trip we spent the first two weeks of February down there and out of 15 days we were only out of the water twice.  Sure, it isn’t as consistently windy as WA but the empty waves and the close proximity to all the breaks (no 10 hour drives to chase wind!) makes up for that.

On the rare down time days there is a lot of exploring to be done. Going for a bush walk will guarantee you see some amazingly pristine beaches, weird and wonderful animals or maybe stumble across a ridiculous reef break with no one else in sight. With a 4 Wheel Drive the remote area further south of Marrawah is readily accessible and yet remains largely undiscovered. There are number of set ups that can hold serious size and haven’t been attempted yet.

Although the empty waves might be the main attraction, there is a lot of flat water potential within an hours drive as well. Back up on the North Coast there are a number of spots that absolutely go off for freestyle and speed sailing, with Stanley’s East Inlet being the most well known. A hardcore group of local speed sailors are often out there smashing 40 knots when the wind is up.

It’s also worth mentioning that if it’s howling onshore at the usual Marrawah spots, that means the wind is cross shore back on the North Coast. All bases covered!

If you want to escape from the daily grind, seriously relax and score some time on the water then Tassie is somewhere you have to consider. Don’t forget though that this isn’t Maui or WA. It’s quiet and remote so you need to be prepared and prepped with a sense of adventure.

If that sounds like your cup of tea then maybe it’s time to book some flights and head on down. I’ll probably see you there!

 Check out more from Alastair on Facebook here.

Robby Swift joins Boardseeker to talk you through some of the most radical moves in windsurfing today,  first up we take a look at the push loop forward…

This is my favorite move in the world. I love doing push loop forwards. It’s not every day that you can do them. You need good sized waves and lots of wind. I have done one on a 4.7 but really overpowered, I have seen Philip Koster do them on 5.0 but also over powered. My favorite size sails to do them on are 4.5 and below. Best is 3.6 overpowered.
Pushloop forward Pushloop forward pushloop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward push loop forward

Check out this video from the recent Red Bull Storm Chase, of Robby performing one of the best pushloop forwards you have ever seen – at 30 secs.

This technique was previously part of the ‘Radical Action’ series, after our switch over to the new website Boardseeker is now re-editing and posting updated versions of your favourite techniques….what moves would you like to see next? Would you like to go back to basics with moves such as 360′s, vulcans, forwards and simple blasting technique? Or do you want to learn more about how the pros pull of the hardest moves? Let us know in the comments below!

Life as a professional windsurfer is a dream for many, however as well as endless beaches and hours on the water, pro windsurfers work hard, travel with incredible amounts of gear and struggle to stay injury free. But how does the life of a professional windsurfer compare to other extreme sports?

Boardseeker talks prize money, equipment and crashes with UK Freestyle Champion, Andy Bubble Chambers, and O’Neill Pleasure Jam winner, Aimee Fuller. 

Aimee Fuller. Image courtesy of Red Bull content pool.

Name: Aimee Fuller

Date of Birth: 21/07/91

Sport: Snowboarding

Discipline: Slopestyle

Height: 5’3

Weight: 60kg

Best results: 2x 1st place O’Neill Pleasure Jam

Sponsors: Roxy Red bull Vans Level

Andy Bubble Chambers

Name: Andy “Bubble” Chambers

Date of Birth: 30/06/1983

Sport:  Windsurfing

Discipline: Freestyle and Waves

Sail/rider number:  K540

Height:  5’9

Weight:  75kgs

Best results: 5th PWA Sylt, 9th PWA Aruba, 3rd BWA Waves 2011, 2nd Tiree Wave classic 2011, Multiple British Freestyle Champion

Sponsors:  JP Australia Boards, NeilPryde sails, NP waterwear, Animal, Boardwise, Club Vass, K4 Fins.

Aimee Fuller practices on the jump at Red Bull Snow Performance Camp in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA. Image courtesy of Red Bull content pool.

Aimee: When I was 12 years old I hung up the skis and made the transition to snowboarding.

Bubble: When I was eight years old in Cyprus I used to stand on the beach with the sail and board, the fin dug into the sand and I would windsurf on the beach without going anywhere! I did that for two years before I was finally carried into the water still on my kit and just sailed off! Haven’t looked back since!

Aimee:  Things all happened very quickly, I was just riding for a laugh with friends and before I new it, I was sponsored by Roxy and competing; it was a dream so I am still shocked now to think I am doing something I love.

Bubble: It was windy everyday so I could go windsurfing straight after school, which meant I progressed really quickly. I started competing straight away because it was longboard racing back then. I didn’t start competing in waves or freestyle until much later.

Bubble in Cape Town. Image credit Line Wittrup.

Aimee: I guess last season. 2011/12.

Bubble: I became a pro in 2004.

Aimee: Just snowboarding, that’s what pro means…. in our sport. You are making a living from it!

Bubble: Teaching windsurfing at Club Vass, bit of prize money, selling my equipment and a bit of event money from my sponsors.

Aimee: It depends on the events. Prize money varies soo much from event to event and the star level of the contests. I’m not riding for the prize money, I am doing it for myself, if you ride thinking of the money it doesn’t work. You gotta be in this game for the right reasons.

Bubble: At the PWA events the prize fund for the men is 35,000 Euros. Which is split amongst the top 20 with 1st place taking about 18% of the total which is about 6,300 Euros and it goes all the way down to 20th place taking about 1.65% which is about 577 Euros.  It all depends on how many events are on, last year we had seven events so there was potential for the the guy who wins all of them to make about 45,000 Euros. Last year we had three events! So not a good year for money!

Aimee Fuller. Image courtesy of Red Bull content pool.

Aimee: This year is going to be mental. World cups, Xgames and TTR events , I’d say between 8-12 contests; there is pretty much one every week throughout the winter!

Bubble: There was seven last year on the PWA Tour, then you have four UK Wave events, six UK Freestyle events, European freestyle events.  There is potential to compete in a lot of you can get to them all!  Last year I competed at all three PWA Freestyle events which were in Austria, Fuerteventura and Germany.  Also the UK wave tour, freestyle tour and  European Tour event as well but only because it was in the UK!  Usually the events spread across the globe from Vietnam to the Caribbean places like Bonaire and Aruba.  Also lots around Europe and the Canaries.

Aimee:  All over, currently I am on a plane back to the US having just been in Canada. I’ve already been to the US three times this season. On the schedule coming up we have Germany, Russia, Switzerland, the US, France, Spain, Czech and back to the US; it’s a whirlwind but a fun one!!!

Bubble: I train a lot at the event sites as I think it’s good to get in tune with the conditions where we will be competing, also it pushes you a bit more having all the other sailors and media around.  I also train wherever I am if it’s windy! A lot of the summer is spent out at Club Vass in Greece and the last couple of years I have been finding some great sailing spots in the UK.  During the winter months I tend to head out to Cape Town where I can train everything from waves to freestyle.

Bubble at the EFPT in Weymouth. Image credit Global Shots.

Aimee: As much as possible injury and weather permitting four hours a day, four to five days a week.

Bubble: All depends on the wind!  If it’s windy everyday, all day then I will sail for as long as I can, which could be five to six hours a day.  Most of the time it’s just on the water.  Off the water it would be more on the fitness side.  Surfing and SUPing really help with your fitness levels and wave knowledge.

Aimee: For the actual practical side of snowboarding I head abroad, the dry land I do in the UK; I trampoline, cycle and do strength and conditioning sessions with Red Bull performance. It’s fun to mix it up! And it’s nice to be home.

Bubble: In previous years it was mostly abroad but more recently I have been spending more time in the UK.  I still travel a fair amount though!

Aimee Fuller does her morning warm up at Red Bull Snow Performance Camp in Sun Valley, Idaho, USA. Image credit Red Bull content pool.

Aimee: Canada. Retallack BC, waist deep powdaaa!

Bubble: My favourite conditions can be found in lots of places! It all depends what I want to do at the time.  At Club Vass it offers warm wind and water with an amazing atmosphere on and off the water.  Cape Town offers the waves, wind and some great freestyle spots.  The UK also has some amazing spots for training on the flat water or in the waves as well.

Aimee: Two boards, and then just all the other gear that you need for the hill.

Bubble: When travelling to events it’s usually around two boards, six to seven sails, five to six masts, three to four booms and all the other bits.  Going for a trip or training somewhere like Cape Town I would usually take a wave quiver of boards and sails and a freestyle quiver, so usually double the amount that I take to events!  Oh and a surfboard as well!

Aimee: It always stays the same, other than an extra layer or two to keep warm!

Bubble: If I got to a freestyle event I will only take freestyle gear and the same for a wave event. Like I said above if I am going somewhere to train I take everything!

Aimee Fuller poses for a portrait at the O’neill Pleasure Jam in Ramsau, Austria on November 10th 2012 // Lukas Pilz/Red Bull Content Pool

Bubble with his board and K4 fins in Cornwall. Image credit Simon Crowther.

Aimee: Bruised heels, broken coccyx, broken collar bone, torn rotator cuff. All knocks and bruises here and there but the bruised heels actually had me out for the longest, a solid five months.

Bubble: Usually my injuries occur when I am off the water! Whilst on the water most of the time it’s just been the odd knock, bump or sprain but nothing major.  A lot of the time it’s getting cuts which don’t heal because of being in the water everyday, after a week they just become massive craters which you then have for months.  Most of the time you get them on your feet and they always end up right where your footstraps go, so in the end you can end up having to stay off the water until they heal properly.

Aimee: Every way…

Bubble: Usually it’s the most simple of crashes that end up hurting the most! A good hooked in catapult is a classic for giving you a hell of a smash!

Bubble

Aimee: Bruised heels.

Bubble: Ankle sprains, broken feet, cuts, bruises, ligament damage in the knees.  Mostly though it’s just the pride that gets hurt the most!

Aimee: Backflip to face plant wasn’t my best manoeuvre!

Bubble: When we were at an event in Vietnam the wind was taking it’s time to fill in so me and a few others went out for a wobble to see if we could get going. On the way back towards the beach, (still wobbling at this point) I suddenly see people coming out of the restaurant on to the beach all pointing and looking in our direction.  Next thing I see is a fin come up out of the water by another. Turns out to be a very big tiger shark just cruising up the coast in between us and the beach! That was too close for me!

Full Gallery:

Where do you put yours?

Only by positioning the footstraps the correct way will you be able to gybe, jump high, and get enough speed. So, where do some of the top PWA sailors put them? There is no standard position for your straps, it depends on your riding level, weight, your height and so on. Here Boardseeker investigates more about where you should be placing your footstraps. Text by: reemedia.

Strap position for beginners and intermediates

To the front and to the middle is the formula; the easier it is to get into your straps, the better.

More to the front or to the back?

What happens when I put them more to the front?

For planing and planing through a move it is important to get more body weight to the front of the board. Thereby you increase the gliding area, which allows you to stay planing during the move.

Micah Buzianis in action

More to the back?

-The back of your board sinks deeper into the water which makes it harder to get planing.

-As soon as you are planing, there is less of the board touching the water which increases your speed.

-The more you have the footstraps at the back, the harder it is to keep control over your board in strong winds.

-Riders who have trouble getting in the back straps quick enough should mount them more to the front from the beginning, and with their level increasing they can slowly start moving it backwards.

Close together or separated?

What happens when you mount the straps far away from each other?

- Your position on the board is more stable and the board can be held more flat on the water. In the upper wind range you also have more control.

-The World cup sailors especially have their straps set-up super wide, so they can have maximal board control with their, almost always, overpowered sails.

-Have a look at the picture: 41cm and more are pretty common.

What happens when you put them closer together?

In low winds it will be more comfortable to ride, but as soon as the wind picks up you will have less board control.

Steven van Broeckhoven

How wide should a strap be?

The screws of a modern strap are positioned between 14,5 and 16,5cm. On a Raceboard/slalom board put it even tighter to have better control over the board in strong winds.

Outside or to the middle of the board?

With the latest freeride and freestyle boards you get a variety of plugins for your front straps. For freestyle and wave it is recommended to locate the straps more to the middle, for racing and freeride more to the outer line of the board.

Some tips for the specialists: 

-When your surface area is quite small and you position your straps to the front it is way harder to get planing. (Reason: you board is pushing water in front)

-The bigger your surface( “planing”) area the more you can put the straps to the front.

FROM THE RIDERS

Youp Schmit

Youp Schmit, Freestyle Young Gun

Which points of your footstrap position are important for you?

I keep my footstraps the same position all year round, for strong winds and light winds I always like to be on the same position on my board, I get used to this position all year so when I hit the water I know my setup.

What I do is I put the front footstraps all the way in the front, I like to be close to the mastfoot and the nose because this give me more control over the whole rig in the moves. And could also it gives the board a bit more slide.

My back footstrap I put almost as tight as possible around my back foot and all the way in the back.

Freestyle has changed in the past years, away from the sliding moves to the power moves; does it affect on your footstrap position?

Freestyle has changed a lot, especially in the last years.. But I’m not sure if it did change the position we put our footstraps, I do think the screw-boxes moved to other positions. I think it could be different with almost all boards, because some of the boards might put the screw-boxes in different positions.

I think most guys have the back strap now placed more to the back for more pop, whereas before it was more the the front for more slide.

Youp Schmit’s positions

Youp Schmit’s positions

Do you have any tips regarding the footstrap positions?

For the freestyle readers I would recommend to find the footstrap position you are comfortable with; for freestyle it is pretty with you straps if you put them all the way in the front it gives more slide, and to the back more speed..

Tip: It’s hard to explain .. but imagine.. We are talking about the front footstrap, you have 4 holes to screw the screw down onto the board on each side, some guys like for example Kiri put the strap that they go switch stance into, he puts the screw on the rail side one screw more towards the tail then the other side. This will change the angle the foot-strap on his board, and makes it easier to get in your straps for switch and makes it more comfortable for him.

And it makes it a little bit more narrow for the foot to fit into the footstrap.

Play around with your footstraps and see what is best for you.

And enjoy sailing!

Steven van Broeckhoven

Steven van Broeckhoven, Freestyle World Champion 2011

Which points of your footstrap position are important for you?

The position is really personal; on freestyle boards the distance is closer than on wave boards, because its easier to pop with the feet closer together, but to close is also not good for the balance and control.

Basically if you put the straps in centre this should be the recommend position, I have my feet a little bit wider as I’m a bit taller the average freestyler; on the JP we have three positions in front and three in the back.

I also but my straps a little more narrow, here are my positions:

-The front strap; I put the front screws in the middle position, the back screws in the front position.

-The backstrap; I put the front screws in the back position and the back screw in the middle position.

Steven van Broeckhoven’s positions

Steven van Broeckhoven’s positions

Steven van Broeckhoven’s positions

Freestyle has changed in the past years, away from the sliding moves to the power moves; does it affect on your footstrap position? 

Not really I think, but the boards have changed a lot and also position of straps and base. On the 2013 JP Freestyle boards we moved the base, straps and the fin more to the back. This is the difference!

Do you have any tips regarding the footstrap positions?

On the JP boards I know if you put them in the centre, then it’s always good. If you are small and want more pop bring the straps together when you are tall take a wider stance.

Also, try to bring the straps into a narrower position to use one plug position closer and make straps bigger, so the strap stands nicely round, that makes going much easier without losing speed and more narrow you will not slip out while doing the move. On the JP boards the straps you can also turn the plastic plates to make more narrow strap.

Micah Buzianis

Micah Buzianis’ positions

Micah Buzianis, Top PWA Slalom racer.

Micah Buzianis’ positions

Micah Buzianis’ positions

Which points of your footstrap position are important for you?

The most important points of my footstraps are: comfort of the straps and in a position that makes the board comfortable and easy to ride.

In the season 2011 you had a wider stan

ce. What´s the reason for this?

In 2011 I think my sails were harder to sail than in 2012, thus a wider stance to allow more control over the board.

Do you have any tips regarding the footstrap positions?

I think for the mast foot it really depends on the sails and boards you are riding and how they work together.  I would suggest that in choppy water you ride it as far forward as you can as long as the board is not sticking to much and in flat water put it as far back as you can as long as the board is not flying away.

Ricardo Campello

Ricardo Campello, ranked 4th PWA Wave World Tour.

Which points of your footstrap position are important for you?

I just stick to the length I normally use for all my boards, then depending if it’s on-shore or side-off I change it a bit.

What´s the reason for a narrower stance for jumping (for example in Gran Canaria) in comparison to waveriding (with a wider stance)?  

Just to be more comfortable; I feel that if the stance is narrower jumping is more comfortable for me.

Ricardo Campello’s positions

Ricardo Campello’s positions

Coming together for the Butterfly Effect

Tatiana Howard, the sparkle in her bright blue eyes, the wispy sun bleached hair flowing in the wind and a smile that sets the world on fire, is like a butterfly flying around the world spreading the what we islanders call Aloha.

Tatiana Howard, flying her wings underwater.

And shredding Ho’okipa

At the age of 26, this Maui born water woman is out to spread her love and aloha for the water. Growing up on Maui, Tatiana has taken full advantage of what the Hawaiian Islands have to offer.  She is a surfer, windsurfer, kitesurfer, stand up paddler, hula dancer, and the initiator of The Butterfly Effect 

Ladies on the water at BE Cabarete

With such a passion for water sports, Tatiana finished up her education and instantly went looking for something different in life, someway to do what she loves and share it with others.  “I wanted other girls to feel the same joy and happiness that I get from the water, wind, and fresh air.  We thought it would be fun to have a group activity that involved all the water sports but not competitive. It is always windy on Maui, so I told my girlfriends to join me on a adventure starting at Ho’okipa Beach Park to Kanaha Beach Park on Maui’s North Shore.  From one girlfriend to another, we started telling all the girls on the island who liked to windsurf, kitesurf, or stand up paddle, no matter their level, to come.

Tatiana Howard

BE Cabarete

Then it just happened liked a bang and has been unstoppable since! We did it!

Everyone had so much fun that we had to do it in more places, keep spreading our wings and sharing aloha with the world!  And hence “The Butterfly Effect was born!” says Tati.

Tatiana Howard, taking to the water

In 2007 The Butterfly Effect started out with 15 water women, all having a blast with contagious smiles and laughter.  They all gathered around and did some beach yoga, stretching, and got ready to launch their boards in the water. It is a group experience, a bonding time for everyone involved.  The next year more and more “Butterflies” showed up! In 2012 The Butterfly Effect Maui spread their wings to over 250 women doing the downwinder on Maui’s North shore. We had a helicopter doing a flower drop, jetskis, photographers, videographers, sponsors, music and a community beach clean up.  It was like the whole community wanted to get involved.

Check out the 2013 Butterfly Effect calendar and more about BE here.

BE Cabarete

Tatiana Howard

Tati with the girls at BE Cabarete

Third in the series is British based Si Crowther www.simoncrowther.com

All images credit Si Crowther.

Boards 1st cover.

First ever Boards cover

Date: Feb 2006

Rider: Simon Hurrey

Location: Kraal Bay, South Africa

There is something very special about your first cover shot and this one is etched into my mind for many reasons. For starters, I shouldn’t have been there; I’d missed my flight home already and had to extend my trip by four days at a great cost. This was then shot on the day I was due to leave for the second time, I very nearly missed that flight too!! (I will never learn).

In terms of action, this had it all: mid spock, one handed, full eye contact and then that very special touch.. Si pointed right down the lens, the point of his finger right down the centre of his nose, they say it’s all about timing, right? This made the shot so captivating and powerful. Neither of us knew just what we had captured at the time, which made it all the sweeter when we saw it in full glory on the laptop later.

To top this one off, when the mag hit the shelves in June 2006 (July issue.. never understood that one?) I was heading out to Fuerte to shoot with Jamie Hancock and in Gatwick’s departure lounge, in WHSmiths, the manager had used 15 copies and arranged them into a full pyramid display at the shop front entrance! I was pretty stoked! Worth mentioning that I grabbed another cover on that Fuerte shoot too! A cracking tweaked pushy from Jamie, again, full eye contact.. I was on a roll.

Brawzinho water shot

Brawzinho water shot

Date: April 2010

Rider: Marcilio ‘Brawzinho’ Brown

Location: Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui

So many elements came together on this shot to make it one of my favorite ever water shots.

The unusual angle is the first thing that struck me.

The rainbow is pretty hard to ignore. You can see the concentration in Brawzinho’s face. The foreground wave on the left, with the semi-submerged lens port. I love the stunning Ho’okipa background, with a sweet finishing touch on the right, the lifeguard tower. All these elements mean there’s a lot going on, thankfully they all balance to make a sweet composition. I simply love this angle at Ho’okipa and always look for this type of shot as a wave and action passes by.. Sometimes, that doesn’t work out so well.. I’ve been pitched over the falls quite a few times while gunning for shots like this. A price worth paying though, don’t ya think?

Ben Ainslie

Ben Ainslie sailing the ‘Moth’

Date: July 2009

Rider: Ben Ainslie

Location: Pro Vela, Mar Menor, Spain

Dan Macaulay is a legend, fact. Dan’s company Brandwave Marketing landed a location shoot for Henri Lloyd’s 2010 catalogue, and Dan booked yours truly for the shoot!! Hat’s off to Dan, this was a serious commercial shoot with one of the sailing worlds all-time greats, and Dan had seem something in my work and knew it was worth it to take a bit of a risk using me. I was flattered to be honest. There are many, many very capable sailing photographers out there, but Dan was looking for something a little different.. This shot is my favourite from the whole shoot. (we won’t mention the welly shot)  I was hanging off the side of a rib, traveling at around 30 knots. Dan was hanging onto my life jacket, so I could get as far outboard as possible. I was loaded with the Canon 5d, fisheye lens, wrapped in an Aquatech housing and Ben was on a fly-by on a hydrofoil Moth. What’s amazing is, this was Ben’s first ever run sailing a Moth, they are notoriously difficult to sail..  but not for Ben, second nature to him.

Kauli Seadi

Kauli Seadi mast mount

Date: April 2010

Rider: Kauli Seadi

Location: Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui

In some ways, the mast mount shot is the easiest of all the windsurf shots to take. Once all the prep is done, you just stand back and pull a radio trigger whilst the rider does all the work..

But, the secret is in the preparation, setting and composing the frame whilst attaching the camera and mount, taking care not to over tighten the clamps, but tight enough not to slip. Testing everything before the camera leaves the shore, batteries, lens port, seals, radio trigger operation, CFcard, exposure, shutter speed, it’s a big list; miss something and you trash the whole session.

I was a relative unknown at the time and Kauli was 3x world wave champ; I was super stoked when he agreed to let me cut holes in his brand new sail and mount a 2.5kg swing weight to his mast. What happened next left me bricking it and had a crowd of onlookers roaring in anticipation.

Kauli left the beach, on his first run, caught a gust on the inside and was fully planing out, meanwhile a bomb set was approaching, this is what got the crowd going, we could all see what was about to happen.. Proffitt said “say good bye to your mast mount” as Kauli sky rocketed a huge backloop, straight off the beach and landed with dry hair;

I was convinced the mount wouldn’t hold on landing.. The jump was HUGE!!

Everyone around me was laughing and cheering.. To my relief the mount held, but the forces were so great on landing, the lens detached from the camera inside the housing.. but not before I had bagged this nugget of gold. Phew.

Chamonix

Chamonix Snowboarder

Date: Jan 2012

Rider: Andy Lagan

Location: Flegere, Chamonix Mont Blanc

This is my favourite snowboard pic so far, I’ve not shot snowboarding much or for very long, so still learning a lot here, I’m also afraid of heights, so any mountain photography is a real challenge.. Weirdly, I get a buzz out of scaring myself shitless, so kinda enjoy pushing my own limits. Just getting setup for this shot was really challenging. In snowboard photography, everything takes much longer to get to location and set up, you are dealing with camera batteries that drain fast in the cold air and the lenses fog real quick and never want to demist, your fingers stop working and you often only get one take at the shot too. Hand signals with the rider are a must..

With this one I wanted to show the ruggedness of the Chamonix resort with the action & this spot showed the whole valley and town in the background. The light was really muted, which really brought out all the texture of the snow, rocks and clouds when I boosted the mid-range contrast in Photoshop. Andy did well finding a gap between the trees to nail the grab, without that, this wouldn’t have been a shot worth talking about.

Robby Swift

Robby Swift water shot

Date: April 2010

Rider: Robby Swift

Location: Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui

In Maui, it’s easy to get sucked into what’s known as Maui syndrome. Where, for a rider, that means not going out for a sail unless it’s really good. The same can be said for photography at Ho’okipa. The images are so iconic. If the light is not right you may as well pack the camera gear up and not bother. On this day, I nearly made that decision. The clouds were in and shooting conditions were less than perfect and light was fading. Many of the other photographers had packed up. Every now and then, a break in the clouds would flash a bust of sunlight. I decided to chance going for a swim. Many of the shots were overcast, dark and lacked vibrance, but one or two shots were lit by these bursts of light. I remember I was swimming in when Robby lined up for this one, the clouds opened and lit the wave, as the rain still fell. A rainbow descended right next to Robby’s top turn, set against a dark moody backdrop. A few small tweaks in photoshop for contrast and saturation really set this one off.

Levi Siver

Levi Siver water shot

Date: April 2012

Rider: Levi Siver

Location: : Ho’okipa Beach Park, Maui

As I looked at the back of the camera through the housing, after firing off a burst of shots, my jaw dropped when I saw what popped up on the tiny screen. As Levi lined up for this one, I got good vibes, sometimes you can feel a good shot coming and I definitely had that for this one. Everything seemed to be lining up. I had to kick hard to stay with the passing wave. I just knew I was about to get something good & wanted to stay in the zone as long as I could. Even still, nothing prepared me for what I saw on that screen as the camera rendered the shots..

It all happened so fast as I shot it, but as the sequence played through I saw this insane tweaked-out air unfold, in stuttering slow-motion, over this perfectly formed wave face. Amazing moment! I was so distracted, I forgot where I was. Right in the impact zone for the next set!

I remember getting drilled and deciding to swim straight in. As soon as I was out of the water, the back of the housing was off & I was checking through the sequence again.. Yes! It’s sharp too! I showed a few people on the beach, probably cos I couldn’t still quite believe it. Pretty soon people were talking about it. No better feeling! That shot right there is why I love doing what I do. Hoping for many more moments like that one!

This year has been filled with many incredible windsurfing movies; Rewarded by Andre Paskowski is without a doubt one of the stand out freestyle movies, but now Flo Jung, a team of editors and riders have released a stand out wavesailing movie too. After two years of hard work Boardseeker catches up with the riders of Don’t Let Go to find out more about the making of the movie. 

Robby Swift in Chile. Image credit Pablo Berrios.

Robby Swift – The Injury Curse

Instead of “Don’t Let Go”, the name of the movie would rather be: “Should have let go!” The crew of the film has been plagued with injuries trying to go big to go for the movie, right from the start when Flo had the idea to make this project, he injured his ankle in Cabo Verde. Then Flo got better and Boujma almost killed himself trying a triple forward in Maui.

In the summer we had a good run in the Canaries injury free on the PWA. I then went to Chile and broke my foot really badly and had to have an operation. I was able to go to Klitmoller to commentate on the event, even though I was on crutches still and there, Flo broke his knee doing a massive back loop.

We split up after Sylt; I went back to Maui to do my rehab, Flo did his in Germany. Finally in April we were all sailing together again and had a few good days of filming when Boujmaa broke his foot, the same injury as mine. Finally everyone was back on track and we managed to finish our last part in Peru all together.

My favourite locations were Maui and Chile. We had a sick swell in Chile this year at Punta De Lobos which was amazing and Maui had one of the windiest winters for a very long time, so we got in a LOT of sailing.

It’s very different from any other windsurfing movie I have seen so far. It is more emotional and more personal than any other video I have seen so I really like that about it.

My wife Heidy was one of the main filmers, Manuel Grafenauer was the main editor and Leon Jamaer also helped edit the final parts. Flo was the driving force behind the movie. He has been working really hard, over the past 6 months especially!

Boujmaa Guilloul. Image credit John Carter.

Boujmaa Guilloul - Gold Sessions

It is the first windsurfing movie I’ve been seriously involved in, we all dream about the perfect one, the one that will mark the history of windsurfing, action, lifestyle, editing, music and emotions, elements that make difference between all. Once you get the perfect set up, then you can make un unforgettable DVD, that you  will watch over and over again.

It has been really hard for us, to find funds and to realise our visions on film. We are working with a tight budget to get around and film together.

We had the idea of it back at Cape Verde contest in November, where Flo started filming, then we saw each other in Maui again, talking more seriously about it, and there it went; we filmed a couple sets and we continued trough the PWA tour.

I think we captured already some “gold sessions” and I am especially looking forward to see the Morocco part finalised.

You can expect different styles of windsurfers with very different motivations and backgrounds.

I loved pretty much everywhere we filmed, all the spots were good fun windsurfing, all different, but I always love my place, which is my personal favourite spot.

Camille Juban in Maui. Image credit Jimmie Hepp.

Camille Juban – A True Documentation

It began when Flo told me about the idea of making a film expressing the message to others to follow their dreams and “don’t let go”.

We don’t want to show another windsurf movie just with good action and  perfect conditions, it’s more about a true documentation of windsurfers and their life as a pro, travelling around the world to follow their dreams with all ups and downs; I hope you enjoy it.

Flo Jung pulling a goiter. Image credit Jimmie Hepp.

Check out the Facebook page for the latest updates: www.facebook.com/DLGWindsurf or visit the Don’t Let Go website for more and to purchase www.dontletgo-movie.com.

Manu at work. Image credit Maxime Houyvet.

Skopu

• Go switch stance with loads of speed by bearing off slightly
• Head slightly upwind as you duck the sail
• Once on the new side push hard  with the back hand and get low
• Throw arms up above head and take off
• Once in the air sheet in hard and pull legs in and underneath you
• Land sliding and turn head to look over front shoulder
• You should spin round 540 on landing to be heading the other direction

Check out more from the JP freestyle team on the JP website http://jp-australia.com/2013/

Kono

• Bear off slightly to get loads of speed
• Head back upwind and bring the sail slightly back
• Pull the sail in to depower it like a small pump and shift it into the wind
• Pull the clew back and behind you and get low
• Start pushing on the sail to load the power up and head upwind
• Push hard on the back hand and lift arms up above head
• Turn head to to spot landing, pull hard on the back hand and tuck legs up
• Land a flip the sail.

Toad:

• Bear off and duck the sail and sail along clew first
• Make sure you get loads of power in the sail and loads of board speed
• Carve upwind and open the clew right out as you pop the board
• Slide the back hand up the boom
• As the board rotates over the sail try not to move the sail
• You want to land with the back arm pulled in otherwise you will land with too much power.

Image credits Thorsten Indra and Axel Reese.

This is a fairly complicated combination jump move, that not many people can land nicely. It also involves landing with the sail clew first which is hard. It is a nice trick though and you get a nice moment of weightless flight in the middle of it.

Pic 1. Kauli is jumping off a good sized ramp, much like a ramp he would choose for a push loop or a back loop.

Pic 2. You can see his legs are tucked up and his arms are bent. He is close to the sail and keeping the power in the sail to gain as much height as possible.

Pic 3. Here he is still gaining height, he has started rotating slightly but he does not really throw the sail until the next picture. He is looking slightly over his front shoulder.

Pic 4. Now Kauli is throwing his sail around the rotation, looking down towards the water over his front shoulder. He does not take the board with him through the rotation, but leaves his legs behind much like a push loop table top.

Pic 5. Here he has thrown the sail round and let go of his back hand. He is looking at the water where he wants to land.

Pic 6. Now he is flying weightlessly and trying to get his hands as quickly as possible to the other side of the sail.

Pic 7. Now his front hand is in the right place on the other side of the sail and he is reaching down the boom with his back hand.

Pic 8. This is where the move becomes tricky, you need to pull with your back hand a little bit to get some power in the sail to soften the landing, but not too much or it will put too much weight on the nose of your board and you won’t land properly.

Pic 9. Here you see Kauli falling with power in his sail. He needs to get his weight from one side of the board to the other. Right now he would fall in the water between the board and the sail, so he needs to pull the board under him so that he lands on the board properly, while controlling the power in the sail.

Pic 10. Now he has the board almost under him and is getting back to the normal sailing position on the way in but with his feet switch stance.

Pic 11. Now he is pretty much in the normal sailing position on the way in, just with his feet switched around.

Pic 12. Just like the air chacho, now he has to do a clew first water start on the way out.

Pic 13. Getting ready to flip the sail round to the right direction.

Jason Polakow is one of the most well known and respected names in wavesailing. Earlier in the year, Ant Baker caught up with the big wave star to talk hold downs, what breaks he loves and a lot more. Jason Polakow also details exactly how he goes about training for big wavesailing in our sister company, Boards’ new Autumn Winter Wave Annual – find out all here.