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The Grubby

The grubby is one of the more simple sliding freestyle moves and has been around for a couple of years now. As with most of the moves there are lots of variations now. It is akin to a Spock without a sail change. It is made up of the FREESTYLE FUNDAMENTALS of staying over the board, popping, look where you want to go, space away from the rig.

This move is very ably demonstrated by European freestyle sensation Andre Paskowski G-2 (F2, North, Camaro)...

Taking good speed from a beam reach start bearing away.

Coming onto a broad reach KEEP OVER THE BOARD and get ready to POP by sinking down through a bent back leg.

POP the board and you are aiming to throw the tail as far downwind as possible. TIP: look at mastfoot to KEEP YOU OVER THE BOARD.

Stay over the board and keep pulling back leg up under you and this drops nose to offer a sliding surface you can pivot around.

Still focused on the mastfoot, and OVER THE BOARD, you are landing and keeping the weight over your front foot and your toeside.

After the initial sheeting in you now have to extend the back arm and sheet the sail right out whilst keeping your weight over your front foot and your toeside. The tail is now as far downwind as possible and you should be sliding backwards. WEIGHT FORWARD AND BACK ARM EXTENDED.

Continue extending and sliding and your weight will slowly be transferring over your heelside. The nose is now starting to come through the eye of the wind. Looking through the sail may help orientate you, whilst it also maintains WEIGHT FORWARD.

Nose is now through wind so you will be exiting by sheeting in and continued weight transference to heelside. TIP: Look behind you to assist sheeting in and to bring weight outboards.

Board is now almost across wind and sail is sheeting in as body moves outboard. Weight is fully over heels as you as sinking down to resist sail power.

Claim it, you are now a happy bunny. Or go into a gybe to do 540, duck the rig or drop a hand.

Let’s break the move down into achievable goals:

Go downwind and pop the board aiming to get the tail as far downwind as possible.
With weight forward and back arm extended aim to slide backwards.
Recover the move and sheet in getting weight onto heels
Dry and fast sliding grubbies.

View video of this move:

Low bandwidth [MPEG, 0.2MB]
High bandwidth [MPEG, 0.5MB]


John Skye K-57 "My top tip for the grubby is to pull yourself really close to the rig as you enter the move, then really throw the rig away from the body as you jump the board around."

Ben Proffitt K-800 "Make sure your not absolutely stacked (over powered) It's best to be slightly under powered if anything! Also when you start getting the slide backward you want to sheet out as far as you can until the board has gone all the way round."

Phil Horrocks K-303 "Don't try it overpowered or you'll end up doing a forward. To depower head more downwind."

For any windsurfing technique queries, feel free to contact Jem on:
jem@jemhall.com or visit www.jemhall.com

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The Grubby

View video of this move:

John Skye K-57

Ben Proffitt K-800

Phil Horrocks K-303