can any of you guys pull them off consistently, and have you got any hot tips (for learning flakkas of course)

i really want to gettem sussed this summer........and before davecta does

How far are you getting with them? Thats one of my missions for this summer. Ive tried lots and got close to a couple and nearly twisted my ankles off with quite a few. It sucks because they look so easy.

try to dig in the outside rail [}:)]

like davecta, my couple of best attempts = get as far as sliding the tail around down wind and the toeside rail catches and feel like snapping ankles off as i fall on sail

i've read in many articles that once you get the hang of them, they are supposed to be the most consistently easy to pull off of most of the slidey moves

A few general tips:

I like bearing downwind just a tad before the jump. That's me, doesn't mean it's right, but something to try.

Don't jump right off, easier is when board barely lifts, fairly horizontal, ready to catch with the tip. Lot of people try to make a high jump out of it, that don't work.

I like to stay close to the rig when I'm on the wrong side, something to experiment for you if it doesn't work. Closer to the rig is not elegant, I'm told, but more control. I find the more speed, the easier to keep the normal stance, lower speeds you have to push harder including the body.

Once the nose takes water, bring the board flat, don't let it sink. It must barely catch water for the board to rotate.

What else? Underpowered better than overpowered at first. At least this way you get the feel for the first part, which is getting front-to-back. Speaking of which, usually at first one falls to leeward only. Make a point to overpower and fall to windward too. Eventually thus one finds the in-between point.

I find for many of these rotation moves a lower boom helps (more control, less power). It helps for the first part of the move, not for the hanging onto the rig when you resume normal sailing though. You can bring it back up once you master it the whole thing.

About mastering: I was in a sponsored comp this very weekend with pros and all, and I can tell you that everyone missed a lot, so nobody gets it 100%. Mind you it was howling, but again falling and trying is 90% of the fun.

One last bit: like those guys this weekend, I find it's a mistake to go for a 1-mile tack before trying stuff. I would much rather sail shortest possible before the next fall/move. Do 10 in a row, then go walkabout and try other stuff, then come back 10 minutes later. Practice in shallowest possible water - gives incentive to try stuff.

Good luck mate, it's well worth it just to try. Again we was all swimming this weekend but had an absolute ball !

thanks for the tips Pierre!

thanks Jordo


if anyone has got any more, please feel free

Hey - I'm not in any position to lecture here, but I found one thing that really helped with the initial rotation...

Having watched some guys try to get 'em by bearing off downwind for a bit and then jumping (and making a mess of it) I started making the bear-off-down-wind to "jump" as one quick move.

Basically, sailing along, beam reach, bear-away-open-the-rig-then-throwtherig/jump all in one smooth move - I found it brought me much more over the board and the sail.

I know this probably isn't going to directly solve your problem, but it might help.

I found Dixon's Turfdog vid on youtube kinda helpful as well:



Take everything I've just posted with a pinch of salt, because I can't land 'em either - it is going to happen soon though! If you work out the secret and exactly what you were doing wrong, please post! The more help the merrier...

ty spinny

> Take everything I've just posted with a pinch of salt

Me too, by the way. There is a personal side to all this. They're just things to try...

well it's nice to know no one else can do them yet either

It's on then. First one to nail them gets respect. Sorry but thats all I can think of as a prize at the moment. You can make your claim here but you have to have someone back it up.
Cheers ,Hoop

can you do them hoop? any tips?

Nah not yet. I'm pretty keen toget them this Summer though. A few guys over here getting into some freestyle this season. Should be fun.

Select to expand quote

hoop said...

It's on then. First one to nail them gets respect.
Cheers ,Hoop

ok sounds good. btw - how much is a respect worth, and can i sell it for cash?

i thought they were a style of wetsuits

You should be able to get heaps of cash for it. First you have to get it though. Or we could just make it a carton of beer.

haha - sounds great - im keen too.

Been reallying trying to get spocks dialed lately - got a new freestyle board and its bloody awesome!!!!!!

Went out on monday arvo and can get all the way around now - best feeling!!

I am finding though that once i get to the last final flip of the sail, i tend to overbalance and fall on my face haha.

Here is a wicked link for freestyle technique - got a fair few tricks on there.

http://www.roynbartholdi.com/windsurf/

I think a sequence shot has to be shown for proof :)

Peace.

Flakas are fun, but make sure it's not your only thing.

Last weekend there were a lot of front-to-back (pushing) sailing, and a lot of real fancy tacks... in 20+ knots. Also a lot more back-to-back than before. This makes for nice variety, the spinning stuff gets predictable after a while.

Here's one more tip: make sure you're balanced port and starboard. Last weekend at that comp, half the guys could freestyle only on one side - not good for their routine.

Back to flakas, practice with lower booms, but when you get it, take them higher - it makes the last part (hanging on to the boom) more violent.

Cheers mate!

go as far downwind as possible at first with th esail sheeted OUT, dont carve the board as this will kill your speed, all your weight is on your front leg as you jump, throw the sail into wind with a straight front arm while throwing your bodyweight forward, look at the water a few meters directly upwind, dont be a wimp with the sail throw, u should be throwin the sail up and then down, this will send the nose down and therefore a nosefirst landing, not the spako tailfirst straight leg ones the germans do.. its eaisier to do them downwind of the back of big chop, but that gives u a slow slide when u land, once u get the hang of them u can do them across the wind and youll come out full speed!

Just heading down the river to begin "The Great Flakka Off of 2008"
Will let you know what happens.

orsm


barn - where do people place their hands? from the vids it looks like front hand a fist width in front of front harnessline and back hand in almost forward loop position a fair way back

um hands are shoulder width apart with front hand real close to the first harness line(if they are touching), so u can sheet the sail out while heading downwind, youll find the guys with a wide grip do it cause they over sheet the sail like a laydown gybe before the flaka, this also works but u loose speed, hurrey and bubble taught me to sheet out and its loads better.. ill try post some flaka sequence in a sec

managed to pull off some sliding Flakas today. not yet making the full jump onto the nose but did manage to pop and slide onto the nose then twist out of it. yeh

Damn you! :)

Didnt try any today - so should have.

next time for sure.

will has a shiny new 2009 jp freestyle

i saw will virtually pull a spock. was soooo close it was a gimme but ya didn't fall all in and that's what counts

So whats going on ? Ive been away. Anyone got it sorted yet?

Nope - tried a few the other weekend, but nothing yet. Now the clocks ahve gone forward over here in Vic hopefully I'll get out after work a bit and do some work on 'em...

heading out this arvo to give them a try!

will let you know how it goes.

I want to learn them because they are named after me

Steve Flack!

or eventually Steve FLAKKA!!!

Justin from Peli point windsurfing has nailed a couple. However, the prize cant be claimed because he wasnt officially registered in the "Great Flakka Off of 2008" by expressing interest on this thread. (silly boy) So its still on. Theres a few guys getting pretty close here. How are the QLD guys going? (By the way, the few guys that are getting close havent replied to this thread either so my carton is looking pretty safe right now)

not much practicement from me lately. hopefully next moderately windy NE